Of All Things, I Became a Crow - Side Story Special #3

Translator(s) note: Sorry that it’s a bit late, almost forgot to update, hahaha

*Rainelle’s POV

As I felt my body hardened reflexively, I looked at the scene in front of me.

From the time I had the egg in my stomach, the birds reacted shrewdly and were sensitive to my physical condition. They were not only wary of people approaching me, but also often brought food.

So far, I’ve refused. Fruits aside, bugs still freak me out.

······ Most of all, when I eat the food that the little birds have picked up… It feels like I’m stealing candy from a helpless child.

So I’ve always refused…

Even if I didn’t eat, there was no problem with my physical condition. It was only that the day felt a bit longer than usual as I did not eat at the usual time and quietly guarded the egg.

I don’t need to eat, and even looking at delicious food doesn’t whet my appetite. Thinking so, I skipped over it……..

At least I think so.

I looked at the bugs neatly placed on the large leaves with a feeling of bewilderment. They were bugs that were picked up by the small birds such as larks, titmouses, dogfishes, and bonnets.

Even though I’ve said many times that they don’t have to bring food or bugs, the reason they did this again was probably because they watched me nibbling and chewing while I was eating ebfore.

No, it’s nice of them. I’m really grateful for their sentiment, and it’s cute to see the little birds caring so much. But, but…!!

Why does it look delicious?!

I know very well that I am frightened when I see bugs wriggling. By the way, I also know the eyes of birds gleaming with excitement of ‘Such delicious food!’ whenever they saw them.

・・・・・ Shall I gather up the courage and try it?

Because I did not have the confidence to endure the visual terror, I had given up on bugs until now.

By the way, why!

Why does it look delicious!!

Kindly, the birds had completely killed the bugs and arranged them neatly on the leaves. That’s why it’s more difficult!

Since it’s like that, should I gather up courage and eat it?

I can’t help but think about it!

If I was in human form, I would be able to agonize while tearing my hair out, but I couldn’t because I am incubating my egg.

That was why I took a deep breath while closing my eyes.

Calm down, Rainelle. No matter how delicious the insect smells, even if it doesn’t wriggle in death, look at that appearance! They have a lot of legs! Some have hard shell. And the caterpillar! It’s visual terrorism itself!!

I tried to think so, but I couldn’t take my eyes off them. The smell of insects, which became much more prominent as I became black bird, shook common sense.

Why?! Caterpillars smell like steak! The beetle smells like crispy roasted pork! Uh, does that bug smell like cupcake?!

I tried not to think hard by opening my beak and shaking my head, but the more the delicious the smell penetrated my nose. As a result, I realized that it was not true that my appetite had disappeared completely…?

What do I mean I don’t have appetite! My body is screaming to eat bugs!!

But I am a human?! No, even when I am not a human, haven’t I always lost my appetite while looking at bugs?! What! Did my instinct as a crow that had been dormant until now is surfacing?!

[Ahh! I don’t want that!!]

When I suddenly screamed, the birds were surprised and almost jumped from place or fell off the branch. I felt sorry for the birds watching me closely, but I was just as confused.

WHY! Worms!! Why does it look delicious!!

Noo! I’m not going to eat! I’m not eating! No matter how delicious it smells! How can I eat a bug that looks like that!!

No, but looking at it again, it looks delicious…

I thought my mind was going to collapse, so I quietly turned my head. Then the birds, which seemed to be worried, began to chirp. Asking if I was okay.

[It’s okay, it’s okay.]

As I said so, I waved one wing lightly, and the birds retreated.

Phew. Good. With this, I won’t have to eat bugs…

“Pirurururu-”

It happened in an instant. I just opened my mouth in a daze, and the sparrow that was just flying to give me bugs got into my mouth because of the exquisitely perfect timing.

[Ooh?!]

Still, thanks to my quick reaction, it didn’t happen to gulp the bird alive.

・・・・・・ Instead, the worm that was bitten by the bird flew down my throat.

This, this taste!!

***

*3^rd person POV

Karmeut was walking with a basket of fruit in his arms. The attendants and maids were restless, unable to bear the fact that His Majesty the Emperor, and no one else, was carrying the basket by hand. But Karmeut had no intention of handing the basket over to anyone.

‘I hope she will eat well.’

