Episode 31
“You don’t seem to be lying. It’s quite specific that even the Tower Master can’t properly protect you.”
Despite the bait, I closed my mouth, indicating I couldn’t answer any further. He pieced together the clues and continued.
“The Tower Master, requesting protection from the Imperial family in the midst of the Empire’s political instability? That narrows it down to Duke Clovis as the one pursuing you.”
The Crown Prince tilted his head, his cold eyes scanning my neck as if he would strike at any moment.
“What’s your relationship with the Duke?”
‘Owner and pet bird.’
If I answered like that, he would think I was crazy. Not that I intended to answer truthfully anyway.
He was asking as if certain, but he was still just speculating. I could see him carefully observing my eyes and any tremors in my body.
‘Does he think I’m that stupid? I won’t spill anything.’
I met his gaze calmly. It was surprising how quickly he figured it out, but without concrete evidence, he couldn’t be certain.
I pressed my lips together and shook my head. The Crown Prince withdrew his hand.
“There’s no need to be so scared. Tell me the truth, and I’ll spare you.”
‘That’s a threat! Of course, I did spit tea on you and ruin your clothes… and I did fall from the sky and land on your lap… I should be grateful it’s just a threat.’
My momentary anger subsided as I recalled my questionable actions. I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to confirm his suspicion that Cesar was after me.
The Crown Prince stood up. I looked at him warily, wondering if he was actually going to kill me.
“Well, I have plenty of time. First, you need to change your clothes. They’re wet.”
I quietly lowered my head at his words. I knew what I had done.
The Crown Prince called the waiting maids. The maids, entering and seeing the scene, hesitated for a moment and then bowed their heads.
‘Sigh. Who would dare spit tea on the Crown Prince? And not just tea, but tea they had just had in their mouth.’
It felt like it wasn’t too late to run away. I didn’t know how to eliminate monsters anyway, so maybe I should just escape reality for a while…
“I’ll consider this a debt. I’ll let it slide this once. So you’d better not think of doing anything foolish. Like trying to escape.”
I flinched.
‘How did he know I was planning to escape?’
“I find you intriguing, so I intend to keep you by my side.”
In the Crown Prince’s mind, I was a mysterious woman with special powers, somehow connected to the Tower Master and the Duke.
‘That’s not true. I’m just a worthless bird. I can’t even properly transform into a human; I can barely walk without mana stones.’
I felt a little sorry for the Crown Prince, who didn’t know he had been scammed.
“I’ll see you later.”
As if he was done with everything, he left the reception room without hesitation. As he was leaving, he instructed Arenz,
“I’ll leave her in your care.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I bowed my head as the Crown Prince disappeared.
“Goodbye, Your Highness.”
After he left, Arenz, who had been standing silently behind him, offered me his hand.
“Let’s go, Lady.”
His words reminded me of something I had forgotten.
“You said my accommodations are in the former servants’ quarters. And that there are strange noises every night…”
“Yes. You’ll be staying there.”
“Is that al…”
“It’s fine.”
“I’d prefer somewhere else…”
“You’ll be satisfied. Now, let’s go.”
“Yes…”
Darkness crept in through the window.
It had been a busy first day as a human, being dragged around here and there. My whole body felt heavy with fatigue. After Arenz showed me to my room, I felt sleepy, just like when I was a bird, and closed my eyes for a bit…
“I didn’t expect to wake up to complete darkness. Sigh.”
The night felt different when seen through human eyes, compared to bird eyes. I felt like I was alone in the darkness.
It was my first night away from Cesar, in an unfamiliar place. There was no one familiar around, and the surroundings were eerily silent.
“What’s going to happen to me now?”
I, now a human, didn’t belong in this world. Here, I was just a bird named Lily.
I sighed deeply and looked up at the ceiling. Since I wanted to live as a human, I had to adapt.
I let the night breeze wash over me and whispered as if chanting a spell,
‘It’s okay. You can do this. You can do well in the Imperial Palace, too.’
Then, I suddenly thought of Cesar. I wondered if he was sleeping well. He said he couldn’t sleep at night.
‘What if he can’t sleep again because I’m gone…?’
Realizing my thoughts were naturally drifting towards Cesar, I quickly sat up and slapped my cheeks.
I was about to go out for some fresh air but remembered the strange noises every night. As I lay back down, trying to go back to sleep, I heard a strange sound.
—Ee…
“Huh?”
—Eeee…
“Did I just hear something strange?”
—Aaah…
It wasn’t my imagination. There was a sound coming from somewhere. I instinctively tensed up, as if my feathers were on end, and looked around cautiously.
