Chapter 6

Chapter 6

There wasn’t anything in appearance that could distinguish cursed humans from normal animals . If the animal didn’t speak then we had no idea of knowing if they were animals or cursed people . Apparently, some cursed humans weren’t able to talk for up to several years because of the shock of being turned into animals .

Was it sometime last month?

I’d caught what I thought was a normal carp because it hadn’t said a word the entire time, but only when I was about to eat it did it say, “It hurts, could you put me down first so I can say something . ”

「I feel like Your Ladyship is different from usual . You usually don’t have much interest in what’s going on in the lake . 」

“……It’s not like that . ”

I’d told her not to say anything unnecessary, but my eyes were still fixed on the baby swan . I couldn’t keep being like this, but my steps didn’t stop .

“Now, the sun is coming soon, so Madam will go in and take a rest until the moon rises . I will take this baby . If you go out into the field at the end of the lake, there may be some kids you know . ”

「The sun is about to set but is Your Ladyship going to go inside and rest before the moon appears? I will take this child . If I go to the edge of the lake to the field, I might be able to find some kids I know to care for it . . 」

“…You’re taking the baby swan to the field?”

「Yes, these days, some feral dogs will come down every once in a while, so if we just leave it here then it might not even last the night . 」

“No, shh!”

Cover the baby’s ears!

Without thinking I extended my arms and picked up the baby swan . As I felt the baby swan breathing in my arms, so surprised at being picked up that it didn’t even let out a cry, my voice also became quieter .

“It’s fine, Selene, so why don’t you leave first . Didn’t you promise to help clean up the reed fields in the evening? A promise is a promise . Don’t think lightly of the communal life . ”

「……But then what about the baby swan……」

“Hyoo-ooh, Well, it looks like I have no choice . I’ll take care of her today . ”

I shrugged my shoulders and let out a light sigh . Selene shook her head and looked like she was going to die from annoyance, or as much as she could for a duck .

“……I was just going to take a light nap, but now it looks like I really won’t be able to rest . ”

◇ ◆ ◇

……No one is here, right? As soon as I entered the villa, I looked around and then put the baby swan on a table . As for resting, I was already wide awake . I’d slept yesterday and the day before, and I’ll probably be sleeping tomorrow, so why’d I need to go to sleep now?

“Hmm…… . ”

Okay then .

I nodded my head as I examined the baby swan . The spotless white fuzz of feathers looked soft and like snowflakes just before they melted .

At its hesitating and frightened appearance, I immediately moved it to the bed .

“I’m sorry . It’s just been so long since I’ve seen a child . ”

Of course it’d be scared stiff .

I quickly pulled over a blanket and wrapped the swan in it . I felt like I needed to do something for the child but I wasn’t sure what exactly I should start with, and I only grew more nervous .

“Alright now, how’s that?”

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「 …… . 」

I knew I wouldn’t get a response, but I still waited for a bit before I chuckled . Since there wasn’t anyone watching me, I slowly got on my belly and made eye contact with the baby swan’s red eyes as it slightly tilted its head in confusion .

“Ah……what do I do . ”

It’s so cute I could go insane!

I just wanted to nestle my face in that fluff and skip around the room .

But if I kick up a fuss like that I’d only frighten the baby swan .

I bit my lips and supported my chin . I had always taken care of the baby animals that had been born or brought to the zoo in my previous life .

“Child, where exactly could your mother have gone?”

「 …… . 」

“Anyway, how can your eyes look as pretty jewels?”

As long as you weren’t scared of the color, anyone would want to kiss those sparkling eyes . They looked like rubies, and though I’ve never seen one in person, I’d say the child’s eyes were of a purer and clearer quality .

But……aren’t the swan’s eyes usually black?

I tilted the head I was supporting as I copied the baby swan’s movements .

For a moment, I thought it might really be a cursed person, but now I was sure it wasn’t .

If it had been cursed, it would have said something by this time .

Though all animals can understand my words, the normal animals didn’t have as diverse of a vocabulary as the humans .

So even if I could understand what they said, it was pretty much just what they liked and didn’t like, or maybe if they were hungry or sleepy .

“……”

But this child didn’t even speak up .

Except for the surprise when I’d first discovered it, it didn’t seem to show any signs of fear or distress from then until now . Only the kind curiosity that was unique to children remained .

I kept tilting my head this way and that way until I snapped my fingers .

“Ah, ah! So it’s like that!”

That’s right, it could be something like a mutation .

If I thought of it like that, then it also made sense that the mother abandoned this baby swan .

The baby swan flinched, perhaps startled at my sudden movements .

“No, no . It’s not your fault . ”

What’s wrong with such pretty eyes?

My eyes teared up .

I didn’t have a memory of being abandoned since I was too young, but I could never erase the feeling that I’d been thrown away by my parents .

