Chapter 74

Chapter #74

Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain

Translator(s) notes: Thank you @jira for the ko-fi (✯◡✯)

*3rd person POV

*Clang, clang, clang-*

“Ahhhh!!”

The guards, who stood guard, ran to the source of the scream that shook the mansion.

“Ah, ah, ah, ah, My, My Lady!! R, right now! A healer, right now—!! No, the Master, the Master—!!”

The maid, who was pale and trembling, had her clothes and hands stained with blood. The guards who looked at her were stunned.

The precious only daughter of a Count’s family was bleeding and lying down. Who wouldn’t be surprised?

The people started to get frantic. Some tried to stop the bleeding by clutching the thin, bloody wrists of the girl, while others ran to get a healer.

And, of course, this great commotion also reached the ear of the Count, the master of the mansion.

“What?!”

“The bleeding has been stopped with a potion. And someone is fetching a healer.”

“How can you not know until Adriana become like this!!”

“For, forgive me, forgive me!!”

“Forget it!! I’m going to go see her myself!”

The Count began to walk briskly, almost as if he was running. If it wasn’t for the dignity of a nobleman, he would have run right away.

“Adriana!!”

As the door slammed open, the Count called his daughter’s name. Then, the healer who was sitting at the bedside stood up and greeted him.

“Count Gwynell.”

“Oh, oh… how is my daughter? Is there something serious? Maybe, maybe…”

The Count couldn’t utter “Is my daughter dead?”.

The healer shook his head and said as he saw the Count waved his hand nervously with a pale and tired complexion,

“Don’t worry too much, Count. Fortunately, it was found out early and treated first with a potion, so she wasn’t driven into a dangerous situation.”

Hearing those words, the Count’s complexion improved slightly. The healer continued to say to the Count who let out a long sigh like he was fortunate,

“The wound itself is not deep, but… she lost a lot of blood. It would be better if you could let her rest for a while.”

The Count simply nodded, unable to reply. Perhaps understanding the Count’s feelings, the healer smiled softly and comforted him by saying it was going to be okay and that he shouldn’t worry.

However, the Count’s daughter, who had escaped a dangerous situation, did not open her eyes for a week.

It was the Countess who was upset. How much has her daughter been pampered?

Since it was difficult for the couple to have a child and since the girl’s body was on the weak side, the attention and love that the husband and wife poured on her were immense.

Because of that, she was a little… she tended to act stubborn. But she was still their daughter who they couldn’t bear to see going through difficulties. She was their dearest child.

And that child cut her wrist. She wanted to die, she did not want to live. She made up her mind and committed such a thing.

The next thing the couple does after such a shocking incident was obvious. It was to gather all those their daughter’s aid and find out what had happened.

They would resort to torture if necessary. The couple then came to know why their daughter tried to commit suicide.

However, as the reason was so absurd and shameful, the couple shut up everyone involved and waited for their daughter to wake up.

‘All you have to do is wake up. All you have to do is live.’

With that in mind, the couple kept waiting at their daughter’s bedside with nervous hearts

***

*Rainelle’s POV

It felt good to play and have fun with Sepia today as well.

Aww! Isn’t Sepia really cute? As long as she awakens, I can’t ask for more!

That doesn’t mean I’m going to search for a Crobanlock. There’s a chance of death after all. I’ll never want Sepia to go through something so dangerous!

She is already cute and pretty that I could easily shake off the regrets of not seeing Sepia in the form of a baby wolf.

Yes. I can’t give Sepia a hard time because of my greed!

I flew freely and merrily through the Imperial Palace before landing on a nearby roof. I could feel the warmth of the roof that was warmed by the sunlight spreading to my toes.

Oh good! I’m happy! I am the happiest crow in the world!

…Ah! My identity keeps shifting from human to crow! I can’t do this!! Even though I possessed a crow, my head becomes simple, and I became reliant on my instincts–!!

—Let’s stop. Somehow, I feel miserable the more I talk about it.

