Chapter 126: 126

*Rainelle’s POV

"Long time no see! How are you?"

I wanted to tear my hair out at the sight of the male crow talking to me with an excited expression.

No way, no way, you...

Did you go looking for Crobanlock in the last few weeks I haven't seen you?!  And you managed to find one and eat it?! People stomp their feet because it's so hard to find, but you tell me that you found it in a few weeks?

Do I have to praise this guy for being tenacious?!

...And! Why did come to me after you eat it?!! Male crow, you---!!

The male crow's appearance itself rattled me, so I couldn't react except to open and close my mouth over and over again.

-How can I react?! What kind of reaction should I give to be normal? Can you tell me?!

The male crow, who seemed to be confused about my reaction, was just smiling. Perhaps feeling that my behavior unusual, a maid came to my side and whispered,

"Rainelle-nim, that person... No, that crow, shall we drive him away?"

"No, wait a minute."

Preventing the maid to kick him out, I then approached the male crow. He was still grinning.

"Did you find and eat Crobanlock? No, was it to find Crobanlock that you disappeared until now?"

"Yeah! I had a little trouble finding Crobanlock, but I found one and ate it."

"Why? For what? You didn't have reason to eat it, right?"

I was genuinely curious. Why did a crow, whose top priority is to survive in its territory, search and eat the fruit? I don't think the effort and risk it takes was worth it.

I looked at him. Frowning slightly as if he was offended by my question, he said as if disappointed,

"Until now, it was okay not to eat one, and there was no need to eat. Rather than turning into a human by eating Crobanlock, a good territory, a warm nest, and a female to mate with were more important."

"But?"

"But, a female who I really want to pair up with appeared."

Saying so, he took a step forward. His eyes, which shimmered intensely, contained emotions that could not be seen in ordinary animals.

"Isn't it the male who does everything possible to please the female?"

I was speechless. The crow's words were a logic that applied to most wild animals.

Exceptions exist, of course, but usually males woo females, and it is up to the females to accept or not accept them. The crow's life was also like that. Singing or flying as if to show off how much power they have is the male's behavior during the breeding season.

---But still, this male crow's behavior was strange. Usually, if unsuccessful, another female will be courted. Because that way is more advantageous for leaving one's descendants. This crow's behavior...

He might not realize it, but his reluctance to give up was like human.

"It's strange, though. Usually, if courtship fails, they'll find another female."

"Usually yes."

The crow meekly nodded his head. But his words were not over,

"But I don't want to pair up with just any female. It's best to cherish and take care of each other until one of us dies. If there's no big accident, we'll be together for the rest of our lives. I don't want to be with a female who doesn't even have that kind of existence in my heart. That's why until now, even when the mating season came, but..."

His gaze grew more intense.

"You, a female I want to be with for the rest of my life, appeared. In my eyes, you're really pretty and lovable, so I thought I'd want to be with you for the rest of my life."

Having said that, the crow tilted his head. As if he didn't understand himself, there was a sense of confusion,
"And... I don't feel like finding another female because I've been rejected. Even if I know it’s weird, but I like you."

The crow's gaze was so intense that it was burdensome. It may be cliché, but it was like a flame.

"I want to be with you. I don't like other females, I like you, I want to mate with you, have offspring, and raise them, so I went to find Crobanlock. If I become a little like you, I think I can change your mind a little bit."

It was direct. The sincerity was so clear that it hurt. To the point where I wondered if one could really want and long for something so purely.

But I'm sorry I couldn't reciprocate your feelings. If I even accept it because I'm feeling sorry, it will be a lie, won’t it?

I feel sorry for you, but it would be better to answer this kind of thing straightforwardly.

It was when I was about to open my mouth as I thought that,

"---What's all this fuss about?"

---It was a voice I never wanted to hear in this place, in this situation. As I turned my head, it was as if it moved with rusty hinges.

And of course, Karmeut was standing there. He was with his entourage.