So as not to scare it, I carefully held the swan in my arms .

“They’re so stupid . To leave such a pretty baby . ”

Hm……but why couldn’t I stop smiling .

Knowing the reason why, I gave pressure to my cheeks so I didn’t look like I was .

Because it’d be mean if I smiled right in front of the child’s face despite their circumstances .

But despite my efforts the corners of my mouth had slowly risen on their own .

「 …… . 」

“It’s not what you think . I just tend to……smile a lot . ”

When the innocent eyes looked up at me, I made up an excuse .

But how could I not smile in this situation .

I might be getting a family member!

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And it’s such a pretty baby at that!

“That……what I’m about to say might be a little weird, but…… . ”

「 …… . 」

“Should I be your mommy?”

I was nervous and swallowed saliva down my throat . I never thought that I’d be saying this to a baby swan, but this was still much better than all the other moments I’d had since I’d transmigrated .

I didn’t know if I would say this to a baby swan, not a man, but honestly, I was more nervous than what had never happened .

“I was lonely you know!”

No matter how satisfied I was with my life on the lake, I was still living the loner life I’d had in my past life after I transmigrated .

Especially since I was the only one who transformed back into human form and returned to the house among the lake inhabitants who stayed behind

“Think about it . This isn’t really a bad thing for you, either . ”

「 …… . 」

Even though I knew I wouldn’t get a reply, I didn’t take my eyes off the little baby swan as I spoke .

As I thought, I should be a little more proactive in my approach .

Reaching out and touching its head, I trembled as I felt like my hand was going to melt .

“Let’s just live together . Hm?”

「 …… . 」

Though I asked for permission like this, I’d already blackened on the inside like the black swan I was .

……Well who cares . As long as I didn’t want to send the baby swan away .

Though I felt my conscience being pricked for a moment, I wasn’t really doing anything bad . Since it had been abandoned by its parents and siblings, there needed to be someone to take care of the child unless its parents and siblings came searching for it .

‘Honestly, even if they came now to take back their child……is there even a chance that it’s swan with proper principles?”

It’d probably abandon the baby it’d thrown away a second time since it did it once already .

I had already amassed a list of over a hundred reasons why I should be raising this baby swan in my mind .

Though I tried not to overdo it my fingers itched to keep touching the baby swan, and I kept rubbing and stroking its cheeks . It was only when I saw its head lowering that I let go .

“You must be sleepy . Makes sense . ”

「 …… . 」

I gently laid the swan on a folded blanket .

Though all I wanted to do was hug the child, I was just as sleepy after not being able to sleep a wink earlier . If I hurt the child by accidently pinning it down in my sleep just because of my needless greed, such a big crisis……I wasn’t going to let that happen .

I was going to turn into a black swan anyway .

“……Haha . “

I gave an awkward smile and opened the window and curtains wide enough for the moonlight to reach my bed . If I did it like this, there was no way the baby swan would get crushed since I’d be smaller .

Though there was a much easier method of having the baby swan sleep separately on the floor, frankly, I didn’t want that .

“It’s okay to do this . It’s the baby’s first day . ”

After all, it must have been frightened after being abandoned .

The idea that this pretty baby had been abandoned was already a foregone conclusion in my mind .

Oguogu . I covered its head and leaned on one another .

T/N: 오구오구 is basically coochi-coochi-coo .

I don’t know which of the two of us fell asleep first, but I was definitely the first one to feel like I was dreaming .

Thank you! To grant my wish like this!

I had nothing else to wish for now that a baby had rolled into my relaxed lake life . Even better, it wasn’t just any baby but a cute little swan!

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It was like a customized baby made just for the cursed Catherine .

Maybe there was a slight error with all this because I was a black swan and a white swan had appeared, but it wasn’t to the point that I could call it a flaw, really .

‘It’s probably not a dream, right . ’

And even in my dreams, all I could do was worry that the baby swan was just my imagination .

It’s cheating to give me something I wished for and then taking it back, after all .

Murmuring that I’d never let it be taken away from me, I stretched my arms toward the baby swan .

No, it wasn’t stretching my arms, I was spreading my wings .

「Euh euhm, did you wake up?」

Now when did this kid bury itself like this .

I’d opened my eyes and felt the baby swan had snuggled itself next to my stomach .

As I thought, I’m also the only for you, right?

There was no doubt that it had searched to nestle into my arms by instinct .

The baby swan that kept moving around next to me finally emerged from its burrow, tilting its head cutely . I smiled as I spoke .

“Well, you look surprised, but there’s nothing to be scared about . Mommy transformed suddenly because-”

「Mommy?」

Wai, wait a second .

I instantly froze in place as the baby swan’s face brightened . It flapped its wings and innocently asked a question that put the nail in the coffin .

「Mommy？ Awe you weally my mommy？」