“Pleased to meet you! Lady Bunny. I am Barian, the escort knight assigned to serve you starting today! Ah, to think that such a beautiful, magnificent, and adorable incarnation could exist in this world. I am honored to my very core!”
Watching the red-haired man kneel on one knee and clutch Bunny’s dainty hand while shedding buckets of tears, Bunny’s eyes narrowed until they were thin as a flatfish.
*‘You said the dukedom was safe, you fool of a father.’*
Seeing a demon appear right before her eyes less than a day later, Bunny’s trust in Kyriel plummeted.
“Dad, who is this?”
“Since you wander outside so often, I decided you needed an escort knight. He may act like that, but he is skilled. He’s been working at the dukedom for quite some time.”
*Bunny, I’ve never seen this guy at the dukedom even once!*
“Why? Do you not like him? If so, I’ll change him for someone else.”
“Huck, please, no! I will be Lady Bunny’s escort knight! Right? You like me, don’t you? You don’t dislike me, do you?”
Barian thrust his face uncomfortably close. Bunny edged backward, grabbed the hem of Kyriel’s trousers, and clung to him.
“I like him.”
*Does Dad not know he’s a bad demon? The culprit behind Holly-Holly the chef?*
After blinking twice at the familiar demonic energy, Bunny looked back and forth between the two, nodded, and pointed a finger at Kyriel.
“Dad. Then is this guy Bunny’s?”
“Yes, he is yours. He is your subordinate.”
Bunny’s eyes sparkled. She nodded.
“Mine! Then can Bunny marry this guy?”
“Cough, cough!”
Kyriel erupted into a violent coughing fit.
“Hm?”
For a moment, the confusion on Barian’s face shifted into a brilliant grin.
“Of course! If you wish to marry this Barian, then by all means—!”
Kyriel’s sharp, ferocious gaze locked onto Barian.
Barian realized his mistake. He placed one hand over his heart, bowed politely, and quickly amended, “—is what I would like to say, but alas! I have pledged my life to one person for all eternity, so it would be difficult for me to spend my life with our cute young lady.”
*Tap, tap.*
As Barian put on a theatrical display, dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief, Kyriel’s eyes narrowed further.
“Should I change him for someone else after all, Bunny?”
“Ah, that’s too harsh, Young Master. I will protect Lady Bunny even if it costs me my life.”
Kyriel glared at Barian once more before looking at Bunny.
“And Bunny, I was thinking we should move soon. What do you think?”
“Move?”
“Yes. I thought it might be nice for the three of us to live in the villa. The room you’re using seems a bit cramped… and we are family, after all.”
Kyriel delivered the words while rubbing the back of his neck, looking uncharacteristically awkward. Bunny tilted her head.
“Family?”
She blinked at him.
“Are Bunny and Dad family? No.”
To Bunny, family meant Mom, Dad, and the baby, all together. *But, Bunny has a dad and an older brother, but no mom.*
Family was a group of people who did everything together, shared their hearts, and lived in harmony. There were no secrets between family.
*‘But, Bunny is full of secrets…’*
“Family is Mom and Dad and the baby,” Bunny said firmly. “But Bunny, only has Dad.”
“…….”
*And Dad hates demons so much he wants to kill them all.*
Since Bunny is going to become a grand, great Demon King, she cannot be family with someone who wears pure white clothes.
However, she didn’t say that much. In her estimation, family could not exist the moment Mom was missing.
“Bunny and Dad are not family.”
“…….”
*Boom!*
*Flash!*
That day, Bunny saw a vision of a massive bolt of lightning striking the top of Kyriel’s head.
Behind them, Barian began to giggle.
* * *
“Levon.”
“Yes.”
“What do you think about me going on an arranged marriage meeting?”
“…….”
Levon came to a dead halt.
Kyriel narrowed his brows and turned his head. Levon was staring back with a deadpan expression, his hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
“Who are you? Begone, evil spirit. Young Master Kyriel would never say such a thing.”
“Do you really want to die?”
“It is really you. My apologies.”
Struck by the chilling murderous intent, Levon removed his hand from the hilt and pulled out a round orb, beginning to infuse it with holy power.
“Why are you pulling out a communication orb?”
“I am calling your primary physician. How many fingers do you see? If you are feeling hot, cold, or dizzy…”
*Whoosh!*
At the sound of air being sliced, Levon quickly withdrew his hand and twisted his body.
*Thud!*
A sharp fountain pen pierced the marble wall and embedded itself deep into the stone. Levon stepped back with a nonchalant face.
“Whoops. That was perfect.”
*Clap, clap, clap.*
Kyriel glared at Levon, who pulled the pen from the wall, returned it respectfully, and continued walking as if he were entirely unimpressed.
“But why did you suddenly have such an admirable thought about an arranged marriage?”
“Bunny said…”
“Yes.”
“That without a mother, we aren’t a family.”
“…….”
Levon blinked once, put away the communication orb, and sighed. “I’ll be leaving work for today.”
“What is this nonsense again?”
“I’m going to go on a date to find a woman who can look past my boss’s unsightly behavior, enjoy a happy honeymoon with me, and become family with my cute daughter.”
Kyriel let out a short sigh and turned away. Once Levon started his tangents, it became tiresome to even reply.
Levon followed, his hands clasped behind his back, easily catching up with a few light steps.
“I think it’s a good idea.”
“…….”
“You have always lived alone. It would be good to have someone by your side who supports you. It would be the icing on the cake if there were love involved, too.”
In noble circles, arranged marriages were usually about profit. It was rare to marry for love.
“Still, don’t do it out of a sense of duty for Lady Bunny’s sake. That would be rude to the woman, and unfortunate for Lady Bunny, Young Master Alan, and for yourself.”
“Levon, for once, you’re saying something useful.”
“Of course, I don’t know how many women would be broad-minded enough to embrace a man who has two children in tow, is too lazy to come out of his room, and has nothing going for him but his face and body.”
“Just go and die.”
Kyriel mumbled listlessly and spun around. With a slight smile at the corners of his expressionless mouth, Levon followed.
* * *
“Oh, so this is where you’ve been staying, Lady Bunny. Should I report here every morning?”
Having returned to her room, shut the door, and hopped onto the bed, Bunny frowned at the voice.
There had been no one there a moment ago, yet someone had appeared inside the room. Bunny took the red finch out of her bag, placed it on her pillow, and looked up.
“Who are you?”
She blinked slowly, staring at Barian.
The corners of Barian’s mouth, which had been smiling smoothly, curved slightly. He didn’t have black hair or red eyes, but Bunny knew. She knew this man was a demon.
And perhaps, this man also knew of Bunny’s true identity.