As if having morning sickness, which she didn’t have before her egg-laying, Rainelle wouldn’t put food in her mouth.

She only smelled even the foods she normally liked. Karmeut was thinking how to encourage her to eat when her face turns white, blocks her nose, and suppresses nausea.

It was fortunate that she ate fruits, especially those with a lot of juice. It wasn’t even close to the ideal, but it was definitely a better situation than when she didn’t eat anything.

These fruits he was holding were ones that he specially ordered. He hoped that this time she can feel the taste instead of forcing herself to eat them.

It was when a smile emerged on his lips as he thought so,

“…? What’s wrong with the birds?”

It wasn’t long before he noticed the change. It was because the number of birds that were normally wary and giving him glances had significantly decreased.

And when he noticed the flock of little birds near the nest, Karmeut started running with the basket in his arms.

‘What if, by any chance, something happened while I was away?’

Karmeut gritted his teeth at the worst imagination that kept coming to his mind. A halo of golden light hung over his body, and then, a huge wolf, carrying a basket of fruit in its mouth, began speeding towards the nest.

The wolf’s feet were fast. The wolf crossed the wide garden at once, but then he hesitated for a moment at the sight he witnessed.

The birds were flying around the black bird guarding the nest. In the beaks of the little birds, large and small insects were drooping and swaying.

The birds, as if waiting for their turn, approached the black bird orderly.

If you simply compare the size, the black bird could swallow not only the bug, but also the bird that had brought the insect at once. Even in such a situation, the little birds were not afraid at all, hovering near the black bird’s beak, stretching their slender legs as far as they could and flapping their wings to deliver the insect they had caught.

As if responding to the birds’ action, the black bird slightly opened her beak. The black bird, moving carefully so as not to injure the small birds, gently picked up the bitten insect from the little birds’ beak.

Then, without hesitation, she swallowed the worm whole.

The wolf opened his mouth wide at the sight.

‘It isn’t anyone else, it is Rainelle. Rainelle, who hates bugs, accepts and eats the bugs the birds give her?’

If the bird over there was not Rainelle, but another bird, there was no need to be so surprised. It was natural for birds to eat bugs.

But Rainelle, from her first meeting with Karmeut, had hated bugs. She enjoyed eating meat and fish, and she also liked fruit, but she expressed a feeling close to disgust towards insects.

When an attendant tried to take care of her by preparing bugs in the cage, hadn’t she fluttered madly, frightened by the bugs?

Knowing such Rainelle, the wolf’s surprise was even greater. Enough to let go of the fruit basket he was holding in my mouth without even realizing it.

Hearing the sound, the black bird raised her head and looked at the wolf’s side. When their eyes met, the black bird flinched and hurriedly rose from her nest.

Hurriedly rising from the nest and burying the egg well among the feathers, the blackbird took the form of human.

“Y, you are here, Karmeut?”

Rainelle smiled awkwardly and darted her gaze around, and the wolf immediately returned to his original form.

“Rainelle”

“Yes?”

“Fruit, can you eat it?”

Picking up the fruit basket he had dropped on the ground, he smiled softly. Then Rainelle gave an exaggerated nod with her head and replied,

“Yes, I’ll eat.”

“Okay, I see.”

Smiling affectionately, Karmeut hugged Rainelle by the waist and headed to the seat he had prepared nearby. Even so, his careful gaze did not forget to examine Rainelle.

‘……Thank God.’

Rainelle might not like these words, but compared to before, Rainelle’s condition was much better. When she hadn’t eaten for three days, she lost some of the luster of her feathers, but now they have regained their former gloss.

It may have been an illusion. Whatever it may have been, it could have seemed different for nothing because Rainelle have eaten something herself.

“Which one do you want to eat first? I prepared juicy fruits.”

“Hmm… this?”

“Ok, got it.”

He smiled as he watched Rainelle sat comfortably in his arms and carefully selected the fruit. Then he used his powers to sharpen his fingernails, and then he started peeling the fruit.

Perhaps if the process by which she selected her nest, laid her egg, and incubating was due to instinct, then this change in diet was also natural.

‘I’ll have to order someone to get bugs.’

Karmeut brought the pulp to Rainelle’s mouth, concealing a promise that would have made her freaked out if she had heard it. A satisfied smile hung on his mouth as he watched Rainelle munching with her red lips.

***