Ch#91
{Hey, I said it. I’m learning human language. Can’t converse right now.}
{…If it’s about learning, the imperial palace wouldn’t be a bad place.}
{This child knows our language. Convenient.}
{Still too young.}
At Lefha’s stubbornness that wasn’t quite stubbornness, Kiriel—who had remained silent the whole time—finally spoke, and Bunny’s eyes widened roundly.
Whoa.
Kiriel lowered his gaze to Bunny, who had her mouth hanging open.
“Why? My lady.”
“Daddy genius too?”
Daddy’s really good at ancient language too!
At Bunny’s question, Kiriel, expressionless as ever, answered flatly.
“Yeah.”
The emperor let out a hollow chuckle at that brazen reply and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“What can you do? Young Lord Yudia.”
{Cooperate. I’ll give you what you want.}
At Lefha’s words offering cooperation in exchange for what he desired, a thicker smile formed on the emperor’s lips.
On the other hand, a crack finally appeared in Kiriel’s expressionless face.
“Cooperate, for the sake of preventing even greater danger.”
Having notified Kiriel thus, the emperor spoke up.
{For now, I understand your intent. We’ll coordinate the details separately.}
The moment the emperor’s permission came down, Lefha took Bunny’s tiny hand and pressed his lips to the back of it.
Bunny’s eyes went wide at the cool kiss.
“Huh?”
Crash—!
The teacup Roel had been holding fell to the floor and shattered into pieces. Ignoring it completely, Lefha spoke matter-of-factly.
<To you, I offer myself. Save the elf clan. Young Demon King.>
He declared it before everyone, but no one could understand.
However, Bunny understood perfectly.
It was an elf’s declaration offered solely to the young girl.
An elf’s declaration.
No one present knew it now, but in truth, it carried great significance.
For haughty, proud elves to pledge to serve one person for life.
Even staking their own lives.
However, the one receiving the ‘elf’s declaration’ had to grant them exactly one thing they desired in return.
Elves, being so proud and living lives near immortality, almost never made such declarations lightly, but Lefha currently possessed nothing but his own body.
He had heard that half-demon children were extremely vulnerable in their youth. So for this child to safely reach adulthood, he had to stay by her side.
“Hmm…?”
<I’m not asking for it right now, young Demon King. What I wish is for you to save us once you come of age and safely awaken as the Demon King.>
Bunny gazed at him steadfastly amid the elf’s drawn-out words.
Small and young as she was, Lefha could see it: the massive seed coiled tightly within her tiny belly.
“Mmm…”
Bunny rolled her eyes around.
<Will you do that?>
Bunny looked up at Lefha with trembling eyes.
Genius though Bunny was, Lefha’s words were too difficult; she couldn’t understand a single one.
‘Elf sacrifice, but save elf right now, but baby Demon King, eh, when awaken as Demon King, save us…?’
As Bunny mulled over and over what Lefha had said, her eyes began spinning in circles.
<Young Demon King, did you perhaps not understand my words?>
Seeing Bunny mumbling, Lefha reached out with his free hand—the one not holding hers—to touch her forehead and read her memories.
Smack!
Before he could even lift it fully, the flung-out hand made Lefha’s eyebrow twitch once.
“It’s unpleasant, so don’t touch Bunny carelessly.”
Roel, who had been wearing a gentle expression, was now gazing at Lefha with a cold face.
Lefha’s eyes widened slightly as they met Roel’s red ones.
<Well now, are you planning to heat things up even in this era of peace…? This age is…>
Muttering softly, Lefha reached out and flicked Roel’s forehead.
“…?!”
Roel blinked his eyes wide and pressed both hands firmly to his forehead. Lefha smirked and spoke.
{Born with it. Precious thing. Young human boy.}
Roel looked baffled.
<Perhaps even my awakening in this era was Rahkta’s arrangement.>
Lefha muttered softly as he briefly turned his head to gaze out the window.
For now, the matter concluded with the Yudia ducal family temporarily taking custody of the elf.
* * *
<Ho… Carriages these days have advanced quite a bit. Is this where you live, young Demon King? Well, not bad at all. The world has progressed a lot.>
In the returning carriage, Bunny—seated on Kiriel’s lap as always—rolled her eyes slyly with her sooty face.
‘Daddy’s face all stiff.’
And zap zap.
Bunny scowled as she looked at the elf before her eyes, Lefha.
‘Elf found out Bunny’s true identity.’
If Bunny hadn’t said she was taking him along, he might have blabbed to the human big shot, ‘This child is actually a baby Demon King!’
<Young Demon King, how old are you? I don’t quite know if you follow the human growth period or the demon one.>
Bunny tilted her head, then stuck out all five fingers in front.
“Bunny five years old!”
“Five years old?”
Lefha naturally mimicked Bunny’s words.
Elves were a highly intelligent race. Having lived for so long, they knew much and learned quickly.
He too felt the need to learn human language for smooth communication.
<I see. ‘Five years old’ means five years old, then?>
Bunny nodded vigorously at Lefha, who rubbed his chin with his fingertips and muttered softly.
Kiriel, watching unpleasantly, spoke up.
“Bunny, if that guy says anything unnecessary, tell me. Bad words or whatever.”
“Yeah.”
“He’s been muttering something since earlier, but he’s not saying anything pointless, right?”
“Yeah…”
At Kiriel’s question, Bunny shook her head back and forth. The dark-skinned elf would tilt his head whenever their eyes met.
Bunny crossed her arms with a serious expression of her own.
‘Ruri said do as she says, so now we have an elf.’
Bunny wore a serious look. If the elf learned human language and ended up speaking it far better than her, then spilled to the human big shot that Bunny was actually the future Great Demon King baby, that would be trouble.
‘Elf recruitment plan.’
Bunny crossed her short arms and pursed her lips.
She was concentrating so hard her lips puffed out like a duck’s beak.
‘First, give elf Choco…’
Once the elf was head over heels for the Choco Bunny gave him, she’d say, ‘You, become my subordinate!’ Then if Bunny said, ‘If not, no more Choco!!!’ the elf would have no choice but to become her subordinate.
“Heh heh, if it weren’t for this delicious, amazing Choco…! I surrender. I’ll become your subordinate.”
Bunny’s head nodded up and down in satisfaction.
‘Good.’
Kiriel’s lips curved into a faint smile as he watched Bunny’s face cycle through frowning, brightening, and looking pleased again.
