The Duke's Killer Rabbit [BL]

Clint paused, his tiny paws resting on the edge of the little book as he stared down at the pages, but his thoughts were no longer focused on reading.

He glanced at his soft black fur, then raised a paw, turning it slowly, and muttered under his breath, "I need to go back to human… staying like this, I'm in danger."

He glanced around the room again, alert and cautious, his ears twitching as he listened to the faint hum of conversation at the window.

"If I go out alone while I'm still a bunny, that's just asking to get killed or eaten or whatever this world does to small weak animals," he thought bitterly.

He sighed and leaned back on his haunches, ears flopping slightly as he whispered to himself again, "Looks like I have no choice but to stay near this Duke… at least for now."

His eyes slowly moved toward the two men still speaking by the tall window. The Duke stood as still as a statue while Elric gestured occasionally, speaking in hushed tones.

Clint narrowed his eyes. "I just need to make sure he doesn't plan to cook me or wear me as some kind of noble cloak," he muttered again, 

With a sigh, Clint closed the little book with one paw and hopped down from the table, landing softly on the floor without a sound. His curiosity got the better of him as he saw Elric reaching into his robe and pulling something out, a small bottle filled with shimmering silver liquid. Its surface glowed faintly under the light, and Clint's eyes locked onto it instantly.

Without thinking, he hopped closer quiet, careful, and crouched low until he reached the edge of the rug near their feet. From here, he could hear their voices more clearly.

"…It's still in the testing phase," Elric was saying, holding the bottle up so the sunlight could pass through it. "This potion was developed by the Wizard Tower's curse division. It's designed to dissolve unknown curses, especially ones that are passive but persistent."

Clint's ears perked up fast. His eyes were wide. 'A potion that could remove a curse?'

He froze in place, fully focused now.

Elric continued, his voice lower, more serious. "If this bunny is truly under a curse one strong enough to survive contact with Dragonblood, this could be our only chance to break it. But…" He paused, then glanced at the Duke.

"But what?" the Duke asked quietly.

Elric frowned and lowered the bottle slightly. "It's new. Untested on intelligent beings. The potion works by forcefully unraveling the magic thread inside a creature. If the host is weak, or if the curse is tied too deeply to the soul it could hurt him. It might even kill him."

At those words, Clint's fur bristled. He stepped back slightly. "Hmm, I'm not weak. I can survive that."

The Duke's expression darkened. His eyes, cold and unreadable. There was silence between the two men, heavy and slow.

Finally, the Duke spoke. "No."

Elric looked surprised. "Your Grace?"

"I won't allow it," the Duke said simply, his tone final. "Not unless we're sure it's safe."

Elric hesitated but then nodded slowly. "As you wish, Duke Darius."

Clint slowly turned around and hopped back to the sofa, his little paws making no sound on the soft carpet as he jumped back up to the seat and leaned into the corner, pretending to rest.

'I need to get that potion,' he thought with narrowed eyes, keeping one eye on the glowing bottle that had been placed back into Elric's robe pocket.

As he leaned back, he noticed a small woven basket tucked beside the armrest—one that had clearly been left for him—and inside it, nestled among soft cloth, were a few fresh carrots.

Without thinking too much, he grabbed one between his paws and started chewing, using it as an excuse to stay in place while keeping his eyes on the two men across the room.

The Duke and Elric were now approaching as Elric placed one hand over his chest and gave a respectful bow. "Then I'll take my leave now, Your Grace,"

Elric said with calm professionalism, though his eyes flicked once more to the bunny on the sofa, watching him closely.

Clint kept chewing the carrot lazily, acting like he wasn't paying attention, but inside he was already memorizing which side of the robe Elric had put the potion in. 'Right side… just under the silver trim,' he thought to himself, glancing quickly before lowering his gaze again.

Elric stepped forward just a little and bent down slightly toward Clint, "Goodbye, little one. I hope next time, you'll be a little more friendly."

Clint didn't even flinch.

He stared straight ahead, chewing slower now, eyes half-lidded like a disinterested pet who didn't understand a single word. "Yeah, keep thinking I'm just some dumb bunny."

The Duke gave a silent nod, and Elric turned with a swish of his blue robes, walking steadily toward the door.

As the heavy door closed behind Elric and his robes disappeared down the hall, Clint quickly finished the last bite of his carrot, licked his small paws once, and then hopped down from the sofa with purpose, landing softly on the stone floor.

The Duke followed the little bunny with a slightly raised brow, watching Clint make his way toward the door without hesitation, as if he had somewhere very important to be.

He reached the hallway, paused briefly, and then twitched his ears while turning to glance at the Duke then took off in a steady hop toward the back garden.

The Duke, of course, followed in silence, clearly curious about what the little creature was trying to do.

Clint didn't stop until they reached the edge of the garden again, where several trimmed trees grew in orderly rows, and without a second of hesitation, Clint turned and rushed behind the nearest tree, his ears flat.

The Duke took one step forward, but then stopped abruptly as realization dawned in his expression. He blinked once and turned around, giving Clint the moment of privacy he thought he wanted.

Clint peeked from behind the tree, making sure the Duke wasn't watching anymore and then quickly turned his eyes toward the path leading outside the estate wall.

'There, That robe' Clint thought as he spotted Elric walking slowly down the garden path, still just within reach.