Bunny turned her head.
“Daddy.”
“It’s dangerous. Daddy will lift you up, so stay still.”
“Okayyy.”
In an instant, she was hoisted by her armpits and dangled before being sat upon the chair.
She hadn’t realized it from below, but the chair was piled with various cushions. Once seated, Bunny found she was at a similar eye level to Kyriel.
“I didn’t know your preferences, so I had them prepare a variety. If anything catches your eye, feel free to tell me.”
“Okay.”
At Bunny’s reply, the Emperor offered a soft smile and snapped his fingers. Maids and servants swarmed the room, filling the massive circular table with an array of food.
“Whoa….”
The table overflowed with dishes—savory meats, delicate desserts, and intricate breads.
The meals she shared with Daddy at the Judia Dukedom were modest; this spread was so extravagant she worried the table legs might buckle under the weight. There was even a chocolate fountain on one side.
*‘Bunny… should I change Daddies after all?’*
No. The Human Boss was a future enemy.
*‘Can’t be helped.’*
After a brief, internal debate, Bunny decided against adopting the Emperor as her father.
“Thank you for saving my son. I didn’t know how to express my gratitude, so I invited you here first.”
Bunny flinched at the sudden voice and looked up.
His golden eyes shimmered with honeyed sweetness, but Bunny only blinked at him, blank-faced.
*‘Fake smile.’*
She offered a subtle expression and a small nod. Bunny had learned to distinguish between things that were warm and things that were not. Throughout her time with Luriel, she had encountered many humans, each with a different internal temperature.
*‘Daddy is warm. Future Boss is also warm.’*
She shifted her gaze, thinking, and looked back at the Emperor.
*‘Human Boss… lukewarm.’*
He seemed to like Bunny, or at least he acted very kind, but in reality, it didn’t feel like he cared for her at all.
“By the way, how did you end up helping my son? Bunny.”
At the Emperor’s inquiry, Kyriel’s brows furrowed. He had noticed this snake-like man trying to dig into Bunny out of curiosity.
“If the Baby Boss dies, Daddy Boss and Mommy Boss will be sad. Being alone is sad.”
As she spoke, Bunny reached out and snatched a cookie with protruding chocolate chips from the table.
The Emperor’s eyes widened. Kyriel reached out and reflexively took the cookie away.
“Huh?!”
“Eat that after you’ve finished your meal.”
“…Hmph.”
Bunny pouted. Kyriel firmly set the cookie back down.
“Did you think my son was going to die?”
“Maybe if he slept ten more nights… he would have died….”
At Bunny’s words, a chill crawled up the spine of the Crown Prince, Roel. He had indeed felt death hovering at the threshold more than once.
*‘If it weren’t for that child, I would have already….’*
Gulp.
Tense, Roel clenched and unclenched his fists. In truth, his heart had already been compromised, and the magical energy was on the verge of eroding his brain. Once the magic devoured his mind, he would be as good as gone.
Bunny tapped her feet, watching the food, lost in thought.
“So that was the extent of it. I owe you a great debt.”
Bunny’s eyes went round.
*‘A debt!’*
If there was a debt, Bunny could follow the Emperor around. It was only natural for a creditor to be followed. A debt meant she could take whatever she wanted.
“Heh heh heh. Human Boss! Hand over the human world to Bunny, since you owe her a debt!!”
*‘Waaah. This can’t be. I can’t let the human world be taken like this! If only I didn’t have this debt…!!’*
In her imagination, the Emperor knelt and surrendered the human world to her. A smirk curled Bunny’s lips.
“Then, please enjoy your meal.”
Bunny snapped out of her fantasy, her head whipping toward the voice.
*‘Tingle, tingle.’*
Demons were sensitive to malice. Young demons were even more so.
Malice. To a demon, it was like food. Human malice was a sweet, intoxicating nourishment. Demons often sought out humans radiating such ill-will, signing contracts to corrupt them and feast upon their souls. Even without a contract, they gravitated toward malice because it made it easy to burrow into a person.
To be sensitive to malice was to detect danger before it arrived.
Bunny’s pupils slit vertically for a fleeting second before returning to normal.
The moment was brief, but it didn’t escape the boy sitting across from her, who hadn’t taken his eyes off Bunny since she entered.
“Let’s put aside the praise for now and start the meal. Eat up, Bunny.”
Just as the Emperor picked up his utensils, Bunny pointed a small index finger at the fork in his hand.
The Emperor, poised to bring a piece of meat to his lips, paused.
“Daddy, that one is bad.”
“What?”
Kyriel looked confused.
“Peep!”
Responding to Bunny’s will, the red 뱁새 that had been nestled in the yellow chick bag fluttered out and performed a body slam, knocking the fork from the Emperor’s grip.
Clatter. Roll.
“No, my Heugyeomryong!!”
The 뱁새 tumbled onto the table after its collision. Bunny let out a cry and flailed her arms, reaching out.
Thump.
A large hand moved quickly, scooping up the dizzy, spinning 뱁새 and placing it into Bunny’s palm.
“Bunny’s Heugyeomryong…….”
A large hand rested on top of Bunny’s head. She looked up, her eyes wide. Kyriel’s eyes were glowing a brilliant blue.
His gaze scanned the dining table.
“The utensils are poisoned.”
“Daddy, eyes are blue.”
No sooner had she spoken than the color drained from his gaze, returning to his usual red.
The Emperor put down his utensils, brows furrowed, and snapped his fingers.
“I will have this replaced.”
Servants scrambled to clear the magnificent spread with terrified faces. Moments later, a frantic voice echoed from outside.
“Yes? Poisoning? What do you mean… No, no! I was here the whole time! I’ve been feeling unwell today, I haven’t left the kitchen at all!”
Bang!
A man in a chef’s uniform was dragged into the greenhouse, his face deathly pale. Bunny shrank back, gripping Kyriel’s hem.
“Your Majesty.”
“Oh, my apologies. I was so angry I didn’t consider the child. Bunny, would you like to go somewhere else?”
“…….”
Bunny tightened her grip on Kyriel’s hem and slowly shook her head.
“I want to stay with Daddy…….”
Kyriel’s eyes softened. He drew a faint, gentle arc with his lips and patted the child’s back.
Bunny turned her gaze to the kneeling chef and pointed a finger at him.
“Him, not a bad human.”
“Not bad? Why do you think so?”
“No tingle-tingle. Bad humans have tingle-tingle.”
At the child’s words, Kyriel looked at the chef with a complex expression.