The Oracle of the Villainous Baby - Chapter 200

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Side Story: Episode 4
* * *
Sunlight poured down, and I trembled slightly at its warmth. Soft, plush, and….
‘What a wonderful scent….’
I knew this childlike, innocent fragrance well. It was always the scent that came from Bunny….
‘Bunny…?’
At the sudden thought, my eyes snapped open.
A wonderful scent? Bunny?
In that same moment, events from several days ago flashed through my mind like lightning. The chill that had run down my spine was brief, and reality quickly reasserted itself.
“…Ah.”
Now that I thought about it, it had been a week since I fled here and spent all my time rolling around in this room.
As I looked at my own bare chest, my cheeks flushed slightly.
“…Sigh.”
I had to return to the Imperial Palace, yet I couldn’t fathom what I was doing here.
I pulled Bunny, who slept nestled in my arms, a little closer and patted her back. Yet, contrary to the sense of duty telling me to return…, this moment felt far too peaceful and perfect.
On the first day, the second day, I had felt nothing but discomfort, as though sitting on pins and needles. Now, it felt exactly as necessary as it was—perfectly comfortable and right.
‘…Bunny always seems to be ahead of me.’
I always seemed to lag one step, two steps behind. It had always made me anxious. Even when I wanted to lead Bunny, I simply couldn’t.
“…I envy you, Bunny.”
“Envy me for what?”
A slightly drowsy voice came in response. I jolted, my eyes widening in surprise.
In the moment I looked at Bunny with a bewildered expression, her face suddenly drew close, inches from mine, and I froze.
“Good morning!”
“…Good morning.”
Bunny burst into delighted giggles.
At her endearing expression, I unconsciously held my breath.
I couldn’t understand why her pink eyes sparkled so brilliantly beneath the pouring sunlight, appearing so vivid and multifaceted.
“So what exactly do you envy?”
“Just… I feel like I’m always so lacking compared to you.”
“…Wow, here comes melancholy Roel again.”
“No, it’s not that I’m melancholy. It’s really….”
“What does it matter if you’re lacking? By that logic, I don’t know history like you do, I’m weaker with numbers than you are, I don’t understand human speech as well as you do, and I’m not as skilled at socializing or negotiating as you are, right?”
“That’s…!”
“If you’re good at something, then I’m good at something else, and if I’m good at something, then you’re good at something else too. Come on, don’t worry about it~”
Watching Bunny wave her hand dismissively, I let out a small sigh.
I was always amazed and envious of how she brushed away her worries as though they were nothing at all.
“Do you like me? Bunny.”
“Yep.”
“How much?”
“Second only to Father and Luriel! That’s huge, you know? It means I like you more than my older brothers and Sister Shalone!”
Roel buried his face in Bunny’s shoulder and murmured softly.
“I love you more than anyone in the world. More than Mother or Father.”
“Is that so? Then Roel loves me more! I’ll have to work harder not to fall behind.”
“…!”
Bunny spoke with a slight laugh, and Roel burst into quiet laughter in response.
Ah, no matter what I say, I can never seem to win against her. It’s always like this.
‘I’m the one losing.’
Even my own jealousy gets swallowed up as though it means nothing.
“Bunny, when you suddenly opened your eyes, why did you think you wanted to marry me? I thought you didn’t like me that much.”
“Hmm…? But I did like you.”
“That’s what I mean… I thought it wouldn’t go this far—making a child together, getting married, and all that….”
Roel’s face grew increasingly flushed as he spoke.
Bunny tilted her head.
Why did I think I wanted to marry him?
“I was always alone while dreaming. Always, always alone. Even as I witnessed the memories of countless Demon Kings, I remained alone….”
“….”
“I saw Mother’s memories.”
“…Bunny.”
In my dreams, I witnessed Mother’s past—who she was.
What kind of life she lived, what kind of existence she had, and how she fell in love with Father.
Was that even love to begin with?
I still haven’t found any clear answer about it.
“I thought love was something where bells ring in your head, the world sparkles, and you become happy when your eyes meet….”
I didn’t feel that kind of emotion.
But it was through witnessing Mother’s memories that I understood—that was also love.
“I realized from Mother’s memories that it’s also love when there’s someone who makes you happy just by seeing them, someone you want to keep being with, someone you want to play with… and someone whose hand you keep wanting to hold.”
“…!”
“But when I saw that, Roel kept coming to mind. So I wanted to see him so badly. That’s why….”
Bunny laughed.
“I hated the idea of Roel going to another woman! So I wanted to have Roel for myself! If he went to someone else, I think I’d want to beat them up like Ma-Gom….”
Roel’s face flushed crimson at Bunny’s words.
“Is this strange…?”
Bunny fidgeted with her fingers, her expression uncertain.
“Is love supposed to make your mind flash and bells ring when your eyes meet?”
“…No.”
Roel shook his head.
With a strange heaviness settling in his chest, he tightened his grip around Bunny slightly.
“It doesn’t have to be. I have many shortcomings, and you… seem to like me less than I like myself. So… I thought I had to try harder. That’s why I was curious.”
“….”
“Why you wanted to marry me. Whether you really do like me. Whether you feel the same way I do….”
She had always wondered about that—whether she might be lacking compared to Bunny.
“I thought that Roel being beside me, playing together, talking, rolling around, and sleeping next to me made me sleep well simply because we were close… but…”
“Mm.”
“So I took it for granted, but when Roel wasn’t there, I felt lonely. And it wasn’t warm and comfortable either.”
But thinking about it, she had never felt that way with other boys.
“Though I’ve never actually slept with other men.”
Flinch.
Roel’s shoulders trembled noticeably.
“When I slept with Allen and Kalbad, it was comfortable enough, but there was no warmth to it.”
“….”
“But maybe it’s because I don’t have enough varied experiences? Even now…”
There she goes again, jumping to strange places!
Thump. Roel quickly grabbed Bunny’s shoulders and leaned his face close.
“No, that’s love.”
Bunny’s eyes widened slightly at Roel’s words.
“You love me, Bunny. So there’s absolutely no need for you to conduct such experiments with other guys.”
“Mm…”
“And if you did it after getting married, that would be infidelity.”
“Infidelity. Complete infidelity.”
Bunny nodded awkwardly at Roel’s words. For some reason, her eyes gleamed in a way that looked a little frightening.
“…Anyway, so that’s how it was.”
Roel burst into laughter. He felt a little foolish for worrying needlessly.
“Bunny loves me at her own pace.”
“Hm?”
“No, just thinking aloud.”
After all, not everyone’s affection has to be the same temperature. Especially since Bunny and I grew up in very different environments.
“Thank you for being honest with me.”
“Hm? If you wanted to know, why didn’t you just ask!”
“Well, it felt a bit awkward to ask.”
Bunny tilted her head in confusion.
He laughed at her puzzled expression.
“So can you tell me something?”
“What?”
“About your parents. Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about them.”
“Oh.”
Bunny fidgeted with her fingers.
Well, it was about the Demon King. There was nothing pleasant to hear about that.
‘Of course, I’m the Demon King too, but…’
Mother was the Demon King who waged war against humans, wasn’t she.
“Are you okay?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Well… Mother fought in wars and all that, so… are you really okay with it?”
“Of course. She’s Bunny’s mother, after all. I’d like to know more about her.”
At Roel’s words, a faint blush crept across Bunny’s cheeks.
Bunny nodded eagerly, her eyes bright with excitement.
“Then let me tell you what I’ve seen!”
Bunny opened her mouth to speak.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————