Chapter 19: She's Here

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Chapter dedication: To Foxythefox ʕ⁠っ⁠•⁠ᴥ⁠•⁠ʔ⁠っ

•Thank you so much for the Golden Ticket, dear Foxythefox. I feel quite a lot more motivated by your Golden Ticket sent to Hunting Down The Last Elf (mwah)

• I hope you'd love this chapter

~Thank you~

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Gloria helped her all the way as Alicia limped in the opposite direction. As they both hid behind the tall pillar, Alicia peaked and glanced out occasionally glancing at the man who walked seriously, speaking through his phone.

Gloria would do the same trying to look past her, trying to figure out herself from whom were they hidden, behind the not-so-interesting pillar ridiculously. This seemed childish to her, for they weren't exactly hidden but slightly covered from the opposite.

"Alicia!"

"Shhh!!!"

Gloria was shushed right away even though she was sure she whisper-yelled at her.

The clanking of sharp footsteps had them turned their gaze in the direction of the source. But Alicia was quick enough to have her whole body pressed to the pillar as if she was willing to be a part of it. Gloria was squeezed in between the wall and her dearly beloved, friend, who chose not to explain what was actually the case for her absurdity.

"Why in the love of God, are we hiding away from that cop, Ms. Alicia?" whispered Gloria into Alicia's ears and had her turn to her.

Finally, as soon as she spotted him out of their sight, she stepped out of her hide and faked a wince in pain.

Not soon, Gloria came to her side and helped her walk toward the nursing room. Alicia's lips lifted up, thankful for successfully diverting the situation. She didn't want that cop to poke his nose at this incident too. She was sure he would question a series and cause her a migraine that was never there in the first place.

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The forest is a three-dimensional wonderland for the eyes that are willing to absorb the light, from the deep earthy tones of the woodland floor to the sweetness of the twilight sky.

The warren, a labyrinth of interconnected tunnels and burrows dug deep into the soft earth. It was a sprawling complex, with multiple levels and hidden chambers, spanning an area that could easily rival a small village. The entrance concealing by a thicket of bushes and tall grass, serving as a natural camouflage for the rabbits. Inside, the warren was a bustling hub of activity, with dozens of rabbits scurrying about, some digging new tunnels, others grooming their fur, and a few young ones playfully chasing each other.

The air was filled with the musky scent of the rabbits, and the sound of their incessant nibbling on roots and leaves. Despite the seemingly chaotic nature of the warren, there was an underlying order to it all, with certain rabbits taking on specific roles, such as sentries, foragers, and breeders.

As the sun began to set, the rabbits emerged from their burrows, cautiously at first, but soon gaining confidence as they realized that the coast was clear.

They hopped and darted about, nibbling on fresh blades of grass and sampling the various wildflowers that grew around the warren.

To an outsider, it might seem like a simple life, but to the rabbits, the warren was a complex and sophisticated society, one that they had built over generations of careful planning and survival instincts.

The Warren empties, and the rabbits come out to play and forage as the day nears its twilight with the promise of starlight. The sparkling pearls of the night appeared to be cushioned on pristine black velvet, dissolving the purples into gray under the moonlight. They can stare in more directions than predator animals can, at the smallest noise by standing on their hind legs with their black eyes wide open.

The hunter in a black cloak occasionally gave them some time to pass. He didn't necessarily dislike nature just because he had to eat. As he waited for the little ones to pass by, he aimed. One shot, one fat rabbit for stew. Mission accomplished. A sense of satisfaction washed over him. The weight of the gun in his hands, the smell of the gunpowder, and the sound of the shot all combined to give him a feeling of power and control. He knew that he had just secured a meal for himself and that sense of self-sufficiency made him feel proud. It was a primal satisfaction, an affirmation of his ability to survive and thrive in the wild.

He didn't have the patience to wait around for them to disperse further after that. Delbert, the man who stood not too far from the man who shot the poor rabbit, came running and took hold of the gun, and placed it back safely inside its beautifully designed leather cover.

Adrien walked past the thick trees, making sure he didn't step over any visible sticks or fallen branches that would, later on, give out his presence. He took a glance at the dead rabbit and glanced up at the sky.

"Tch!"

He clicked his tongue and walked away. The butler hurried to keep up with his master's long strides, carrying the dead rabbit in a meat bag in one of his hands and keeping his other hand occupied with the gun.

