Chapter 48

*Rainelle’s POV

I let out a long sigh after Karmeut’s younger sister was able to be comforted. She seemed to have a good relationship with him. Gosh, she’s a cute kid. I’m glad I didn’t get hated.

She said he didn’t want to go back and wanted to play with me a little more. I looked at the back of the child who was going to return with a gloomy face. Tears welled up in the child’s eyes as her cheeks puffed up and her lips pouted.

I swallowed a smile because I thought I understand how she felt. That’s why I cawed loudly on purpose.

“Caw!”

“…?”

I spread out one wing and shook it slightly towards Sepia, who turned her head in confusion. As I looked into her round green eyes, I cawed one more time. Then Karmeut, who was next to Sepia, chuckled and said,

“I think she’s asking you to come over again next time, Sepia.”

A smile slowly spread across the child’s face at those words. Then she answered with a brighter face,

“Yes! Next time I come, I’ll bring a bunch of delicious cookies!”

“That’s a good idea. But cookies with chocolate are not allowed, okay? It might give Rainelle a stomachache. Got it?”

“Yes!! Then I’ll come to play again!”

I cawed briefly as I looked at the back of the child, whose steps had become lighter. I smiled happily inwards.

I understood how she felt. When I was young, my mother hated animals, so I couldn’t raise them in my house. Every time, I went to see animals at a nearby zoo. It was a really small zoo, so there weren’t that many kinds of animals, but it was like a paradise for me.

I remembered that I cried and complained a lot as my mother told me that we had to go back, so I could understand her feelings.

I watched with a happy heart, and when Karmeut approached me, I puffed up my feathers as I cried out and changed my form.

“Are you mad, Rainelle?”

“…about not telling me about your little sister…? Or soothing the child while treating me like a bird?”

“Ugh…”

Seeing Karmeut shrink his shoulders as if he was being scolded, I burst out into laughter. Well, I’m not that mad either…

“It’s a joke, a joke. It surprised me, but it was fun.”

“…really? I thought you were angry because Sepia chased you around.”

“Isn’t that cute? Just because a 10-year-old kid is chasing me doesn’t mean I’m slow enough to be kicked out. She didn’t like me at first, but it’s okay now, right? That’s enough.”

When I said that with a smile, Karmeut also smiled.

“Thank you. –I’m sorry that I haven’t been paying attention to you these days.”

“No, no, you’re going to become an emperor, right? I thought you’d be busy.”

“Do you have any inconveniences?”

“I don’t have anything in particular… but can I ask you a request?”

The golden eyes widened slightly at the word ’request’, then they gently curved.

“What is it, Rainelle? I’ll gladly grant your wish.”

I felt a little embarrassed by his behavior. He said it as if he was really happy.

Uu, you tickle my heart so much. It’s not that difficult of a request, but…

“Hmm, this is a request regarding Sepia…”

“…ah, are you trying to ask me to let you play with Sepia while I’m away?”

“Yeah. Is it okay?”

To that, Karmeut replied with a smile,

“Of course it’s fine. Oh, by the way… I didn’t tell her that you can take a human form, how are you going to tell her?”

“Um, that’s right… —But wouldn’t it be better for you to reveal it, Karmeut? Because she might think that her brother lied to her.”

“Ugh, is that so?”

“Um, and…”

“…?”

A questionable gaze was directed at me, but I did not continue to speak.

Yeah, honestly, you want to have an animal at home at least once when you’re young, right? Wouldn’t it be cruel to break a child’s dream too early?

Above all, Sepia is cute, so I think it would be worthwhile to play with her in the form of a crow.

“No, it’s just… I thought that Sepia likes animals. I was about to get kicked out at first, but…”

Karmeut made an apologetic face when hearing those words, but I shook my head to indicate that he shouldn’t be saying sorry. I know that was the normal perception here, but what can I do? I just have to blame it for being a crow.

—And even if I said that, now I could change into a human, and my lifespan should have increased like that of a human. How good was that?

