# Chapter 62
Bunny loved being in her father's arms.
Although he wasn’t her real father, and despite the fact that he absolutely despised demons, which meant she had to lie and might end up fighting him fiercely if she became the Demon King...
“Yeah, take your time growing up.
If you grow up too quickly, I’ll feel lonely,” he said.
Bunny burst out laughing at the gentle pat on her back.
“By the way, when you go anywhere in the future, don’t go alone.
Always have someone with you.”
“Okay,” Bunny replied obediently.
At her simple response, Kiriel cast a slightly worried glance at Bunny.
“Because you’re a special child who chose the special phoenix...”
Bunny’s ears perked up and her nose flared.
"Hehe."
Her face, breathing out with satisfaction, couldn't look more pleased.
“Bad people might try to take you away, so you shouldn’t go alone.”
“Heh.”
In response to Kiriel's concerned words, Bunny gave a confident thumbs up, then looked at him and spoke.
“I’m super strong, so I’m fine on my own!”
“Even if you’re strong, there are even stronger people in this world, so you need to be careful.
If you get caught, you could be locked up in a small prison for the rest of your life, eating only hard bread, and being used with the phoenix forever.”
“…I hate hard bread.”
“Hard bread is just the start.
There won’t be any chocolate or cookies.
You’ll be locked in a stinky room, working endlessly.”
“…I don’t like stinky smells…”
“So, whenever you go out, even if it’s not me, make sure to have someone with you.”
Kiriel slid his hand under Bunny’s armpit, lifting her gently into the air, then leaned his face close, speaking in a serious tone.
“Okay…” Bunny murmured.
She sniffed, wiping her nose, then gave a small nod, looking a little downcast.
“And if a stranger talks to you, ignore them and make sure to remember what they look like, then come tell me.”
“Okay.”
Kiriel smiled lightly and ruffled Bunny’s hair.
Bunny’s lips curled slightly into a smile.
“And starting tomorrow, you’ll be staying in the annex with me, so just so you know.”
“We’re moving?” Bunny asked.
“Yep.
I told you before.
We’ll live somewhere else, just the three of us.
It turned out to be four, but…”
“Did Bunny get a house?”
Bunny eagerly lifted a key she had carefully kept in her pocket.
Kiriel stared at it for a moment, blinked, then took the key and put it in his pocket without a word.
“Huh?!
Bunny’s a big kid!!”
“Little ones can’t live alone.”
Boom!
Thunder crashed above, and Bunny gaped in surprise.
Then, shaking her fist in indignation, she opened her mouth.
“I’m not little!!”
“You’re still way too small to live alone.
You can do that once you’re big and have lots of money.”
Bunny pouted.
There was so much she wanted to say, but she knew, even she had to admit, that she was still small.
She wasn’t as big as her father, nor as big as Ellen or Kalvad.
“I’ll be independent when I get big...”
“Independence comes after you grow up and have tons of money.”
Bunny was still tiny...
There was nothing she could do.
“The world’s hard…”
Bunny sighed, letting out a breath with her small lips.
Kiriel looked at her with an incredulous expression and then laughed softly, patting her back a few times.
“I’ll stay by your side until you grow up.
So take your time becoming an adult.
I won’t go anywhere until you do.”
Bunny’s eyes widened.
She clung tightly to Kiriel’s sleeve, pressing her face against his chest.
“Dad.”
“Yes?”
“Do you really hate demons?”
At Bunny’s question, Kiriel paused.
She had asked him this once before.
He opened his mouth, but kept stopping.
The answer was clear, but for some reason, those words wouldn’t come out easily.
The child’s innocent face filled his vision.
“…Well, I’m not sure.”
After a long silence, Kiriel finally responded.
Without saying a word, Bunny buried her face in his chest.
“Why are you asking about that?
Could it be…?”
Kiriel’s voice trailed off as he thought.
If she asked a question and didn’t like the answer, what would he do then?
In the end, Kiriel couldn’t ask anything more.
Still with her face buried, Bunny remained silent, and he wondered if she was upset or about to cry.
But when they reached the room, Bunny was smiling brightly as if nothing had happened.
The odd sensation gnawing at his heart made Kiriel’s brow furrow.
***
A direct family meeting.
Sometimes, the Duke of Udia would call all the direct family members together when their opinions were absolutely necessary, especially when the matter was too large for just one person to decide.
Usually, these meetings were held before a major problem occurred or when it involved demons.
It was essential for everyone to attend.
Of course, Kiriel Udia had rarely attended, but recently, his attendance rate had been increasing.
“Aren’t there too many meetings lately?
Dad?” Salame Udia, the Saintess, said tiredly, her dark circles under her eyes deepening.
“You think so?
I’d like to see less of your faces too,” Kiriel grumbled.
“I remember the last meeting was only a month ago,” said Ludbrid, his brow furrowing immediately.
With a sigh, he waved his hand dismissively.
“Why are you so quiet today, Klein?” Ludbrid asked, narrowing his eyes at his son, who was silently crossing his arms and keeping his mouth shut.
Klein glanced at him before straightening up and slowly uncrossing his arms.
His gaze briefly met Kiriel's, who responded with a lazy shrug.
“Nothing,” Klein replied.
Ludbrid glanced between Kiriel and Klein, then sighed and nodded.
“Anyway, there’s much to discuss.
The ancient elves, the phoenix, Bunny’s engagement talks from the imperial family, and... also Diose, that guy.”
“Wait, isn’t something unrelated getting thrown in here?” Salame Udia asked with a surprised expression, blinking.
She could understand everything else—those were all complex issues that required everyone’s attention.
But suddenly, the topic of “Bunny’s engagement” felt completely out of place.
“If it’s an engagement talk from the imperial palace, that’s a good thing, right?
The imperial family has been hinting at it for a while now,” she added.
“She’s still too young,” Ludbrid interjected.
“I agree.
It’s not the right time for marriage or engagement talk yet,” Kiriel added.
Salame Udia stared at Kiriel in disbelief before turning to Klein.
“Brother, if there’s a problem with Father and the youngest, you should step in.
What have you been doing?”
Usually, Klein would answer with a smile, but today, he was quiet.
“Stop wasting time with nonsense.
Let’s wrap this up,” Klein said.
“Why are you like this today?
Did something happen between you two?” Salame asked, her voice tinged with concern.