Chapter 75
“…….”
The moment he released his grip on the sword he had been clutching tightly, roughly swept back his hair, and slowly closed his eyes before opening them again.
“…Bunny?”
Before he knew it, Bunny—having pulled the robe completely over her head—was standing abruptly in front of Kiriel.
With the dusty hem of the robe flipped all the way over her head, Bunny gripped the hood with her hand, pressing it down firmly as she opened her mouth.
“Daddy… Does Bunny have to go now?”
Kiriel’s eyes widened at the child’s voice, utterly deflated and forlorn.
In an instant, that single dejected tone swept away all the thoughts and endless worries that had filled his mind.
“…Bunny, throw away?”
“…….”
“If Daddy gets mad, Bunny… will go somewhere else.”
Thud.
At the sound of his heart plummeting, he opened his mouth.
“Where to.”
“…Bunny sell the slave. Find another daddy to raise Bunny…….”
Kiriel’s brow furrowed even tighter as he gazed down at the child, who had shrouded her face in the hood’s hem and bowed her head deeply.
“Bunny not the only baby. Bunny actually princess, so okay to have just Bunny, but Noel seems annoying…….”
He dropped to one knee to meet Bunny’s gaze. Or at least, he tried to—if she hadn’t buried her head even deeper.
“Bunny, look at Daddy.”
Kiriel, still on one knee, stared steadily at the child and spoke.
At his drowsy yet characteristically gentle voice, Bunny—who had squeezed her eyes shut—slowly lifted her head.
“Bunny.”
“…Yeth.”
“No hurts anywhere?”
There was so much he actually wanted to say.
So much he wanted to ask. But he couldn’t. The child who had raised her head was staring at him with frightened, misty eyes.
Eyes brimming with tears, just like any ordinary little kid teetering on the edge of a scolding.
Silently, he reached out and gently lifted away the robe she had pulled all the way over her head.
Her pupils had returned to their lovely pink hue as if nothing had ever happened, and the horns and wings he’d glimpsed earlier had vanished.
“…You’ve got a scratch on your cheek.”
Her pale cheek was slightly swollen, with a small scrape crusted over with dried blood.
Something boiled fiercely inside him, hardening Kiriel’s expression.
He reached out carefully, rubbing her cheek ever so gently with his thumb so it wouldn’t sting.
It did anyway, and Bunny’s eye scrunched up a little on that side.
“Didn’t Daddy say not to go off alone when he leaves?”
“Yeth……. That’s why brought Noel too…….”
Kiriel felt like he might lose his mind at Bunny’s reply. He pressed a hand to his forehead, barely swallowing the sigh threatening to burst out, then forced himself to speak.
“You should’ve brought a grown-up. A guard knight, or Levon at least.”
“…….”
Bunny clamped her lips shut and hung her head.
It was meant to be a surprise gift to shock him, so she hadn’t told Levon. She’d planned to hand it over the second Daddy got back……
Tears welled up in Bunny’s eyes as she turned her head. The box, smashed to smithereens and crumpled, hurt her heart so much. She’d picked it out so carefully.
Hic.
“Why come all the way to the far-off capital?”
At his tender question, tears finally spilled down Bunny’s cheeks in streams. His lips twitched aimlessly at the pitiful drops pattering down.
“Daddy…….”
“Me?”
“To buy Daddy’s birthdaaaay thing… Waaaaah…. But all broooooken……. Hiiiic…. Bad people smashed it……. Waaaaaah…….”
Bunny’s finger jabbed toward a single gift box shoved into the corner as she burst into heaving sobs.
If you could even call it a gift box anymore—it was far too wretched for that. Looked like someone had stomped it viciously with their boots.
Rumble.
A sharp pang twisted one side of his heart, a strange nausea churning in his gut, and Kiriel blinked very, very slowly.
“…Why my present?”
“Daddy’s birthdaaaay… So Bunny make you happyyy……. Waaaaah… Wanted to buy present for youuu……. Hiiiic… Waaaaaah…….”
