# Chapter 40
Chapter 40
“Daddy, today it’s all white and shiny.”
Bunny was amazed by Kiriel Judias's appearance, with neatly combed hair and a shiny, beautiful white uniform that was organized without a single wrinkle.
‘Daddy has white clothes too.’
Bunny had to be careful not to get powder on himself.
Nervousness was at an all-time high.
Caution was at an all-time high.
As Bunny hugged his cross-strapped chick bag, he started to back away slowly, trying to keep his distance.
Kiriel noticed the child trying to hug his knees from afar and spoke up.
“Bunny, sit properly.”
“Yes.”
At Kiriel’s remark, Bunny sat up straight.
‘Escape attempt failed.’
Bunny rolled his eyes and leaned out the window but was pulled back to his seat by Kiriel's hand.
“So, where are you going, Bunny?”
“To the palace.
You said you wanted to go when you asked me last time.”
“Oh, the big human.
He said he has a present for you.”
“You helped the prince last time, remember?”
The prince!
The future big human!
He owes Bunny.
“Yes.”
“So, His Majesty the Emperor wants to thank you.”
That was the reason Kiriel had left the territory since this morning, and he calmly explained it to Bunny at his eye level.
Bunny nodded.
Getting bored, he started to dangle his legs at the edge of his chair and propped his chin on the window frame to look outside.
He saw a bustling market outside, with carriages running through the center of the sprawling town.
As Bunny dangled from the window, looking a bit dangerous, Kiriel moved to the window and sat Bunny on his lap.
“Don’t lean out too much; it’s dangerous.”
“Yes.”
But it was boring.
Bunny thought inside the carriage, which hardly felt bumpy.
The scenery passing by was so bright and colorful.
He hadn’t noticed it while living with Ruliel since he had only moved around hidden at night.
While watching happy families pass by, Bunny spoke up.
“Daddy.”
“What?”
Though the reply felt blunt and lazy, Bunny felt his dad's arms tightly wrapped around him and blinked twice.
“But where’s Mommy?”
“…What?”
“Mom!
Ruliel said you and Mom are a set.
But Daddy, you don’t have Mommy.
Where is she?”
Finally asking the question that had been on his mind since he was told to call his dad “Daddy,” Bunny stared at Kiriel.
“…….”
Kiriel turned his head away in silence; he had no words to say.
It would take ages for him to explain adoption to a child, and explaining the absence of Mommy would also be difficult.
Of course, he didn’t have one either.
“…There isn’t one.”
“Yes?”
As he avoided Bunny’s curious gaze, Kiriel spoke again in response to Bunny’s puzzled question.
“Mommy isn’t here.”
The child wasn’t completely naïve, and if anything was lacking, he could fill it.
Just then, as he looked down at Bunny, he froze slightly.
Bunny, with his lips poked out and mouth agape, looked at Kiriel in shock as if he had discovered something he shouldn’t have seen.
“Why is there only Daddy here, like in ‘The Fierce Kitten of the Black Dragon Clan’ storybook?”
“Oh~ You mean the storybook?”
“Yes.”
“That’s because Daddy, the black dragon, is handsome but has a ferocious personality and is not kind to women, so no one approached him.
In other words, he’s an unchosen man.”
Bunny recalled his memories with Ruliel, looking at Kiriel with a quivering gaze.
His dad was handsome, but he had scars around his eyes and didn’t smile much, definitely seeming blunt.
He was kind to Bunny and Allen, but not to others.
‘Moreover, no one comes near Daddy.’
Except for his subordinate Rebon, it seemed he hardly saw anyone approach his dad.
Oh no.
“Daddy… an unchosen man.”
“…What?”
“Ruliel said so.
If Daddy had Mommy, he wouldn’t be called an unchosen man.”
What did that mean?
Kiriel looked at Bunny, who was still spouting incomprehensible words and gently stroked the child’s head in silence.
Bunny’s lips softened under Kiriel’s touch.
“Bunny.”
“Yes?”
“I’ve heard Ruliel mentioned often; can I ask who that is?
Was he someone who took care of you when you were little?”
At Kiriel's question, Bunny flinched.
When he looked up at Kiriel, he saw a calm expression devoid of malice.
Bunny gazed at him, then slowly began to speak.
“Ruliel took care of Bunny when he was a baby.
He made lots of tasty food taught Bunny how to make money, and read many storybooks.”
“I see.
That’s nice.”
“Yes….”
Bunny nodded slightly, looking a bit gloomy.
Kiriel watched Bunny, who seemed downcast and stroked the child's head in silence.
“Don’t you feel sad about parting?”
“If Bunny becomes a great adult, we can meet again.
Bunny is preparing to find Daddy and become a great adult.”
With his thumb up, Bunny smiled brightly, making Kiriel chuckle softly.
The child, who had been downcast for a moment, sprang back up like a Weeble.
Watching such a child, Kiriel often felt a strange sense of confidence as if he could do anything.
Not that he particularly wanted to do anything.
“We’ve arrived.”
As the carriage stopped, Kiriel lifted Bunny into his arms.
***
“Oh, you’ve finally come.
I didn’t expect you to come, Kiriel.”
As Kiriel Judias entered the greenhouse with Bunny in his arms, a tall man with golden hair greeted them.
Golden hair.
Golden eyes.
He looked like a human made of sunlight, and Bunny’s eyes widened.
He was even shinier than the prince.
Bunny’s mouth dropped open as he looked back and forth between Kiriel and the Emperor.
‘Handsome.
Looks a lot like Daddy.’
With his arms crossed, Bunny wore a serious expression, pondering.
‘Being handsome is important.
Should Bunny change Daddy?’
“I see the sun of Rottis….”
While Bunny was lost in thought, Kiriel Judias greeted the Emperor in his characteristic laid-back voice, not even looking at him properly as he set Bunny down on the floor.
As he lightly tapped Bunny on the shoulder, Bunny exclaimed, “Oh!” and quickly bowed his head.
“Hello!
I’m four-year-old Bunny.”
His unique greeting, where etiquette seemed to have flown out the window with his arms stretched back, caught attention.
The Emperor, with wide eyes, soon burst into laughter.
“He’s still young and hasn’t completely mastered etiquette.
Please forgive him.”
It wasn’t that he hadn’t mastered etiquette but rather that he had tossed it aside altogether, yet the Emperor didn’t react differently.
“Haha, that’s fine.
I’ve heard you suddenly adopted a child… He’s a cute boy.
Hello, Bunny.
Would you like to sit here?
We’ve prepared a delicious lunch.”
“Yes.”
Bunny answered obediently and waddled over to the chair, craning his neck to look.
The chair was high.
“Bunny, Bunny.
Your seat is over there.”
At that moment, a voice came from the side.
Turning his head toward the voice, he saw a slightly smaller chair.
Bunny shifted his gaze forward to see who spoke.
It was the prince, who had been rolling around in bed last time, looking unwell.
Looking into the prince’s red eyes, Bunny blinked.
He didn’t seem sick this time; he looked healthy without sweating or looking distressed.
Was that why?
It seemed like the big human, Daddy, was in a good mood too.
‘Anyway, that’s a relief.’
“Should I help you sit?”
Heh.
At the suddenly heard voice, Bunny held up his chubby little finger and shook it left and right.
“Bunny can do it by himself, not a baby.”
Just then, as Bunny tried to jump up and hang on to the chair, he suddenly felt himself floating up into the air.