I took a deep breath and looked at my surroundings. The world from the high roof of the Imperial Palace was very wide, and the scenery of the city entered my vision at once. There weren’t a lot of high-rise buildings I saw when I was a zookeeper, but… even from a distance, it felt full of vitality. Neat, clean, and bright.

While enjoying leisure, the original game suddenly came to my mind. A female-oriented game that I played years ago and can’t remember clearly. I can only recall that the heroine of the original game, or the playable character, was a girl from a noble family.

…Honestly, the setting for the heroine should be explained in just a few lines, right? The important part is the target characters, isn’t it?

The problem Is that I had played it so long ago that I completely forgot about it until I saw the really important key item, damn it.

Let’s see… Miel appeared, Karmeut became the emperor, and there are also Namuel and Galenos… Are there only hidden characters that haven’t appeared?

I gave up trying to think of the conditions for the appearance of the hidden characters.

…I can’t even remember the name of the target characters before, and now the conditions for the appearance of the hidden characters? I give up, I give up.

I said that to myself and put the thoughts about the hidden characters away.

—It seems that all the basic conditions have been met, but the original heroine… when does that playable character appear? Umm, because the original story has already been smashed, I hope she doesn’t appear!!

***

“Rainelle-nim.”

“…Caaw? (…Huh?)”

I lifted my head when I was in the middle of eagerly pecking at grains. A maid politely put out her hands together and said,

“A letter has arrived.”

…letter? To me? From who?

I couldn’t help but wonder because I knew better than anyone that there was no one to write to me.

Um, I’m a crow, who would write to me?

…this. Saying this makes me miserable. Ah, anyway. I should read the letter first.

After transforming into my human form, I received her letter from her maid. The envelope was quite heavy. It was made of good material and smooth.

…Eh, but can I read the text?!

It was only after I pulled out the letterhead that I realized it.

I, I’m a crow! Besides, even if I was a human before, I’m from a different world!!

My fingertips trembled at the sudden anxiety, but I decided to open the letter.

Yeah! If I can’t, I’ll just ask the maid or Karmeut to read it for me!!

Fortunately, the writing inside was readable to me.

Ahh, I’m glad!! I’m not illiterate!! Strangely, I can read it even though it’s not in Korean! Is it because I possessed this body?

I thought that my life was full of issues, but I guess that was not the case.

I don’t know if it’s because of the God who sent me here, but thank you for this! I was ignorant!!

I read the letter as I expressed my infinite gratitude in my heart.

—Let’s see… why are there so many rhetorics?

There were so many decorative words that I frowned, but what the letter was trying to say was simple. The noble ladies wanted to hold a tea party, so they wanted permission.

The expense will be borne by each individual, and I only need to come in person. What?

”Tea party—!!’

I’ve only seen it in movies or novels! Wearing a pretty dress and smiling elegantly while drinking tea in the garden!! The tea party with various desserts?!

“I’m going to see Karmeut, no, His Majesty the Emperor, so please make preparation.”

“Understood, Rainelle-nim.”

I need permission, permission! Yay!! It’s a tea party, it’s a tea party!!

***

“Tea party?”

“Yeah! Can’t I?”

Karmeut greeted me with a small smile as if it was time for a break. Then he answered while reaching out and stroking my hair gently,

“Of course you can. If it’s what you want, there’s no way I can’t say no.”

A light seemed to be radiating from Karmeut’s face when he said that.

Oh, cool!!

“Wow! Thank you!!”

I was so happy that I hugged Karmeut tightly. I felt a smile naturally form on my face at the familiar arms and body temperature, then I heard a small laugh.

“If I had known that you would be this happy, I would have arranged it before this.”

“No, no. I hadn’t even thought about it until I got the letter!”

“Letter?”

“Yeah! Letter!!”

