Chapter 15

*Rainelle’s POV

I honestly applaud it. I’m very impressed! I was wondering how Karmeut was able to awaken before the timeline of the game, so it was because of Marquis Namuel!

While enjoying being inside Karmeut’s arms and his touches, I remembered Namuel. As I recalled the green-eyed handsome man with long gray hair and glasses, a wizard who is the eldest son of a duke, I screamed inside.

I can’t believe I’m meeting the protagonist of the original story of the game like this! Namuel is the main character!

Although far from getting the right of succession, Namuel is a member of the Imperial Family. His long gray hair was impressive and memorable, but honestly, I couldn’t think of anything more than that.

By the way, If I remember, his bloodline is a bit complicated, right? Besides the blood of the Imperial Family, what else was there? from his mother? Agh!! I can’t remember!! All I can recall is about his bloodline without any details?! I can only vaguely remember the time when I play!!

I remember that he was the type who get fierce when attacked. He’s not simple and he doesn’t trust others very well. I remember that he was very popular, but because he had many routes, I can’t remember the details. I’m going crazy.

Oh, God! If You’re going to send me somewhere, why not to a game which I played just a while ago?! …but then I’d be rolling in a post-apocalypse world. I should say this is a relief. I shouldn’t say this is a misfortune.

When I realized that the game I played just before I died was an open-world game where the world ended once due to the spread of zombie virus and then the survivors united, I gladly accepted my current situation.

Yeah, if I thought like this, it’s still okay. Well, in a way.

Now I’m receiving a lot of affection from the next emperor, Karmeut, and my meeting with Namuel, the main character in the original game, wasn’t too bad, so it feels like I’m getting farther away from the death flag.

Plus, I can say goodbye to the situation where I have to eat bugs or worms! This little thirst for knowledge is nothing!! By the way…

I turned my head to look at Karmeut. To be exact, I’m looking at the Crobanlok in Karmeut’s pocket. The brilliant blue light that I could see through his clothes kept seducing me.

When I was in the forest, I was full of the thought of, “Let’s give it to Karmeut and get him to see me favorably!” that I didn’t even notice how the jewel-like crystalline substance that covered the Crobanlock’s surface could stimulate the crow’s instincts in me!

It’s so shiny!

My eyes were not moving from the fruit that sparkled like a jewel. Furthermore… the smell of this fruit is very fragrant. It smells sweet. An appetizing smell that is incomparable to the fruits that Karmeut had given me.

Somehow, my instinct kept seducing me, like “This is really delicious, c’mon, let’s eat it!”

My instinct kept poking me in the head that it would taste very delicious if I pecked it.

But logically, it wasn’t a very good choice for me to eat a Crobalock. It would be great to awaken after eating it, but the risk of dying if I didn’t awaken was too high.

In addition, this Crobanlock wasn’t mine, but Karmeut’s. Crobanlok was precious enough that it can only be acquired only once per segment. I wouldn’t give it to a crow when I got it.

Even thinking about it, it was kind of depressing.

But…despite knowing all that, I really, really, really wanted to eat it!

Even though I knew I could die if I ate it, I wanted to eat it. I think it will be delicious. I want to peck it!

The crow’s instinct kept shouting like that, and I felt like I was losing my mind.

I want to eat it. I want to eat it. I want to eat it.

The sweet scent and the brilliant blue light engulfed my reason. Is it because my body is not that of a human but a crow’s? Gradually, the feeling became unbearable. I gulped down his saliva and stared intently at the Crobanlock in Karmeut’s pocket.

Aah, I can’t stand it anymore—-!

*Karmeut’s POV

Karmeut’s golden eyes blinked slowly at Rainelle’s action, who suddenly flapped its wings and moved violently. It was not uncommon for a dog to flutter its feathers like it was fluttering its body.

Is Rainelle itchy? Or did it just do it for no particular reason?

He looked at Rainelle while thinking about this and that, then a brief exclamation leaked out from Karmeut’s mouth.

“…huh?”

Rainelle’s head, which was buried in his arms, was raised. In its beak, there was a fruit that sparkled with a brilliant blue light.

