“I’m not abandoning you. Why would you think that, my little daughter…?”
Kyriel Yudia spoke with uncharacteristic softness as he scooped Bunny up and sat her on his lap.
Bunny’s eyes went round.
Kyriel rubbed the startled child’s cheek, a soft, dry snort escaping him.
“Because…”
Bunny blinked, her thoughts drifting to the warnings etched in her mind.
[ Baby, if your guardian is Kyriel Yudia, or if you are forced to become a human like him, you must be careful! That man hates useless children. Except for one person. But since that person isn’t you, absolutely! Absolutely! Never! You must not trust him. ]
[ Because Kyriel Yudia is a wicked, vicious man who slaughtered all the demons. He hates them deeply, and if a new child appears later, he might hurt you. ]
Bunny was a demon. Kyriel Yudia despised them.
Recalling the contents of Luriel’s notebook, she blinked again.
*But to become an adult, I have to remain the young lady of the Dukedom. I don’t know why, but Luriel told me to. To do that, I have to be useful…*
“Bunny is useless right now, so…”
As she muttered in a rare fit of dejection, Kyriel rubbed her damp cheek with his palm and looked down at her.
“You don’t have to be particularly useful. Being useful in this household is…”
He trailed off, letting out a short, heavy sigh.
“Anyway… I’m not abandoning you. I’ve taken you in, and I will take responsibility.”
“Until Bunny becomes an adult?”
“Yes.”
At his words, Bunny’s eyes widened. Kyriel caught the spark in her gaze and offered a faint, fleeting smile. He slowly turned his head toward Alan. When their eyes met, Alan flinched and quickly looked away.
“That goes for you, too, Alan.”
“……!”
Alan’s eyes widened, and he pressed his lips into a thin, tight line. The carriage continued forward in silence.
* * *
Knock, knock.
Ludbreed rose from his seat to open the door, moving quickly even for a knock so faint it threatened to fade entirely.
“Hello.”
“Oh, you’ve come?”
Bunny bowed so deeply it looked as if she might tip over and take flight. Ludbreed’s stern features softened into a relaxed, satisfied smile.
Who would believe it? That such an iron-willed man could beam with such a silly, indulgent expression.
Every time Bunny moved, the cheap coins in her piggy bank clinked together.
“Bunny came to buy Holy Stones.”
“Is that so? Come, take a look. There are plenty over here.”
With her clinking elephant in her arms, Bunny trotted over and sat on the sofa. Having figured out how to procure well-crafted holy stones for a mere 1,500 Lostro—thanks to Kyriel’s introduction—she felt quite proud of her business acumen.
“Now, which one have you come to buy today?”
Ludbreed watched with forced composure as Bunny studied the various stones with a grave expression. He had heard from his youngest son—hardly a man known for his warmth—that some rogue had dared to cheat his granddaughter in the Yudiah Territory, selling her fakes and swindling the small change she had earned penny by agonizing penny.
Naturally, Ludbreed had handled it personally.
The culprit was just another drifter who had wandered into the Yudiah Territory. His downfall was swift; pulling such a stunt in a land protected by the most powerful divinity was a death sentence. The Yudiah Territory was safer than the capital—there were even whispers that if the capital ever fell, the Emperor would seek refuge here.
The crime rate had plummeted to less than 1% since Ludbreed’s birth. It was only natural, as Pegasus, his summoned divine beast, could track any trace left behind.
“Grandpa, how much is this one?”
Ludbreed cleared his throat, his gaze drifting to the stone.
“Let’s see. It’s quite large, so… 2,500 Lostro. That’s 25 coins.”
Fifty-eight million Lostro.
Though the true price flashed through his mind, he dismissed it. *It’s all to hatch the divine beast.*
The egg Bunny had summoned was growing rapidly, fed by the holy stones. It was now as large as the child herself. Ludbreed was deeply curious; he had never seen a divine beast in egg form, and it seemed more alive with every stone it devoured.
In truth, the price of a holy stone was whatever one chose to name. They could prevent minor illnesses, cleanse murky energy, and, because they could inflict fatal damage on demons, they were prized for forging weapons. Since the processing was so difficult, the Judia Dukedom held a monopoly on nearly every mine.
“I’ll take this one!”
“Yes, by all means.”
“Okay!”
Bunny nodded readily, snapped the trunk off her elephant, and began pulling out coins. *Clink, clink, clink.*
“One, two… three…”
Ludbreed watched her count on her fingers, his heart melting.
“Twenty-five!”
“That’s it, well done. You can already count to 25.”
*Heh.* Bunny is a genius!
Just as Bunny was grinning, a sharp rap echoed at the door.
Knock, knock.
The child pricked up her ears, head snapping up.
“Duke, I will come in for a moment.”
At the appearance of Pel the butler, Ludbreed’s face hardened, his smile vanishing as if it had never been there.
“What is it?”
Pel watched his master, who was still stroking Bunny’s hair while clutching the 25 coins.
“You have a new ribbon. The yellow suits you quite well, Lady Bunny. You look lovely today.”
*Hehehe.*
At the praise, Bunny’s bottom wiggled. Praise made her want to dance, and Pel was a man very, very generous with his words.
*Good human. When I become a great Demon King later, I’ll make him rich.*
Having mentally stamped her approval on Pel, she nodded.
“Lord Kyriel’s aide is looking for Lady Bunny.”
Ludbreed looked at him with clear displeasure, then glanced at the child.
“Shall we prepare to go?”
“Okay.”
Bunny closed the elephant’s trunk and gathered her remaining coins. Pel watched her with a satisfied smile, though he hesitated before speaking again.
“Oh, and…”
Ludbreed narrowed his eyes. “What is it? Speak.”
“It seems a strange rumor is circulating among the demons who fled and went into hiding after their defeat.”
“A rumor?”
“It is only a rumor for now, but… they say a child of the demons has survived.”
“A child?”
“Yes. To be precise, it seems the dead Demon King had a child. They say this child is scheduled to awaken as the next Demon King…”
*Clink, clink.*
Bunny’s body trembled. The coins in her hand slipped, clattering to the floor.
“Oh dear, are you alright, Lady Bunny?”
“…Okay. Thank you.”
Pel picked up the fallen coins and pressed them back into her small palm.
*Bunny, my heart is going thump-thump…*
The Demon King’s child.
No matter how she looked at it, they were talking about her. As her heart hammered against her ribs, Bunny hugged the elephant piggy bank a little tighter.