SWNOVELXO Chapter 3: Bunny Clan
"No thanks, change the mission," Ivy instantly refused.
The first mission had been simple and by her luck; the villain had merely pushed her away. But this time, it felt like crossing a dangerous boundary—the villain might burn her if she tried.
The chibi bird jumped and shrieked angrily.
"You cannot reject the mission, Host! It's your time to shine—win your husband's heart!"
Its voice sounded cheerful, like that of an overeager matchmaker. Everything it did was aimed at getting Ivy and the villain together.
Realizing she couldn't reject the mission, Ivy fumbled with her hands. Reluctantly, she asked to confirm,
"Are you saying sleeping or... sexing?"
At her question, the system jumped like a malfunctioning toy, its cheeks turning red.
"Host, stop! Watch your mouth! I'm not a dirty system! Of course, I mean sleeping!"
Ivy sighed at the system's delayed response. She got up from the bed and left her room.
Walking down the stairs, she met a pair of maids cleaning.
"Good evening, Duchess," the maids greeted her in unison, bowing respectfully.
Ivy smiled kindly and accepted their greeting.
"Evening."
She wasted no time and went straight to the point.
"Where's the Duke's room?"
She asked because she didn't know its location, and she was certain the former Ivy Everhart wouldn't have known either. The system accompanying her also claimed ignorance about it.
The maids exchanged subtle glances before one of them replied,
"The left corner, seven doors ahead."
"Thank you." Ivy smiled gratefully at the maid, gathered her gown, and walked in the direction they had described.
Once Ivy was out of sight, the maids peered after her. Seeing that she was gone, one of them said,
"The Duchess is acting weird."
The other nodded but replied,
"Just ignore it."
They agreed and continued their chores.
Ivy stood before the villain's door once she reached it.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" she called, knocking.
She knocked not once but twice, and still, there was no response. Her brows furrowed slightly in frustration.
The system, bouncing its chibi body impatiently, said, "Host, the door is locked. You can't get in."
Ivy smiled secretly to herself and replied to the chibi bird, "He's in there, but he isn't answering. System, maybe this is a sign that I shouldn't carry out this mission."
She had been anxious about the mission before, but perhaps this was a sign to abandon it altogether.
The chibi bird shook its head fiercely and yelled, "Host, the mission *must* be carried out!"
"Just kill me! Just kill me!" Ivy wailed dramatically in her heart.
"You're going to die anyway if you don't complete the mission," the chibi bird retorted, ignoring her theatrics and speaking with unsettling excitement.
A shiver ran down Ivy's spine.
How could such a cute thing be so devilish?
Her expression turned serious as she stood and dusted off her gown.
"Understood," she said firmly.
The villain wasn't opening the door. What were she and the system supposed to do? Was this the end? Would she fail the mission entirely?
"System, Ivy is a wind bunny, right?" she suddenly asked with a smile, as if a plan had formed in her mind.
Ivy Everhart was a wind bunny—a shifter with wind magic. Her clan was known for their control over wind magic.
The system bounced curiously.
"Yes, Host. What do you plan to do?"
It saw its host smirk cunningly, like someone with a wild idea. As it watched, Ivy closed her eyes and muttered something under her breath. Moments later, a wind circle appeared, weaving around her.
The system blinked in astonishment.
She had mastered the original Ivy's magic powers? How had she done it so quickly?
Before it could predict what would happen next, Ivy's body became wrapped in wind patterns, and she floated into the air, heading toward the terrace.
The chibi bird shrieked and hurriedly followed, curious to see what she was up to.
When Ivy stopped, she realized she was at the villain's window—the window belonging to the Duke.
Ivy gave the chibi bird a smug smile as she floated inside. Fortunately, the window had been left open.
In her heart, she praised herself as a genius for remembering the cannon fodder Ivy's magic from the book. She owed her a sharp memory for retaining every bit of information she had read.
Lucien felt a presence in his room and turned, seeing Ivy. Her locks were soaked with sweat as if she had run a marathon.
He looked at the open window; the wind blowing in. It seemed she had come through the window since he had refused to open the door. It did not surprise him that she could manage such a feat.
Drying his wet locks with his towel, his eyes turned cold as he asked, "What are you doing here?"
Ivy felt her breath hitch as he questioned her. The coldness in his eyes made her heart feel as if it would escape her chest. Although fear gripped her, she didn't forget her mission.
Biting her lips with reluctance, her eyes stole a glance at his face. She said, "Lucien, I'm sorry. I begged for your forgiveness, but you still haven't forgiven me." Her head lowered, and her eyes avoided his.
Ivy reminded herself not to be tempted by the villain's dashing appearance, his body wrapped in nothing but a bath towel. She couldn't afford to say something stupid.
Though her thoughts were chaotic, she maintained an innocent facade.
Lucien stepped forward, closing the distance between them. His presence loomed closer, his scent filling the air between them without his notice.
Lucien chuckled sarcastically.
"Letting you into the castle wasn't enough forgiveness for you to understand?" His voice was icy, almost chilling. He watched as Ivy's shoulders trembled, her delicate long locks hiding her face. She wasn't here without a reason, he thought. Ivy wasn't a woman he could easily trust—sophisticated and unpredictable, even as a member of the Rabbit Clan.
Rabbits were supposed to be innocent and cute... not reckless and causing problems.
Ivy grew more nervous under Lucien's scrutiny, his silence unsettling. Though she couldn't meet his gaze, his scent enveloped her like a heated breeze. For a moment, she almost forgot her purpose. Finally, regaining her composure, she continued her act.
"That's different, Lucien dear. I need your forgiveness as your wife," she pleaded, her eyes shining with intensity.
Then, with a sudden boldness, she added, "I mean, let's share a bed."
She dropped the bombshell.
Lucien furrowed his brow, clearly surprised.
"Excuse me?" he asked, his voice edged with disbelief.
Ivy's words caught him off guard. This wasn't something he ever expected to hear from her. After all, she was so infatuated with the prince that she had refused to share a room with Lucien as husband and wife. Today, however, her boldness shocked him, and his guard went up.
Ivy looked at Lucien's handsome face, which reflected his disbelief, and repeated herself.
"I said, let's share a bed as husband and wife."
As she spoke, she moved closer to him, her body almost brushing against his.
Unknown to her, Lucien's face turned ashen. Without hesitation, he pushed her away. Ivy stumbled but quickly stabilized herself.
"Get out!" he ordered, his voice cold, his eyes like daggers ready to pierce her.
"I don't know what game you're playing, Ivy, but it won't work on me." Pointing a finger at her, he gave his warning.
With that, Lucien walked to the bed and lay on it, closing his eyes as if dismissing her entirely.
For a moment, Ivy's eyes darkened at his lack of attention to her. The villain was proving to be very difficult.
She tried her luck once more.
"I'm not playing any games, Lucien," she mumbled, walking over to the bed where he lay.
Lucien sensed her presence beside him and said, "Ivy, by the time I open my eyes, you'd better be gone."
But Ivy ignored his words. She climbed onto the bed and lay beside him, oblivious to the danger her actions invited.
In an instant, Lucien was on top of her.
His eyes bore into hers, his voice a low warning that sent shivers down her spine.
"I'm not made of wood, Ivy. If you insist on staying here with me, I'll fuck you."