The very thought of its freshly drained-out blood and nicely chopped flesh stirred his stomach hungrily, watering his tongue.

On their way back to his home, the butler kept telling Adrien that he should set traps instead.

But what was the joy in that?

He enjoyed his stake-out process more than a boring trap that would just quench his thirst and his stomach.

But this? This gave him quite a lot of satisfaction in his mundane of a life.

"Master Adrien?"

Delbert peered cautiously at his master through the rearview mirror. The man had his eyes closed, resting his head back on the seat.

"Have you turned dumb, Delbert?" questioned Adrien, his eyes still closed. The butler had waited for his master to permit him to continue, but bit his tongue at his remark.

His master was unpredictable as always. If you speak without his permission, he'd insult you, and if you wait for him to permit, he'd still insult you.

"Apologies, master!" He bowed his head even though he knew his master paid no heed to it. "Her Royal Highness, Princess Adrasteia, asks for your grace's presence at the palace tomorrow, in the very morning."

Adrien snapped his onyx-black eyes open but didn't bother to respond to the poor butler. The chauffeur, who had his eyes focused on the road ahead all the while, gave a pity look at the young butler, who was sweating even when the atmosphere was chilling cold.

The next day morning, just as usual, the cockerels' cries woke the early risers from their slumber with their deepest voices.

Alicia hurried to pack her backpack and sneak out just the way she snuck into her house last night. She thought and prayed once more: It was all pure luck, and it had to happen once more too.

She chugged down the water and tiptoed toward the main door with the pair of shoes clutched tightly in her hand.

Slowly, making no noise, she twirled the doorknob to the right with no problem. A wide grin made up her face with twinkling eyes as soon as she successfully opened the door.

"Ahem! Ahem!"

But the glee had to last only for a span of seconds.

"Where do you think you're off to, young lady?"

"Ehe... mommy?"

Alicia had her shoes drop in startle and turned around with an uneasy smile.

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Ring! Ring!

Rubbing his eyebrows, he lazily wandered his gaze over the lighting device, vibrating amidst the slack of files.

He turned on the speaker and busily went through the case files that had his attention.

Plenty of natural light passed through the large windows lighting the spacious room of the study. The walls were lined with dark wood bookshelves, filled with books of various sizes and subjects. A large mahogany desk dominated the center of the room, cluttered with papers, files, and a computer. A comfortable leather chair was positioned behind the desk, and several other chairs were scattered around the room, including a cozy armchair in the corner with a floor lamp for reading. The room was decorated with tasteful artwork and antique collectibles, giving it a sense of sophistication and history. The air was scented with the faint aroma of old leather and wood polish. Despite the clutter, the room felt organized and functional, a perfect workspace for someone like Adrien.

"Adrien?"

No response.

"Adrien, are you there?"

"Speak up, Zav, speak up!" came the calm voice.

Zavior's body stiffened at the very mention of his name. So unlike his friend to call him by his nickname.

If it was anyone else, he wouldn't have to bat an eye at the thoughts. But him? These three short letters of his uttered by his friend were enough to have him nearly pissed in his pants. Those mere words had thousands of untold meanings. Messages that could rip one's ribs and one of the understandable messages was that the man was quite irked. It was as if he was yelling at him, "Did you fucking call me just so you could play hide and seek over the fucking phone and waste my time?"

The man was demanding when it came to words. But he'd make sure it was drilled into your head without him having to put an effort into it.

"Did you return the bike to the girl—I mean, were you able to?"

There was a pause and a loud sigh at the end.

"Zavior?"

At the very tone of his voice, Zavior's hand drifted over to the red button, tapping it out of panic.

Finally finding peace of mind with no one to hinder him, Adrien sighed and carried on with his work.

But a short knock on his door had him grunting frustratedly. Having no choice, he let the butler in and continued to work.

In came the butler, a sheen of sweat visible on his forehead as he kept trembling, similar to a withered leaf.

"She's here, master."

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Chapter dedication: To Foxythefox ʕ⁠っ⁠•⁠ᴥ⁠•⁠ʔ⁠っ

•Thank you so much for the Golden Ticket, dear Foxythefox. I feel quite a lot more motivated by your Golden Ticket sent to Hunting Down The Last Elf (mwah).

• I hope you'll love this chapter.

~Thank you~

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