# Chapter 77
“Are you mad, Hugyeomryong?”
“Piyo!!”
“I’m sorry… I was just worried someone might kidnap you.”
Kneeling on the ground, Bunny spoke with a downcast expression.
The phoenix trembled its wings and glanced at her from the corner of its eye.
The bird’s gaze fell on the bandage plastered over Bunny’s cheek.
Its small claws tapped against the floor in frustration, clearly still upset.
Then—whoosh.
The phoenix flapped its wings and landed on Bunny’s shoulder, gently extending one of its fiery feathers to her wounded cheek.
Fwoosh!
The warm flames enveloped her skin, healing the wound in an instant.
“Hugyeomryong…”
Bunny mumbled, pulling the bird into a tight embrace.
Fwoosh!
The phoenix’s red flames flared up even brighter, as if responding to her touch.
“From now on, let’s always stay together.”
“Piyooot!”
“Yeah.
I won’t leave you again, Hugyeom— No, Phoenix.”
Bunny clenched her tiny fists and held out her pinky finger.
The phoenix wrapped its wing around her finger in a playful little loop and nodded firmly.
With a sigh of relief, Bunny patted her legs to shake off the tension—
Knock, knock.
The door creaked open.
Standing in the doorway were Allen and Calvard, their eyes sharp as daggers, brimming with barely contained fury.
“…Bunny, you’re doomed.”
And just like that, Bunny melted into a puddle on the floor.
Demons.
The most vile existence in the world—born for reasons unknown.
A species with no clear form, no defined end, capable ofstealing even human soulswith nothing more than a contract.
Wielders of the dreadedblack magic.
It was said that deep within the Northern Lands, where evenlight refused to touch the earth,lay the Demonic Realm, hidden within the depths of theForest of Darkness.
But whenKiriel Yudiafirst stepped into that forbidden land, what he found was…
Ordinary.
The nightmarish visions that humans imagined—murky, filthy, wretched—were nowhere to be found.
Instead, the Demon Realm was… just another place.
The biggest difference?
It was located deep underground, a world woven entirely frommagic.
The demons lived their livesnormally.
Theyatefine meals.
Theystudiedmagic.
Theyconversedwith one another.
They hadlawsthey followed and akingthey obeyed.
Their daily existence was… painfullymundane.
Yet— there was one stark contrast.
No families.
Most children had no parents.
Most demons were raised alone.
And above all,they had no respect for life outside their own kind.
It was a world ofsurvival of the fittest.
Lies were commonplace.
Deception wasexpected.
The one who wastrickedwas the fool.
The one who wasrobbedwas at fault for being weak.
Kiriel had encountered demons whoseemedkind at first.
But the moment they realized he was anenemy—evenchildrenlunged for his throat without hesitation.
The peace he had seen moments before?A mere illusion.
And yet—
Bunny was a demon?
There weretoo many contradictions.
How could a demon summonHugyeomryong,the highest-ranked divine beast, thephoenix?
How hadPegasusidentified her as "a child of Yudia’s bloodline"?
Why was she completelyimmuneto holy magic?
And most importantly—
"A perfect human disguise."
If Kiriel hadn’t beenhypersensitiveto demonic energy, he wouldn’t have even noticed the faintest trace of it in her.
“…A half-demon?”
Kiriel exhaled slowly.
***
"Lord Kiriel!
Seriously, what are you thinking about so deeply while I’m standing right here?"
At the sharp voice, he lifted his gaze.
Multiple eyes were now fixated on him.
Kiriel sighed inwardly.
He disliked being the center of attention.
"I don’t think this is a meeting I need to be attending."
"Wow~!
You didn’t hear a single word of our discussion, did you?
Even I was paying attention!"
At Zedrian’s remark, Kiriel fell silent.
He hadn’t listened at all.
His mind had been completely elsewhere.
"If you’re planning tousethe child, then I refuse."
His voice was cold.
In that instant—
Clang!
"έτυτομήπάθοςμίσομοςδήμοςάναςκύριοςάμαμορτία."
A chilling sound of chains rattling against the floor echoed.
Kiriel turned his head.
At the center of the meeting room—a being with jet-black skin.
Shackled in chains laced withmagic-sealing spells,the figure muttered in an unrecognizable language.
"You should have already known my stance, Father," Kiriel spoke, eyes narrowed.
"I told you not to drag that child into anypointless affairs.How many times must I repeat myself before you learn?"
Duke Ludbride frowned deeply at his son’s words.
"Oh, come now.
When did I ever say I was going to use that tiny thing?
I wasdragged herethe same as you!
But listen to you, yapping away at your father—"
"This isn’t something we should bedebating."
Kiriel’s voice carried a dangerous edge.
The airtensed.
"Calm yourselves," the emperor interjected.
"We are not here to fight.
The fact thatAncient Elves truly existedis a groundbreaking discovery."
"I understand," Kiriel replied coolly.
"At least we got results after sending our forces.
That’s something to be relieved about."
The truth was staggering.
The ruins of anancient elven city—buried beneath the earth.
A city that had once been vibrant, now completelyengulfed in demonic miasma.
The elves were gone.
Their lands—corrupted.
And in the very center of it all…
Onesingleelf had still been alive.
When the expedition had breached the ancient barrier, that lone elf had attacked them on sight—until Kiriel hadcaptured them alive.
Now, days later, they had gathered to decide what came next.
***
"The fact that the child—**no, that person—**spoke the truth…!"
"…"
"It’s unbelievable.
That child must have beenblessed by the gods!"
"Indeed!
For House Yudia to be the first to discover the Ancient Elves…"
"And for it to be a child from a cadet branch, no less!
Lord Kiriel, your decision to adopt her was truly inspired!"
"Shouldn’t we send her to the temple forproper divine training?"
The conversation had shifted.
Now, it wasall about Bunny.
And not once had anyone askedherwhat she wanted.
"If you people continue this nonsense—I’ll take my children and leave."
Silence.
Kiriel’s voice wasfinal.
Once again, he wished.
That his child wouldn’t stand out too much.
That she could just be… normal.
That she wouldn’t have to carry the weight ofsomething greater.
Tearing his gaze away from the useless discussion, he spoke.
"You may continue your research.
I have nothing further to contribute.
And I have plans tonight, so I’ll be leaving."
"Plans?
What plans, Lord Yudia?" the emperor asked.
Kiriel nodded.
"A party."
"A party?
There are no noble gatherings scheduled for today."
"Abirthdayparty."
“…A what?”
"My daughter’s birthday.
Last time, all she got was chocolate.
This time, I intend to do it properly."
"Choc… what?"