# Chapter 31
Chapter 31
“Ahem.”
Ludbride squinted as he saw Bunny, who was carrying a now bulky rabbit backpack, walking with small, fidgety steps.
He cleared his throat softly.
Of course, the child’s steps, heading toward the mansion of the test, didn’t stop.
“Ahem!”
He made another sound, but the child was too focused, walking forward step by step.
Tap, flutter.
Tap, flutter.
No matter how much he looked, it seemed too heavy for a child to carry.
Bunny moved two steps forward, then, as if the bag was too heavy, his body shook slightly as he stepped back, trying his best to move forward.
“Ahem, Bunny?”
“Yes?”
Only after calling his name did Bunny react, turning his head quickly.
“Grandpa Master!”
“Just call me grandpa.
Where are you headed?”
“To my room!”
“And where did you come from?”
“Um...”
Bunny rolled his eyes.
Bunny was planning to start a business using Luriel's new recipe.
Of course, he had to get permission outside, so he thought he could start his business at the test mansion.
Anyway, Bunny needed money!
“You haven’t come to buy holy stones lately.
And that...
Ahem.
Is that Dragon Egg doing well?”
“Yes, yes...
Very healthy...!”
Bunny, trembling, answered hastily.
The fact that the egg had cracked was an absolute secret.
“Where is Grandpa going?”
“To the capital.
I have some business to discuss.”
“The capital!”
Bright red eyes and golden hair—the enemy of the Great Demon King!
Since Bunny had to defeat him, gathering some information in advance wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Bunny raised his hand high.
“Hmm?”
“Can Bunny go too?”
“To the capital?”
“Yes!”
“That would be difficult...
How about we visit somewhere else after I return?”
“But I like the capital...”
Bunny's sulking voice made Ludbride stiffen and slowly avert his eyes.
“Then this grandpa is quite busy, so I’ll be off now...”
“Bunny too!!”
Bunny shouted energetically and ran to grab Ludbride’s leg tightly.
Ludbride’s eyes widened.
“Bunny wants to go everywhere Grandpa goes.
Because Bunny doesn’t want to be apart, without grandpa, Bunny would be very sad.”
As Bunny clung to his leg, looking up at him, Ludbride froze.
He stiffly moved his neck to look down, barely managing to lower his gaze.
In truth, Bunny had just changed the word "prince" to "grandpa" from something he memorized earlier.
'Bunny, keep up the cute act.'
Nobody can win against cute Bunny, the strategy.
“Does Grandpa want to be away from Bunny?”
With teary eyes, Bunny looked up at him.
Crack.
The pen Ludbride had brought to handle documents in the carriage shattered in his grip.
* * *
“Bunny, you must wait here quietly.
Understood?”
“Yes.”
Ludbride repeated his instructions several times before standing up.
The truth was, he was hesitant to bring Bunny along because most information related to the future events, divine beasts, and ancient elves was being withheld from him.
He had vaguely mentioned this to the emperor, but the emperor’s suspicious gaze never wavered.
It seemed like curiosity about who was supplying such information was through the roof.
“Promise?”
“Bunny will be good.”
“Good, good.
I’ll be back soon.”
“Yes.”
Bunny waved his hand gently and sat on the sofa, tapping his legs.
Crunch, slurp.
He ate cookies and drank milk.
After a while, bored, he started exploring the room, holding a cookie in his hand.
When he got hungry again, he ran back and munched on his cookie.
He peeked around, opened drawers, searched under the sofa, and admired the shiny decorations.
“Bored.”
He ate so many cookies that his belly was full.
Bunny, after pondering for a moment, smiled sneakily and cracked the door open, sticking his head out.
‘Hmm…’
It was quiet.
The hallway was silent, and there were no people around.
Bunny, holding a cookie, squeezed his body through the door and stepped outside.
“Bunny’s full, so time for a walk.”
Luri said that whenever you’re full, you should go for a walk!
Bunny was a good kid who listened to Luri well.
Bunny wandered around, poking his head into slightly open doors.
Some people were startled by his sudden appearance, while others were too busy to notice him.
‘In the storybooks, there’s usually a future leader in places like these.’
Bunny thought that if he befriended the future leader, they’d become soft and obedient to him.
Just like at the orphanage, everyone would fall into Bunny’s trap, so that when he became the Great Demon King, they would surrender.
“Genius Bunny...
When I become the Great Demon King...!”
“Hah, fool!
Now you know?
Bunny is the greatest Great Demon King.
You’ve completely fallen into Bunny’s trap.”
“No way...!
I can’t forget the sweet potato honey you made!
Or the spiral potatoes!
I surrender...
I’ll give this human world to you, genius Great Demon King Bunny!”
In Bunny’s mind, a faceless emperor knelt before him.
Grown-up Bunny laughed with his hands on his waist, bursting into laughter.
‘Bunny, perfect for an evil demon king.’
Bunny poked his head into another slightly open door.
This room was huge and fancy.
‘Shiny!’
As Bunny squeezed his body into the room, he heard ragged breathing, and his eyes widened in surprise.
Bunny turned his head and saw something familiar.
‘Demonic energy.’
It was the energy of a demon.
Bunny, eyes wide, ran toward the bed where the sound was coming from.
The bed was massive, at least five times bigger than Bunny’s bed.
“Ugh… Huff… Huff…”
Bunny, standing on tiptoes, saw a boy clutching his chest, groaning in pain.
Bunny’s eyes widened.
The boy had shiny golden hair.
He looked about five years older than Bunny, and his body was drenched in sweat.
‘This is bad energy for humans.’
It was bad energy even for Bunny.
Bunny’s deep pink eyes sparkled.
His pupils narrowed into thin, vertical slits.
‘If I leave him like this, he’ll die.’
Most of the boy's body had already been consumed by demonic energy.
Even his heart was being devoured.
Luriel had once explained that if the demonic energy reached the brain, the human wouldn’t survive.
“...”
Bunny blinked as he stood on tiptoes, watching the boy.
‘Shiny hair.
Future leader!’
In Luri’s storybooks, people with shiny hair were always the future leaders of humans.
So Bunny, thinking this boy must be the future emperor, hesitated with a serious face.
“Luri, what’s this?”
“No, no!
Young Master, you mustn’t touch demonic energy.
It’ll hurt.”
“Will Bunny die?”
“No, you won’t die.
But it’ll hurt a lot.
Remember when you had a high fever and sweated a lot?
You can’t touch demonic energy until you grow up.
Understood?
Especially not when you’re alone!”
If Bunny healed him, it would hurt.
But if he didn’t, the boy would die.
Future human leader.
Bunny thought it would be good if the boy said goodbye now.
Bunny nodded to himself and stepped back slightly.
‘Bunny is an evil demon king.’
“Who...”
Suddenly, a voice from the bed startled Bunny, and he hurriedly fled the room.
“...?”
The boy, with blurry vision, caught a glimpse of a small, watery-colored head before collapsing again.