Leaving Karmeut, who had momentarily froze by the sudden situation, Rainelle flew to the top of the closet with Crobanlock in its beak.

“Rainelle!”

His face looked surprised and troubled as he jumped from his seat and shouted in alarm. Was it because the Crobanlock was going to be wasted? No.

The Crobanlock I received from Marquis Namuel is good to have, but there was nothing to be desired about it.

Karmeut had succeeded in awakening with the Crobanlock that Rainelle brought, so the problem wasn’t how Rainelle took the fruit.

Rainelle gave it to him before, but it was none other than Rainelle who found a Crobanlock first.

“Be good, don’t eat that–!”

There was only one thing he was afraid of: Rainelle died after eating Crobanlock because it can’t overcome the power. Karmeut’s face contorted when the thought of it that terrible, thought came to his mind.

I know because I’ve eaten Crobanlock before. I know how terrifying and powerful that fruit is. I was afraid my body would explode if I didn’t handle the power properly.

There is no way that an ordinary crow, who is neither a beast nor from any race, can properly handle its power!!

Rainelle tilted its head as Karmeut spoke in a desperate tone of voice. Karmeut reached out his hand as the Crobanlock seemed that it can be swallowed right away.

“Rainelle, give that to me. Don’t you want some cookies? I’ll give you as much as you want, so give it to me. Aren’t you a good kid?”

Rainelle let out a small caw. Then it turned away, opened the closet door with its head, and went inside. Karmeut clenched his teeth as he saw Rainelle’s dark tail swaying. Then he rushed over to where his sword was placed, pulled out the sword, and cut down the closet.

The neatly bisected wardrobe slid down with a squeaking sound. A crow flew out in surprise almost at the same time as when thudding sounds can be heard from outside.

The Crobanlock was still in Rainelle’s beak, who flapped its wings rapidly. A few dark feathers fell from Rainelle’s flapping action as it flew frantically towards the ceiling.

“Rainelle!!”

“Your Highness, is there something wrong?!!”

“It’s nothing, don’t come in!”

When the closet broke in half and fell, a loud sound rang out, which alerted the guards.

Karmeut ordered them not to come in as he had no idea what to do if the guards came in and saw this mess. His eyes followed Rainelle who still had the Crobanlock.

Rainelle flapped its wings, spun around, and landed on the chandelier. The crow looked at Karmeut while breathing heavily with its beak open

“Rainelle! You’re a good kid, so give me the fruit, will you?”

Rainelle, whose pupils contracted slightly, remained firm and still. Seeing Rainelle like that, Karmeut wondered whether to jump and catch Rainelle, or to coax it gently so that it wouldn’t be surprised.

…But, Karmeut’s worries became meaningless. Because after Rainelle had put down the Crobanlock, it grabbed the fruit with one foot and began to peck it with its beak.

“Rainelle!!”

The outer part of the Crobanlock glistened like a jewel, but it was unexpectedly soft. It may be contradictory, but that was why Karmeut was able to eat it with its shell when he ate it before. If it had been hard, he would not have been able to eat it before peeling it. But that benefit turned into a drawback for Karmeut due to Rainelle’s action. The crow could pierce the fruit’s shell with its beak so easily. Whether or not it knew Karmeut’s anxious mind, Rainelle began to eat the Crobanlock with great relish.

Normally, Rainelle would look cute biting a fruit with its beak, breaking through the shell, pecking at the flesh with its beak, and finally swallowing it. But what Rainelle ate right now was Crobanlock, a dangerous fruit that could kill if something went wrong.

Though Rainelle had already eaten some, Karmeut lowered his posture slightly and braced his legs, thinking that he had no choice but to surprise Rainelle to make the crow eat even a little less. His golden eyes flashed with the thought of leaping and cutting down the chandelier, but Rainelle was a little faster.

Rainelle spread its wings and flew away while making a satisfied cry. With a snap, a shiny thing fell down the chandelier. Seeing that the flesh of the fruit was all gone and what was left was just an empty shell, Karmeut’s eyes froze.

Was the flesh of the fruit really that little? Or do the awakening properties make it absorbed quickly?

In this situation where his mind was filled with various complicated things, one thing was clear.

