Everything returned to how it was before.
The caravan moved slowly, the first guard team clearing the path ahead.
Melissa's eyes were slightly moist.
Suddenly, footsteps approached.
A person ran up to Melissa's carriage, shouting, "Miss Melissa, Miss Melissa!"
Hearing the voice, Melissa knew it was Emi, but she didn't want to acknowledge anyone, not after what had just happened.
She didn't want to deal with anyone right now.
But this time, Emi seemed unusually patient. Excitedly, he called out repeatedly, "Miss Melissa, wake up, please wake up!"
"What a fool. He doesn't know where he went just now. He must think I'm sleeping!"
Melissa thought to herself, growing more irritated.
At that moment, she decided to pretend to sleep, letting Emi call out in vain, hoping to make him feel frustrated.
Since she couldn't vent her anger on Richard, she'd find someone else.
Melissa thought this as she lay motionless on the carriage.
Little did she expect Emi to climb onto the carriage after calling for her for a while.
He gently tapped her back, saying, "Miss Melissa, please wake up. Look at what I have in my hands!"
"I don't care what it is!"
Melissa thought angrily, feeling Richard had bullied her enough, but now even Emi dared to bother her?
He dared to wake her up while she was sleeping?
The next moment, fueled by anger, Melissa suddenly raised her head, turned around, and slapped.
But instead of hitting Emi, the slap landed with a "smack" on his hand.
At that moment, Emi seemed to be holding something alive in his hand.
When Melissa slapped him, startled, he loosened his grip, and the creature immediately wriggled free, hopping off the carriage and running into the wild beside the road.
Emi was clearly stunned.
Melissa was also stunned.
She turned to look at the wild side of the road and realized the escaping creature was a large, chubby gray rabbit.
Its short tail tucked behind it like a ball of fur, long ears like sword lilies, and eyes so red they looked like rubies, blinking gratefully at Melissa as if thanking her for setting it free.
It was then that Melissa realized she had done something wrong.
Slowly turning back, she looked at Emi, who wore a frozen expression of joy that quickly turned to disappointment, frustration, and a hint of anger.
Melissa already guessed what had happened: Emi must have gone to catch rabbits in the wild while she lay on the carriage ignoring everyone.
After going through all that trouble, he actually managed to catch one.
And precisely because of that, he had no idea what had just happened.
When he came to show off with the rabbit's ears in his hands, she was lying on the carriage and not wanting to ignore anyone.
In ordinary times, Emi might have silently turned away.
But now, he was so excited about catching the rabbit that he took a risk to wake her up.
Then, she angrily raised his hand to slap, and let the rabbit escape.
Thinking of this, Melissa did not feel any guilt in her heart.
Instead, she felt a little anxious: how did everything fall on my head?
Damn Emi, why did he have to catch that rabbit now of all times?
And then he rushes over to me in such a hurry?
Ridiculous!
The next moment, Melissa widened her eyes and shouted at Emi, "What are you trying to do?!"
Seeing Melissa's expression, Emi startled, his demeanor of dejection and anger instantly disappearing, replaced by a hint of nervousness.
She quickly explained, "Miss Melissa, I... I just wanted you to see the rabbit I caught."
"Rabbit, rabbit, always about the rabbit!" Melissa yelled in frustration at Emi.
"Do you know what just happened?"
"What happened?" Emi asked weakly.
"Richard just came over..." Melissa immediately recounted the events to Emi, embellishing the story.
Emi listened, becoming blank for a moment, unsure of what to say.
"Well... that Richard guy, he's crossed the line, daring to bully Miss Melissa!"
"Hmph, now that you know," Melissa said, her expression suddenly changing, looking meaningfully at Emi.
Emi felt a pang of fear.
"Emi!" Melissa exclaimed.
"I know why you've been trying so hard to please me lately, to get me or Uncle Mura or even my father to speak well of you, right?"
"Well..." Emi looked embarrassed.
"It's alright," Melissa glanced around, a hint of cunning in her eyes, teasing like a little devil, "I can have my father promote you. He's the head of the entire Violet Blossom Merchant Guild, after all. With just a word from him, you could become the new caravan manager."
"This..." Emi fidgeted nervously.
"But there's a condition," Melissa finally revealed her intent, looking at Emi seriously, word by word, "You need to help me come up with a plan to get back at that Richard guy, at least enough to put him in his place!"
"Emmm..." Emi's nervous fidgeting stopped, eyebrows furrowing in hesitation.
He wasn't dumb, unlike Melissa who couldn't see the bigger picture.
He knew well enough—— this was Prum, not Muren.
The so-called Violet Blossom Caravan Guild had no sway here.
If he dared to provoke a noble, even if he was just a baron's second heir, there wouldn't be a good outcome.
If sucking up to Melissa, catching rabbits and all, was just hard work, now it was dangerous.
There could even be a life-threatening situation.