I handed the letter that I received to Karmeut. Then, after reading the letter calmly and meticulously, Karmeut said while smiling,

“Good for you, Rainelle. This is also an opportunity, so don’t worry and enjoy it to your heart’s content. I’ll pass on the message about the tea party to the Imperial Palace chefs.”

“You don’t have to do that…”

“No matter how much the noble ladies said that they’ll each borne the expense, you will be the star of the tea party. That’s why you have to show yourself worthy of being the star. Don’t you think so?”

My heart pounded for a moment as I saw Karmeut smiling while telling me that.

The touch stroking my hair was familiar. No matter when I received it, I would close my eyes unconsciously.

There was a burst of low laughter. My shoulders trembled slightly at the soft, silky touch on my lips.

However, contrary to my expectations, he quickly backed off after only giving me a light kiss.

That’s a bit of a pity… hah!

As I thought that it was a pity, I felt my cheeks burning, so I touched them.

“Have fun, Rainelle. Galenos will be by your side.”

“…Uh, yes. Thank you.”

The feeling of my cheeks being softly rubbed was strange. It was not between skin and fur, nor was it between feathers and skin. It was the touching between skin and skin… What should I say, it was clearer than ever, so I was rather embarrassed.

At this point, I hurriedly returned to the form of a crow due to a sense of crisis that my face was about to explode. Then, pretending that there was nothing strange, I sat on his lap and began arranging my feathers.

“You could have stayed longer in your human form.”

I squawked because his smirking voice seemed to be making fun of me.

You want to see me get embarrassed?! Aaah!! Why is Karmeut the only one who is always fine?!!

While grumbling, I pulled Karmeut’s hem. But he only laughed and stroked my feathers, as if finding my actions to be a source of happiness.

…Ugh, just wait! One day I’ll see a flustered Karmeut!! I’m going to make sure that you’ll be flustered because of my actions!!

*Karmeut’s POV

The Emperor sighed at Rainelle’s act of turning back into a crow and quickly flew out after. It seemed to be because of embarrassment.

—But Rainelle hugged me first.

I know it was because she was happy and did it unconsciously, but when I remembered Rainelle approaching me first in her human form and hugging me softly…

—The Emperor smiled again and again as he seemed to be feeling so happy like he could fly.

“Where’s Sir Windster?”

“He’s training with the Knights, Your Majesty.”

“Call him here.”

The servant, who received the Emperor’s order, bowed courteously and then headed to the training ground hurriedly.

Not long after, Galenos, who was dressed in a knightly uniform, greet the Emperor with courtesy.

“Did you call me, Your Majesty?”

“In a week, Rainelle and the noble ladies will gather for a tea party. I want you to escort Rainelle to prevent any unwanted incident.”

“Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor.”

“…Ah, and Sepia should also go to the tea party.”

Galenos silently bowed his head.

Rainelle and Sepia. The fact that the two women, whom the Emperor cherished the most, participated in the tea party meant that his work increased. But there were no complaints from him.

There was nothing more absolute than the Emperor’s orders, and Galenos knew well why the Emperor cherished them.

“I’ll make sure nothing bad happens.”

“I believe in you, Sir Windster.”

Karmeut smiled satisfactorily at the appearance of the knight who lowered his head quietly.

The more preparation, the better. One never knows when or what will happen, so no matter how much I try to declare Rainelle as the future next empress, it’s impossible to say that no one will commit a crime.

I think it would be better if I sit with her, but that would ruin the tea party. Then Rainelle might be disappointed.

Thinking so, Karmeut, who also suppressed his regret, recalled her warmth.

Just thinking of Rainelle in his arms made him feel better. The Emperor then headed to his office.

Since he was in a position to rule and control the Empire, his work increased so much that it could not be compared to the time when he was a prince. It had been stable in some way, but it was probably not perfect.

Taking a long sigh inwardly, Karmeut promised:

I’ll have to recruit talented people so that I’ll have more time with Rainelle.

…In a way, it was a promise that would make people think -if they knew the Emperor’s inner intentions- that the Emperor wanted talented people with impure intentions.