# Chapter 50
Chapter 50
The Duke's estate was quite vast.
The duchy itself was large, but the Duke's estate was also remarkable in its size.
There was even a lakeside surrounded by a small forest within the estate.
Once a month.
On the night of the full moon, Allen would spend the night here.
Half-human, half-beast.
That's what they usually called the hybrid of a beastman and a human.
Beastmen possessed intelligence equal to that of humans and were able to shift into a humanoid form.
However, Allen, being a half-human, half-beast, lost control during the full moon and would turn into a beast.
He lay in front of the lake, its surface sparkling with the reflected moonlight, gazing quietly at his beastly form.
‘A monster...’
He was a monster.
Humans saw him as a filthy beast, a monster, and hated him for it.
Even the beastmen referred to him as a filthy half-breed, a monster.
Just as they said, Allen was a monster.
Even on normal days, his ears would sometimes twitch when he got too excited.
Beastmen in humanoid form would revert to a quadrupedal beast shape to conserve energy when they were fatigued.
Of course, it was by their own will.
But Allen couldn’t do that by choice.
His ears would involuntarily pop out when he was tired, and when the full moon came, he would be forced to walk on all fours, turning into a furry beast.
‘Bunny would probably hate this form…’
Though she said it was fine now, if she saw him like this, she would definitely be disappointed.
‘It would have been better if I were cute, like a rabbit or a baby bear…’
Bunny seemed to like rabbits.
If he had looked like one of those, maybe she would have liked him too.
But his form...
Rustle, rustle.
As Allen was lost in his thoughts, a rustling sound caught his attention.
Thinking it was another beast, Allen gritted his teeth and closed his eyes in frustration.
“Wow, so shiny!”
A familiar voice suddenly echoed in the air, causing Allen's eyes to snap open.
‘Bunny?!’
Flap.
Allen jumped to his feet and looked around.
The area around the lake was a wide grassy field.
“This lake is called Moonlight Lake.
The moonlight is perfectly reflected in the water, and that's why it was given this name.
The moonlight in the water is said to hold a sacred aura.”
‘The Young Master is here too…?’
What was he doing here at this hour?
Allen, flustered and panicked, spun around in place, only to turn quickly when he heard a voice.
“Allen!!”
The voice, sounding almost like a scream, froze Allen in his tracks.
‘No.
If I get caught…’
They would surely scorn him.
He didn’t want that.
Bunny was the one who had approached him first, after all.
She was probably still young and didn’t know any better.
‘I just want to show her my better side.’
He wanted to show her a more grown-up side of himself.
As he thought that, Allen shook his head and tensed his legs, preparing to take off.
But then—
Whoosh—!
A warm and comforting sensation from behind made Allen’s golden eyes widen.
“Allen!”
“….”
“Allen?”
“….”
“Al—len!”
Suddenly, a small head popped up from beside him, and Allen slowly turned his head, his trembling gaze meeting the new presence.
His elongated muzzle touched Bunny's cheek before pulling back in surprise.
“Go, go away.
Today...”
“Wow, so fluffy, so soft!
Allen the big wolf!
Pretty!
Cool!
So big!
Two tails!”
Bunny's small hands patted Allen’s head repeatedly.
Allen's large body trembled from the warmth that spread across his face and body.
“You are of the two-wolf tribe’s mixed blood, huh…”
Kiriel’s voice, sounding startled, caused Allen’s body to stiffen slightly, shrinking back.
“Why, why are you here…?
Today…”
“I came to see Allen!
I wanted to see my daddy too.”
Allen's eyes went wide.
Under the dark night sky, with moonlight spilling over the lake, Bunny’s face shone brightly as she smiled.
Allen's eyes twitched, as though about to cry.
A large beast standing on all fours.
And on the back of that beast, a little girl, clutching the beast's neck with her chubby cheeks resting on it.
“…Aren’t you scared of me?”
“Mm-hm.
Bunny’s big and strong, so no fear.
And I have Higyeomryong and daddy, and...”
Bunny’s pink eyes sparkled.
The moonlight made them glow even more beautifully.
“Because it’s Allen!”
“…!”
“Allen doesn’t hurt me, so I’m not scared.”
Bunny giggled, stamping her feet with excitement.
“Because I love Allen so much!
If Allen wasn’t here, I would be so sad…”
“…”
Hearing Bunny's words, Allen’s eyes trembled slightly.
‘Even when things are busy, Bunny doesn’t forget her charming tactics.
Genius, Bunny.’
Of course, Bunny had very mischievous thoughts in mind, though.
“…Don’t I look like a monster in this form?”
A monster?
Rather, you looked like an extremely cute puppy.
Drooping ears.
Two tails gently swaying.
An elongated snout.
And soft, gray fur.
“Such a cute puppy!”
Bunny shouted with a bright smile.
Allen’s eyes twitched again.
Kiriel quietly observed the scene from a step behind.
Bunny’s every word seemed to twist Allen's expression, first looking like he was about to cry, then curving his mouth in a joyful smile.
“So let’s go now!”
“We’ll sleep together tomorrow.
I can’t go back to the mansion today…”
“Why?”
“…Because everyone hates me.”
Allen mumbled softly, his posture slumped.
Bunny, who had climbed back onto his back, crossed her arms again, and with a huff, slid off his back and landed lightly on the ground.
Kiriel, surprised, reached out quickly to catch her, gently lowering her to the earth.
Bunny then lowered her head and scampered over to Allen.
“Do they hate you?
Are you scared?”
“…A little.
I feel like I’ve become a bad person.
A monster.”
“But I’ve had that before.
When I was with Ruri, everyone hated me.
When I was being bratty, I cried too.
It was even worse.”
Allen and Kiriel’s eyes widened in surprise, both of them staring at Bunny.
“What?!
Who would say such things?!”
Angrily, a growl escaped from Allen’s throat.
He froze, startled by his own outburst, and quickly shut his mouth.
Even though he had bared his fangs, Bunny just giggled brightly.
“I was a little sad... but Ruri never thought I was bad.
When I made her mad, she wasn’t angry.
She just spoke badly because she was hurt.
So…”
Bunny trailed off, her voice softening.
“So, little one, if anyone says something bad about you, don’t worry.
When that happens…”
Bunny grinned widely.
“Clench your fist, raise your middle finger, and just say ‘screw you!!’ and ignore them.”
Allen’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
“What?”
“They’re just losers.
But Bunny’s gonna be a great grown-up, a big, powerful magic user.”
Standing upright, Bunny placed her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest proudly.
“So, little one, even if people start hating you because they find out you’re from the demon tribe, it’s okay.
As long as you love yourself.
And don’t forget that Ruriel loved you.”
“Mm.”
“Our little one is going to become the great demon king, someone really high up.”
Allen remained silent, looking down at Bunny, who was much smaller than him.
Bunny’s bright smile returned as she finished her thought.
“Allen, you have to love yourself if you want to be a really great person!”
“….”
“So it’s fine.
You’re not a bad dog.
Come here.”
As Bunny spread her arms wide, Allen walked on all fours and knelt before her, nudging his snout into her small embrace as if wanting to be held.