Chapter 80
Instead, let’s try getting some points from other people. Use your cuteness on the maids and knights! And share the information with them! Then everyone will come to like you, Young Lady, and you won’t feel lonely anymore.
“…Points.”
It’s okay. If you just do as I say, you can be happy, Young Lady. For now, casually share the information I’m telling you with the maids and knights every few days. The cuteness operation is essential too!
“…….”
Bunny stared blankly at the numerous pieces of information written below the text, committing them firmly to memory, and after a long silence, she bonked her forehead against the notebook.
Oh, and… Among the mines owned by the ducal family, there’s one called the Jiriel Mine, known as an abandoned mine. It used to be a diamond mine, but since nothing more comes out of it, it was designated as an abandoned mine. But!!
Bunny’s eyes widened round at the words that sparked her curiosity.
Fluttering the page, Bunny blinked.
If you dig into the floor inside that mine, you’ll find something called a ‘Purification Stone’! Don’t tell the maids or knights about this—tell it to Kiriel Yudia or Ludbrid Yudia instead.
“Mmh.”
You’re the best, Young Lady! You’re awesome, Young Lady! You’re a genius, Young Lady! Our Young Lady can do anything! So don’t make that sad face. I’ll definitely make you happy.
“Heehee.”
You’ll grow up safely without dying and become a great ruler. You’ll be happy!
Bunny gazed at the notebook wordlessly before hugging it tightly to her chest.
『Luriel, I miss you.』
No sooner had the small murmur ended than the sound of scratching filled the air as words appeared.
Bunny looked down at the notebook clutched to her chest with a puzzled expression.
You have a unique constitution, Young Lady, so you need to keep your balance. So… don’t harbor bad intentions and get devoured by demonic qi. Don’t yearn for love and get hurt. Grow up safely like that, leave that mansion, and then you’ll become the protagonist of this world.
After reading and rereading the contents several times, Bunny tilted her head.
Luriel’s words are always so hard.
‘But they’re always right.’
Luriel has never been wrong.
‘Protagonist!’
Bunny would become like the protagonist in the fairy tale book Luriel often read to her, <I Thought I Was a Human Baby, But Actually I Was the Greatest Demon King?!>!
<I Thought I Was a Human Baby, But Actually I Was the Greatest Demon King?!> was the story of a protagonist who gets adopted into a human home.
The protagonist, raised believing they were human, awakens as a demon on a day when crisis strikes and reveals their true demon identity to the humans who raised them.
After that, the dad who loved the protagonist and everyone else starts fearing and avoiding the protagonist, calling them an ‘evil girl,’ but the protagonist doesn’t yield even a little to such hardships and steadfastly grows up.
Then, as a splendid adult, they save the world from great peril and become immensely loved as the greatest demon king.
‘The protagonist… kinda like Bunny.’
Bunny was going through tremendous trials right now too.
‘Cuteness operation. But not with Daddy.’
Daddy said he didn’t hate Bunny, so why did Luriel say not to get close to him?
The moment Bunny, lost in thought, stuffed the notebook back into Toto’s belly.
Knock knock.
At the knocking sound tapping her ears, Bunny’s ears perked up.
“Miss, it’s Melissa! May I come in?”
“Mmh!”
Click, the door opened and Melissa entered.
“Miss! They say Young Master has just returned.”
Bunny’s eyes sparkled at the news Melissa delivered.
“Young Master said to have dinner together. Shall we go eat with him?”
“Yesss!”
It was the moment Bunny answered vigorously and tried to run toward Melissa.
But from now on, you absolutely must not bother Kiriel Yudia anymore. In fact, from here on, it’s important to stay out of sight as much as possible!!
Bunny slammed her feet to a halt at the contents of Luriel’s notebook that flashed in her mind.
‘Eating with Daddy, he always scoops food for Bunny.’
He’d lift her onto the dining chair, and if she finished eating and fidgeted with her feet, he’d scoop her up like a baby and carry her back to her room.
‘Daddy’s super super annoying.’