I’m not a normal crow, so I’m relieved. Besides, since I’m with Karmeut, there’s nothing to risk my life.

“…It’s only natural that Sepia likes animals. No, since she’s from the Imperial Family, should I say it’s natural?”

“…ah, because you can awaken?”

“Yes. Probably. I don’t know if it’s because of the instinct to hunt prey, or if it’s because we are wilder than humans… it’s not certain that Sepia will awaken, but it’s natural because she’s from the Imperial Family.”

Certainly, it seems so. Wild animals use their senses to survive, but they also detect the presence of prey or natural enemies through signals from other animals…

As I was nodding my head while thinking of a good hypothesis, I felt a hand hugging me from behind.

“…By the way, Rainelle. Are you a little upset?”

“Huh, what? If, if you suddenly hug me–!”

It was nothing when I was a crow, but his body temperature feels so strange now—!! Oh no! Karmeut has said openly about seducing me before! If you hugged me like this—!!

“It can’t be helped, but… I came here after working hard… and you’re thinking about playing with Sepia instead of me. Of course, I understand that Sepia is cute and lovely, but can you take a little time to look at me?”

My body temperature rose sharply at Karmeut’s actions of burying his face in my shoulder and muttering those words in a hoarse voice. He was like a child who was complaining to his mother.

Uh uh, you have a different attitude than usual, whining like this—!! …Karmeut is whining! He hugged me from behind and buried his face in my shoulder?!

“Um, sorry…?”

“If you’re sorry, please let me be like this longer.”

The first thing that came to my mind was that I was tricked. He replied as if he had been waiting for that.

—But there’s nothing I can do because I’ve already said it…

“Uh huh… you are just going to hold me, right?”

Hah! I shouldn’t say this! Something’s gotten weird!

Feeling that I had made a mistake, my body stiffened, but then the sound of laughter tickled my ears.

Karmeut, who had struggled to hold back his laughter -it can be seen as his body was trembling-, answered with a slight nod.

“I’ll just hold you. I promise.”

“Okay then, it’s fine.”

As soon as I said ‘okay’, Karmeut laughed again. Then he gently pressed his lips against the nape of my neck and gave me a big hug. Whoa, whoa?!

“Really, what would I do if you are this cute, Rainelle?”

I didn’t do that on purpose! I didn’t mean to look cute on purpose! Aghh! I’m embarrassed!!

He couldn’t bear to show my face, so I covered my face with both hands. I felt the sound of laughter get louder and I was feeling like I’m going to die of embarrassment, but before I knew it, I was placed in a sitting position.

“Haha… being like this makes me feel like all the hardships are flying away.”

Karmeut’s face looked tired as he sat me down on his lap and said that.

I was about to say “It’s unlikely” reflexively, but I realized when seeing his face that he even seemed to have dark circles.

“…are you okay?”

“It’s not that it’s not hard, but I’m okay.”

He answered while putting his head on my shoulder, then he lifted his head. He curved his eyes softly and said,

“I’m gaining strength because you’re here like this. I thought you’d run away because you’re shy.”

“That, that…”

Karmeut laughed lowly at the sight of me mumbling without being able to find the words to answer. Then as if acting cute, he suddenly changed into a wolf while rubbing his face on my shoulder.

“Uh –huh?!”

My body fell back slightly at the sudden change. I was leaning on my back in his firm arms, so it was only natural that it happened as my support suddenly disappeared. But I quickly turned my head to look at the wolf at the feeling of soft fur.

The wolf, with his large tail waving slowly and eyes gleaming softly, was still large. Perhaps he sat on the floor with this intention from the beginning. His act of placing his chin on my thigh was even witty. If it were anyone else, I might have been upset, but…

Ahhh … it, it’s a wolf~ The wolf has me in his arms and his chin is on my back—!!

He had turned into a wolf many times before, but it was the first time we had been in such a relaxed situation.

…Aagh really! It’s killing me! Dangerously lethal! You must have turned into a wolf knowing that I like wild beasts! I have to say something—!!

