# Chapter 53
“Bunny!”
“Aaron!”
They always ate together in Kiriel's room.
Aaron, who had been waiting at the table, ran up to Bunny with a wide smile when he saw her.
“I was so worried you were late.”
“Mm, I shared chocolate.”
“Ah, you’ve been sharing it all this time?
Since when I finished my class earlier?!”
Aaron’s mouth dropped open.
That meant she had been running around for hours already.
Both Aaron and Kiriel widened their eyes in surprise.
“Did you keep talking about it?”
“Yes.”
Kiriel gently placed Bunny in a slightly higher chair than the others and spoke.
“Bunny, why did you suddenly go off to buy chocolate without saying anything?”
“Bunny wanted to eat the number one chocolate.”
“Why didn’t you go with your dad?
I’ve never given you any pocket money, so where did you get the money from?”
“Bunny earns money well.”
Today, Bunny proudly shrugged her shoulders, and Kiriel sighed a small sigh, stroking her head.
“Was there a specific reason you had to eat that?
You asked for congratulations, but what are we celebrating?”
Curious, Aaron asked.
Bunny scanned the food in front of her and, after picking up a piece of well-cut meat with her fork, brought it to her mouth as she replied.
“Mm.
Bunny’s birth day.”
“…What?”
“What did you say?”
“Excuse me?”
Aaron, Kiriel, and even Rebon, who had entered without anyone noticing, all asked at once.
“Why are you here?”
“I’ve finished the tasks you asked me to, so I came to report.
I should be off now.
By the way, Miss Bunny, is today your birthday?”
“No, it’s my birth day!”
“So you mean today is the day you were born, when you first took a breath?”
“Yes!”
Bunny nodded as she chewed the meat in her mouth, savoring it.
The tender meat quickly melted in her mouth.
‘The Duke’s family is the best.’
At the orphanage, the meat was tough and never seemed to get chewed properly.
“Since it’s the day Bunny appeared, it’s a day when Bunny gets a gift and receives congratulations.”
“…”
“Bunny only gets a little bit of congratulations.
After today, no more congratulations.”
Luriel said.
Bunny was special, and it would be difficult for her to receive much love from others.
But Luriel loved her, and once Bunny became an adult and the Demon Lord, many demons would love her too.
‘Bunny isn’t human.’
Since Bunny wasn’t human...
Bunny, still chewing her meat, stared intently at her fork.
“Wait, why didn’t you tell us it’s your birthday?
Bunny.”
“Huh?
I just said it.”
“No, I mean, why didn’t you say it was your birthday when you gave out chocolate and asked for congratulations?”
At Kiriel’s explanation, Bunny tilted her head in confusion.
The thing was, she had already received her congratulations.
“Bunny got congratulations!
Aaron, Dad, Rebon all petted me and said congratulations.”
Kiriel’s face stiffened.
Aaron urgently spoke up.
“But, your birthday… I mean, we didn’t prepare a present for you yet…”
“It’s fine.”
Eheh.
As though unaware of the situation, Bunny shook her fingers back and forth.
The faces of the three adults immediately darkened.
Aaron’s expression even contorted in distress.
“My birth day isn’t that important.”
Bunny smiled brightly and said this, causing Kiriel to feel a sharp, tightening sensation in her chest.
She subconsciously pressed her hand over her heart.
In the silence that settled over the table, the only sound that could be heard was Bunny moving her utensils around.
“Daughter.”
“Yes?”
“Once the ranking competition is over, I’ll prepare a proper birthday gift and party for you.
So… today, no congratulations.”
After Bunny’s birthday announcement, Kiriel casually threw out these words, breaking the silence at the table.
Of course, Bunny, who was used to Kiriel’s difficult speech, only heard the words “congratulations canceled.”
Bunny’s eyes went wide in shock.
“Bunny, congratulations canceled?!”
“Yes, I’ll properly celebrate you later, but for today, no congratulations.
I’m busy, so I’ll be off first.”
“Wait, me too!
I’ll prepare a proper present for you, so congratulations are canceled!!”
Unable to endure the astonished looks, Kiriel stood up and left, and Aaron jumped up, shouting before running out of the room.
Tatadak.
As the sound of their retreating footsteps faded, Bunny reached out with a forlorn face.
Rebon, who had been observing from behind, cautiously approached and placed a hand on Bunny’s shoulder.
Shocked, Bunny turned toward him and looked at him with a pitiful, trembling gaze.
“Rebon...?”
“No.
I don’t cowardly cancel congratulations.
But, what you received today wasn’t a celebration for your birthday.
It was the anniversary of receiving chocolate.”
“Chocolate anniversary...?”
“Your birthday will be celebrated properly again in a few days.”
At Rebon’s words, Bunny slumped forward, burying her face on the table.
“I’ll escort you back to your room.
Before the superior who thought this was the dining hall starts pacing around outside.”
“…Was it a scam?”
Luriel commented.
People who only take and run without giving anything back were called “scam artists.”
“What's a scam artist?”
“Dad and Aaron... were scammers.”
With a deep sigh, Bunny slouched in Rebon’s arms and was escorted back to her room.
Tap.
Once Bunny returned to her room, she opened her diary, and on the white paper, dark, twisted words began to appear.
“Happy Birthday, Baby!”
“Luriiiee...”
Bunny hugged her black rabbit doll, Toto, as she pouted.
Canceled congratulations!
Scam artists!
She never imagined such unfair things would happen to her.
“I’m so mad…”
She thought her dad and Aaron wouldn’t do such things, but that was completely wrong.
She had been betrayed.
“Squeak.”
“Grumpy dragon…”
Bunny sighed again, lying face down while hugging her black dragon doll, lamenting the absurdities and cowardice of the world.
Work life and the backstabbing that comes with it!
As Bunny lay there, having learned the harsh realities of the world, she stared blankly at the piece of paper with “Congratulations” written in big letters.
Our baby has already turned 5.
Have you received plenty of gifts and congratulations?
There will be a new child coming to the Duke’s family when you turn 8, so your time to be congratulated will be until then.
So make sure to receive lots of it.
“Congratulations canceled…”
Bunny muttered quietly to herself, still unable to get over her immense frustration.
She hadn’t even gotten back the chocolate she’d been promised.
‘They said they’d return it after eating…’
It was a lie!
‘Bunny… the unfortunate child who couldn’t even eat chocolate.’
She never expected the process of becoming the Demon Lord would be this difficult.
The new child will be human, so of course, humans will like them.
So, if people start paying less attention to you, don’t think badly of it.
It’s a sign you’ve grown into an adult!
I’ve told you, adults can do everything on their own.
“Yes.”
Scratch scratch.
Bunny’s eyes followed the writing slowly forming on the paper.
‘Luri is a genius.’
Luriel hadn’t even seen what happened today, yet it seemed as if she knew everything, writing about it like she was there.
Bunny always found it amazing, wiggling her legs restlessly while lying on the table.
Are you doing well with the aegyo strategy?
Are you giving out all the information you’ve collected?
“Yes.”
Especially share investment information with many people!
You need to create allies for yourself so you won’t be lonely later.
“Mm-hmm.”
Bunny nodded eagerly.
Luriel’s words were always right.
If she followed them, there would always be good results.
Once again, Happy Birthday, Baby!
I’ll congratulate you again next year!!
Be sure to open your notebook then!!
“Yes!”
When no more words appeared on the page, Bunny closed the notebook and carefully slipped it into Toto’s belly.