‘Is there someone outside? But that doesn’t sound like footsteps.’
It was probably the sealed monster. The thought calmed my fear.
I lay back down, feeling more at ease, trying to go back to sleep, but I got up again after a few minutes.
“…Noisy!”
The irritating sound, like a mosquito buzzing, repeated, preventing me from sleeping. I understood why the servants had protested.
“Even noise between floors would be better than this.”
Covering my ears, I stepped out of the room. Since I didn’t know how to eliminate the monster anyway, it seemed better to go somewhere quieter.
I hugged my pillow and walked down the hallway. Then, I froze, startled by a strange sound. A creepy sound, like something being gnawed on, sent shivers down my spine.
I slowly turned around, and there it was, a mysterious something with gleaming eyes.
“A… A ghost!”
Terrified, I ran down the hallway. But my clumsy steps made me stumble, and I almost fell on the smooth floor.
Just then, something firm caught me. I felt a sudden warmth and looked up curiously.
‘What, do ghosts have body heat now?’
But it wasn’t a ghost. A calm voice, tinged with playfulness, resonated in my ears.
“Where are you going in such a fright, Lady?”
‘Huh? I’ve heard that voice somewhere before.’
I looked up and saw Arenz’s face. Relieved to see another person, I clutched my chest.
After a moment, he suddenly turned his head and coughed.
“…Lady, you’re too close.”
‘Huh? Too close?’
I finally realized my position. Arenz had caught me when I almost fell, and I, terrified by the ghost, had clung to him.
Very tightly.
For a moment, Arenz’s face was illuminated by the soft moonlight. I saw his face, flushed the same color as his fiery hair. Crimson red up to his neck.
I blinked in disbelief and recalled Arenz from the novel.
‘Come to think of it, he was so focused on his knightly training that he wasn’t very experienced with women.’
As I stared at him curiously, he gently put me down. A kindness unlike the other male leads who treated me roughly.
Arenz, his face returning to its normal color, asked me with a puzzled tone,
“Why are you wandering the halls in such attire? Especially in the middle of the night.”
His question reminded me of the reason I had forgotten, startled by his red face.
“There was a mysterious black object at the end of the hall…! I heard a strange gnawing sound, it must have been a ghost…”
“Woof woof!”
‘Woof woof?’
“Are you referring to that puppy as a ghost, Lady?”
Two gleaming eyes, a mysterious black lump.
‘A puppy. Yes. A puppy.’
“…I apologize.”
As I spoke, Arenz chuckled, his shoulders shaking. I glared at him, embarrassed, and he coughed, clearing his throat, and spoke,
“You’re quite an interesting person. Spitting tea on His Highness, running around screaming about ghosts.”
‘And being carried around like a princess. Sigh.’
I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. He must have seen me almost fall after mistaking a puppy for a ghost and running down the hall in a panic.
I glanced at Arenz. He was smiling at me again, as if he had forgotten about his flushed face and suppressed laughter.
Feeling my face burning, I looked at the puppy, the true identity of the “ghost.” Its fluffy white fur and innocent black eyes were the same as the puppy that had dragged me away in the plaza.
‘You, you dragged me around when I was a bird and brought me to your owner, and now you’re scaring me?’
“Come here, Louis.”
“Woof woof!”
The clueless puppy wagged its tail and jumped into Arenz’s arms.
“I told you not to wander around. You scared the Lady, making her think you were a ghost. And what are you eating?”
Arenz stroked Louis’s face and spoke. But his words were clearly teasing me.
I picked up the pillow I had dropped and suppressed my embarrassment. And I turned to go back to my room.
Just then, Louis, who had been quietly nestled in his owner’s arms, approached me.
“Woof woof. Bark!”
“Huh?”
‘It looks like he’s greeting me. Does he know I was that bird?’
I cautiously reached out, and soft fur brushed against my hand.
‘Oh, so fluffy. So soft.’
As I stroked him happily, Louis rolled over, exposing his belly.
Unable to resist, I hugged the fluffy ball of fur. My anger subsided, replaced by peace.
‘I forgive you. Yes, anything cute is forgivable. I understand mistaking you for a ghost.’
After cuddling him for a while, I came to my senses and stood up.
“I apologize! He’s your puppy, Arenz, I shouldn’t have taken the liberty of petting him so much…”
“I don’t mind, as long as Louis likes it. More importantly, it’s dangerous for you to wander around alone like this.”
“Ah, because of the noise…”
“Then you should use these.”
He gave me earplugs. He was truly a capable knight.
Bro this confirms that she is collecting hearts like Pokémon’s