The lake, seen up close, was several times more beautiful than when viewed from afar.

Irene approached the lakeside and gently touched the water with her hand.

“It’s cold.”

Not enough to make her teeth chatter, but a pleasant coldness.

Irene first filled her water container, then took her time enjoying the lake view she had wanted to see.

While looking at the beautiful and open scenery, it felt as if the worries and anxieties that had been piling up in her heart were melting away.

“…….”

But then, seeing the wound medicine she had put in her pocket, it all came back to her.

Fiddling with the wound medicine, Irene remembered what had happened that morning at the inn.

It was all bewildering and puzzling, but what was most incomprehensible was that Carlos had given her the wound medicine.

It was also strange that he had told her to cover herself with a coat since the north was cold.

It seemed as if he was worried about her.

“Worrying……”

It was a word that did not suit Carlos at all.

Feeling a connection to that word made her feel that way even more.

Upon reflecting on everything she had seen, heard, and felt, she had come to a realization.

Carlos had no intention of killing her.

She didn’t know about later, but at least for now, she was sure.

And…what else was there?

As she looked at the clear lakeside, trying to sort out her complicated thoughts, the bushes behind her rustled.

Irene turned around, startled.

Soon, a rabbit slightly larger than her palm and as white as snow jumped out.

The tension immediately dissipated at the sight of the rabbit, and a bright smile appeared on Irene’s lips.

“Come here.”

As Irene reached out her hand, the rabbit hopped over and sniffed her hand, snuffling.

“How cute.”

She wanted to pet its head, but would it run away if she did?

Irene gently touched the rabbit’s nose. Fortunately, the rabbit only pricked up its ears and did not run away.

Then she should be able to pet its head.

The moment Irene tried to stroke the rabbit’s head,

KYUWUNG[Dash].

With a strange noise, the rabbit’s red eyes flashed for a moment, and its body began to grow larger.

“……!”

Irene, surprised, retreated.

However, unfortunately, the lake was right behind her, so there wasn’t much room to retreat.

While the confused Irene was flustered, the rabbit, now the size of a house, raised its giant front paw.

Irene quickly dodged by throwing her body to the side.

KIYING, KIYING[Dash].

The rabbit approached Irene, making a bizarre noise.

The ground shook violently with each step the rabbit took, as if an earthquake was happening, and she couldn’t stand straight.

To make matters worse, when she dodged the rabbit’s first attack, she seemed to have twisted her ankle, and she felt a sharp pain.

But if she stayed like this, she would surely be crushed by the rabbit’s foot or pierced by its giant, sharp teeth.

She didn’t want to die by some strange rabbit after surviving everything else!

Irene gritted her teeth and got up, but couldn’t go far before falling again.

Just then, when the rabbit was about to swing its front paw,

SHAEAK[Dash].

A sound like something cutting through the wind rang out, and a large shadow embraced her.

The owner of the shadow was Carlos.

Irene’s eyes widened in surprise at his sudden appearance, and her mouth gaped open.

“Right now…….”

KIEAK[Dash].

Before she could even utter a word, a painful and eerie scream filled the forest.

Soon after, the ground shook violently, far more than when the rabbit had stomped its foot.

The scent of acrid blood came with the wind.

“Did you…knock down the rabbit?”

“Yes.”

So, he knocked it down.

Irene finally exhaled a sigh of relief.

At the same time, she became curious.

Carlos had no sword or sharp weapon, so how did he knock down the rabbit?

And when did he knock it down?

He had run straight to her and held her.

“……!”

Realizing belatedly that she was in his arms, Irene, flustered, tried to pull away.

“Stay still.”
But Carlos did not allow it.

Rather, he pulled her closer into his embrace, and Irene’s cheeks turned red as she inadvertently buried her face in his firm chest.

She tried as much as possible to pull her face away and pleaded,

“No, let me go.”

“I’m not finished taking care of things yet, so stay still.”

“Taking care… of what?”

What was he talking about?

Irene asked in bewilderment, but there was no response.

The hand that had been coiled around Irene’s waist fell away when the smell of blood had almost disappeared.

Only then, when her vision cleared, did Irene look around in alarm, as she did not see the rabbit’s carcass.

But the rabbit’s body was nowhere to be found.

‘What happened?’

Was everything she had just experienced a dream?

No, it couldn’t be. The giant rabbit’s footprint on the ground was proof.

Besides, Carlos had said that he killed the rabbit.

Yet, there were neither the rabbit’s body nor any bloodstains, which was confusing.

Was this some kind of trick played by a ghost?

Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me

One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.

Synopsis:

Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.

But this is still far from enough.

He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.

_____

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