“And this is the annex of the Duke of Eudia, where you will be staying from now on, Miss Bunny.”
“Huh…”
Bunny’s eyes widened as she looked at the mansion that Roden Heiner pointed to with his finger.
‘It’s not white, not shiny, and it’s even smaller than that place.’
Now that she thought about it, the surroundings were noticeably quieter, and the grandeur had diminished.
“From today, Miss Bunny will be the 52nd branch member of the Duke of Eudia’s household.”
“…Fifty-two?”
“Yes.”
Is that a number?
Bunny, whose chubby little hands looked like autumn leaves, started counting on her fingers, tilting her head as if puzzled.
“Roden, is fifty-two bigger than twenty-two?”
“Oh, yes. It’s two twenty-twos plus twelve more.”
Whooosh—
A cold wind swept between Bunny and Roden Heiner.
‘Two twenty-twos and twelve…’
Her head began to spin. She even tried using both her fingers and toes but still couldn’t figure it out.
Anyway, it was a very big number!
“Bunny, miss of the house…?”
“Yes, Miss Bunny is the 16th daughter out of the 52 young ladies and young masters.”
Crash!
Her daydreams of a mighty demon father, who would lift her in his arms and spin her around while laughing joyfully, shattered with a loud crash.
This was strange. In fairy tales, the main character usually charms the demon father and monopolizes his love, becoming an adorable child before growing into the grand Demon King…
But 52 children?
Wouldn’t the demon father’s back break?
With so many children, Bunny was certain she wouldn’t stand out.
‘Bunny’s life is totally doomed…?!’
Recalling Luriel’s habit of muttering whenever things went wrong, Bunny dropped to her knees with a heavy thud.
“Miss?”
Startled, Roden Heiner hurriedly supported Bunny, helping her to her feet.
But Bunny drooped limply in his arms.
* * *
“Roden.”
“Yes?”
“I want to live there too.”
Having shaken off her gloom, Bunny pointed to a dazzling white mansion.
Roden Heiner glanced at her sparkling eyes and looked away with a hesitant expression.
“That place… You can live there if you reach the top five in rank.”
“Top five?”
“Yes. But since you just arrived today, your rank is 52nd.”
“What does that mean…?”
“Rank is, well…”
Roden Heiner knelt on one knee, meeting her gaze directly as he explained.
“It’s the ranking based on who performs best academically.”
“Academically…?”
“Yes. Here, basic necessities such as food, clothes, and a house are provided, along with a small allowance. But anything beyond that must be earned through your efforts.”
He spoke gently, watching Bunny’s dazed expression with concern.
“Do you understand?”
“Uh-huh… So Bunny is poor, and I have to work?”
“W-what? N-no…”
Her blunt statement made Roden Heiner pause awkwardly.
“No, here you attend classes, study hard, and get good grades in exams. If you score high, your rank increases, and as your rank goes up, your allowance will also increase. Eventually, you can even hire a personal knight and a maid.”
A knight! A maid!
Bunny’s eyes sparkled as she clenched her small fists, nodding eagerly.
“Bunny’s super smart!”
Luriel always said Bunny was a genius because she could instantly copy anything she saw. That’s why Luriel had taught her so much.
With renewed determination, Bunny’s jewel-like pink eyes twinkled, and Roden Heiner’s stern expression softened ever so slightly into a faint smile.
“….”
He hesitated, then reached out a hand but awkwardly pulled it back.
Bunny immediately leaned her head in.
“I like head pats!”
“Ahem. I-I see.”
Roden Heiner gently patted Bunny’s soft, water-colored hair a couple of times.
“If you study hard, you’ll climb the ranks in no time.”
“Yup! Roden belongs to Bunny, right?”
Roden Heiner almost nodded instinctively but stopped himself.
“No, I’m assigned to help the young ladies and young masters ranked from 40th to 52nd. I’m what you could call a shared knight.”
Thud!
‘Roden isn’t just for Bunny.’
Shaken, Bunny stumbled as she followed Roden Heiner.
‘No knight either?’
Then Bunny really *was* poor…
“This is the dining hall.”
Roden Heiner led her through the large mansion, smaller than the dazzling white one but still impressive. He guided Bunny through the essentials, eventually taking her to her room on the second floor.
Along the way, she saw several children, most of them older than her.
“This is as far as I can guide you. From here, you’ll manage on your own, but if you need anything, feel free to call me. A maid assigned to assist you will also come to introduce herself soon.”
“Will the maid be Bunny’s?”
“No, she will also assist the children ranked from 40th to 52nd…”
Sullen.
Before Roden could finish, Bunny’s expression drooped.
‘The road to being the duke’s daughter is so hard…’
Roden stopped mid-sentence, guilt creeping in with every word he spoke.
He had brought in other branch members before, but today, for some reason, it felt like tiny needles were pricking his heart.
“Roden… goodbye…”
Bunny gave him a little bow, letting out a big sigh before slipping through the slightly ajar door. Roden hesitated but then opened the door wider to speak.
“It was nice to meet you. Call for me anytime, and I’ll also check in on you often. For now, get some rest. Dinner will be served in the dining hall at the scheduled time.”
“Okaaay…”
Click.
After the door closed, Bunny shuffled across the small room, looking around.
There were no sparkly jewels!
No delicate, fluttery curtains draped over the bed!
“Sniff. Smells weird.”
Still, it was her own room. At the orphanage, she had always shared a room with her friends, so having a room all to herself was quite nice.
“Hmm.”
Bunny shook her head from side to side.
According to *Luriel’s 28 Must-Read Romance Fantasies for Young Demons,* all baby demon lords grew up in difficult environments. Then, a mighty demon father would eventually find them.
The pattern was always the same: *“I Thought I Was an Orphan, but I’m Actually a Princess?!”* or *“Turns Out I’m the Real One of the Real Ones”* or *“The Last-Ranked Demon Turned Out to Be the Great Demon King”*.
“Baby, to become the Great Demon King, you have to face many trials. But don’t worry! With Luriel’s notebook, you can overcome anything!”
“Overcome anything!”
“Yes. So even if I’m not there, you have to do well on your own.”
Good kids get head pats.
Bunny lightly patted her own head a couple of times and plopped down on the floor, spreading her legs wide.
‘Bunny, facing trials!’
She took off her bunny-shaped bag, placed it between her legs, and unzipped it. Out came her courage-boosting demon bear plushie and her bad-dream-chasing bunny doll, Toto.
She also took out her piggy bank, shaped like an elephant holding gold coins.
After emptying the contents of her bag further, Bunny dug deep inside and retrieved a toy cutting board, a child-safe knife, and Luriel’s secret notebook.
Finally, she grabbed a cloth pouch containing the allowance she’d received earlier.
Bunny opened the pouch—and her eyes narrowed.
She flipped the pouch upside down and shook it.
Plink, roll.
“…Duke’s household is stingy.”
A single gold coin rolled out.
“Bunny’s richer than that.”
She picked up her elephant bank and gave it a shake. Although the coins inside were dull and bronze, they jingled loudly, unlike the single gleaming gold coin from the duke’s allowance.
