Kyriel let out a short sigh.
“Bunny.”
“Yeah?”
“Go to the next room with His Highness the Crown Prince for a moment.”
“Why? Is Bunny annoying you?”
At Bunny’s question, Kyriel paused, then shook his head.
*Why does her mind always jump to that conclusion…*
Kyriel sighed again before speaking. “No. There’s something I need to confirm with him, and it’s not for a child’s eyes. If you stay in the next room, I’ll come get you soon.”
“But he’s not a bad person… The tingly person is someone else…”
As Bunny made her case, Kyriel gave a strange look, but nodded calmly.
“Right. That’s exactly what I’m going to check.”
Kyriel lifted Bunny from her chair. She carefully placed the Black Dragon—or whatever that thing was—back into her bag.
“Hello, Bunny. Shall we go? I’ll lead the way.”
“Okay.”
Roel held out his hand, and Bunny took it. Roel’s eyes curved into crescents as he guided her along. Glancing back, Bunny saw Kyriel waving lightly, and she flashed him a bright smile. A faint, softened look touched Kyriel’s lips in response.
“This way, Bunny.”
“Okay.”
Bunny followed Roel into the next room. The boy, with hair the color of nectar-drenched honey and striking red eyes, beamed. He clearly liked her.
“Ah, I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Roel. Roel Labdia Lotis. I’m the Crown Prince of the Loti Empire and I’m nine years old. Nice to meet you, Bunny.”
A formal introduction!
Bunny’s eyes sparkled. She puffed out her chest and puffed up her courage.
“Bunny. Four years old! Young lady of the Judia Dukedom.”
At her adorable declaration, Roel’s eyes widened before curving into crescents once more.
“Shall we sit? Ah, should I get you some juice?”
“Bunny likes grapes better than oranges. But I like apples more than grapes.”
“Apples? I’m not sure about apple juice… but we should have grapes. I’ll ask for apples, too.”
Roel tugged the bell pull, spoke briefly to a maid, and sat down heavily right next to Bunny.
Bunny blinked. *He’s sitting awfully close.*
As Roel beamed at her, Bunny sneakily retrieved the red Bipsae from her bag and tucked it onto a soft cushion of the sofa.
“Bunny, is this bird your divine beast?”
“Yes. Heugyeomryong.”
“Heugyeomryong? That’s a cool name.”
Bunny narrowed her eyes. *That’s not a name.*
Black Dragon was a race. But since even to her own eyes, her Heugyeomryong looked nothing like the majestic creature of her imagination, she pursed her lips and kept quiet.
“Here is your juice.”
“Ah, thank you. You may leave.”
Roel placed the apple juice the maid had brought into Bunny’s hands, then stroked her cheek. She was so cute he couldn’t help himself. Licking his lower lip, he leaned in.
“Bunny, I have a question. May I ask you something?”
“A question?”
Bunny, shivering with delight at the sweet, sour scent of the juice, tilted her head.
“Yes. By any chance, what is your relationship with the demons?”
“Ugh…”
*Drip.*
The juice she hadn’t yet swallowed trickled from her agape mouth.
“Oh my, are you okay? Here, let me wipe that off.”
Roel’s eyes widened, and he hurriedly produced a handkerchief to dab at the spilled drink on her dress hem.
*If Bunny gets caught, it’s off to be turned into powder…*
The image of herself disintegrating into black ash under a blinding white light flashed in her mind. Bunny scrambled to speak.
“Bu—Bunny isn’t a demon! I’m not anything with demons, Bunny is a perfectly excellent human! See? My eyes aren’t red and my hair isn’t black either. Bunny doesn’t even know what a demon is…”
Roel blinked, watching her flustered, rambling attempt at a defense. After meticulously wiping the hem of her dress, he looked at her with a gentle, smiling face.
“Tell me, Bunny. Are you a demon, by any chance?”
*Jolt.*
“No!! Bunny isn’t a Great Demon King, my dream is to be a Great Mage…”
Bunny jumped up, her pupils shaking. She felt as though her heart were drumming against her ribs. Roel burst into a small laugh and rubbed her cheek. Bunny’s eyes darted frantically around the room.
*I shouldn’t have healed the future human boss.*
Another crisis. She’d lost count of the number.
*Should I just poison him with demonic energy again?*
She crossed her short arms, deep in thought.
*“Gasp, the young lady of the dukedom poisoned His Highness the Crown Prince! She’s a demon!”*
*“Die, enemy of humanity! Take this, the power of purification!”*
*“I’m disappointed in you, Bunny. Noooo!!”*
*Bunny. Protect Daddy and Oppa. I have to become an excellent adult. Goodbye, future human boss.*
Giving up on her internal debate, Bunny uncrossed her arms and hopped off the sofa. She approached him with such a resolute expression that Roel tilted his head in confusion.
“Would you like some more apple juice?”
“Yes!!”
The resolution evaporated instantly, replaced by a vigorous, childish answer. Roel swapped his own untouched cup with the one she was clutching.
*Sip.*
Bunny took a sip and widened her eyes. *Gasp… to deceive Bunny so smoothly! As expected of the future human boss!*
*Sip, sip.*
She glanced at him over the rim of the glass. *Did I get caught, or didn’t I?*
Roel smiled radiantly. “Say, Bunny. Thank you for healing me. I was wondering… do you think I could become as strong as you?”
Like Bunny? She tilted her head. Roel was human, she was a demon. He was the human boss, she was the future Great Demon King. A Great Demon King was super strong; she could defeat a mere human boss with a single ‘bang-bang’ of her magic.
“Bunny is super strong, so it might be difficult.”
When she said this with a grave expression, Roel clapped his hands.
“Wow, is that so? That’s cool. I like people who are stronger than me.”
Bunny’s nose puffed up with pride.
“Then, how about you and I get married when we grow up?”
“What is marriage?”
“It means we stay together happily for the rest of our lives, right by each other’s side. We won’t fight, we’ll sleep in the same bed, hold hands, and discuss everything together.”
“Fo—forever fight and hold hands?!”
“No. I mean… I’ll become yours. Then I’ll believe that you’re not a demon.”
*Gasp. The future boss is going to be Bunny’s?*
Bunny’s eyes sparkled. *If we get married, does Bunny conquer the human world?*
That was perfect. She wouldn’t have to fight, she would conquer the world, and she could keep the human boss by her side to keep him under her watchful eye.
*Gulp.*
Bunny finished her juice, set the glass down with a *clack*, and held out her hand.
“Okay. Let’s get married.”
Having achieved the feat of conquering the human world without a single fight, Bunny grinned. Roel happily took her hand.
“Great!”
And so, the marriage—a long-term plan between a nine-year-old and a four-year-old—was settled.