Of All Things, I Became a Crow - Side Story #11

*Rainelle’s POV

Weird.

Feeling strange, I tilted my head.

…It wasn’t bad to take a good rest in the Imperial Palace, but something was strange.

“…Ah! Oh, I’m sorry!”

With a clang, the maid dropped the plate of refreshments. The plate was shattered and fragments littered the floor, but I wasn’t surprised.

Because I somehow expected it to happen, and I rather felt sorry for the maid.

“Don’t do that.”

As I said that, I stared at the magpies who had pulled the maid’s hair. But the magpies, as if they couldn’t hear me, were croaking with excitement.

The act of the magpies fluffing up their feathers and clacking their beak ferociously made the maid cower in fright.

…I understood since I had a similar experience before all the possessing thing. It hurts when magpies ripped your hair like that.

“You can stay back.”

“Ye, yes…”

“The longer you stay in the garden, the more you will be attacked, so don’t come until I call you.”

At that, the maid hesitated for a moment, but then she bowed down and stepped back. Then, as if feeling better, several magpies landed on nearby tree branches.

“Why are you doing that?”

Looking at the magpies with a frown, I questioned them. Then the magpies croaked and cried, but they did not answer anything.

No, rather than that, they were watching the surroundings with sharp eyes. I narrowed my eyes at that appearance.

“…There’s no magpie’s nest here, so why are you acting like that?”

Although magpies were hostile, there were not many cases where they openly attack people like that. First of all, as the size difference is large, basically, they would be scared and avoided them.

But this attitude right now was similar to when there’s a chick in the nest and a person walks underneath it. That’s the only time a magpie attacks people openly!

“And that’s only if you have memories of being harmed by people.”

If it was like that, I will be truly amazed.

No, I just wanted to go out in the garden and have a nice snack, but what are they doing?

“Because I’m the queen? But I don’t think so?”

If they were wary of other humans because I am the queen, there won’t be a maid with full hair by now. So it was not because I’m the queen.

“What’s wrong with you guys!”

When I shouted at the discomfort, the magpies flinched. Then, they looked at me quietly and sat down in front of me.

It was quite cute to them looking up with beady eyes while making a small cry. But I didn’t know why they were doing this and I was not so happy, so I just glared at the magpies.

The magpies crept up to my feet. Then, as if performing a charming act, they rubbed their beak on the hem of my clothes and flipped over to show their stomach.

It was so cute that my heart was shaken for a moment, but I quickly got over it.

“Even if you do that, I won’t forgive you.”

The magpies flinched again at those words and slowly looked at each other. Then, as if to say, ‘I don’t know anything’, they tilted their heads while crying.

“I appreciate you, but you don’t have to do something like that. The maids are not threatening enemies.”

Hearing that, the magpies clucked and shook their heads. Then they jumped and flapped their wings very excitedly.

“No, speak!”

Why are they not talking and just use body language? You’ve been talking cutely so far!

It was when I was about to say something out of the annoyance,

“Rainelle?”

“…Ah, Karmeut.”

When I turned my head, Karmeut was approaching me.

Oops,

I looked at the magpies.

The magpies were crying and tilting their heads. However, unexpectedly, they seemed to have no intention of attacking. They immediately spread their wings, flew up, and landed on a nearby tree branches.

“What’s wrong, Rainelle?”

“Um, it’s…”

I sighed and turned to the magpies. Now the magpies were leisurely preening their feathers.

“…I don’t know why, but these magpies… they are weird.”

“What do you mean weird?”

“They suddenly attacked the maids.”

“The maids?”

Karmeut raised his head and also looked at the magpies. The magpies, who met his gaze, spread their wings out wide and bowed slightly as if to greet him.

“Even when I ask why, they don’t answer, and it doesn’t look like they’ll stop.”

Karmeut smiled as I sighed defeatedly.

“…then you couldn’t have a snack?”

“Yeah. They are tearing off the hair of the maids near me. I told them to stay back so that they wouldn’t get attacked.”

At that, Karmeut reached out his hand and stroked my head.

“Good job. Then would you like to have tea with me?”

“Huh? I’d love to! I was upset that I couldn’t eat snacks when I came out to the garden for the first time in a while.”

And strangely enough, the magpies didn’t show aggression to Karmeut. They seemed fine with him. I’m glad. If a situation arises in which even Karmeut’s pretty hair is pulled out, I will kick them out myself!