Due to the sudden stop, Bunny’s arms flapped around from the momentum, but after thinking quickly, she put strength into her eyes, puffed out her chest, raised her nose high, and looked at Melissa.
“…Meli-tha, Bunny big girl now. Eat alone. No go.”
Melissa’s mouth fell open at Bunny’s shocking declaration.
‘Bunny no bother Daddy now. Stay out of sight.’
Heh.
Bunny was already a splendid adult who could eat by herself!
* * *
“What?”
As Kiriel narrowed his brows, Melissa cautiously opened her mouth with a slightly tense expression.
“Well, the miss said that since she’s an adult starting today, she’ll eat by herself, and she insisted strongly…….”
“Suddenly?”
“Yes, she seemed really happy when we mentioned dinner time, though.”
At Melissa’s words, the sound of Allen, who had been preparing fireworks, letting out a sigh with a somehow disappointed look reached them.
“What? She’s not coming? I went out of my way to make time in my busy schedule……!”
Kalbad scowled and vented his dissatisfaction before snapping sharply at Melissa.
“You should’ve dragged her here somehow. No sense at all?”
“I’m sorry. I tried to coax her, but she was more firm than I expected…….”
Kiriel narrowed his brows.
He had come on time following Allen’s suggestion of a birthday party, but the star of the show was late.
Bunny bouncing around like a ball wasn’t a one- or two-day thing, but whenever she said something so out-of-the-blue like this, he always wanted to ask what was going on in that little head of hers.
‘…Maybe because of what happened a few days ago?’
Kiriel thought with a frown.
“Bunny actually not great mage but dream be great demon, kid demon tribe too……?”
He recalled how Bunny had been unusually deflated and downcast.
“Shall I go get her? Father.”
Allen, who used to avoid coming close unless Bunny was there because he was wary, but lately called him Father freely, spoke up.
“No…, I’ll go. Wait here a moment.”
After a brief moment of deliberation, Kiriel left the two children in the room and stepped out.
When he arrived, the child’s door was firmly shut.
Knock knock.
“Yeees…….”
After Kiriel knocked a couple of times, a somewhat listless response came from inside.
After a short hesitation, he opened his mouth with a calm expression.
“Bunny, may I come in for a bit?”
“Eek! N-No!”
At Bunny’s shrill squeal from inside, Kiriel’s hand, which had been turning the knob, froze solid.
Thud.
At the unexpected rejection, it felt for a moment like someone had smashed a hammer into his heart.
Unknowingly, he drew in a deep breath and held it.
Kiriel, who had stiffened for a moment, subtly lowered his hand and pressed firmly on his chest a couple of times.
He hadn’t thought much when hearing about it secondhand, but hearing it directly felt strange. Like his heart wasn’t just fluttering but plummeting to the floor…?
As he debated whether to force the door open, Kiriel eventually lowered his hand and spoke.
“Bunny, I heard you won’t eat together. Is there a reason?”
Then a small voice replied.
“Bunny now prepare be super super big adult, so eat alone.”
“I think I said you’re still super super small, Bunny.”
Kiriel said, exhaling a short breath.
Bunny fell silent for a moment.
It was when Kiriel Yudia, waiting for the child’s words, tilted his head in puzzlement.
“But… Bunny do good alone too…….”
“I know my daughter does a lot of things well on her own.”
Even if water was dripping from her un-dried hair, clothes were strewn across the floor, and the clothes were all wrinkly here and there.
“Bunny no show in Daddy eyes now… no annoy…….”
“…What?”
Kiriel’s expression turned subtle at Bunny’s following words.
What was she thinking now.
Kiriel narrowed his eyes, let out a short sigh, and click, turned the doorknob.
Click, click, click.
When the door wouldn’t open at all, Kiriel fell silent.
“…….”
She’s thorough, alright.
Her action of locking the door so securely made him wonder whether to praise her for being so capable or flick her on the forehead for being cheeky.
After a brief contemplation, Kiriel gripped the knob hard and crunch, twisted it.
No, he broke it.