Aww, the feel of the fur is so amazing! OMG! I love it!!

With a brief burst of exclamation, I hugged the wolf’s head. I rubbed him with my head while enjoying the feel of the soft and smooth texture of the fur.

Ooh, it’s so soft! It’s so smooth! So warm!!

Karmeut looked as if he was smiling, with his mouth slightly open like he was in a good mood. Then he licked my face with his long, damp tongue. Rather than being embarrassed by his behavior, I was tickled and burst into laughter.

“It, it tickles! Ahh, really—!!”

I shook my head to remove him. The wolf then swung his tail while licking the back of my hand which made me laugh again.

…who cares! A big and handsome wolf like this is acting cute! He even allowed me to hold him, so should I stay like this for a little while longer?

I touched his fur, which was very pleasant because it was so soft and smooth, and rubbed my face with the fur. I could feel his tail wagging in a good mood, which even felt cute to me.

Aah, it’s a real paradise—!! To hold a wolf in my arms and rub it to my heart’s content!! So happy! I feel so happy that my body is warming up!!

Besides, worry is over! No worries!! As per the original storyline, Karmeut awakened, he won the Bozcourt, and he became the next great emperor! I also met his cute little sister who didn’t even mentioned in the original story! She’s fatally cute, yeah!!

I haven’t revealed that I can turn into a human, but it’s not bad to get to know each other while I’m in the form of a crow, right? Ha, really, those twinkling eyes were cute! So, rest assured, until we enter the original…

…wait, the original?

“…?”

Perhaps confused at my sudden stiffening body, Karmeut slightly raised his body and turned his head my way. Looking at the worried golden eyes, I muttered with great effort,

“No, um… I suddenly thought of Luwellin.”

…I thought to come up with something, but I think I said something wrong. Suddenly, Karmeut returned to his original form, and while looking at me with a serious face, he gently embraced me.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t think much. Are you okay? Are you scared?”

His golden eyes, looking at me with a worried expression, were warm. …He thought I was thinking of the time when I was kidnapped by Luwellin. I shook my head while trying to ignore my beating heart.

“Oh, no. It’s just, um… Karmeut’s wolf form looks a lot cooler than Luwellin’s too…? I suddenly had this thought.”

Karmeut shut his mouth hearing that.

…Ahhh? Okay, wait. What did I just say?!! No matter how much I say, it’s not good, oh no–!!

I even had the illusion that I could hear a ‘poof’ sound. I grabbed my cheeks as I felt my face burning, and I heard a low laugh.

Ah ah ah ah ah!! Damn it, it’s so embarrassing!! Openly! Openly, in front of Karmeut himself, I said he looked great, aahhh!!

“Caaaw! (Run, run away!)”

Let’s fly and run!! If I stay here, I’m going to die of shame!!

I flapped my wings vigorously and hid on top of the closet.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! No, no, no matter how much I have nothing to say, I can’t believe I said he’s cool in front of him! It’s crazy! And I said ‘your wolf form too’! What’s the difference between that from saying that he’s always cool?! Ahhhh!! Of course, I always thought he was cool, but I’ve never actually said that!

Karmeut couldn’t control it and covered his mouth with his hand to cover the rising corners of his mouth. He took a deep breath as he felt heat rushing to his face along with the sound of his heart beating and pounding.

‘Karmeut’s wolf form looks a lot cooler than Luwellin’s too…?’

Karmeut’s body trembled slightly, feeling as if he was floating with his heart, which was beating uncontrollably, lighter than a feather. He couldn’t help but be excited. He had been told that he was cool by none other than Rainelle.

What kind of expression was on her face when she said that and then realized what she had said?

The prince’s face heated up more when he remembered her red face and stuttering attitude.

He turned his head slightly and looked at the top of the closet. Karmeut had to bend his back and try hard to hold back his laughter when he saw only black tail feathers sticking out of Rainelle’s favorite place when she couldn’t beat over her embarrassment.