“*Ahem.*”
Seeing Bunny trudge along with a clumsy gait, a backpack shaped like a rugged rabbit bobbing on her back, Ludbreed narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat.
The child’s pace toward the Mansion Of Trials did not falter.
“*Ahem!*”
He made the sound again. The child simply continued, one step at a time, completely focused.
*Tap-tap, pitter-patter.*
*Tap-tap, pitter-patter.*
It was a struggle to watch. She would take two steps forward under the weight of the oversized bag, sway as her body trembled, then take a step back to regain her balance before stubbornly forging ahead.
“*Ahem*, Bunny?”
“Yes?”
Only then did Bunny snap to attention and turn her head.
“Grandfather Patriarch!”
“Just ‘Grandfather’ will do. Where are you off to?”
“To my room!”
“Where have you been?”
“Um….”
Bunny rolled her eyes. She had been planning to launch a business using Luriel’s new recipes. Since a permit of some sort was required for the outside world, she had decided to set up shop at the Mansion Of Trials.
Regardless, Bunny needed money!
“You haven’t come to buy Seongryeokseok lately. That… *ahem*, is that Heugyeomryong egg growing well?”
“…Ye-yes…. Totally healthy…!”
Bunny jolted, answering in a rush. The fact that the egg had shattered was a secret that must never be revealed.
“Where are you going, Grandfather?”
“I am going to the Imperial Palace. I have matters to discuss.”
“The Imperial Palace!”
The enemy of the Great Demon King, with flashy red eyes and golden hair! Since it was an enemy she had to defeat, gathering intelligence in advance seemed like a brilliant idea.
Bunny raised her hand high.
“Hm?”
“Can Bunny go, too?”
“To the Imperial Palace?”
“Yes!”
“That would be a bit difficult…. Let’s go play somewhere else after I return.”
“But the Imperial Palace is nice….”
At Bunny’s gloomy voice, Ludbreed froze, slowly averting his gaze.
“Well then, this old man is quite busy, so I shall be off—”
“Bunny, too!!”
With a vigorous shout, Bunny lunged forward and clung tightly to his leg. Ludbreed’s eyes widened.
“Grandfather, I like you so much, I want to go everywhere you go. Because I don’t want to be apart from you. If I don’t have Grandfather, Bunny will be super sad.”
As she looked up, clutching his leg, Ludbreed turned to stone. He struggled to hold his gaze, his neck stiff.
In truth, she had merely swapped the word ‘Lord’ for ‘Grandfather’ from the lines she had practiced earlier.
*‘Bunny… keep up the cuteness operation.’*
The ‘No one can defeat cute Bunny’ operation.
“Does Grandfather want to be apart from Bunny…?”
Bunny asked, looking up with teary, watery eyes.
*Crack.*
That was the moment the pen he had brought to handle documents in the carriage shattered to pieces in his grip.
* * *
“Bunny, you must wait here quietly. Do you understand?”
“Okay.”
Ludbreed gave her strict instructions several times before rising from his seat.
Between the suppressed prophecies, the uncertainty regarding sacred beasts, and the fragmented information on ancient elves, he was hesitant to bring her along—especially since her own existence remained so heavily cloaked. Even his vague explanation to the Emperor had left the man with a gaze of lingering suspicion. He was clearly bursting with curiosity as to who had provided such intelligence.
“It’s a promise?”
“Bunny will be quiet.”
“Good, that’s a good girl. I shall be back soon.”
“Okay.”
Bunny waved lightly, sat on the sofa, and kicked her legs back and forth.
*Crunch, crunch.*
*Gulp.*
She ate cookies and drank milk. Boredom soon set in; she wandered the room, returning to the snacks whenever hunger struck. She poked through drawers, rummaged under the sofa, and admired the sparkling decorations.
“I’m bored.”
Her tummy was nice and full. After a moment of deliberation, she grinned, cracked the door open, and poked her head through the gap.
*‘Um….’*
The hallway was silent. No one was in sight.
Clutching a cookie, Bunny squeezed her body through the crack and stepped out.
“Bunny is full, so time for a walk.”
Luri said that when you’re full, you must always take a walk! Bunny was a good child who listened to Luri.
She wandered about, peeking into every open door. Some people were startled by her sudden appearance; others were too busy with work to notice.
*‘In fairy tales, there’s always a kid in these places who becomes the big boss of the humans.’*
I should get close to the future human big boss and make them go all mushy for Bunny. Just like at the orphanage, everyone would fall into her trap, making them surrender when Bunny eventually becomes the super-big Great Demon King.
“*Gasp*… Genius Bunny…. To think you were the super-big Great Demon King…!”
“Hmph, fool. You only just realized? Bunny is the magnificent super-big Great Demon King. You have all completely fallen into Bunny’s trap.”
“It can’t be…. I… I can’t forget the honey-glazed sweet potatoes you made!! And the curly potatoes!! It can’t be helped…. I lose…. I grant this human world to you. The magnificent genius Great Demon King, Bunny!”
In her head, the faceless Emperor was kneeling before her. Adult Bunny stood with her hands on her hips, bursting into laughter.
*Hmph.*
*‘Perfect for a wicked Great Demon King Bunny.’*
She poked her head into another room that caught her eye. It was incredibly large and flashy.
*‘Sparkly!’*
Just as she was trying to squeeze her body inside:
“*Haa*… *haa*… *haa*….”
Bunny’s eyes grew round at the sound of ragged breathing and the familiar energy pulsating from within.
*‘Demon energy.’*
Running on her tiptoes, she approached the bed where the sound originated. It was massive—nearly five times larger than her own.
“*Ugh*… *hng*….”
Standing on her tiptoes, Bunny widened her eyes at the sight of a boy clutching his chest, groaning in pain. He had sparkling golden hair and looked about five years older than her, his body drenched in cold sweat.
*‘This, bad energy for humans.’*
Bad energy for child Bunny, too.
Her deep pink pupils shone brightly. *Whoosh*, they thinned vertically.
*‘If left like this, he’ll die.’*
The Demon energy, or *Magi*, had already eroded most of the boy’s body, devouring his heart. Luriel had taught her that if it finished eating the head, the human would not be able to live.
“…….”
Bunny blinked as she looked at him.
*‘Sparkly, pretty hair. The future human big boss!’*
In Luri’s fairy tales, the one with sparkly hair was always the human big boss. Bunny agonized with a serious face.
“Luri, what is this?”
“Oh, no! The Baby is a special being, so if you touch *Magi*, you will get sick.”
“Will Bunny die?”
“Yes? No, you won’t die. But you will be very hurt. You’ve had a high fever and sweated a lot before, right? So you shouldn’t touch *Magi* until you’re an adult. Do you understand? Especially when you’re alone!”
If Bunny fixes this kid, she gets hurt. But if she doesn’t, he dies.
The future human big boss. An opponent she has to defeat later, anyway.
Wouldn’t it be better to just say bye-bye now?
Bunny nodded and stepped back slightly.
*‘Bunny, because I’m a wicked Demon King.’*
“Who….”
Startled by the voice from the bed, Bunny fled the room.
“……?”
The boy, through his blurred vision, caught the sight of the back of her small, water-colored head before collapsing once again.