Episode 129
His gaze was scorching. I wrapped my arms around his neck and replied,
“I missed you too, Cesar. So much.”
My heart fluttered, and a warmth spread through me. Just then, I heard someone cough.
I paused and turned my head. Familiar faces, closer than I expected. The Dukedom’s knights. They were all looking away, pretending not to have seen anything.
I stared at Cesar, speechless, my mouth agape. He patted my back reassuringly and said,
“Teleportation magic isn’t omnipotent. It has limitations, so I had to make a stop along the way. This was the closest I could get, so I brought the knights with me to escort you.”
“W-why are you telling me this now?! I-I just said so many embarrassing things!”
As I whispered in his ear, clinging to him, he chuckled. He must have known and done this on purpose to see my reaction.
“You think this is funny?”
I glared at him, and he kissed my eyelids. Then, as if making up for lost time, he kissed my cheeks, my nose, and…
‘Ugh.’
I shook my head, embarrassed by the memory. I had been trying so hard not to think about what the knights must have been saying.
And the man who was ruining all my efforts was right beside me. This man who was now kissing my cheek.
“Stop it. This keeps reminding me of last time! You did this in front of the knights, and I couldn’t even get angry; it was so embarrassing!”
“Really?”
His nonchalant reaction only fueled my anger. He had no shame, acting like this.
“Yes!”
“You should have refused if you disliked it so much. But you accepted it, Lily.”
…That’s true.
Yes, I was the one at fault, completely smitten by his face.
“But I couldn’t help myself…”
He looked so handsome after I had been stuck in that stifling place, and I had been holding back for so long, so I couldn’t resist.
“Is it the same now?”
It wasn’t helping that he kept seducing me with that face ever since we returned to the Dukedom.
‘Yes, you’re really handsome. I’m always captivated by your face.’
“Yes. So stop it. I’m easily swayed.”
Cesar chuckled, amused by my grumpy reply. His reactions were so annoying.
I turned my head away, trying to ignore him, and saw the Empire’s daily newspaper. The headline announced the upcoming wedding of Sylvia and the Crown Prince… no, the Emperor Aronio.
I smiled, thinking I should cherish the memory of Sylvia, the most beautiful person in this world, when I noticed a disturbing article below.
“Wait a minute, Cesar. Stop laughing and bring me that newspaper.”
“Ah, that. I was going to tell you after you recovered. You’ve been appointed as the protector of the Empire. You’ll receive an honorary title soon.”
“What? What are you…”
“So no one will bother you, no matter what you do. No one will look down on you, and if they do, I’ll crush them, so don’t worry.”
“N-no, that’s not it! Explain everything slowly!”
This man must have done something behind my back again while I was gone.
After hearing about his conversation with the Emperor, I smacked his back. I sulked and ignored him, angry that he had acted without my consent.
But my heart melted at his dejected expression as he whispered that he didn’t want to see me get hurt, that he loved me, and at his seductive attempts to appease me.
And finally, he took my hand and kissed it.
The soft sound echoed in my ears.
I looked at Cesar, who was smiling, and said,
“Are you doing this to appease me…?”
“Not really. You look more beautiful when you smile than when you’re angry.”
His words melted away the last of my anger.
“Don’t do anything behind my back while I’m gone.”
As I gave him a final warning, he readily apologized.
“Sorry.”
I accepted his apology and continued calmly,
“I don’t dislike being the protector. I can’t just stand by and do nothing when I have the power to protect the Empire. But you should have told me first. Even if you did it for me, you should have asked for my opinion. I told you what I truly want to protect, who I truly love, is you, Cesar.”
I also cared about this country, of course. It was the setting of the story I loved, where the people I cherished lived.
So I wanted everyone to be safe, but I was worried about being burdened by this forced duty, like in the Holy Kingdom.
“Me too. You might have other precious people here, but you’re the only one for me, Lily.”
His words were incredibly sweet. If I was the one who could ease his loneliness, then he was the one who filled the void in my heart.
“…Why did you have my existence officially announced in the Empire?”
“Because even if the Holy Kingdom falls, other countries might learn about your existence. Unlike the Empire, which is currently stable, those who desire power will surely try to obtain you. They won’t act rashly if they know the Empire is protecting you, so that’s why I suggested it.”
“But it’s strange. The Cesar I know wouldn’t use such a peaceful method. You would have taken measures to erase the Holy Kingdom completely after they lost their power.”
If he had done that, those who tormented me would have disappeared without a trace.
Cesar stroked my hair. As I stared at him, puzzled, he said something unexpected,
“If I did that, innocent people would also be caught in the crossfire. I think those who leeched off your power deserve to die, but you don’t. You wouldn’t like that. So I just tried to find the most peaceful solution.”
“…Then promise me. That you’ll be my safe haven, so I can continue to love this country, so I won’t suffer.”
He pulled me into a tight embrace. His warmth was comforting.
“I promise, Lily.”
A brief kiss turned into a long, passionate one. The night deepened, filled with our desire for each other.
I realized that arguing with Cesar was pointless. In the end, my love for him would always make me understand and forgive him.
Wasn’t that what lover’s quarrels were all about? Love, blooming like fireworks, was sweet and comforting.
A week passed. Unlike my desire to enjoy a long, peaceful life at the Dukedom, I was being pestered by the servants.
“S-so, you’re saying… Miss is… Lily?”
“Come to think of it, you do resemble her… your hair color and everything…!”
The maids surrounding me had stars in their eyes.
“Well…”
‘This is awkward.’
The cause of this commotion was the article about me in the Imperial news.
I had expected the servants to realize that I was the little pink bird who used to live here, but I hadn’t imagined I would be subjected to this for over a week.
“I never thought I would see a beastkin in my lifetime! I was so rude to you when you were a bird. I’m so sorry!”
‘I’ve heard that apology countless times.’
“It’s okay. Really, it’s okay, so please stop apologizing.”
This is getting burdensome. Stop apologizing.
The constant stares were so intense that I almost lost my appetite during meals.
Cesar, noticing this, had the butler warn the servants, but although the intensity lessened, the stares persisted.
‘Was it a good idea to tell them I’m a beastkin…?’
Still, it was nice to be able to transform into a bird and relax whenever I wanted.
Tired of the apologies, I waited for an opportunity and transformed into a bird, then flew away. I heard them call out, “Wait!”, but I didn’t look back.
‘Leave me alone.’
I fluttered to Cesar’s office and landed gently on the windowsill. I tapped on the window with my beak, and it opened as if he had been waiting.
I puffed up my feathers against the cold draft and flew inside. The aide, a wide smile on his face, looked at me.
‘What? Never seen a cute bird before?’
I perched on Cesar’s shoulder, my feathers fluffed up, and he tapped my beak.
“Did you run away again because the servants were bothering you?”
“Beep.”
‘Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to.’
I pecked at his collar with my sharp beak, and he seemed to understand my displeasure, as he stopped touching me.
I calmed down, enjoying the quiet office where only the scratching sound of his quill could be heard.
After some time, while the aide was away, I climbed down from his shoulder and hopped onto his desk.
Then, Cesar spoke,
“Sylvia sent you a letter, Lily.”
“Beep?”
‘A letter?’