“Carol, you can thank your brother for this. Thanks to me, there is no more talk of selling you to the old lecher, and because of me, there will be no more half-witted subhumans like you who can go out and tarnish the name of my House of Arceides. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.”
“…Yes?”
Dirk, who had returned from the academy unusually early, said something bizarre.
No, Dirk’s eccentricities had always been unusual, but the story of my being sold to some perverted nobleman had been decided between our families, so even if he was the legitimate son, it was not a matter that a 10-year-old boy could overrule.
Dirk, who had grown to be tall, lifted me, who was smaller than an average five-year-old child, gently and with a fresh smile on his face.
“Today, this older brother of yours will bathe and wash you with me.”
“No!”
Dirk, who hadn’t expected me to refuse, widened his eyes in surprise.
“Dirk, I’m sure Bunny-chan won’t be able to understand you if you do that…”
“Cashmere…”
Ah, there you were. Flare’s older brother, the Duke’s young master, snatched me from Dirk, his classmate’s grasp, with a sparkling smile and held me in his arms.
“You’re cute as ever, Bunny-chan, and I’ve prepared a dragon-skin collar for you, so you can be mine whenever you want.”
“I told you I won’t give you this one. Give her back to me now!”
“It’s good to see you again. Right, Bunny-chan?”
“…”
I was horrified. Both of them were beautiful boys, so I felt disgusted by them.
They didn’t even treat me as a “person”, let alone a young lady of noble birth. They treat me like a pet bunny.
According to Cashmere, Dirk consulted him about how to handle me, Cashmere consulted his father (to make me his own), and the Duke of Prata made a move.
I would never believe that the Prata family was kind enough to do this for me.
I just had a bad feeling there was something behind it… I mean, what could it be?
“Your sale story, I mean, the story about being adopted when your body grows up, is gone. A certain place is paying that penalty, and I want Bunny-chan to come all the way to the royal castle for that. There is a party tomorrow night at the castle. The nobles I want you to meet will be there, so I thought it would be a good time.”
“Of course, Carol won’t be at the actual party. A subhuman like you is not permitted to attend a party in the castle. But, of course, I’ll be there.”
“I will also be there, so I can’t be with you, but I’ll bring you some carrots afterwards, so bear with it.”
“…”
I should be praised for being able to resist the urge to transform into an adult and smack them.
We were supposed to go to the royal castle tomorrow to meet with the investors, but I had a bad feeling about it. Did Dirk truly believe the Pratas were also cooperating with us?
The next day, while I was waiting in my usual attire because I wasn’t going to be at the castle party anyway, Dirk came home early, and Cashmere also came over to see me again.
“Dirk doesn’t appear to want to show Bunny-chan to the other nobles, but I want everyone to see the adorable Bunny-chan, so I’ve prepared this.”
“…Hmm?”
A slightly young, pale butler behind Cashmere brought a box. …Oh, was this the guy who got stabbed by Flare for not liking his attitude?
“See, isn’t she pretty?”
“…”
Cashmere brought a pure white dress that looked custom-made.