Translator: Nox

Chapter 25

Bunny, who had been pouting sullenly at those offering apologies, decided to forgive them in an adult-like manner.

Because good children didn’t bother adults.

‘If I throw a tantrum here, Bunny will be petty….’

In order to become an adult who wasn’t petty, Bunny tried hard to hold back her sulkiness.

“Good job.”

Bunny’s eyes widened round in Kiriel’s arms. It was because of the rough hand that plopped down on top of her head.

“If it seems like you’re about to get hit from now on, just hit back. You’re not the type to go around getting beaten up. Got it…?”

“…Yeah.”

Bunny melted limply, rested her cheek plop on Kiriel’s shoulder, and smiled.

‘Warm….’

Human body, so warm.

‘Luri’s body was always cold….’

It was strange.

Humans were definitely bad beings, yet it was surprisingly wondrous how their embrace could be endlessly warm like this.

“Okay.”

With that short word, Kiriel roughly patted her back, and Bunny, who had been nodding her head, soon let her head drop plop.

Kiriel Yudia looked down at those who still couldn’t lift their heads from the front and slowly opened his mouth.

“Next time, I’ll handle it myself. From now on, lower your eyes when you see my daughter.”

“Y-Yes…?”

“I said lower your eyes when you see my daughter….”

At the words chanted slowly yet with chilling sharpness, every member of the branch family hurriedly bowed their heads.

Ever since the House of Trials had been established, the hierarchy based on rankings had grown even more severe.

Not only that, but there were frequent instances of branch family members checking one another. All to raise their ranking even by one spot.

Even if one didn’t make the top ranks, the benefits from the smooth path that opened up with a higher ranking were quite substantial.

‘Tired.’

Feeling languid all over his body, Kiriel strode off with Bunny held in his arms.

He had no idea what she was trusting in to feel so secure, but watching her so utterly carefree made Kiriel himself want to cuddle this warm, squishy little thing and just sleep.

* * *

Today, too, Bunny was serious.

With her short arms crossed in a hug, Bunny blinked up at the egg that had grown enormously to match her own height.

Bunny knocked tok tok on the egg.

“Black Flame Dragon, when are you hatching?”

It had grown this big, so surely an incredible Black Flame Dragon would emerge. Then Bunny wouldn’t be ordinary Bunny anymore—she’d be an amazing, praiseworthy Bunny.

She pressed her ear right up against it, waiting for a reply, but no voice came at all.

It’s a baby Black Flame Dragon, so it can’t be helped!

With that thought, Bunny pulled Luriel’s Notebook right out from the pocket on Toto’s chest, hopped over, and flopped facedown on the bed.

Luriel’s Notebook often had its contents changed or added to. That was why Bunny always made sure to pull it out once every night before bed to check if any new words had been written.

Hmm.

“That’s how it is. Then I need to scold them. Expelling everyone should do it.”

“Or, those who can prove in front of the Scales that my daughter lied, step forward. If it’s proven to be true, I’ll apologize personally.”

It helped Bunny. This much should mean they’re close now, right?

“Yeees!”

Bunny nodded her head and answered vigorously.

Second operation?

Bunny tilted her head, kicked her legs back and forth while lying prone, and turned the page.

“Right awayy!”

“So cutee!”

Bunny, who had been diligently communicating with the book, clenched her fist tight.

“Young Master… make him fall plop into Bunny’s trap.”

Just like the orphanage kids, make him fall head over heels for Bunny.

Having made up her mind, Bunny nodded her little head repeatedly and read Luriel’s Notebook diligently.

* * *

“Hewwo, Young Master.”

“…Bunny? What’s this so early in the morning?”

For Kiriel Yudia, who went to bed at dawn and rose late morning, 5:20 a.m. was an unbelievably early hour.

The constant knock knock knock from morning had drawn him out of his half-asleep daze to open the door, and there was Bunny beaming brightly.

For some reason, water was dripping from her hair, her shoulders were soaked, and her baggy, sloppy clothes looked like she’d been hit by a bomb or something.

“I wike you, Young Master.”

Bunny came dashing over and clung tight to Kiriel Yudia’s leg, dropping a bombshell remark like that.

“Huh…?”

What was this all of a sudden?

Well, her saying she liked him did make one side of his chest tickle pleasantly, but at this dawn-like morning hour, he wondered if this was really appropriate.

‘Raising a kid isn’t easy.’

He had no clue what she was thinking at all.

Woken suddenly without enough sleep, a headache throbbing in his skull, he stared blankly at Bunny, who soon released her tight grip on his leg and scampered backward without a hint of lingering.

“See ya watew!”

“……?”

In other words, she turned to leave as if a general who had accomplished her mission, without any hesitation.

Kiriel, rarely showing bewilderment on his face, hurriedly reached out and grabbed the child’s hand.

“Wait, wait. Kiddo.”

“Yees?”

“You came to say this?”

“Yup!”

“At this hour?”

“Yup! Morning gweeting!”

Morning greeting….

Should he tell her no one gave morning greetings at 5:20 a.m.?

Kiriel pondered briefly, then looked at the child’s damp shoulders and top and let out a short sigh.

“Your hair’s all wet—what happened?”

He wondered if she’d gotten caught in a sudden downpour on the way, and his brows furrowed slightly.

But Bunny’s lips quivered, and she slapped a hand to her waist, puffing out her chest.

“Bunny washed body body body all by herselwf.”

“Body… what?”

“Twush teeth. Gawgled too. Shampoo all alone.”

“…Sham, what…?”

Bunny smirked at his sleepy eyes and wagged her short, sausage-like finger side to side: tsuk. tsuk. tsuk.

“Means to-tal-ly awesomes!”

“…Who the heck taught you to say that?”

“That was…!”

Bunny’s eyes went wide as she started to speak of Luriel but suddenly paused.

‘…Secret.’

Bunny had to keep the secret.

Can’t tell Young Master anything.

Because Bunny had to trick Young Master into becoming Daddy, grow up, become the Great Demon King, and then leave this house.

Bunny fidgeted with her fingers and quietly opened her mouth.

“A wong time ago, big sis who took cawe of Bunny.”

At Bunny’s words, Kiriel’s eyes narrowed.

‘She had a guardian?’

Well, if she hadn’t been raised in the orphanage from birth, she might have had some kind of guardian.

As he thought it over, rubbing his chin, he chuckled.

“Yeah. Anyway….”

He scooped Bunny up into his arms and carried her into his room.

The chilly room held only a bed and a desk, nothing else.

Kiriel sat Bunny on the bed, went into the bathroom to fetch a towel, plopped it on her head, sat beside her, and dried the wetness while asking.

“Why’d you wash alone?”

“Gwown-ups wash alone. Bunny gwown-up.”

“What about the maids?”

“Maids? Oh! Maids aren’t Bunny’s. Um… for kids with wotsa stuff. Shawed… shawed maids…? Yeah.”

“Shared, probably….”

Kiriel replied in a languid voice.

Bunny’s head bobbed this way and that with his touch.

His movements were so clumsy it was more like rough scrubbing, but Bunny didn’t complain once.

“Yup. Shawed maids.”

Kiriel gave up saying more upon seeing Bunny nod solemnly.

“Come to think of it, that’s how the lower ranks work. Slipped my mind.”

Though he’d entered the House of Trials per family rules, Kiriel—who had never been in the lower ranks—said.

‘Should’ve assigned her a maid from the start.’

She probably didn’t have a knight either.