The Unicorn’s Trick and a Tyrant’s Daughter

If it weren’t so mischievously perverse, it would truly be an elegant creature. I longed to get closer to it.

Following Maple’s lead, I approached the unicorn.

From a distance, it sensed my approach. Its tail ceased wagging, and its gaze fixed intently upon me, scrutinizing every move.

I reached out, intending to stroke its mane, but it merely turned its head and bolted, fleeing across the lake’s surface to watch me from afar.

“…What’s it doing? Is it shy?” I wondered, oblivious to the obvious.

At that very moment, distant shouts echoed – “We followed the unicorn all the way here, only to find them jumping into the lake! See! I told you they wouldn’t go far! They’re right around here!”

Suddenly, a group of masked figures inexplicably appeared, surrounding us.

I retorted indignantly, “This is all your fault! You scared the unicorn away!”

They merely stared at me, their smiles sinister.

“Are you also here to capture the unicorn? Eh… something feels off…”

Even in broad daylight, their masks struck me as suspicious.

“Capture a unicorn?”

They burst into laughter.

“Princess, we’re here to capture you.”

“Capture me? Who are you people?”

“Who we are isn’t important—”

I couldn’t help but interrupt, “What’s the point of covering your faces if you don’t cover your rabbit ears? Anyone can tell you’re Rabbit-eared folk up to no good!”

They exchanged bewildered glances.

“Hmph, if it weren’t for the fact that you managed to shake off that unicorn, we wouldn’t have needed to mobilize so many people. You would have already been carried away by the unicorn.”

“The unicorn? That one?” I asked, pointing to the one on the lake.

They shook their heads.

‘Wait, could there be two unicorns?’

The others scoffed. “Princess, you’re finally catching on, aren’t you? The unicorn you encountered earlier was actually arranged by us, its purpose was to bring you to us.”

After all this, the unicorn we met earlier wasn’t the one my Imperial Father pre-arranged? Was this one the real one then? No wonder something felt off; why else would it keep chasing us?

I detected the scent of a conspiracy. I had come to the forest for a leisurely outing, hoping to find a unicorn, only to walk into a trap set by villains.

“We have no grievances, so why are you kidnapping me?”

“We have no grievances with you, but we do with your Imperial Father! Who told you to be the daughter of that dog emperor?” they said coldly.

I stared at them, dumbfounded, my worldview utterly shattered.

“You have a grudge against my Imperial Father, so you’re taking it out on innocent me?”

The one who had called my father a dog emperor was about to speak, but a companion stopped him. Another man, his voice chilling, offered an explanation.

“Princess, you must think we’re villains, don’t you? But I can tell you with certainty – your Imperial Father is a tyrant! Do you know what he did to the Six Races? Do you know what he did to our Rabbit-eared folk? He captured our Queen and made her a s*ave! You didn’t know any of this, did you?”

“You say my Imperial Father is a tyrant…?”

I stood rooted to the spot. While he never showed me any affection, being preoccupied with affairs of state surely made him a diligent emperor, didn’t it? Now someone was calling him a tyrant?

The last shred of a father figure I held in my heart completely crumbled.

“So, Princess, blame yourself for being his daughter.”

My Lolita dress, still damp, felt cold, but my heart felt even colder.

It was then that Maple stepped forward, shielding me behind him.

“Don’t listen to their nonsense.”

“?!”

“With me here, no one will kidnap you.”

I looked out to see moonlight illuminating a vast expanse of rabbit ears!

“But there are at least a hundred of them!”

“What did I tell you before we set out?”

“You said you could ride a horse, shoot arrows, and… protect my safety…?” I asked weakly.

“So, please trust me. I brought you out here, and I will certainly bring you back safe and sound.”

His words carried a resolute finality.

Honestly…

He was clearly the submissive one, yet he spoke such dashing words at a critical moment.

“Alright then!” I declared, pointing at Maple’s back to cheer him on. “If you lose, you’ll wear a dress!”

It was meant as encouragement, yet it sounded more like a threat. Oh, I truly couldn’t utter anything graceful!

“Alright, it’s a deal.”

Maple advanced towards the masked figures, one step at a time, drawing his sword from its sheath under the moonlight.

And… though I had said ‘wear a dress if you lose,’ this time, I truly hoped he would win!

If he lost, would we both die here?

My heart was filled with such uncertainty!

Fubai hadn’t noticed that earlier, when Maple started the fire, his sword had already split the stone.