Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Rosaria's Welcome
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...Was that permission?
Is Baon just completely oblivious?
Still, it worked out for me, so I suppose it didn't matter.
I stood on my tiptoes, clinging to the knotted handle of the basket, and surveyed the room.
I couldn't see everything, but just from the ceiling and walls, I could tell it was an incredibly lavish room.
I thought of the man Baon had just called 'the Lord'.
To be called by such a title meant he led a family, and this house was his.
Wait a minute.
I froze, belatedly realizing a crucial fact.
...The owner of this house dislikes me.
It was obvious just from recalling the conversation with Baon.
The man they called the Lord was not pleased about me staying here.
It was only a matter of time before I was kicked out.
What do I do?
"…Peep."
I covered my eyes. My wings felt damp.
"You're crying."
Baon asked, looking at me with curiosity.
"Are you hungry?"
"Peep…"
I tilted my head, then nodded. I suppose I was.
I hadn't eaten anything since hatching from the egg.
The moment I realized it, my stomach rumbled.
To my surprise, Baon seemed flustered.
"Hmm. Now that I think about it, what do birds eat?"
No, wait a second.
"Do they eat chunks of meat? No, I think that's birds of prey."
Baon muttered, looking my way as if lost in thought.
This isn't right. Not with that look in his eyes.
A sense of dread crept over me, and I clamped my beak shut.
No way. I'm not opening my beak for anything.
Just as my anxiety peaked and an unimaginable scene began to form in my mind…
Baon spoke again as if he'd just remembered something.
"Ah. Do they eat bugs? Or insects."
No! Absolutely not!
I shook my head, vehemently refusing.
At my frantic reaction, the corners of Baon's mouth lifted into a wicked grin.
His intention to tease me was obvious.
"I'll go get some right away."
"Peep. Peeeeep! Peep!"
No. Don't go! Baon!
I called out desperately to Baon's back as he left the room.
What if he's actually going to get them?
I dropped to my knees and reached out. My tiny wings trembled pathetically.
It's just one thing after another.
The future of this little bird felt bleak.
Fortunately, what Baon brought back were small berries.
The red berries gave off a sweet scent.
"There were no living creatures to be found on the family's private lands."
I had no idea what kind of place this was to have no living creatures, but it was a huge relief.
I had been worried he would actually give me bugs to eat.
"Eat up."
"Peep!"
I began to devour the berries one by one from the small, full container.
I thought it would be difficult at first, but using my beak wasn't so hard once I tried.
As I ate, I even developed a technique and was able to eat the berries quickly.
"Pee-pee-peep."
I'm full.
I patted my bulging belly. Now that I had eaten, and with the sunlight streaming through the window, my eyes began to feel heavy.
It was a well-known fact that a nap was the best thing after a meal.
How long had it been since I'd had a nap? To be able to sleep without being on guard felt like a dream.
"You seem sleepy."
"Peep."
I nodded and plopped down on the blanket.
A huge yawn escaped me.
As I snuggled in and dozed off, I noticed a smudge of fruit juice on my fluffy white feathers.
"Peep?"
When did this get here?
I glanced around before giving it a quick wipe with the blanket.
It only smeared and made it messier.
"...Peep!"
When wiping it a few more times didn't help, I kicked the blanket in frustration.
"Now, now, you shouldn't do that."
Baon scolded me sternly. Was he going to lecture me for having bad manners?
I snuck a glance at him as he leaned down. Our eyes met, and he said with utter seriousness.
"What would you do if you broke your leg?"
"…"
"So, you must not kick."
Unable to let his comment slide, I stealthily examined my leg.
Wiggle, wiggle.
"...Peep."
See? It's fine.
I showed him my leg. It was attached perfectly well.
I'll have to be careful from now on.
As I smoothed out the blanket, Baon made a strange expression. It was almost as if he were holding back laughter…
It must have been my imagination.
I looked at the blanket glumly.
To think I now had to classify a blanket filled with nothing but cotton as a potential hazard.
And here I was, thinking under the covers was the safest place in the world.
"Starting tomorrow, someone new will be coming."
"...?"
"Rosaria will be here to help you with various things, so you must be good and listen to her."
I nodded obediently. There was no reason to dislike someone who was coming to help. In fact, it was welcome news.
My goal was to grow up safe and sound in this house.
And, if I could learn how, I wanted to stay here for a long, long time, until I could humanize.
In my previous life, I had died before I ever had the chance to.
If I was lucky, maybe I could even learn that from Rosaria.
* * *
"Hello, little lady. You're even cuter than I heard! My name is Rosaria."
Early in the morning, Rosaria arrived, much sooner than I had expected.
"Peep, peep."
I greeted her, taken aback.
I hadn't expected her to be so friendly.
It was clear to anyone that she was fond of me.
Feeling a little embarrassed, I watched her awkwardly.
I had never received help even from the adults of my own clan, so the thought of Rosaria, a complete stranger, taking care of me felt strange.
"Oh my, how polite. You were just greeting me, weren't you?"
Rosaria, with her thick, wavy red hair and violet eyes, covered her mouth as if deeply moved by my simple greeting.
What's the big deal? Why is she so happy about this?
It was as if she'd never been greeted like this before.
I don't know what kind of life she's had, but this…
Winning her over is going to be too easy.
I decided to seize the momentum and show her the secret weapon I'd been contemplating all night.
It was a technique I had polished as my own method of survival, to captivate the people of the family.
"Peeeeep. Peep!"
The one and only method permitted to a small child.
The "Hold Me, Please."
As I stretched out both my arms and trotted toward her, Rosaria clutched her heart.
"Little lady… To think someone like you is the Lord's daughter. I can't believe it."
"Peep-peep."
"Oh? You've got something on you. Shall we go get you cleaned up first?"
Rosaria composed herself and pointed to the stain I'd made while eating yesterday.
I quickly and carefully climbed onto her palm.
It was time to get my fluffy feathers back to their original state.
Holding me with one hand to keep me from falling, Rosaria's hand was trembling for some reason.
"I can't imagine how he could even think of sending someone like you outside the territory. Phew, it's been so long, I'm not sure I can control my strength."
...I think I just misheard something.
Or did I?
When I glanced back anxiously, Rosaria beamed.
"Don't worry, little lady. I'm quite good at controlling my strength. I'm not like those brutes whose swords move faster than their words."
That must be why Lord Baon summoned me.
Rosaria said proudly.
In stark contrast, my body went rigid. I felt my feathers stand on end from tail to head.
I think I just heard something that sounded very much like a threat to my life.
Rosaria carried me into the bathroom and began to run a warm bath.
"They say that since you're still little, the water should be just a bit warmer than body temperature."
She looked as if she were recalling something she had just read in a book.
A wave of anxiety washed over me.
Seeing me, Rosaria smiled brightly with her beautiful face.
A defining feature of this family was that every single one of them was so stunningly beautiful it made you forget reality for a moment.
I was staring blankly at Rosaria for a moment before her words snapped me back to my senses.
"Now, shall we get in? Little lady."
Oh, dear. Am I going to be okay?
In that moment, I missed Baon like crazy.