Chapter 4
‘Don’t tell me….! No way!’
“……This forest ‘fog’ sure does live up to its name. The path towards the devildom is foggy as well.”
“How far is it?”
“It varies in each record……”
Oh Lord, it’s Clementz! Silver hair and purple eyes. Crest of the Clatian Empire – a winged diamond symbol engraved on the white horse’s harness. It was clear that the man next to him was his henchman, Marquis Cassius Dupre.
In the year Bella turns 20, Clementz travels to the west to Hornwood to deploy an inspection. No wonder the mansion was so busy with guests. Speaking of which, it was today. Of course it was. Damn it!
I had waited eight years for this day. I couldn’t believe that at this crucial and touching moment I had turned into a…… chick. In an instant, everything felt out of order. It felt like me crying wouldn’t be enough.
Clementz turned his head this way. ‘Did he hear me?’ I stepped back unconsciously.
“Your Grace, where are you going?”
“To do my business.”
“Ah, yes.”
And then he strode to exactly where I was.
‘No way, here? Here? Wait! Wait!’
No matter how much I was obsessed with the main character of the novel, I didn’t want to get near him. ‘Clementz, I know you, but we just met.’ I sobbed.
I lamented on how I could cover myself. I stretched out my wings and struggled to wrap them around my head.
The heavy footsteps came close to me. However, there was no sound of him doing his business.
“……”
I could hear the sound of someone breathing very close to me. I slowly parted my wings and looked up to find Clementz staring down at me.
People are bound to look somewhat ugly when they look down like this. But Clementz’s face had no such thing as an angle of humiliation. Furthermore, even though I was looking at a much larger human being from a chick’s perspective, I did not see a blemish on his snowy, smooth face.
‘Wow.’
I was supposed to watch Clementz from afar as Bella’s maid, but I didn’t know I could be blessed to appreciate his look for such a long time at such a ridiculously high resolution.
Purple eyes as deep as amethyst. His lips were slightly open, and he couldn’t take his eyes off me. He reached out his hand.
The next minute I was on his palms.
“Ch-Cheep……”
Clementz stood up and I rose higher. But it wasn’t scary because he was holding his hands together to wrap them carefully around me. He looked at me once again and muttered.
“……What is this cute thing?”
‘I’m cute?’
He carried me to the creak where Cassius was waiting.
“Cassius, take a look.”
Standing on the palm of the Crown Prince of Clatia, I stared insolently at the young head of the Dupre family, one of the three great powers beside the Crown Prince.
His red strands fluttered in the breeze.
It was a bit of a cold impression compared to Clementz, who was delicately handsome. But he, too, looked at me for a while and said,
“Can such a cute thing be possible?”
“I’ve found it. It’s my chick.”
‘My’ chick?
Clementz spoke casually.
“I’m thinking of raising it.”
I sat down in surprise. To be exact, my butt fell flat on Clementz’s palm. He stroked my head a couple of times with his fingers as if to see if I could be even cuter.
“Look. Isn’t it adorable?”
“Of course, it is, but…… wouldn’t its mother look for it?”
“I don’t care. I’ll raise it better.”
What the hell…..
‘What’s going to happen to my life now?’
If I became the baby bird of the male lead……. Yeah, I’d sound like his pet. But now, I was literally a baby bird.
Eight years have passed since I’d possessed Ophelia’s body. Over the years, I’ve tried to instill more trust in this world and bond between the people. Now that I won’t be aware of Bella’s wishes, I wouldn’t know how anything unfolds from here on. Still, I’ve done pretty much everything I could.
On the brighter side, if I became the male lead’s pet, I would be able to witness his love story with the female lead. Perhaps, I could even bring them closer.
For example,
‘You are the only one allowed to see this. This is my pet bird, Ophelia.’
‘It has the same name as my maid…… That’s cute. So little.’
‘It’s not as cute as you are.’
‘……Hmph, that’s ridiculous.’
I’m sure Bella would want to hear such words.
But for her to meet Clementz, this occurrence was very important!
Go to the palace and face the dreaded evil girl, Camille de Bayless. Only I know about her tricks.
‘And when Bella wakes up confused after taking the herb, I must be next to her.’
To assure her that the past and present were different. To assure her she could live as she pleased– which I’ve already done a couple of times to comfort her.
However, the house of Leora almost collapsed before due to a lack of money. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to work as a chick during the day, but if I don’t get a salary from working as a maid at the County anymore, my family would have a hard time making ends meet. If that happens, my family would suffer even more.