Karmeut took a glance at the magpies, then turned and walked away.

“Are you going to pick it up yourself?”

“It’s for my wife, isn’t it?”

Saying that, Karmeut gave a wink and walked away with a mischievous smile. Feeling embarrassed by the action, I casually spread my wings and brushed the feathers.

“…What’s wrong with them anyway?”

I really couldn’t understand. There doesn’t seem to be any reason for the birds to be so sensitive, and I don’t know why.

***

“…I really don’t know.”

I don’t know. I really don’t know! I have no idea why the birds are doing this!

As I thought so, I looked at the titmouse on the table.

A small fruit, as small as a black mulberry, was between the beak of the titmouse looking up with sparkling eyes.

The titmouse, who approached me while tilting its head with a soft sound, placed the fruit near my finger. Then, as if telling me to eat it, it even pushed the fruit toward my finger.

“…Eat this?”

I sighed and accepted at the behavior of the titmouse, which made a cry as if telling me that it was so.

“…Thank you. I’ll eat well.”

When I said so, the titmouse let out a pleasant cry, rubbed its cheek once on my finger, and flew away.

“Isn’t it weird?”

“Yeah. It’s common for birds to suddenly approach and act cute, but…”

I sighed as I narrowed my brows.

Yes, let’s assume that everything is possible. Haa, but why…….

“…I don’t know why they won’t say a word to me.”

Looking at it closely, it seemed that they were talking about something excitedly between themselves. But in front of me, they only make meaningless cries, like a normal relationship between a person and a bird.

“It’s stuffy! There seems to be something, but I don’t know what!”

While shouting, I put the small fruit I was given on top of the cake and eat them in a bite.

···Wow. It’s sour and delicious to be eaten together.

I smiled as I felt the sudden surge of irritation slowly disappear. Then Karmeut smiled quietly and said,

“You never know. Maybe it’s because they wanted to surprise you with something.”

“Surprise? What kind?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

“Really?”

“I’m both a human and a wolf. So I don’t know about birds.”

I narrowed my eyes at Karmeut’s shrug. He flinched and said,

“…Why do you look at me like that, Rainelle?”

“…Karmeut. I have a question.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Why are you asking about strange things around you?”

Karmeut’s fingertips trembled at the words.

“Strange things?”

…But his expression was calm. It was a questioning expression as if it was the first time he heard it…

But I won’t be fooled! I already asked the other birds!

“… The magpies and the bird that brought me the berry earlier didn’t say anything, but the other birds tell me this and that. You don’t have to pretend you don’t know.”

Hearing that, Karmeut smiled bitterly and opened his mouth,

“…Sorry. I just didn’t want to bother you.”

“So, what question did you ask? Even Namuel and Myrdin-nim were called.”

“That’s…….”

For some reason, Karmeut hesitated to answer. As if urging Karmeut to go on, I opened and folded my wings once. Then he let out a brief sigh and,

“…Because I didn’t know what to do when we have a child between us.”

It felt like his mind stopped for an instant.

“…Child?”

“Yes. It might happen someday, and so…”

He gave an observant gaze. Seeing his attitude as if he was extremely cautious about something, I unknowingly swallowed my saliva.

“…Also, when you were so languid and sick… I wondered if it might be because you have a baby.”

…If I felt like my mind stopped before, this time I felt like a bell was ringing in my head.

“…Pregnant……?”

“Just in case. It’s just a possibility. Nothing has been confirmed.”

Karmeut hurriedly came to my side and calmly said so. Then he gently hugged me.

“Because Rainelle is not human, it’s not something that even the Palace’s physician can be sure of. It could just be a body ailment, so I told you to rest well.”

“…That was why you called the royal physician when I had the flu?”

“Even if it was just a flu, it’s related to your health, so of course I would still call him.”

Karmeut said in a determined tone.

Then he whispered softly,

“Don’t worry too much, Rainelle.”

“…Ah.”

“Because I’m by your side.”

It was only then that I realized.

Oh, I was surprised. I was surprised to hear that it might be a sudden pregnancy.

Thinking like that, I felt my body shake, so I buried my head in Karmeut’s arms. He immediately wrapped his arms around my back, gently enveloping me, and I closed my eyes.

…Still, his arms were reliable and cozy.

***