The Life of Maria Lewellin - Chapter 17

I saw it shake slightly again as I kept staring at it.

….there it goes again.

I swallowed my saliva, and slowly tiptoed my way towards it, killing the sounds of my footsteps.

I don’t think a human can hide in that little cart. It must be some kind of animal. What the hell is in it?

[Help!]

When I finally got right in front of the cart, I started hearing a voice more clearly, but it still sound small and muffled.

“Huu…haaa”

I breathed out and after I firmly convinced myself not to be surprised by anything I’m about to see, I slowly reached out to the cart filled with straws.

*Flutter**flutter*

I parted the straw from both sides and searched deeper and deeper inside. Soon, I finally found something.

Two small wings, a long tail, and a fluffy body.

This…

[Help! Help!]

The little creature continued to ask for help even after I removed all the straws. It looks like it couldn’t move it’s body as it wanted.

Only then could I let a sigh of relief, after confirming the identity of the endangered animal.

[I’ll get you out of there. Hang on.]

[Kyaaak!]

Then it’s fluttering gesture became more desperate.

[Shh, it’s okay. I won’t hurt you. I’m here to help.]

I stretched out my hand carefully towards the small bird, who’s constantly screaming in my head.

I held it’s whole body and safely lifted it up. Then a pile of straw came along, entangled in between the claws of the poor bird.

‘So you couldn’t move because your claw were stuck there.’

Still holding on to it’s body slightly, I carefully pulled out the straw that was entangled in it’s claws. And I was finally able to see the bird’s front properly.

….oh my gosh

As soon as I saw it, a big smile appeared in my face.

Round eyes, dainty beak, and stylish wings with a combination of three colors.

The animal I rescued from the pile of straw was a long-tailed tit.

[Thank you, sister!]

(t/n: the bird called her eonni so it’s a she, sooo cute! Also, this is a long -tailed tit. Isn’t it adorable? )

The combination of her visual and her voice made her even cuter… Besides, she called me sister! I grinned and carefully raised the long-tailed tit on my palm.

[Are you all right? Are you feeling any pain?]

[Under my right wing hurts.]

[Can I take a look at it then?]

[Yes. Feel free to look.]

She circled half a turn and spread out one of her wing as if she’s urging me to look at it.

‘It’s so cute….Hyuk.’

The admiration did not last long. A saw bloodstains on the tangled fur under the wings.

[Can I take a closer look?]

[Yes! Look as much as you like!]

[Thank you. If it hurts, you should tell me it hurts. Okay?]

[Yes, yes!]

I brushed her small head gently with my thumb to ease her from nervousness and fear.

“Oh dear…. “

A pitiful voice came out from my mouth. As expected, there was a long scar on the underside of the wing, buried in her soft feathers.

The wound looks fresh. I don’t think it’s been long since she got it. She must’ve been in so much pain…

[How did you get hurt like this?]

[I was eating in the wheat field– then a big bird flew in. I crouched in fear, and then it hurt under my wing.]

Under the circumstances, it seems that she was scratched by the claws of birds of prey such as hawks. It was fortunate that she didn’t get hurt any more.

[So what did you do?]

[After finishing my meal, I slept on a fluffy straw. But when I woke up, it was dark around me and I couldn’t move. I was scared.]

[That could have been a disaster. Can you find your home?]

Long-tailed tits have a habit of living in one place in groups once they decided where to settle in. I looked at her curiously, and somehow I saw the face of the long-tail tit turned sullen.

[It’s a long way from home, and I’m having a hard time moving a little.]

It’s definitely hard to move with a wound like that. The size was as big as half a finger.

It might seem small but considering the size of the bird’s body, it was a serious injury. Besides, it would be harder to fly because she also hurt her wings.

What should I do?

I’d like to take her with me and treat her, but there would have been a family waiting for her.

But if I just let her go, the wound could only heal naturally or get worse. What should I do?

[Do you want me to take you to your home?]

[…..no, I don’t want to go.]

[Why?]

Then the long-tailed tit didn’t answer. She hesitated , and only after a moment did she confess the truth.

[I had a fight with my friend.]

‘So you live with your friend.’

I’ve seen in the book that long-tailed tits leaves their nest less than a month after hatching and lives with several other animals.

[Can I ask you why you fought?]

