# Chapter 3
Chapter 3
"And here is the Eudia Duchy's annex where you will be staying from now on, miss."
"Uh..."
Bunny's eyes narrowed as she looked at the mansion that Roden Heiner pointed to after they had stopped walking.
'It's not white, not shiny, and it's even smaller than over there.'
Come to think of it, the surroundings were quieter, and the shininess had also diminished.
"From today, Miss Bunny is the 52nd branch member of the Eudia Duchy."
"…Fifty-two?"
"Yes."
Is that a number?
Bunny, spreading her chubby hands like maple leaves, began counting the numbers one by one before tilting her head.
"Roden, is fifty-two bigger than twenty-two?"
"Ah, there are two twenties and then twelve more on top of that."
Whiiiish—
A cold wind blew between Bunny and Roden Heiner.
'Two twenties and twelve…'
Bunny's head spun.
She used her fingers and toes, but no matter how many times she used them, it wasn't enough.
Anyway, it's a really big number!
"Bunny, duchy lady…?"
"Yes, Miss Bunny is the 16th lady among the 52 ladies and gentlemen."
Crash!
The daydream of playing with the super-strong demon dad and spinning around in his arms shattered loudly.
That's strange.
In the storybooks, most protagonists are alone and end up capturing the demon dad's heart, monopolizing his love, growing up to become an incredibly cute child, and then the Great Demon King…
Fifty-two babies…?
Demon dad's back will break…
Anyway, with fifty-two of them, Bunny definitely won't stand out.
'Bunny, life is a total disaster…?!'
Recalling the phrase Luriel often muttered when things didn’t go well, Bunny slumped down to the ground, kneeling.
"Miss?"
Roden Heiner, looking surprised, rushed over and quickly helped Bunny back up.
Bunny melted into a puddle.
* * *
"Roden."
"Yes."
"Bunny wants to live over there too."
After shaking off her newfound gloom, Bunny pointed her finger at the shiny, white mansion.
Roden Heiner, who was looking into Bunny's eyes, quickly glanced away and spoke.
"That place… You can go there if you make it into the top five ranks."
"Rank… five?"
"Yes.
Since you just arrived today, you are ranked 52nd."
"What's that…?"
"The ranking is, um…"
Roden Heiner hesitated for a moment, then knelt down on one knee again to meet Bunny's eyes before speaking.
"It's the order of the best students."
"Stu-dent…?"
"Yes.
Here, you are provided with basic necessities… That means meals, clothes, a house, and a minimum allowance.
But for anything beyond that, you must acquire it yourself, miss."
Roden Heiner carefully spoke, watching Bunny's eyes spinning in circles.
Seeing the dazed child, he added even more cautiously.
"Do you understand?"
"Yeah… So Bunny is a beggar and has to work?"
"What?
Ah…"
Roden Heiner faltered at Bunny’s blunt words.
"No.
Here, you attend classes and study well to get good grades in exams.
If you score well and your rank goes up… your allowance will increase, and eventually, you can even hire a personal knight and maid."
A knight and a maid!
Duchy lady!
Bunny's eyes sparkled as she nodded her little head repeatedly, clenching her fists tightly.
"Bunny is smart!"
Luriel always said Bunny was a genius.
Because Bunny is a big genius who can imitate anything she sees in an instant.
That's why Luriel always taught Bunny many things.
With newfound confidence, Bunny’s sparkling, jewel-like pink eyes brightened, causing Roden Heiner’s stiff face to soften and form a faint smile.
"……."
Hesitating, he reached out his hand but then realized his mistake and tried to lower it.
Bunny immediately pushed her head forward.
"Pat, pat, I like it!"
"Uh, is that so?"
Roden Heiner gently patted Bunny’s soft, watery blue hair a few times.
"If you are smart, you will be able to rise in rank in no time."
"Yeah!
Roden, are you Bunny’s?"
Roden Heiner almost nodded unconsciously at Bunny’s question, but then he stopped.
"No.
I am considered a shared knight, assisting ladies and gentlemen in ranks 40 to 52 whenever they need help."
Crash!
'Roden is not Bunny’s.'
A shocked Bunny staggered as she followed Roden Heiner.
'No knight?'
Then, Bunny is really a beggar...
"This is the dining hall."
Roden Heiner led Bunny through the large mansion, which was somewhat smaller than the bright white building.
He helped her receive the necessary supplies and took her to her room on the second floor.
On the way, Bunny saw many children.
Most of them were bigger than her.
"This is as far as I can guide you.
From now on, you will be living on your own, but please call me if you need anything.
If you stay here, your assigned maid will come to greet you soon."
"Is the maid Bunny’s?"
"No, the same as those ranked from 40th to 52nd..."
Bunny's eyes drooped before Roden Heiner could finish speaking.
'The path to becoming a duchess is so far...'
Roden Heiner stopped talking abruptly.
He felt guilty with every word he spoke.
It wasn't the first time he brought a branch child here, but for some reason, today, his heart felt like it was being pricked.
"Roden, goodbye..."
Bunny bowed her head and let out a deep sigh before slipping through the slightly open door.
Roden Heiner opened the door wider and spoke.
"Yes, it was nice meeting you.
Please feel free to come find me anytime, and I will check on you often as well.
So, please rest well today.
For dinner, come to the dining hall at the designated time."
"Yes..."
Click.
Once the door closed, Bunny scurried around the small room with her tiny feet.
There are no sparkling jewels!
No pretty, fluttery curtains above the bed!
"Sniff, sniff.
It stinks."
There was even a strange smell.
But still, it was a room she could use by herself.
At the orphanage, she always had to share a room with her friends, so this was actually quite good.
"Hmm."
Bunny shook her head from side to side.
According to Luriel’s "28 Picks of Romances for Demon Children," babies who become Great Demon Kings all grow up in harsh environments.
Then, a super-strong demon dad would discover them.
Like in "I Thought I Was an Orphan, But I'm Actually a Princess?!" or "Actually, I Was the Real Deal," or "The Story of How I, the Lowest Ranked Demon, Turned Out to Be the Great Demon King."
"Babies, to become a Great Demon King, you have to go through many trials.
But it's okay.
As long as you have Luriel's notebook, you can solve any trial in an instant!"
"Solve instantly!"
"Yes, so even without Luriel, you have to do well, baby."
A good child pats their own head.
Bunny lifted her shorthand and patted her head a few times, then plopped down on the floor, spreading her legs to the sides.
'Bunny, in the middle of a trial!'
Bunny took off her rabbit bag, placed it between her legs, and unzipped it with her small, maple-leaf-like hands.
From the muscular rabbit came a Great Demon King teddy bear that gives courage and a rabbit doll named Toto that chases away bad dreams.
Bunny also took out a piggy bank shaped like an elephant hugging gold coins and lined it up neatly.
Then, she put her arm deep into the now slimmer rabbit bag, rummaging through it to take out a children's chopping board, a toy knife, and Luriel's secret notebook.
Finally, she grabbed the cloth pouch she received earlier along with her supplies, which was called an allowance.
As Bunny opened the cloth pouch, her eyes narrowed.
She turned the pouch upside down and shook it out.
Plop, roll.
"…The duchy is stingy."
Only a single gold coin rolled out.
"Bunny is richer."
Bunny picked up the elephant with both hands, shook it, and sighed deeply, shaking her head.
In truth, the money in Bunny's piggy bank was all dull copper coins, while the duchy had given her a shiny gold coin, which was worth much more, but still.