“And this, Young Lady, is the annex of the Yudia Duchy where you will be staying from now on.”
“Eh…….”
Bunny’s eyes narrowed as she studied the mansion Roden Heiner pointed to.
*It’s not white, it’s not sparkly, and it’s even smaller than the one over there.*
Now that she looked closely, the surroundings were significantly quieter, the glitz faded to a dull, muted gray.
“Starting today, Young Lady Bunny, you are the 52nd branch family member of the Yudia Duchy.”
“…Fifty-two?”
“Yes.”
*Is that even a number?*
Bunny spread out her chubby, maple-leaf-like fingers, counted them one by one, and tilted her head.
“Roden, is fifty-two bigger than twenty-two?”
“Ah, it means there are two twenty-twos and twelve more on top of that.”
*Whoosh—*
A chilly breeze swept between Bunny and Roden Heiner.
*Two twenty-twos and twelve….*
Bunny’s head spun. She even tried counting on her toes, but no matter how she did the math, it was just too big.
Regardless, it was a mountain of a number!
“Bunny, a young lady of the Duchy…?”
“Yes. Out of the 52 young ladies and young masters, you are the 16th young lady.”
*Crash!*
The vision of being scooped up and spun around in the arms of a super-strong demon daddy, giggling *haha hoho* in his embrace, shattered into pieces.
It was all wrong. In the fairy tales, the protagonist always captured the demon daddy’s heart, monopolized his love, and after a cute baby phase, grew up to be a legendary Great Demon King…….
Fifty-two babies…?
That was enough to break a demon daddy’s back…….
At the very least, among 52 siblings, Bunny would surely go completely unnoticed.
*‘Bunny’s life is totally ruined……?!’*
Recalling a catchphrase Luriel often barked whenever things went sideways, Bunny collapsed onto her knees.
“Young Lady?”
Roden Heiner, startled, rushed over to help her up.
But Bunny remained slumped, melting into a puddle of despair.
* * *
“Roden.”
“Yes.”
“Bunny wants to live over there, too.”
Shaking off the gloom, Bunny pointed a small finger at the flashy, snow-white mansion.
Watching her, Roden Heiner averted his gaze, clearing his throat before speaking.
“That place… you can only go there if you enter the top five in ranking.”
“Ranking… top five?”
“Yes. Since you arrived today, Young Lady, you are ranked 52nd.”
“What is that……?”
“Ranking is, well….”
After a moment of hesitation, Roden Heiner knelt on one knee to meet her gaze.
“It is a ranking of who studies the best.”
“Stu-dy…?”
“Yes. Here, basic necessities—meals, clothing, housing, and a minimum allowance—are provided, but you must acquire everything else yourself.”
Roden Heiner carefully observed Bunny’s dazed, swirling eyes and added, sensing the child’s confusion.
“Does that make sense?”
“Um……. Since Bunny is a beggar, do I have to work?”
“Excuse me? Ah…….”
Roden Heiner faltered at Bunny’s blunt, tragic phrasing.
“No. Here, you just need to participate in class, study well, and get high marks on your exams. If your ranking rises… your allowance will increase, and eventually, you will be able to hire your own personal knight and maid.”
*A knight, a maid!*
*A young lady of the Duchy!*
Bunny’s eyes sparkled. She nodded her small head repeatedly, clenching her fists.
“Bunny is sma-rt!”
Luriel always said Bunny was a genius.
She was a massive, jackpot genius who could mimic anything she saw just once. That was why Luriel had taught her so many secrets.
Seeing the fire return to those jewel-like pink eyes, Roden Heiner’s stiff face finally melted into a faint, curved smile.
“…….”
He hesitated, reaching out as if to touch her, then pulled back, thinking better of it. But Bunny thrust her head forward.
“Head pats are good!”
“Ahem. I-is that so?”
Roden Heiner gently patted Bunny’s soft, water-colored hair.
“If you are as smart as you say, you will be able to raise your rank in no time.”
