Free Web NovelChapter 32: Chapter 32: Feeding
Yu Zhizhi curled up on her side, feeling the person before her wiping her palms with a warm, damp towel.
He was wiping them with great concentration.
Just as Yu Zhizhi thought he wasn’t going to answer, the man spoke.
"—Of course."
If he wanted the little female to be obedient, he had to give her a little taste of something sweet. This piece of intelligence was the "candy"—a carrot dangled in front of her, enticing her to move forward.
Two maids brought in some fragrant food. They placed the trays on a table, bowed, and retreated.
Blindfolded, Yu Zhizhi could smell the aroma of the meal.
"Can I take off my blindfold?" Her left hand gently touched the white cloth over her eyes. After receiving the Duke’s approval, she slowly pulled it off.
The light in the room was soft and dim. Having not seen anything for so long, her vision was blurry.
The Duke was sitting by the bed. As Yu Zhizhi slowly sat up and leaned against the headboard, he slightly opened his hand. The black snake on his shoulder slithered down, coiling around the young woman’s wrists and locking them firmly in place.
’...Huh?’
’Why am I tied up again?’
Yu Zhizhi stared blankly at the black snake on her wrists. It happened to be flicking its tongue at her...
The Duke saw the little female shudder.
’She’s afraid of snakes.’
Yu Zhizhi had always been afraid of snakes. Once, a small Green Snake had darted into her hospital room. Her mother had quickly chased it away, but she had been so scared she couldn’t sleep well for a week.
She didn’t dare look at the snake wrapped around her wrists and could only turn her head to look at the food placed to the side.
"I’m hungry..."
Yu Zhizhi’s voice was like that of a wounded little bird—soft and fragile.
She watched as the man used a small knife to cut a flatbread.
The Duke picked up a small piece of the vegetable flatbread with a fork and brought it to Yu Zhizhi’s lips.
She smelled the rich aroma, and her stomach RUMBLED.
Yu Zhizhi opened her mouth, took the piece of food, and slowly chewed and swallowed.
’—Delicious!’
Her eyes widened slightly. The lingering fragrance of the vegetables was endlessly delightful.
The food in the Duke Mansion was completely different from the food at the K family’s. ’Maybe the dietary habits of snakes and wolves aren’t the same?’
"I... I can eat by myself."
Yu Zhizhi didn’t dare look at him. She was only aware of the man’s figure close by, his robes half-open in her line of sight, revealing a hint of his chest.
"This Duke must naturally feed his newly found little pet himself."
He forked another piece of the vegetable flatbread and held it out to the little female. A lovely blush colored her cheeks. She lowered her head, opened her mouth to take the food, and then chewed gently, her cheeks puffing out slightly.
CRUNCH, CRUNCH.
The crispy flatbread made a soft sound in her mouth.
It was like watching a little rabbit nibbling on a cabbage leaf.
A hint of a smile touched the Duke’s lips. He had to admit that he had indeed found a satisfactory little pet this time—
at least in terms of appearance, no one could be more suitable.
After eating half the flatbread, Yu Zhizhi already felt full. The Duke then brought over some cream of mushroom soup and fed it to her, one spoonful at a time.
’The little female is perfect in every way, except she’s too thin.’
A drop of the cream of mushroom soup trickled from the corner of her mouth. The Duke raised a hand and gently wiped it away with his thumb. "Every day, I will watch you eat. You are not allowed to leave a single bite."
He was going to raise this little female into a plump rabbit. That way, she would be more comfortable to hold.
Yu Zhizhi was completely full.
It was the first time she had ever been fed by a strange man.
Feeling her cheeks flush, Yu Zhizhi couldn’t help but lift her eyes for a quick glance at him. Her gaze met a pair of golden, slitted pupils, and she immediately lowered her head, a tingling numbness spreading through her chest.
’...I couldn’t get a clear look at his face.’
’It’s just that those golden, slitted pupils look too much like a "snake".’
’Ah, no, he *is* a snake!’
The Duke noticed the little female stealing a glance at him, only to shrink back in fear after a single look. His eyes were languid. "How are you supposed to please me when you’re this timid?"
"For the next few days, you will learn the rules. When you’ve learned them well, you may come find me."
The man stood up, preparing to leave.
Yu Zhizhi asked softly, "And if I don’t learn them well?"
He glanced at the little female and tossed out casually, "The slaughterhouse or the hospital. Pick one."
After the Duke left, the two black snakes binding her hands and feet also slithered slowly down the bed, following him into the distance.
Finally free of her restraints—
Yu Zhizhi went limp, collapsing against the headboard. Her unfocused gaze drifted up to the ornate chandelier on the ceiling.
The room was large, but also empty.
Aside from the large white bed, there was nothing else.
Whether it was her "human" genes or the fact that she was now a rabbit, Yu Zhizhi was truly terrified of snakes.
Just looking at them made her skin crawl.
Thinking of her mission, she felt a headache coming on. If all the males of the Snake Clan had slitted pupils like the Duke...
’How could I possibly get close to them if I’m scared to death?’
A short while later, a maid arrived. She looked to be around forty years old, wore a pair of rimless glasses, and had a kind smile.
"Ms. Zhi Zhi, the Duke has sent me to teach you the rules of being a pet."
When the maid saw Yu Zhizhi, her eyes lit up—
’What a beautiful little female. No wonder the Duke is so patient with her. He even had me come teach her personally.’
"You may call me Teacher Dai Li."
"Teacher Dai Li." Yu Zhizhi couldn’t help but sit up straight.
Dai Li adjusted her glasses and smiled. "Actually, the rules for servants in the Duke Mansion are extremely strict, but they are exceptionally lenient for the Duke’s pets." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
"Ms. Zhi Zhi, you only need to remember one thing: never, under any circumstances, defy the Duke’s words. Obey his every command."
"The Duke is very good to his pets. There was once a little white lion who lived more comfortably than the princesses in the Royal Palace. It’s just a pity that when the little lion grew up, it wasn’t so obedient anymore, so the Duke sent it to the slaughterhouse."
"There is one more thing, a friendly tip from me personally."
Dai Li walked to the side of the bed, sat down, and said slowly—
"The Duke likes his pets to be a bit more... enthusiastic."
"For example, he likes a happy little dog that wags its tail to welcome him home, not a moody, hesitant cat that plays hard to get."
"If you are willing to show enthusiasm while also obeying all his commands, your days here in the Duke Mansion will be very comfortable."
"Conversely..." Dai Li smiled. "You understand. There’s only one fate for an abandoned pet."
Abandoned pets die.
At least on the Beast World Planet, small, non-sentient animals that lack the ability to survive on their own are either starved to death or hunted down by the city Guard Team if abandoned by their owners.
The Duke is even simpler. Any pet he discards is sent directly to the slaughterhouse. The lucky ones are taken to a hospital for a lethal injection."
"Enthusiastic..." Yu Zhizhi whispered the word, feeling as if she understood something.
She currently had the mission [Seduce the Snake Clan Males] and also wanted to get [The Latest News on Dracula]. To do that, she had to overcome her fear of snakes and win the Duke’s trust.
"Teacher Dai Li, please send me to the Duke’s side tomorrow."
