The duchy grounds were vast.
The estate itself was immense, but the land surrounding the ducal residence was equally expansive. The grounds even contained a private lake cradled by a small, secluded forest.
Once a month, on the night of the full moon, Alan spent his nights here.
A half-breed. That was the term usually reserved for the offspring of the Irang Tribe and humans. The Irang Tribe possessed intelligence rivaling any human and held the innate ability to shift into human form.
However, Alan, a half-breed, lacked that control. Whenever the full moon rose, he lost his grip on his humanity, descending into a beastly state.
Alan stared blankly at his own distorted reflection in the shimmering, moonlit water, then slowly turned his head.
*A monster.*
That was what he was.
Humans loathed him, calling him a filthy beast. Even the Irang Tribe scorned him as a dirty half-breed. He was exactly what they said he was: a monster. Even in his daily life, his ears would sometimes sprout prematurely if he pushed himself too hard. While full-blooded Irang could revert to their quadrupedal forms to conserve energy at will, Alan had no such agency. Whether it was ears flicking out in exhaustion or the full, fur-covered transformation of the full moon, it was all beyond his command.
*Bunny must surely hate this appearance, too.*
She claimed to like him, but if she saw him like this—as a monster—she would surely be deeply disappointed.
*I wish I were something cute, like a rabbit or a bear cub…*
Since Bunny seemed to favor rabbits, perhaps then she might have liked him. But his current state…
*Rustle, rustle.*
Alan, assuming a beast was nearby, gritted his snout and squeezed his eyes shut in annoyance at the sound.
“Wow, sparkly!”
At the sudden, familiar voice, Alan’s eyes flew open.
*Bunny?!*
*Flutter.*
Alan scrambled to his feet and looked around. The wide grassy field stretched out around the lake.
“This lake is called Wolcheon Lake. It was named because the moonlight is perfectly captured within the water. They say the light the lake holds possesses holiness.”
*Even the young master…?*
What were they doing here at this hour? Panic surged through Alan. He spun in tight, frantic circles, unsure of how to hide, before turning his back in a desperate attempt to obscure his form.
“Alan!!”
At the voice that sounded like a cry, Alan froze.
*No. If she catches me like this…*
She would despise him. He couldn’t let that happen. Bunny was the first person to ever approach him without prejudice. She must have come to him unaware because she was still so young.
*I want to show her only my best side.*
He wanted to show her a more mature, refined version of himself. Just as Alan braced his legs to bolt into the forest, it happened.
*Flump—!*
He felt a warm, soft weight land squarely on his back. Alan’s yellow eyes widened.
“Alan!”
“…”
“Al—an?”
“…”
“Alan!”
*Pop.*
A small head popped up from the side. Alan turned his head slowly, his eyes trembling. *Tap.* His elongated snout brushed against Bunny’s cheek before he pulled back in a panicked startle.
“G-go away. Today is…”
“Wow, fluffy, so squishy. Alan is a giant wolf! Pretty! Cool! So big! You even have two tails!”
Small palms patted his head repeatedly. At the warmth spreading across his face, Alan’s massive body trembled.
“So he was a half-breed of the Irang Tribe…”
As Kyriel’s surprised voice cut through the air, Alan stiffened and recoiled.
“W-why, why did you come here…? Today is…”
“I came because I wanted to see Alan! I heard Daddy wanted to see you too.”
Alan’s eyes widened. Beneath the dark night sky and the lake bathed in silver light, his vision blurred. He looked like he might weep at the sight of Bunny’s bright, unbothered smile.
A hulking monster stood on four legs, and a girl with chubby cheeks clung to his neck, her arms wrapped tight.
“…Aren’t you scared of me?”
“Nope. Bunny is super big and super strong, so I’m not scared. And there’s Heugyeomryong, and Daddy, and then…”
Bunny’s pink eyes sparkled, reflecting the moonlight with a brilliance that outshone the water.
“It’s Alan!”
“…!”
“Alan doesn’t hurt me, so I’m not scared at all.”
Bunny giggled and stomped her feet. “Because Bunny likes Alan so, so much! If Alan weren’t here, Bunny would be super sad…”
“…”
Alan’s eyes trembled. *A genius Bunny, who doesn’t forget her charm offensive even when she’s busy.*
Of course, she was likely harboring some very wicked thoughts, but he couldn’t help but waver.
“…Don’t I look like a monster in this form?”
A monster? To her, he looked more like a giant, adorable puppy. The drooping ears, the two tails wagging slightly, the protruding snout, and the soft, gray fur—to Bunny, it was all charm.
“A cute puppy!” Bunny grinned and shouted.
Alan’s face twisted as if he were on the verge of tears. Kyriel watched the scene quietly from a step behind, noting how Alan’s mouth would distort with sorrow, only for the corners of his lips to quirk upward into a hesitant, happy smile.
“So let’s go together!”
“We’ll sleep together tomorrow. I can’t… go to the residence today…”
“Why?”
“…Because everyone hates me.”
Alan’s voice was small, completely deflated. Bunny, who had been riding on his back with her short arms crossed, let out a sharp “Hmph” and puffed out a breath through her nose. She slid down his back.
Kyriel, startled, hurriedly reached out to catch the child and set her down gently. Bunny walked to stand directly in front of Alan.
“If everyone hates you, so what?”
“…A little. I feel like I’ve become a bad person. I’m a monster, after all.”
“But you know, Bunny has been there, too. When I was with Luri, everyone hated Bunny. They said I was a bad kid who made Luri unhappy. They said it would be better if I died.”
Alan and Kyriel’s pupils dilated. Both of their gazes locked onto Bunny.
“What?! Which bastards…!”
A low, guttural growl erupted from Alan’s throat. He recoiled, his fangs bared, then hurriedly shut his mouth in panic. Bunny simply smiled brightly. “Hehe.”
“I was a little sad, but… Luri said Bunny is a more precious baby than anyone else. That I don’t make her unhappy. And that the people who say mean things are just people whose own hearts are sad. So…”
Bunny trailed off, then continued with a wide, impish smile.
“So, Baby, even if someone says something mean to you, don’t pay any attention to them. When that happens… you just clench your fist tight, hold up your middle finger like this, say ‘Screw you!!’ and pretend you don’t know them.”
The wolf’s jaw dropped.
“What?”
“They’re just losers in life anyway. But Bunny is going to become a great adult and a super big… mage.”
Standing straight with her hands on her hips, Bunny puffed out her chest.
“So, Baby, even if it’s revealed that you’re a demon and people start to hate you, it’s okay. As long as you can love yourself. And you mustn’t forget that Luriel loved you.”
“Yeah.”
“Our Baby is going to become a super big Demon King and a very high-ranking person.”
Alan stared blankly at the girl, so much smaller than him, his mouth clamped shut in stunned silence.
Bunny beamed at him. “Alan, you have to love yourself too so you can become a super high-ranking person!!”
“…”
“So it’s okay. Alan isn’t a monster. Come here.”
As Bunny stretched her arms wide, Alan stepped forward on four legs, knelt before her, and shoved his snout right into her small, warm embrace—as if he wanted to be held in that tiny space forever, no matter what.