Rainelle ate Crobanlock, and it was a fact that Rainelle would die if it didn’t overcome the moment of awakening that was about to begin. Someone else couldn’t intervene and help the one who was going through the awakening. That individual had to overcome it by themselves. Karmeut chewed his lips.

He looked around to find out where Rainelle had gone to. Rainelle sat at the top of the backrest of his chair, tidying its feathers leisurely. Maybe it found the Crobanlock delicious as Rainelle looked somehow happy while fluffing its feathers and grinding its beak.

Karmeut hid his presence and approached Rainelle. In the next moment, he reached out and grabbed Rainelle.

“Caaaw?!”

Surprised, Rainelle tried to flap its wings, but as the crow was held tightly by Karmeut’s hands, it could only squirm and dart its violet eyes around. Karmeut’s eyes showed seriousness.

“Don’t you know that what you did is wrong?!”

Karmeut could feel his voice rising unintentionally, but he couldn’t hold it back this time. When Rainelle will start the awakening soon, he would have to watch helplessly. It would be nice if Rainelle awakened, but if not… he couldn’t help but be furious at the thought that he had to watch Rainelle die.

Soon…

“……?”

–something’s strange.

When the expected situation did not occur, his golden eyes trembled.

When I ate a Crobanlock, something immediately happened. Inside my body, a great power was flowing. And I felt that if I don’t do my best to suppress it, it would explode. Then, I will die.

So, why hasn’t anything changed so far?

“Caw?”

Rainelle tilted its head while cawing, but Karmeut’s head was filled with confusion, so he just stared blankly and stiffly at the violet eyes for a while.

Perhaps because he was confused, Karmeut’s hold loosened slightly.

Using the gap, Rainelle succeeded in struggling and getting out of his hold. Rainelle flew and landed where the shell was. Then Karmeut felt dizzy when Rainelle picked it up with its beak and swallowed it.

Rainelle, who flapped its wings as if happy, was unaware of Karmeut’s speed on closing in. He was worried that the awakening would start, so he looked closely, but there was no change in the crow’s body.

“I can be relieved…right?”

I’m glad, at least Rainelle didn’t die.

Thinking so, Karmeut secretly stroked his chest.

Sighing, the prince looked at Rainelle who was still flapping its wings on the floor as if it was dancing and showing off its joy.

Why is Rainelle like this all of a sudden?

The question suddenly came to his mind as there were a couple of strange things.

Rainelle had never made trouble like this before. Of course, when it was angry, it pecked or bit his hand while making cawing sounds, but that was an expression of emotion.

On the contrary, Rainelle was clever enough to bring Karmeut what he needed and even him its cuteness, but why did Rainelle do this?

He looked at Rainelle, but he didn’t get an answer. Of course. Rainelle was a crow who couldn’t speak. That fact was so frustrating that Karmeut let out a long sigh. He reached out his hand to the crow and said,

“Rainelle, come here.”

While cawing as a response, Rainelle flew up lightly and landed on Karmeut’s arm. Seeing Rainelle like that, the prince let out a long sigh once again.

How can you be so carefree without knowing how others feel?

Thinking so, the prince hugged the lucky bird in his arms. His fingertips that stroked the dark feathers were trembling slightly.

*Rainelle’s POV

Huh?! What have I done?!

I don’t remember anything ever since I thought that the Crobanlock looked so delicious that I couldn’t stand it. Why am I in Karmeut’s arms?

And why is the closet cut into two? And, this sweet taste that’s left in my mouth…

…No way!! Did I eat it?! Did you eat the Crobanlock?! Agh!!! Awakening! There’s going to be an awakening! But if I fail to awaken, I might die!!

I wanted to flap my wings and make a fuss, but strangely enough, I couldn’t get enough strength in my body. Rather than that, I just wanted to be held in Karmeut’s arms like this.

I’ve always thought it was good, but his arms are warm and cozy, and he also smells good.

I cuddled Karmeut and moved my beak slightly. Then, the tail of my eyes naturally bent as his hand lightly scratched my chin as if telling me that my behavior was cute.

Oh, this feels good. I’m just going to stay here like this…