Chapter 273: The Puppet Stalker

Usagi kept clutching the feather pendant hanging over her chest, her face flushed red as she nervously stopped passersby to ask for directions. Each person she approached showed varying degrees of annoyance and impatience.

"Um, sir… do you know where Setia is?" she asked cautiously, her tone laced with a hint of pleading.

The man didn't even bother to lift his head. He waved her off irritably and said, "Don't know, don't know! Stop bothering me, ask someone else!"

Usagi bit her lip. She had already been rejected countless times, but she still gathered her courage, took a step forward, and persisted, "Sir, this place is really important to me… If you know, could you please tell me?"

The man's patience ran out. His brows furrowed, and he shoved her aside roughly. "I said I don't know! Get lost!"

Caught off guard by the sudden push, Usagi let out a small yelp as she stumbled backward, about to fall. But before she could hit the ground, a large figure behind her steadied her, restoring her balance. She instinctively reached out and grabbed the soft, plush body of the figure without even looking up, brushing off the earlier shove as she stepped toward her next target.

—She didn't notice the burning fury in the "puppet's" eyes behind her.

Hidden inside the puppet suit, Hayado gritted his teeth, his fists tightening. That bastard dared to push Usagi?!

The next second, the oversized puppet spun around and, without hesitation, rammed into the man's side with full force!

BANG!

The man hadn't expected the puppet to go berserk. He was sent flying by the powerful impact, rolling across the ground several times before coming to a stop, his clothes now smeared with dirt. Furious, he scrambled to his feet and shouted, "Are you crazy?!"

But the puppet didn't even spare him a glance. It simply turned and hurried after Usagi.

Inside the suit, Hayado's eyes were fixed on her back. His heart was raging. Mess with Usagi? Today you'll learn what it feels like to be punished by a 'rabbit puppet'!

When he caught up with Usagi, he found her back at the same street she had already visited, facing a woman she had already questioned multiple times.

"Auntie, do you know where Setia is? If you do—"

The woman, who was tidying up her stall, instantly scowled when she heard that familiar question. Her tone was sharp and impatient as she snapped, "You again? Can't you stop asking already?!"

She turned and stormed off, leaving Usagi standing there, staring blankly at her surroundings. She muttered softly to herself, "Um… where am I again?"

Hayado's mouth twitched. He had witnessed this entire scene, and his emotions were a mess.

Wait… she's already asked hundreds of times, right?! How can she not remember anyone's face?

He watched Usagi's big, innocent eyes, so serious as she tried to figure out her next move. The rage he had felt earlier began to fade, replaced by something else.

This silly girl… Is she just absent-minded, or is she actually an airhead?

Day after day, she wandered through the streets, persistently asking every person she came across. And at night, under the dim streetlights, she continued walking tirelessly, repeating the same question.

Time passed. Her face grew paler, her once-fluffy pink hair clinging to her cheeks, damp with sweat.

She didn't eat, didn't drink—she just stubbornly repeated the same line:

"Where is Setia?"

Hayado grew increasingly irritated watching her. Why is she so damn stubborn?!

Finally, a torrential downpour swept through the streets. Rainwater drenched the pavement, blurring the city's outline.

Usagi, undeterred by the rain, continued threading through the crowd. Her soaked clothes clung to her body. She reached up to brush aside her wet hair, but the moisture only made it stick more stubbornly to her face.

Hayado stood beneath the rain, his eyes fixed on her delicate figure. She moved like a machine driven by obsession—tireless and unwavering.

Her voice was hoarse from overuse, but she still wouldn't stop.

"Setia…"

Her steps faltered. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed to the ground.

The people around her kept walking, too busy to notice or care.

Hayado's gaze turned cold. He charged forward, the puppet's oversized body crashing through the crowd. People stumbled and fell as he shoved them aside without hesitation. He didn't care. He only had eyes for the girl lying on the wet ground.

Usagi curled up in the rain, trembling. Her face was deathly pale, but there was still a faint flush on her cheeks. Her eyelashes were damp with rain, and her lips moved faintly, as if sleep-talking.

Hayado knelt down and carefully lifted her into his arms. He carried her to a small, run-down temple at the corner of the street, shielding her from the storm. He set her down and stared at her soaked clothes, his face darkening.

He quickly ran into the temple's courtyard, grabbed a long cloth, and rushed back. He wiped the rain off her body and wrapped her snugly. Then he lit a fire, letting the warmth slowly chase away the chill.

But warmth wasn't enough. Hayado ran into the woods, caught a few chickens, and swiftly prepared the meat. Before long, the aroma of chicken soup and roasted meat filled the temple, warming the cold, damp air.

Just then, a monk walked in, frowning. "Sir, you can't cook inside the temple."

Hayado's head slowly lifted. His eyes, hidden beneath the puppet suit, radiated a chilling, dangerous light—like a beast awakened from its slumber.

The monk flinched under the intense pressure. He stumbled back a few steps and quickly left without another word.

—Finally, peace.

The flickering firelight cast a warm glow. Usagi's eyelids fluttered open.

She sniffed the air. The rich aroma of chicken soup filled her nose, and her stomach growled loudly. Without hesitation, she lunged for the food, grabbing the bowl of soup and drinking it greedily. Then she tore into the roasted chicken, eating like she hadn't had a meal in days.

Hayado watched, his mouth twitching.

She was this hungry the whole time? Why didn't she stop to eat earlier instead of driving herself to collapse?!

As he watched her, his thoughts darkened. And she didn't even hesitate before eating. What if it was poisoned?!

But Usagi didn't seem to care. She kept eating, looking completely satisfied.

When she was finally full, she glanced up at the rabbit puppet beside her.

Her first words weren't "thank you" but—

"Mr. Rabbit, do you know where Setia is?"

Hayado's mouth twitched violently. He almost cursed out loud.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to say, "Your first words should be 'thank you for saving me and making me food.'"

Usagi, however, replied matter-of-factly, "I didn't ask you to save me. Just answer the question: do you know or not?"

Hayado's lips curled into a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"…I don't know."

Usagi was silent for a moment. Then she stood up, dusted herself off, and turned toward the door.

Hayado's eyes widened. "Hey! You're still soaking wet! Where are you going?!"

Usagi didn't answer. She just kept walking, disappearing into the bamboo forest beyond the temple.