Chapter 92

*Rainelle’s POV

Perhaps the crow could feel the tight tension, it said with a cry of dissatisfaction,

“Caaw. Caw, caaw. (Don’t be so wary. Earlier, I did it because I thought you are a male.)”

“Caw, caaw?

(Huh, really?)”

“Caw. Caaw. (Yeah. It’s autumn, so there’s a lot of turf war.)”

Come to think of it, a cool breeze had begun to blow in the morning and evening. The leaves have not yet fallen, but the autumn wind seems to have begun to blow.

“Caaw? Caaw? (It’s autumn, but why? There’s plenty of food, right?)”

“Caaw. Caw, caaw. (Preparing for winter. Besides, humans also get wild in winter.)”

The crow’s behavior of speaking while raising its neck upright showed signs of dislike for humans.

…Then am I in trouble? I live with people now! Sho, should I not be caught?

Feeling that I was tense, the crow eased its neck slightly.

“Caaw. (Don’t be so nervous.)”

“—Caaw?

(—You’re not going to attack me, are you?)”

“Caaw. (Not to females.)”

As he said so, the crow looked away, perhaps embarrassed.

“—Caaw. Caaw, caaw. (–I didn’t know you are a female before. We had a turf war a while ago, so I thought he was here again.)”

Saying that, the crow narrowed our distance slightly.

Then he said with a soft cry,

“Caaw. (I’m sorry.)”

Those words reassured me a little. When I was sure it wasn’t going to attack, my body relaxed.

“Caaw. Caaw. (I’m sorry too. I passed the area carelessly.)”

The crow was looking at me with its black eyes. Its gaze was tenacious and observant, so I shrank my neck.

The crow puffed up the collar of his neck slightly, then it said softly,

“Caaw? (Where are you going?)”

“Caaw. (I have to go over there.)”

I looked at the Imperial Palace while saying so. The crow’s gaze followed that direction as well.

—Maybe it didn’t like that? The crow made a disapproving cry. It then said,

“Caaw, caaw. (If you’re looking for food and a place to sleep, it’s okay to stay in my area.)”

“…? Caaw. (…? Thank you.)”

“Caaw. (I’m a gentle male to females.)”

As he said so, the crow narrowed our distance a little more and made a low cry as it puffed its feathers as much as possible. If I were a human, I would have felt it was a strange cry, but is it because I’m a crow? It sounded like a melody to me.

It was a sound that was difficult to express in human language. It was a melody, but it was also a cry, and it felt like a clear sound.

I looked at the crow at the sound of the melody that was so impressive that I was still without my knowledge. The crow came closer to me. Then it touched the tip of my beak with his beak.

“Caw, caw? (What, what?)”

“Caaw. Caaw. (You’re really pretty. You’re a pretty female.)”

The black eyes of the crow, who said I was pretty, shone brightly. I met his gaze as if I was unconsciously hypnotized by the starry eyes. Then the crow said something that was like thunder under the blue sky,

“Caaw? (Would you like to mate with me?)

I almost spit out my breath.

Ma, mate?! Mate with me?! No, how many times have we met?! Besides, it’s not breeding season right now! It’s going to be winter soon, so how do you raise a baby?!

Besides! I was attacked by you!! Even if it was a misunderstanding, I was attacked!!

“Caw! (No!)”

Shouting like that, I called out Mui.

Mui, who I called out without a smile unlike usual, caused a wind according to my will. I went with the wind and flew high.

The crow immediately flew after me at such a high speed.

It’s cheating to be that fast even without the help of a spirit!

As much as I thought like that, I didn’t intend to be caught up in any way, so I gave Mui strength and gained more speed.

The crow then staggered and it began flapping its wings in place. Ignoring how it was struggling to get closer somehow, I flew straight to the Imperial Palace.

Hmph! What a freak! After you attacked me, you woo me? And in the fall? Courtship is for springtime!

***

After I returned to the Palace, I picked up dried fruit and tried to get rid of my anger. When I remembered the crow I had met earlier, I felt a little bit angry.

Aah, it’s annoying! Of course, I was the first to trespass into its territory, so I even understood the attack! However, to ask for courtship as soon as it found out that I’m female is a bit too much! I’m never going to meet that crow again!

The door burst open as I was screaming, vowing not to fly low and bump into that crow.

That scared me!

“Rainelle!”

It’s Karmeut!

Why did you call me?

I flew to him with that in my head. …Then he reached out and grabbed my torso.

—huh?

“Let me see where it hurts.”

“Caaw! (How did you know!)”

The words came out without me realizing it, but I’m still a crow, so it would become a squeal in the ears of a human.

Ugh! How did you know!!

I tried to struggle, but Karmeut’s hand was enormous. So I had no choice but to remain quiet as he searched through every nook and cranny of my feathers.

Arghh! Aria has already checked!

“—That’s a relief. There are no injuries.”

“—How did you know? That I get hurt.”

Hearing me, Karmeut raised his eyes.

—Um! I shouldn’t have said this!

“…There’s no way I could have done nothing. Your safety is at stake.”

“Is that so…?”

“I heard you were attacked by another crow.”

“That’s… I’m curious because I always fly safely in high places. Uh… I mean, I also wanted to see the scenery of the streets other than the Imperial Palace, since it looks lively…”

…Somehow, the more I talk, the less I feel safe.

The golden eyes are shining so fiercely! What if I can’t go outside anymore?

“…Sigh…”

I flinched when Karmeut sighed.

Uh, what should I do? You’re not going to say “Don’t go out of the palace like that anymore!”, right?

“…I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen next time. So please don’t tell me not to go out. Hm?”

After hearing that, Karmeut looked at me. I just kept my mouth shut and looked at him while trying to figure out what he was thinking.

