Translator: Nox

Chapter 45

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“It’s a pleasure to meet you~!!! I’m Barian, the guard knight assigned to serve you starting today, Miss Bunny~! Ahh, to think that someone so beautiful, majestic, and the very embodiment of cuteness could exist in this world. I feel nothing but infinite honor from being hired into your family!!!”

Bunny’s eyes narrowed into thin slits like a fish’s as she stared at the red-haired man kneeling on one knee, grasping her tiny, adorable hand and shedding streams of tears.

‘The Duke’s household is safe, my foot, Daddy dummy.’

Less than a day had passed, and yet a demon had brazenly appeared right before her eyes. Bunny’s trust in Kiriel dropped just a little.

“Daddy, what’s this?”

“You’ve been wandering around outside so much that I thought you needed a guard knight. His personality might be like that, but his skills are top-notch. He’s worked in the Duke’s household for quite a while.”

Bunny had never seen this man before in the Duke’s household, though?!

“What, you don’t like him? Then I’ll switch him out for someone else.”

“Gasp, no, please! I will be Miss Bunny’s guard knight! Right? You like me, don’t you? You don’t hate me, do you?”

At Barian’s words, as he thrust his face uncomfortably close, Bunny slowly backed away, grabbed the hem of Kiriel’s pants, and whispered up at him before opening her mouth.

“I like.”

Doesn’t Daddy know this guy’s a bad demon?

‘The culprit behind the chef Holly Holly incident.’

Bunny blinked her eyes several times at the familiar demonic qi, then looked back and forth between the two men with a serious expression, nodded, and pointed at Kiriel with her finger.

“Daddy. Then this one’s Bunny’s?”

“Yeah, he’s yours. Your subordinate.”

At Kiriel’s words, Bunny’s eyes sparkled as she nodded.

“Mine! Then Bunny fight with this one?”

“Cough, cough.”

Kiriel choked at Bunny’s sudden words as she pointed at Barian with her finger.

“Hm?”

Barian’s face, which had momentarily filled with confusion, suddenly brightened.

“Of course! If you wish to marry this Barian, I would be more than happy to……!”

Kiriel’s piercing, fierce gaze landed on Barian.

In truth, demons didn’t place much importance on age differences, which was why the remark had slipped out, but Kiriel had no way of knowing that.

Realizing his mistake, Barian placed one hand over his chest, bowed politely at the waist, and opened his mouth once more.

“—or so I would like to say, but alas, this Barian has vowed to dedicate his life to one person alone…… So it seems I won’t be able to spend a lifetime together with our cute miss.”

Tap, tap.

Kiriel’s eyes narrowed even further at Barian’s theatrical display as he dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief.

“Should I switch him out for someone else after all, Bunny?”

“Ah, that’s too much, Young Master. I will protect Miss Bunny even at the cost of my life.”

Kiriel shot Barian a glance before turning to Bunny and speaking.

“And Bunny, how about we move soon?”

“Move?”

“Yeah. How about the three of us living in the annex? Your room seems a bit cramped…… And we’re family, after all.”

Bunny’s head tilted at Kiriel’s casual words, as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck a couple of times.

“Family?”

Bunny blinked at Kiriel’s words.

“Bunny and Daddy family? Nooo.”

To Bunny, family meant Mommy, Daddy, and baby all together.

‘But Bunny has Daddy and big brother, but no Mommy.’

Family was people who did everything together, shared their hearts, and lived life full of energy side by side. And there were no secrets between family.

‘But Bunny full of secrets……’

Bunny, having thought it over, opened her mouth.

“Family is Mommy and Daddy and baby together. But Bunny only has Daddy.”

“…….”

And Daddy hated demons so much he wanted to kill them all.

Bunny was going to become the greatest Great Demon King, so she couldn’t be family with someone in spotless white clothes.

But she didn’t say that much.

Because according to clever Bunny’s standards, family couldn’t be established without a mommy in the first place.

“Bunny and Daddy not family.”

“…….”

Rumble!

Flash!

That day, Bunny thought she saw a massive bolt of lightning crash down over Kiriel’s head like an illusion.

Behind the two, Barian was snickering.

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“Levon.”

“Yes.”

“What do you think about me going on a marriage meeting?”

“…….”

Levon abruptly stopped in his tracks at Kiriel’s sudden words.

As Kiriel furrowed his brow and glanced back, Levon was expressionlessly placing his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

“Who are you? Begone, evil spirit. Young Master Kiriel would never say such a thing.”

“Do you really want to die?”

“It seems you really mean it. My apologies.”

Levon removed his hand from the sword hilt amid the chilling killing intent, then pulled out a round orb and began infusing it with holy power.

“Why are you pulling out the communication orb?”

“To call the court physician. By any chance, how many fingers does this look like to you? If your body feels hot, or cold, or dizzy……”

Swoosh!

Levon quickly withdrew his three wiggling fingers and twisted his body at the sound of wind slicing through the air.

Crack!

Levon calmly stepped back one pace from the sharp fountain pen that had pierced the marble wall and embedded itself there.

“My, my. You’re perfectly fine.”

Clap, clap, clap.

Kiriel clapped indifferently as Levon distastefully glared while pulling out the fountain pen and handing it back properly, then resumed walking.

“But why the sudden idea for a marriage meeting, of all things?”

“Bunny……”

“Yes.”

“She said we’re not family without a mom.”

“…….”

Levon blinked once at Kiriel’s words, pocketed the communication orb he’d taken out, and spoke.

“Then I’ll head home early today.”

“What’s that all of a sudden?”

“I can’t bear to see my superior in such a pitiful state any longer, so I’ll go find a woman to enjoy a sweet newlywed life with, make a cute daughter to become family……”

Kiriel let out a short sigh and turned around. Once Levon started spouting nonsense, it was annoying to even respond.

Levon, who had been watching Kiriel walk away with his hands behind his back, lightly kicked off the ground twice and swiftly caught up to Kiriel’s side.

“I think it’s a good idea.”

“…….”

“You’ve always lived alone, after all. It would be nice to have someone by your side who believes in you and supports you. And if there’s love on top of that, it would be perfect.”

But in noble families, marriage meetings usually involved weighing pros and cons. Marriages based on love weren’t common.

“Still, don’t do it out of a sense of duty just for Miss Bunny’s sake. It would be rude to the lady involved, and unfortunate for Miss Bunny, young master Allen, and yourself.”

“Levon, for once you’re saying something useful.”

“Of course, I wonder how many women would generously embrace a man who’s saddled with two kids, too lazy to even leave his room, and has nothing to offer but his face and body.”

“Just go die.”

Kiriel drawled lazily at Levon’s words, which started off well but tripped at the end, then turned on his heel.

Levon, with a faint smile playing on his expressionless lips, followed behind Kiriel.

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“Ooh, so this is where you’ve been staying, Miss Bunny. Should I report here every morning?”

Having returned to her room, closed the door, and hopped onto the bed, Bunny scowled at the sudden voice.

There had clearly been no one there moments ago, yet he’d suddenly appeared inside the room.

Bunny took the red waxwing out of her bag, placed it on the pillow, and lifted her head slightly.

“Who you?”

Bunny blinked slowly and stared at Barian before asking.

Barian’s mouth, which had been slickly smiling, curved faintly.

Not black hair, not red eyes, but Bunny knew. This man was a demon.

And this man probably knew ‘Bunny’s true identity’ as well.