Episode 53
That was what I realized after coming to the mansion.
Although Heron was teaching Sylvia Spirit Arts because he was interested in her, their relationship was strictly professional, nothing more than teacher and student.
I pondered the reason for this deviation all night but eventually gave up.
Even if their relationship was colder than in the novel, Heron wouldn’t ignore Sylvia if she was in danger. If they were truly indifferent, he wouldn’t even bother teaching her.
“You two seem to be getting along well today, too.”
As I spoke, trying to ignore the obvious tension, Sylvia remained silent, and Heron tapped the tea table.
“Then I’ll be going now. I have things to do.”
“No.”
“I’ll have the spirits do it. Stay here.”
Their immediate reactions made me feel awkward. Being caught between these two was uncomfortable.
But in the end, I was led by Sylvia’s hand and seated at the table, sipping tea quietly.
‘Come to think of it, Heron called me a special bird after seeing the mark in the novel…’
The bird I possessed was probably killed in its cage before realizing its power. And the mark must have appeared after its death.
I wondered if I could learn something if I showed Heron the mark now. He probably already suspected that it was the mark of the temple and that I was a bird that escaped from the Holy Kingdom.
As I looked at him, the necklace I was wearing swayed.
‘A special bird. What does “special” mean?’
That I could use divine power? That I could become human? Or was there something else?
One question after another filled my mind.
Heron, noticing my gaze, looked at me. His red eyes shimmered with a strange light.
As we stared at each other, he spoke to Sylvia,
“Lady Veronica, I forgot to mention this, but it would be best if you went inside the mansion.”
“Inside the mansion?”
“The spirit you summoned has disappeared from your side, and it seems to be causing trouble inside.”
“That’s not possible. I sent it back.”
“Then what’s that sound?”
Just then, we heard a crashing sound from inside, followed by someone screaming about a ghost.
The startled Sylvia looked at Heron and me and then hurriedly went inside. As I followed her, Heron grabbed my arm.
“Have you been doing this for the past few days? Is Lady Veronica that precious to you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Valerie. Who gave you that name?”
“My parents…”
“Really?”
My eyes wavered at his question. There was no point in lying to someone who already knew the truth.
“I gave it to myself.”
“You missed it? Enough to leave a trace, even after becoming human?”
I turned around and met his gaze. His smirk and nonchalant attitude annoyed me.
“How did you know?”
“I asked first… But I’ll answer you. I used spirits. Wind carries sounds, and water reflects what happened.”
“But even so…”
“I can learn about the Duke summoning doctors for a collapsed bird from rumors alone. But the strange thing is that the Duke placed someone to watch me after that.”
“Cesar had someone watching you?”
Just how meticulous and terrifying was my owner becoming?
I rubbed my arms, which had broken out in goosebumps despite the summer heat, and listened to Heron.
“I wondered why he would do that. Because he didn’t want me to approach Lady Veronica? The timing was too sudden. And the surveillance was sloppy, unlike him.”
That must have been because I disappeared suddenly. It was strange for him to be sloppy, considering his meticulous nature.
“So I became curious and sent spirits around the Dukedom… and I also had someone watching Duke Clovis. Then, the spirit I sent happened to see you in the Imperial Palace.”
“But I was human then.”
Heron smiled, seemingly amused, and pulled me closer. His warm breath made me blink.
“The spirits recognize you, Lily.”
“…”
“Thanks to them, I knew you were Lily before the Duke did. So, what I’m saying is,”
Are you still not interested in becoming my bird?
His seductive voice, wrapping around my ankles, tickled my ears.
I tilted my head at his words. It was strange that he kept proposing this, and his words didn’t make sense.
“That’s impossible. I’m a human.”
I didn’t have cute little wings or a wagging tail. I was a completely ordinary human, just like I had always wanted, so why would I go back to being a bird and serve an owner? It was a ridiculous proposition.
“Ah. That’s true…”
I sighed, seeing him readily agree.
