# Chapter 83
"Piyooh!"
The Phoenix, who had been dozing off in a corner, suddenly opened its eyes.
It made a wide circle above its head and soared into the air.
Whoosh!
Flames burst from the Phoenix's body, cascading down in a shimmering shower like starlight.
It was as though the entire moment was being blessed.
A faint smile spread across Kiriel's lips.
The warmth that spread from his chest was strangely unfamiliar.
He lifted a hand and gently pressed it against his heart.
His world had always been cold, distant, and full of grayscale, but this feeling was entirely new.
Whenever a child stepped into the picture, the world became colorful.
The dull, monochrome world was suddenly filled with hues, and something began to sprout within his long-dormant emotions.
It felt like the emotions he had lost after being cursed by the demons were slowly returning.
‘That child must eventually be a demon too…’
Oddly, he didn’t feel the slightest desire to push her away.
Carefully, he reached out and gently petted the child's head.
"Heehee."
The child accepted his touch without hesitation, smiling brightly, as Kiriel unconsciously lifted her into his arms.
"Happy birthday, Bunny."
"...Nay!!"
With all her might, Bunny hugged Kiriel tightly.
‘Please, let Bunny become a great demon lord and live peacefully with everyone.’
It was a small wish, floating in the peaceful moment.
***
By late evening, after the chocolate-filled party that lasted until midnight, Bunny was walking slowly, her body swaying as she fought sleep.
"Bunny!"
"Hey!"
Allen and Kalvad caught her as she wobbled.
Bunny, clutching her presents tightly, stopped walking, her face half-dazed.
"Ughhh..."
With a sleepy grumble, Bunny’s voice caught Kiriel’s attention, and he crouched down in front of her.
"Allen, Kalvad.
Could you help carry some of her gifts?"
"Sure."
"Well...
I guess I have to, since I’m the older brother," Allen replied, and Kalvad, giving Bunny a brief glance, grumbled in a somewhat blunt tone.
However, both of them diligently divided the gifts, which Bunny had insisted on carrying herself, among themselves.
"Ughhh...
Bunny’s..."
With her eyes half-closed, Bunny flailed her arms.
Kiriel, lifting her into his arms, spoke calmly.
"Don’t worry.
I’ll take them all to your room.
For now, let your brothers help."
As Bunny rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes fluttered, and slowly, she drifted into a deep sleep.
"Daddy..."
"Yes."
Kiriel stood up, glanced at Allen and Kalvad, and began walking slowly, responding.
"Bunny's not feeling sick, is she?"
"Right."
"She is, you know.
Kiriel, the world is falling apart.
If you dig deep enough, the core is rotten, and it will be a huge catastrophe."
Bunny mumbled sleepily, her words barely coherent, and Kiriel’s steps slowed.
The things she said, strange and obscure, were information that no one else could have known, especially not a child.
Kiriel had researched thoroughly and found that only the first head of the family had ever summoned the Phoenix as a divine beast.
But there was no mention of any prophecy tied to it.
He was about to question Bunny, but then—
"Bunny...
How useful is this?" she murmured, still half-asleep.
Kiriel’s steps halted.
His gaze rested on the child, her head resting on his shoulder as she slipped deeper into sleep.
"I don't mind.
Sleep now," Kiriel whispered, suppressing his urge to ask more, and gently patted her back.
The child murmured a few more words before her head drooped, falling into a peaceful slumber.
It was a quiet, serene, and peaceful night.
***
A few days later, after receiving a "birthday party," Bunny had taken another step up the ladder to adulthood.
Through her new experiences, she had become a slightly more mature "adult Bunny" than yesterday.
"What would you like to drink, Miss?
Orange juice or grape juice?"
"Bunny is going to be an adult today."
With her nose held high, Bunny sat at the table.
"Ah, I see.
Then, would you like a different drink instead of orange or grape juice?"
"Mm.
Bunny, today wants 'adult milk.'"
As the conversation passed between the maid and Bunny, Kiriel couldn't help but smile slightly at her grown-up mannerisms.
"Yes!
I’ll bring the adult milk with honey," the maid responded.
"Mm."
Bunny nodded with all her might, and both Allen and Kalvad's faces softened into amused smiles.
Throughout breakfast, no one dared to interrupt Bunny's "adult conversation."
***
"Glass marble..."
Kiriel squinted slightly as he propped his chin on his hand, staring at the gift Bunny had received.
When Jedrian opened his present, it turned out to be a simple glass marble.
It was clear and pristine, but that was all.
Just a plain, unremarkable marble.
‘Did she think this was beautiful?’
Kiriel couldn’t understand the mind of a child.
As he thought this, a faint smile tugged at his lips.
When he showed the gift to Bunny again, she beamed with joy, smiling brightly.
It was a simple marble, but that didn’t matter.
It was something his daughter had chosen for him.
His daughter.
"...."
Yes, she was his daughter.
The child he had adopted, the child he had brought into his home.
A lighthearted thought had somehow turned serious.
"Revon."
"Yes, finally, the glass marble is being replaced by something I can actually see," Revon remarked in his usual emotionless tone.
Kiriel clicked his tongue and looked up, his face equally unreadable.
"Stop mocking me."
"I’m not mocking.
I’m simply stating the facts.
Now, why did you call me?"
"You said there was no information on Bunny, no matter how much you searched."
"Yes.
I’ve checked even the smallest villages in the Empire, but I can’t find anything useful.
It seems like the same is true for the White Dragon faction."
Tap, tap, tap.
Kiriel drummed his fingers lightly on the desk.
‘Demons...’
But it was highly unlikely she was a full demon.
She was definitely connected to the bloodline of the Duke of Udia.
Half-demon.
Such a thing seemed almost miraculous.
Demons were beings filled with venom and taint.
Anyone who formed a bond with a demon would meet death, as the taint would inevitably seep into their body.
Some demons were even said to seduce humans and drain their vitality through a one-night pleasure, leaving them to die within a month.
‘...If she had divine power, it could offset the effects for a while.’
But it would be only temporary.
Over time, the stronger energy would inevitably overpower the weaker one.
A demon would weaken and die if its energy was less than the human’s divine power.
But the opposite was also true.
Demons and humans were from different, irreconcilable worlds.
Without an item to protect them from the clash of energies, there was no way they could live happily ever after.
‘Still, if they had a child...’
Perhaps the demon and the unknown distant relative had a purifying ability strong enough to protect the child.
‘Or maybe the demon and the distant relative’s abilities balanced each other out.’
Either way...
The fact that Pegasus couldn’t find anything meant that both of them were probably long gone.
The lands where demons resided were far from the Empire.
***
Kiriel turned toward the giant map of the continent hanging in his office.
The land of the demons was located near the borders of several countries.
Somewhere deep inside a vast and dark forest, a place unknown to most.
The Demon King had died, and the forest, once teeming with life, had withered, losing all color and light.
It had become a barren land, where nothing could survive.
The stench of decay was enough to choke anyone who approached.
At the northernmost village of the continent.
Otheloyd.
It was the closest place to the dark forest, where demons and demonic creatures frequently appeared.
A demilitarized zone and extraterritorial area, jointly guarded by three kingdoms, including the Empire.
‘If Bunny came from there...’
She had probably passed through that village first.