“Un! Is Roden Bunny’s person?”
At the question, Roden Heiner almost nodded instinctively, but he caught himself.
“No. I am what you might call a common knight, helping the young ladies and young masters ranked 40th to 52nd whenever they need it.”
*Boom!*
*‘Roden isn’t Bunny’s.’*
Shocked, Bunny followed behind him with a wobble.
*‘I don’t even have a knight?’*
Then, Bunny really was a beggar…….
“This way is the cafeteria.”
Roden Heiner guided her through the interior of the mansion—which, while smaller than the snow-white building, was still grand—and after collecting her necessary supplies, he led her to a room on the second floor.
She saw several children coming and going, most of them taller than her.
“I will guide you up to this point. From now on, you will be living on your own, but if you need anything, please call for me at any time. A dedicated maid will come to greet you soon.”
“Is the maid Bunny’s?”
“No. Like me, they are for those ranked 40th to 52nd….”
*Droop.*
Before he could finish, the corners of Bunny’s eyes sagged low.
*‘The path to being a young lady of the Duchy is so far….’*
Roden Heiner stopped. He felt a sting of guilt every time he delivered a reality check. It wasn’t the first time he had brought in a branch family child, but for some reason, his heart felt a sharp prick today, and he couldn’t name the cause.
“Roden, bye-bye…….”
Bunny bowed her head, sighed, and slipped through the slightly opened door. Roden Heiner nudged the door wider.
“Yes, it was a pleasure to meet you. Please call for me whenever you need, and I will check on you often. Rest well today. Please come to the cafeteria on time for dinner.”
“Oka-y…….”
*Click.*
Once the door shut, Bunny scurried across the room, her small feet thumping softly.
No sparkly jewels!
No pretty, airy canopies draping over the bed!
“Sniff, sniff. Smells funky.”
It even had a bit of a musky scent.
Still, it was a room she could use all by herself. Since she had always shared space with her friends at the orphanage, this was actually quite an upgrade.
“Hmm.”
Bunny shook her head.
According to Luriel’s ‘28 Selected Romantic Fantasy Stories For Young Demons’, babies destined to become the Great Demon King always grew up in harsh environments.
And then, the super-strong demon daddy would finally discover them.
Like, *The One Who Thought I Was An Orphan Is Actually A Princess?!*, or *Actually, I Was The Real One Of The Real Ones*, or *Regarding The Fact That I, The Lowest Ranked Demon, Was Actually The Great Demon King*.
“Baby, it’s only natural for someone who is to become a Great Demon King to have trials. But it’s okay. With Luriel’s notebook, any trial can be solved instantly!”
“Sol-ved ins-tantly!”
“Yes. So baby, you have to do well even without this Luriel.”
*Good babies get head pats.*
Bunny lifted her short, chubby hand, patted her own head a few times, then sat down on the floor and spread her legs wide.
*‘Bunny is in the middle of a trial!’*
She took off her lumpy rabbit bag, set it between her knees, and used her maple-leaf-like hands to unzip it.
Out tumbled the Great Demon King teddy bear that instilled courage, and Toto, the rabbit doll that chased away bad dreams. Bunny even took out a piggy bank shaped like an elephant hugging gold coins, lining them up with military precision.
Finally, she reached deep into her now-slimmer bag and pulled out a child-sized cutting board, a kitchen knife, and Luriel’s secret notebook.
Lastly, she held the cloth pouch she had received for her necessities—her allowance.
Bunny’s eyes narrowed as she opened it. She turned the pouch upside down and gave it a sharp shake.
*Plop, roll.*
“…The Duchy is so stingy.”
Only a single gold coin tumbled out.
“Bunny is richer than that.”
She lifted the elephant piggy bank with both hands, shaking it to make it clatter, and let out a deep, cynical sigh.
In truth, everything in Bunny’s piggy bank was blackish-bronze, and while the Ducal household had given her a sparkling gold coin, the value felt worlds apart.