‘Everyone still treats me like a bird, even though I’m human.’
“So, why did you choose the name Valerie? Won’t you tell me?”
“I chose it because I wanted a name that felt somewhat familiar. I thought it would be too strange to completely erase my past.”
It was a lie, though I tried to make it sound plausible. It hurt to think of losing the name Cesar used to call me in his gentle voice.
I missed the servants at the Dukedom who adored me and my owner, who had become increasingly kind, even though I considered him dangerous.
But I had already made my choice; there was no going back. I no longer wanted to be a bird, constantly threatened and trapped in a small cage, waiting for my owner.
“Is that so?”
“I have a question.”
“A question?”
His long, black hair swayed as he moved.
“Yes. Do you happen to know anything about a crescent moon-shaped mark?”
“A crescent moon shape… hmm…”
I almost blurted out something at his hesitation. I suppressed my impatience, worried he might notice, and waited for his answer.
Heron smiled and spoke,
“I think I know something. But what will you do for me if I tell you?”
‘Do something for you? Is there anything I can do for Heron?’
He looked at me, amused by my anxious expression, as I bit my lip. He seemed to have an answer in mind.
“Should I transform into a bird and entertain you?”
Seeing him repeatedly ask me to be his bird, I guessed he also liked cute, small animals. That’s why I said that, but…
He seemed to have completely misunderstood, as he chuckled, his shoulders shaking.
“Haha, you’re funny. You really are interesting.”
I didn’t do anything, yet he was laughing, finding me amusing. His eyes clearly showed his interest. I didn’t know what about me had piqued his interest.
‘Then what does he want?’
It was a question I couldn’t answer, no matter how hard I racked my brain.
Perhaps sensing my predicament, he spoke readily,
“Valerie, will you give me some of your time?”
“My time? Is that all?”
“Yes.”
Giving him some time wasn’t difficult. It would be more difficult to transform into a bird and chirp for him.
“Alright. I’ll give you my time, so tell me what you know.”
“The mark you asked about is the symbol of the Grand Temple in the Holy Kingdom. You know that, right?”
“Yes, I know. I’m curious if having that mark means something special.”
The word “special,” the only description of me in the novel, kept bothering me. Belonging to the temple might be unusual for a bird, but not special.
I wanted to confirm what it meant for me to be able to transform from a bird to a human and use divine power.
“I haven’t seen that mark on you… If you do have it, it’s not a good thing.”
“Why isn’t it a good thing?”
“Do you want a life where you’re subservient to someone from the moment you’re born, Valerie?”
His words stirred something within me. I heard a voice I had never heard before.
‘Please hatch quickly. Then the kingdom will be safe.’
Whose memory was this?
My first memory was of hatching from the egg, but a strange memory was flowing in. The memory of a temple bird, preparing to hatch, somehow ending up somewhere else.
The sounds from outside the safety of the egg were incredibly threatening, and a keen survival instinct moved the sleeping bird.
To the safest place. To a place where it wouldn’t be threatened again.
With that wish, the power within the egg faded, and it settled in a warm, cozy place. Using the last of its strength, it hatched, and the first thing it saw were chirping baby birds.
That was all.
“…I don’t want a life of servitude.”
I had been appalled by the idea of a lifelong servitude contract since the Crown Prince first mentioned that I seemed to belong to the temple.
This fragmented memory was probably from the original bird.
Why was this vague memory surfacing now?
As I frowned, feeling uneasy, a soft hand brushed against my cheek.
“Heron?”
“I never told you to call me by my name. You must have called me that when you were a bird. I don’t mind.”
He gently rubbed my furrowed brows as if trying to soothe me. His gentle touch made it difficult to refuse, so I quietly accepted it.
As my frown eased, Heron smiled and said,
“If you don’t want that kind of life, don’t try to find out what you are. It’s better not to know.”
“I wasn’t talking about myself…”
“You can speak freely in front of me. You know I hate bothersome things. You can trust me.”