Birthday.
That was the only clear word amid the garbled mess, but he could piece together what the child had been trying to do.
Kiriel gazed at her as she wailed her heart out over whatever was so heartbreaking, then wordlessly rose from his one-kneed crouch and picked up the box.
Clinking and tinkling sounds came from inside—something glass, clearly shattered.
“This for my birthday present?”
“Yeth……. Hiiiic.”
“Yeah, thank you. I’ll see if I can fix it, so no more tears now. Good girl?”
Bunny blinked at Kiriel’s soothing tone. Fat teardrops rolled down her cheeks, plopping steadily.
“Sthop… Hic.”
“There we go. Such a good girl.”
Kiriel tucked the box under one arm and stood. He gave Roel’s sprawled form a quick once-over, then hoisted the boy up casually and plopped him onto the back of his divine beast.
“Noel gooo?”
“No, he’ll be okay. Just bruises and some internal injuries—nothing that’ll threaten his life, so he’ll heal up quick.”
Sniff.
Bunny scrubbed at her eye sockets with the back of her hand.
Kiriel reached out carefully, scooping her into his arms. As if it were the most natural thing, she looped her arms around his neck, nestled her cheek against his shoulder, and hiccuped away—hic, hic, hic.
“That Daddy’s blaack-flaaame draaagon?”
“Not the Black Flame Dragon—a blue dragon.”
“Daddy come save Bunny whyyy.”
Hee hee. Bunny let out a tiny giggle and nuzzled her tear-streaked face against his chest, clearly delighted for some reason.
The warmth of the child cradled against him soothed his roiling heart, bit by bit.
“Next time, you absolutely can’t go out alone. Ever.”
“Oka…….”
“Not even with the other kids.”
He could see she was about to insist she hadn’t been alone, so Kiriel cut her off right away.
“Only those guys here… er, the bad uncles… saw you turn into a demonkin, right?”
“Yeth.”
“Good.”
Kiriel gave a small nod, murmuring under his breath.
‘Kill those bastards, and there’s no evidence left.’
A trace of demonkin mana lingered, sure—but blow it all up, and nothing would remain.
Truth be told, part of him wanted to keep them alive, pry out every detail of their aims and destination. But no need to stir up trouble.
“Bunny, promise me?”
“Pwomise……?”
“Yeah. Unless it’s a really, really dangerous moment, you can’t show this form to anyone. If you do… you won’t be able to stay with Daddy anymore.”
Gasp!
Bunny’s eyes went wide as saucers, her tiny hand clapping over her little mouth.
“What if really really dangerous?”
“Then you use it. Staying alive is what matters most.”
“…But no Daddy then?”
“…Probably.”
After a long silence, Kiriel murmured softly and patted her back with care.
“‘Cause Bunny demonkin?”
“…….”
Kiriel clenched his fist instead of answering.
Crunch—!
The azure water prison he’d conjured flushed crimson in a heartbeat. No more thrashing from within.
“Bunny.”
“Yeth…….”
“No matter what happens from here on, if you reach out your hand, I’ll always grab it. Don’t ever forget.”
Bunny tilted her head at Kiriel’s words, not understanding a bit. Even now, whenever she reached out, Daddy always took her hand tight.
“Daddy words hard.”
“It means you’re my daughter, and I’m your daddy.”
Bunny beamed with a hee hee and nodded vigorously at that firm declaration. Kiriel patted her back at the sheer confidence in that nod.
Phoenix.
Demonkin.
Prophecy powers.
No doubt about it—the child would be swept up in storm after storm ahead. Lonely, isolated, maybe left utterly alone in the end.
“If you wish it…….”
No matter the circumstances, even if they crossed paths as foes in the future, if she reached out—if she wept and begged for aid……
“I’ll help you. Anytime.”
Even if it was nothing but a treacherous snare, uttered by the child grown into an adult no different from the hordes of demons he’d slain—the one Bunny longed to become.