[…my friend’s boyfriend gave me a hard time. I said no, but he kept flirting with me. Then my friend saw it.]

(t/n: wait, MY LUNGS HAHAHSKAHA OH MY GOSH AJAJAKA)

[….…]

I was speechless.

……so birds fight because of love too?

I guess that’s only natural since the animal kingdom had its own male and female as well, but it felt strange to hear it directly —in the mouth of the world’s cutest creature.

[I denied it, but my friend didn’t believe me. And then, she started spreading rumors all over the neighborhood that I’m a bad girl and that I seduced him.]

(t/n: the word used for ‘bad girl’ can also be translated as ‘b*tch’.)

Is it because of the mood that I could feel my tears to build up in my eyes?

She looks so cute and pitiful at the same time.

I wanted to offer words of consolation, but I closed my mouth. I gently touched the long-tailed tit’s head again with the tip of my thumb and asked.

[Then do you want to come with me?]

[Kiyaaak-]

My gosh!

I was startled by the sudden squeal.

Unlike me, the long-tailed tit’s body began to move wildly.

[I’m going! I’m going with sister!]

[Are you going to be okay?]

I’m glad that I could take care of her wound, but I was also worried if I’m making the decision too impulsively.

But it seemed to me that I was just worrying on my own. The long-tailed tit look at me with her dainty eyes and gently shook her hips and danced on my palms.

[Of course!]

Then she suddenly stopped and stood straight and turned her head and looks at me.

[You’re not trying to eat me, are you?]

[…….]

“Pft….. HAHAHAHAHA”

I burst out laughing without realizing it. You know you’re too small to be even considered a meal, right?

[I’m not going to eat you. I’ll heal you and take good care of you. You can go back home any time you want.]

[I don’t like that… but I’ll come with you, sister]

[Yes. Let’s go.]

[Yes! Thank you, sister.]

She lowered her head, I could see her tail moving upwards. I burst into laughter again at the cuteness.

We talked a lot while enjoying the cool wind breeze and then I and came down from the hill with a dainty long-tailed tit on my right shoulder after a while.

We rode the carriage and headed back to the palace.

[I think this place is hundreds times bigger than my nest!]

She sounded so excited that I wondered what kind of facial expression she was actually making and I laughed out loud again.

‘Why are you so cute?!’

Fortunately, the long-tailed tit liked me and I liked her very much as well.

I have to put herbs on her wounds so I was worried that she would hate me since it might hurt her.

But instead of doing that, she bowed her head again and said, “Thank you, sister!” I did not expect that she would be that thankful.

While waiting for dinner time, I also named the long-tailed tit.

To tell you what it is…

“Ruri, sister is going out for a moment.”

(t/n: I’m actually sure how to translate 루리. Should I stick with Ruri? Or should I change it to Lurie?)

It’s Ruri. It’s a word that means small and cute in this language, and it fits perfectly because she looks exactly what that word meant. I’m really glad that she said she liked it.

[Where are you going?]

“There’s a leopard that I have to take care of. I’m going to feed him dinner.”

[What’s the leopard?]

Ruri tilted her head and asks. Looks like she doesn’t know what a leopard is.

“Well, it’s a big animal. Black-haired and handsome-looking one.”

[I like it! Does he have wings?]

(t/n: oh gosh… honey… 😂)

“No.”

[Is he taller than me?]

“Yeah”

I bit my inner lips tightly to hold back my laughter.

I think Glick’s front foot is bigger than Ruri…but if I tell her the truth, she might be surprised and run away.

“Wait here for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

[No, I don’t want to be apart from you.]

She sat on my shoulders. As I turned my head to the side and I could see that she was clasping the part of the dress sewing line with her hooky claws.

Uh oh… I’m in trouble.

Although Glick did not a grow up from the wild, I’m sure his natural instincts still remained.

I feel that something scary could happen if I take Ruri with me.

◆◈◆◈◆◈◆

Me: oh no, a cute baaaaby! Poor baby ah so adorable.

The bird I thought was a baby: my friend’s boyfriend gave me a hard time. I said no, but he kept flirting with me. Then my friend saw it

Me:GIIIIIRL

Lols, that sounded like a typical modern day manwha, I’m pretty sure I read one with the exact same situation, I just can remember lmao. Is this world a world from a fable story where Ruri is the main character? Hahaha, nah, impossibruu…Unless??