Chapter 20
He had only stepped out for a short walk, but he stopped in his tracks upon spotting the child wriggling around, using magic to extract something from a tree and collect it in a container.
If she was a demon child, she should be killed on sight, no questions asked.
If she had the unusual ability to wield both magic and holy power, it needed to be reported.
Either way, it wouldn’t be a smooth or peaceful life for her.
But he could just ignore it and move on. Constantly worrying about it would be a hassle and a drain on his mental energy.
“Mistew! Wanna waiwe Bunny? Speciaw sawe wight now!”
“Bunny, futuwe king, gweat demon… pwotectow needed!”
In the first place, he should have just kept his distance and watched without responding to the child’s offer.
‘Was I out of my mind?’
Maybe he’d been enchanted in that moment.
By the desperate words from a small, frightened child with nowhere to lean on—her eyes sparkling with a hint of hope, those clear pink irises holding not even a shred of darkness.
By those upright eyes so utterly different from his own.
“Bunny wants a gwown-up pwotectow… They say you need a pwotectow to be a gwown-up.”
“Alright, then… shall I be Bunny’s protector…?”
He blinked slowly with a calm expression.
‘Come to think of it, I’m her protector.’
Kiriel Yudia chuckled softly.
“I haven’t even heard her call me ‘Daddy’ once yet. It’d be a shame to end it now.”
He decided to watch a little longer.
Nothing was confirmed yet, and besides, the child was cuter than he’d expected.
‘Still, what was she doing? It’s bothering me a bit.’
It looked like she was collecting some kind of sap.
Lost in thought, he yawned and began strolling languidly back toward the mansion, tilting his head slightly.
‘Come to think of it, she never once asked for help.’
For someone who said she needed a protector, she hadn’t come looking for him even once. Well, had she?
Just that one brief time when she handed him a bundle of worn cloth stuffed with mysterious money. And even then, she shoved it at him and vanished.
‘Kids are hard to figure out.’
Scratching his head as he pondered, he walked on slowly. The world was still as boring, dull, and tediously monotonous as ever.
‘She’s such a good kid. It’d be nice if she acted a bit more like a child.’
Kiriel Yudia thought that to himself and chuckled.
That half-wish of his came true the very next day.
“…What?”
“We received word from the guard we secretly assigned per your orders. Miss Bunny and young master Allen have been apprehended by the territory’s security forces.”
Kiriel’s eyebrow twitched at the report from one of the sudden-arriving attendants.
“Why would the security forces grab those kids?”
“…Well, it seems they were selling unlicensed illegal food products.”
Kiriel Yudia, who was seldom surprised by anything, froze for a moment. At the same time, his sharp mind flashed to the image.
Of Bunny’s little head, grinning mischievously as she extracted tree sap.
“They’re saying the protector needs to come in person, but since we know it’s the ducal family, should we inform them and send a maid or knight to handle it…?”
The servant added that he’d come for permission since he was technically the protector. Kiriel Yudia slowly rose from his seat.
“…No, I’ll go myself. Tell Levon to come with me.”
He stood up, his face stricken with disbelief.
It was the first time in years that Kiriel Yudia—who never even left his room, let alone the mansion or the temple—had lifted his heavy rear end.
“Ahem. As I said, selling food products requires a permit. And of course, since taxes are involved, you need a commercial guild license too.”
Bunny’s eyes trembled finely as she sat on the iron chair in the stuffy, smelly little room. She couldn’t understand a word he was saying.
“…….”
“Tsk. What kind of parents send kids this young out to earn money…? Call your dad or mom right now, address or whatever. Otherwise, you could end up as convicts doing slave labor.”
Bunny gulped at the guard’s words, shaking his head as his face hardened sternly.
Vague imaginings began to swirl in her mind.
If she mentioned the ducal family here, they’d contact them, and the duke would come all the way here.
‘Ha! To think my daughter isn’t the genius Bunny but a bothersome one… And she can’t even make money? Can’t summon the Black Flame Dragon, can’t earn cash, and can’t handle this on her own? I don’t need such a troublesome child. You’re no longer my daughter starting today!’
‘Hah. We don’t need slaves in our household! Shame of the family! Get out now!’
Kiriel Yudia and Rudbride Yudia turned away from Bunny and Allen, gradually walking off into the distance.—Bunny’s imagination—She had seen scenes like that in many of the fairy tales Luriel had read to her.
‘Bunny… If they find out you’re a ducal lady, you’ll be the family disgrace!’
Her protector might abandon her, and she might get kicked out of the ducal family.
“Be honest, and it’ll end with just a fine.”
Sob.
Tears welled up in Bunny’s eyes at the guard’s threat.
‘A fine…?’
Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Bunny’s head again.
Money!
‘Bunny has money!’
Bunny gulped nervously and carefully placed her Elephant Piggy Bank and the highest-grade Holy Power Stone she’d bought on the street earlier on the table.
“Bunny… has money… Mommy and Daddy awe away…”
Bunny said in a quivering voice thick with grievance.
The guard turned his head away, covering his mouth in silence.
“Bunny… has money… Mommy and Daddy awe away…”
Plop, plop.
Finally, tears like chick peas fell, and the guard slowly turned his head, speechless.
“Bunny, if swave, no use… Cwying… Waaah…”
Luriel had said it.
Slaves get locked in prison and beaten on the butt by bad people every day until it’s red, chopping onions and green onions while crying their eyes out, no towel given, cleaning with rags, and fed only bell peppers or paprika—super hard work.
“Why are you making her cry?!”
Allen ground his teeth and glared fiercely at the guard.
Bunny, startled by his pose like he was about to summon his serpent any second, hurriedly grabbed Allen’s clothes and shook her head.
Allen paused.
“Don’t worry! I’ll get us out.”
“Noooo… Waaah. Stay stiww, idiot…”
She needed to look good to get out, so why was he yelling? Allen, who wouldn’t do as she wanted, was utterly frustrating.
“Bunny not cwying. Waaah…”
The guard’s eyes rolled as he watched Bunny wipe her pitiable tears with her sleeve and shake her head.
He’d only meant to scare them a little to summon the parents and warn them not to let it happen again, ending with a light fine. But now it was an awkward mess.
“Hewe, this Bunny’s eawnings… A wittwe weft, was gonna give to baby… But bought supew fancy Howy Powew Stone… Waaah. Wiww pay fine…”
“Got it, got it. I won’t tell your parents, so stop crying, kid. Cut it out.”
“Pwomise…?”
“Y-Yeah, I promise.”
Sob.
“Drip…”
Sob.
Only after the guard’s promise did Bunny rub her swollen eyes and blow her nose.
“Your parents aren’t around?”
“Yesh…”
Bunny nodded weakly, sneaking a peek at the guard’s reaction.
‘Thank you, Miss Luriel!’
Women’s tears were a wicked weapon that felled men!
The guard had finally toppled under Bunny’s tears too.
Heh.
No one could beat Bunny.
Phew.
Bunny pretended to wipe sweat, rubbing her eyes, then looked at Allen and grinned, hee hee. Allen froze, then whipped his head away. His ears turned bright red.
Knock knock.
The door burst open with the knock.
Bunny, her eyes all red and puffy, whipped her head around and gaped.
“Bunny, Allen.”
It was Kiriel Yudia.