That wasn’t the problem though.
If I became a pet of the Crown Prince, I would live on fresh kernels in a golden cage without any payment, but I’d probably return to being a human at night. However, Clementz was cold and suspicious to anyone other than Bella. I wouldn’t be able to leave alone after I’ve returned to my original form due to that nature of his.
As expected…. I should never let Clementz raise me. Nevertheless, this curiosity of mine wanted to temporarily see how a high-ranking person took care of something he had never seen before.
It’s fortunate that they are headed to Count Monahan’s residence.
‘When I get to the mansion, I’ll escape from Clementz’s sight before nightfall.’
Then, I must find a way to break this curse.
When I was done organizing my thoughts, I’d also reached an agreement with the two people to take me with them.
“If so, give it to me. I’ll keep it inside a small bag instead.”
“No, I will keep it.”
Clementz dodged as Cassius reached my way.
“Stay in here for a while.”
I was tucked inside the front pocket of his shirt. I felt the gentle rising and falling of his chest and warmth of his body through the single layer of white cloth.
“….!”
‘No way, isn’t this too close? Too close. You are about to meet your lover!’
Somehow, a blush appeared over my fluffy face. He smirked as I fluttered my wings when I got goosebumps.
“Hold on just a little longer.”
Well, of course.
I wasn’t an outsider to him now. That being the case, he was just trying to carry the baby bird he wanted to raise himself. He wanted to take responsibility for his pet. How absurd he would be to be aware of this shameful behavior of mine.
Clementz skillfully climbed up on his horse. Soon, the sound of hooves rang and strong winds began to blow.
“Cheep…..!”
With a gentle tug at his cape, he covered his pocket that I was in. As the gush of wind was blocked, my body, which was trapped inside the pocket, was slowly heated by his warmth through the shirt. Since I was tired, I fell asleep not long after.
‘I shouldn’t fall asleep. There’s a pile of things to think…..’
However, I wasn’t able to listen to myself at the moment. I fell into a sweet slumber. When I woke up, the horse had slowed down.
“The Monahan mansion.”
That was the voice of Cassius.
“It may be at the far end of the empire, but the panoramic view is spectacular.”
I moved my wings to rub my eyes. I spread my wings, hung them slightly around the edge of the pocket, and stretched them out. A beautiful scenery graced my eyes. Clementz chuckled because of me. My movements must’ve tickled him.
His laugh caused Marquis Cassius Dupre to turn this way. He looked at me, but I was too embarrassed by his expression to look him in the eye.
‘What’s wrong? Never seen a chick in a pocket before?’
It was true. This was his first time.
Marquis Dupre, as a loyal henchman, soon turned his head to the confused look on Clementz’s face.
I was now out of the forest, which was frighteningly dense. Roads, buildings, and well-tended green fields could now be seen in the distance. What was in front was the County of Count Monahan, which is a place I was more familiar with than my own house, where I had worked every day since I came into this world.
“…..!”
Suddenly, I realized.
In the original, Bella was the first person to encounter Clementz when he came to Count Monahan of Hornwood. Thus, the historic first meeting between the two was going to take place soon.
‘Bella!’
I saw her walking out in front. Wearing a comfortable white and navy dress, she looked elegant even at a distance. Clementz’s horse approached her. I slid back inside the pocket with a racing heart.
How deadly yet fateful this first encounter was portrayed in the novel. I was still thrilled as I thought of that scene.
In this perfect moment, I didn’t want to leave a stain as a chick sticking out of the male lead’s front pocket. I held my breath as well hoping that my existence would be completely forgotten.
‘May I ask you something?’
“May I ask you something?”
‘Kyaah!! Uhm, am I speaking to Your Royal Highness!’
“…….Uhm, am I speaking to Your Royal Highness?”
‘Kyaah!’
“Yes. I’ve decided to stay at Count Monahan’s residence. You also appear to have something to do with the house of Monahan.”
“The Count is my brother. …..He has informed me he would have an honorable guest, but he wasn’t prepared enough.”
“No. I’ve arrived earlier than scheduled, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
Bella, who said yes, moved away towards the mansion. Considering how reluctant she was to walk outside, was she here by any chance to wait for me? I felt sorry, but I was proud that I could witness their first meeting.
‘They’ve met. Finally, they’ve met!’
I was still gently huddled inside his pocket. I was worried that I might disturb Clementz, who was having the lingering effects of love at first sight.