Translator: Nox

Chapter 54

“Bunny!”

“Allen!”

They always had their meals together in Kiriel’s room.

Allen, who had been sitting at the table waiting, spotted Bunny and came running over with a beaming smile.

“I was worried because you were so late.”

“Ung, share choco.”

“Ah, is that what you’ve been handing out the whole time? Ever since my classes ended earlier?!”

Allen’s mouth fell open.

That meant she’d already been running around for hours.

Not only Allen but Kiriel too widened his eyes slightly in surprise.

“The whole time?”

“Yeah.”

As Kiriel seated Bunny in a chair that was a bit higher than the others, he spoke up.

“Bunny, why did you suddenly go off to buy chocolate without a word?”

“The choco from when Bunny ate number one and loved it.”

“You should’ve gone with Daddy. I’ve never given you pocket money personally, so where did the money come from?”

“Bunny earns money good.”

Today too, Bunny shrugged her shoulders with her little nose held high. Kiriel let out a small sigh and stroked the child’s head.

“Was there some reason you had to have that one? I said I’d congratulate you. What were you hoping I’d congratulate you for?”

Curious, Allen asked.

Bunny eagerly scanned the foods in front of her with her eyes, then stabbed a perfectly cut piece of meat with her fork and brought it to her mouth as she spoke.

“Uung. The day Bunny was born.”

“…What?”

“What’d you say?”

“Huh?”

Allen and Kiriel, along with Levon who must have slipped in unnoticed, all echoed back at once.

“Why are you here again?”

“I finished the tasks you assigned and came to report. I need to clock out too. But more importantly, Miss Bunny, was today your birthday?”

“Nooo, the day Bunny was born!”

“So… you’re saying it’s the day you first came into the world and took your first breath?”

“Yeeah.”

Bunny nodded as she popped the meat into her mouth and chewed it up, swallowing. The tender meat melted away smoothly in her mouth, vanishing in an instant.

‘The best for a duke’s young lady.’

Back at the orphanage, the meat never softened no matter how much you chewed it.

“It’s the day Bunny popped into being, so it’s the day Bunny gets the choco she loves as a present and gets celebrated.”

“…….”

“Bunny’s celebration day is just a teeny bit. Now only until next time.”

Luriel had said it.

Bunny was special, so it would be hard for lots of people to love her.

But Luriel loved her, and once she grew into a fine adult and became the Great Demon King, tons of demons would like her.

‘Bunny isn’t human.’

Because she wasn’t human…

Bunny, still munching on her meat, stared vacantly at her fork.

“Wait, why didn’t you mention it was your birthday? Bunny.”

“Huh? I just did.”

“No, I’m asking why you didn’t say it was your birthday when you were giving out the chocolate and asking for congratulations.”

Bunny tilted her head again at Kiriel’s explanation. Because she’d already gotten her congratulations.

“Bunny got celebrated! Allen too, Daddy too, Levon too patted Bunny and said happy happy!”

Kiriel’s face stiffened.

Allen jumped in urgently.

“But, your birthday… I mean, I didn’t even prepare a present for you……!”

“It’s fiiiine.”

Ehehing.

Bunny wagged her finger side to side as if wondering how they didn’t know, and all three faces darkened in an instant. Allen’s even twisted up.

“Bunny’s birth day isn’t that important.”

Kiriel felt a sharp pang like his heart was being squeezed at Bunny’s brightly smiling words, and without thinking, he pressed a hand to his chest.

Silence fell over the table, and for a long while, only the sounds of Bunny working her utensils rang out.

* * *

“Daughter.”

“Yeees.”

“After the Ranking Determination Battle ends, I’ll prepare a gift. A proper birthday party too. So… today’s celebration is canceled.”

After Bunny’s birthday comment, Kiriel broke the heavy silence at the table.

Of course, Bunny—who glossed right over Kiriel’s grown-up words—only caught the part about “celebration canceled.”

Bunny’s mouth dropped open in horror.

“Bunny’s celebration canceled?!”

“Yeah, I’ll do it right later, so today’s didn’t count. I’m busy, so I’ll head out first.”

“Wait, me too! I’ll prepare your birthday right too, so celebration canceled!!”

Kiriel fled the shocked stares, and Allen leaped up yelling before bolting out of the room.

Tadadak.

At the sound of their footsteps fading, Bunny reached out with a woeful face.

Levon, who’d been watching from behind, stepped up and gently placed a hand on Bunny’s shoulder. Bunny whipped her head around, her shocked face meeting his with pitifully quivering eyes as she spoke.

“Levon too……?”

“No. I’m not the type to cowardly cancel a celebration. But honestly, today’s thing wasn’t really a proper celebration for Miss Bunny’s nativity day. It was chocolate commemoration day.”

“Choco commemo……?”

“I’ll throw you a grand nativity celebration one more time, just a few days from now.”

Bunny thunked her face into the table at Levon’s words.

“I’ll escort you back to your room for now. Before your boss—who bolted out of his own room thinking this was the dining hall—wanders around outside any longer.”

“…Dine and dash?”

Luriel had said it. People who just take stuff and run without giving back are dine-and-dashers.

“Huh? What’s dine and dash?”

“Daddy and Allen… dine-and-dashers…….”

With a deep sigh, Bunny went all limp and let Levon carry her back to her room.

Thud.

Back in her room, Bunny opened her diary, and on the blank white page, inky curly letters began shimmering into view.

Happy birthday, baby!

“Luriii…….”

Bunny hugged her black bunny doll Toto tight and pulled a tearful face.

Celebration canceled!

Dine and dash!

She’d never dreamed such injustice could exist in the world.

“Social life’s so dirty…….”

She’d thought Daddy and Allen would never do that, but she’d been totally wrong. Betrayed.

“Squeak.”

“Black Flame Dragon…….”

Clutching the Black Flame Dragon in her other arm too, Bunny flopped down and sighed, lamenting the world’s unfairness and filth and cowardice.

Social life that backstabs even babies!

Having learned the world’s dirt firsthand, Bunny lay there staring at the big bold “celebration” on the paper and giggled.

Our baby is already 5 years old. Did you get gifts and tons of celebrations and praise? When baby turns 8, a new kid’s coming to the duke’s house, so you can only get celebrations up till next year. So stock up lots!

“Celebration canceled…….”

The injustice was still unspeakable even now, and Bunny muttered softly. On top of that, she hadn’t gotten her precious choco back.

‘Said they’d return it after eating…….’

Lies!

‘Bunny… the poor kid who didn’t even get choco.’

She’d never imagined the road to Great Demon King would be this rough.

The new kid’s human, so the humans will have no choice but to like them. So even if folks around lose interest in baby, don’t take it bad. It’s proof baby’s growing up! I told you, right? Adults can do everything on their own.

“Yeeah.”

Scratch scratch.

Bunny’s eyes followed eagerly as the letters crept onto the page.

‘Luri’s a genius.’

Luriel was writing as if she knew every single thing that happened today without even seeing it. Bunny always thought it was magic, lying there kicking her legs nonstop.

Is the aegyo strategy going well? You passing on all the info I give you diligently?

“Yeeah.”

Especially share investment tips with lots of people! Gotta build baby’s allies. So baby won’t get lonely later.

“Um um.”

Bunny nodded over and over.

Luriel was always right. If she just did exactly what Luriel said, good things would always happen.

Happy birthday again, baby!!! I’ll celebrate next year too!!! Definitely open the notebook then!!!

“Yeah!”

No new letters appeared, so Bunny closed the notebook and tucked it snugly into Toto’s belly.