“—Rainelle, you can continue to go to Count Gwynell’s place if you want, so don’t be so scared.”

Karmeut, who said that bitterly, made me strongly feel that I had done something wrong.

“I’m, I’m sorry, but I was a little scared because I thought you’d worry.”

“Of course I’m worried. No matter if it’s just crows fighting each other, you can get hurt.”

I bowed my head at those words. I can’t lift my head because I’ve done something wrong.

“…Fortunately, Young Lady Gwynell seems to have treated you. Are you okay?”

“Yes…”

“I don’t want you to get hurt in the future. Can you keep that promise?”

“It was the first time I was attacked, and it was an accident. But it won’t happen again. So it’s okay.”

“I’ll trust you.”

Karmeut spread his arms slightly as he said he trusted me and stroked his head softly. I was a little shy about him holding me in his arms, but if I hesitated, it was obvious that Karmeut would be more upset.

“Don’t startle me, Rainelle. Do you know how surprised I was to hear that you got hurt?”

“…Sorry, Karmeut.”

I could feel Karmeut’s arm trembling slightly. It showed how shaken he was, so I felt even more sorry.

“I’m sorry, Karmeut. And thank you. Thank you for listening to me.”

“…I can’t get angry if you say that, Rainelle.”

He let out a laugh of helplessness. Then I shrank a bit at the touch of his lips that lightly pressed against my forehead.

“Really… what should I do if you’re so adorable?”

I was insanely embarrassed by his low voice.

Oh, come on—!! That’s going to make me embarrassed!

“Hey, those words—!!”

“Are you shy?”

“Uh, yeah.”

He let out a small laugh. I couldn’t stand it any longer and returned to the form of a crow.

But, as if he had expected it, Karmeut grabbed me, who had changed into a crow, with both hands and hugged me in his arms.

Um! Is it an illusion that I think I’m like a flea who tried to run by jumping?

Somehow I felt strange as it felt like Karmeut could read my actions clearly.

The next moment, Karmeut’s hand scratches my chin slowly, so my body became relaxed.

Ah, Karmeut’s touch is really amazing…

It felt like I’m soaking in the hot spring water.

I let out a satisfied cry from the gentle hand stroking. As I felt my heart melt by the usual gentle touch, I buried my face in his arms.

Really, Karmeut is the best1 The crow who wooed me during the day is nothing!

…well, from a zookeeper’s point of view, that one is a pretty cool crow, but… hey! Don’t think about that! Now it’s more important to enjoy Karmeut’s touch!

***

…I wondered why when I said, ‘Never again!’ it always happens instead? Is there a God’s trick? Am I the main character of a novel or what? Oh, I hate accidents like this! Let’s go peacefully, calmly!!

“Caw! Caw! (Female! Wait!)”

“Caw! Caw! (No! Don’t come!)”

I flew high from the beginning because I did not want to be attacked or chased by crows again. However, my feathers flattened to my body as I saw a crow come up from below and chased after me from the back as if it had been waiting.

“Caaw?! (Why are you following me?!)”

Since I wasn’t holding an envelope now, I can speak, and I answered sharply. Then the crow replied back while puffing up the collar of its neck.

“Caaw, caw! Caaw! (There’s a cool place down there, so I’ll let you know! I’ll tell you where to get food, too!)”

I thought about that for a while.

—A cool place from a crow’s point of view?

I wasn’t very interested in a place to get food, but I was curious about the cool place.

“—Caaw? (You’re not trying to attack me again, are you?)”

“Caaw. Caaw. Caaw. Caaw. (That was a mistake. That was the first time I ever attacked a female. I thought you were the male I was arguing with before for territory. I thought he was purposely flying high and trying to surprise me.)”

At its explanation that was full of sincerity, my wariness lessened.

In addition, animals rarely lied when dealing with the opposite sex.

…Of course, there were exceptions, but those exceptions were gently buried in a corner of my memory. I looked at the male crow.

“…Caaw? (…Where’s the cool place?)”

“Caw! (This way!)”

As if excited by my reply, the crow’s mood changed in an instant. As if to urge me, the crow started to fly to my side while making a happy cry as it made a circle.

“Caw! Caw! (Come on! This way!)”

I pretended I couldn’t help it as I flew after the crow.

…I’m on my way to get a letter from Aria anyway, and I have plenty of time, so it’s okay if it’s for a little while, right?

Above all, I was very curious about what kind of place was the ‘cool place’ that the crow spoke about.

Is it a place full of shiny things? Or a good place to get food? But it said that it’d show me where to get food too, didn’t it? Then it’s another place? What kind?

The crow flew ahead, but it glanced back to make sure that I was following. Seeing that, I rolled my eyes and looked at the male crow leading the way.

Then I soon realized. This male crow is not only large, but also very handsome.

He wasn’t just randomly oversized, he was also well-muscled. Besides, the glossiness of its black feathers seemed to show how well it was feeding. Its body line was smooth, and its beak was straight and clean with no scars. There were also no broken parts on the tail feathers.

From a keeper’s perspective, this one was an incredible wild crow. From a crow’s point of view…?

Why, why am I like this?!

It was strange to feel my heart beating fast. Why, why is it like this?! There shouldn’t be anyone other than Karmeut who makes my heart race like this, right?!

…Ah!! Maybe it’s because of the crow’s instinct when seeing a handsome male?! In the early days of possessing this crow, I was helped by the instincts to fly, find herbs, and find fruits… So it’s not an impossible thing! But it’s troublesome!!

It is now the beginning of autumn! Few animals breed at this time! They usually breed in the spring to raise their young! Autumn is the season to gain weight to prepare for winter!

I felt my eyes twitch when I realized what the instinct did as I struggled to follow the crow because of dizziness.

Ugh, why are you so fast?!