There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 276

Chapter 276: Chapter 269. White Rabbit

"Good afternoon," the Saintess greeted with a soft smile, before shifting her gaze to the young girl. "You should greet someone first before asking them a question, Elena."

"Hehe--sorry!" she giggled and grabbed something that had been nuzzling Zein’s shoes.

He looked down and only then realized there was a rabbit headbutting his combat boots. Perhaps because it was so harmless, Zein didn’t even feel it earlier while he was having his deep thoughts.

The young girl picked up the white rabbit and bowed toward Zein--along with the rabbit. "Good afternoon, Mister!"

It was a clear and loud voice, like that of a schoolgirl when they were greeting their teacher. "Good afternoon," Zein nodded in kind, looking at the rabbit in fascination.

Zoo. He had never gone to the zoo either. Guessed he had one more place to visit now; a date too.

Was it the rabbit, the young girl, or the old lady? The combination of the three harmless-looking creatures made him self-conscious about his--probably--scary appearance. So he retracted his mask as a good gesture, and the rabbit wriggled in the young girl’s arms.

"Huh? Why, Cloudy? Do you want to greet this Mister too?"

The young girl, Elena, looked at the rabbit confusedly and then lifted the wriggling creature toward a surprised Zein. The rabbit’s limbs were pointing toward Zein, like a child asking to be carried.

Zein had never carried a rabbit before, but he had carried his baby brothers a lot of time, so he didn’t have any difficulty when he reached out to take the rabbit. It practically jumped into Zein’s embrace and latched into his chest.

"Huh..."

The young girl poofed her cheeks. "Hmph! You always go for anyone pretty," she clicked her tongue and crossed her arms, before looking up at Zein who was staring amusedly at the rabbit snuggling to him. And then, with a curious tone, she threw a question. "Mister, are you going to be my partner?"

Zein blinked and looked at the girl in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, you’re the chosen one too, right? I’m going to be a Saintess, so if you’re a Saint, we’re going to work together, aren’t we?"

Ah, that kind of partner. "I’m not a Saint," Zein replied dryly while patting the rabbit.

"Huh? But you’re a chosen one, and you’re here," the girl tilted her head confusedly.

Zein shrugged. "I’m here to reject it."

"Whaaat?" the girl gasped in shock and turned toward the Saintess who had been watching them quietly. "We can do that?"

"Yes, you can," the Saintess smiled and answering gracefully, to Zein’s surprise. "But typically, people don’t do that because they think it’s an honor," she continued, and added while glancing at Zein. "I heard about a lineage of guides who constantly reject the Lady’s invitation, however."

"Really?" Elena raised his brow in surprise, and then turned around to look at Zein again, narrowing her eyes and looking at the male guide inquisitively. "Mister, are you copying them? Don’t tell me you actually related to them--"

"I do," Zein replied briefly, prompting the girl to pause with her mouth open.

"...seriously?"

"So I’m told," Zein shrugged again.

"Huh?"

"I don’t know, I never met them. I only told about it so..."

The girl blinked and asked in a quieter voice. "Not even your Mom?"

"Elena..." the Saintess stepped forward and chided the girl with a frown on her face, but Zein just replied easily.

"Yes,"

The girl, amusingly, clapped her hands. "Oh! We’re the same then?" her eyes brightened again and she stepped closer to Zein with a grin. "I don’t know my parents too!"

"Huh," Zein smirked amusedly at the cheerful girl. It wasn’t every day he met a bright orphan, because the ones in the red-zone, like him, were filled with caution and desperation.

She grinned and for the next fifteen minutes, Zein spent his time playing with her and Cloudy the rabbit, who seemed to be a bit too cozy in the male guide’s embrace. She got annoyed and probably a bit jealous and ended up grabbing the rabbit and pulling it away from Zein.

The rabbit was equally annoyed and jumped off the girl’s hands and ran away. "Wait--Cloudy!!" she yelled and started to chase the rabbit while Zein watched the event unfold in a daze before chuckling.

"I’m sorry about her," the Saintess smiled wryly and stood up from the bench she was seated on while watching the younger guides playing with the rabbit.

"It’s fine," Zein watched the girl trying to catch the rabbit getting further away. "She reminds me of my little brother."

The Saintess smiled and started to walk along the lakeside following the young girl and Zein walked along with her. "Is the Chosen One usually that young?" he asked curiously.