The emotion of anger was burning in Karmeut's eyes. It was to the extent that I was afraid to ask about since what part he had been listening in. Seeing him like that, the male crow also tensed his body. He seemed to instinctively feel the hostility aimed towards him.

"Who are you?"

Karmeut's voice as he asked that question was sharp. It was a fierce voice that made my shoulders shrank even though it wasn't directed at me.

"Why should I explain?"

The male crow replied sharply. Maybe he didn't like the way humans commanded him.

Or maybe he didn't want to appear weak in front of me, I don't know.

But one thing was certain. That was a very poor answer.

Karmeut chuckled and laughed. ---But his eyes were not smiling.

"Grab him and put him in jail."

"As you command, Your Majesty!"

As Karmeut's order fell, the knights immediately carried it out.

Oh my God!

Ah, no, come to think of it, the male crow is an unidentified intruder(?), right? So the knights are doing what they are supposed to do, but...

Karmeut, is this the character you’re supposed to be? Normally, you would have listened to what was going on first, no?

Is that not it? Is this what Karmeut is like? Ahhh, I'm confused!!

"What! Let go of me!!"

The male crow screamed in panic, but the knights wouldn't let him go. Rather, it seemed that they were giving strength to their arms while making a stern expression.

As if showing how powerful the knights were, the crow waved his arm violently, but he wasn’t able to shake them off.

The crow's face crumpled at the words of the knight who said,

"If you won’t stay calm, we'll have no choice but to treat you roughly."

The next moment, with a *pop* sound, the knights holding the male crow's arms staggered. The male crow returned to his original form in an instant and soared high into the sky with a sharp cry.

Like he can't just leave as he had been trampled on in front of me, the male crow hovered in the air for a moment.

The bristly feathers seemed to represent his heightened nerves.

The male crow's gaze then drawn to Karmeut. Disgruntled, as if he was very displeased to find Karmeut there, he let out a cry.

“Caaaw!”

After shouting once, it flew high and then disappeared.

---In the situation that ended in an instant, only silence lingered. ---I was the one who couldn't stand the silence, so I opened my mouth with a light sigh,

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"---Let me explain, Your Majesty. Regarding this, I'd like to talk to you alone. Will it be okay?"

"...That would be nice. This way."

Karmeut voiced out a command, as if he was quite angry.

Well, that’s understandable. If I witnessed a woman confessing to Karmeut, I would be angry too.

The problem is, just before I was about to say no, Karmeut stepped in and things got ambiguous…

It would have ended relatively cleanly if I had rejected the male crow on the spot, but since it went like this... From the male crow's point of view, he’ll think that a male competitor intervened and so the female couldn't answer, right?

He might think: ‘Just when we are about to be happy together, that damn bastard interrupted!!’

...No no, this is not the time to think about this!! The important thing right now is to placate the angry Karmeut!

While secretly grabbing my chest in nervousness, I followed Karmeut. Because it was the Imperial Palace, the rooms were really so many, so we went into a random room alone, with just the two of us.

“---So, what’s with that crow which ate Crobanlock?”

As soon as we entered the room, Karmeut instantly threw a fastball which made my mouth dry.

...Well, I'm proud of myself! I didn't look away!

"...It’s the crow that I met while going back and forth to Aria's manor. The crow has a territory near the manor."

"Has he eaten Crobanlock from the beginning?"

Karmeut's eyes flashed for a moment as he asked that.

For some reason, I wanted to burst out laughing at the sight, but I suppressed it.

Oh, really. It's so cute to see you being so jealous.

The temptation to tease him rose slowly in my heart. I was worried that if I tease him here, Karmeut would get back at me.

Ah, let's not do that.

Of course, the fun was guaranteed, but I quickly gave up because I didn't want to imagine how to deal with the aftermath.

Ugh, won’t I die in bed if I do that?

"No, it was just a normal crow. There can't be a Crobanlock in the Capital. Even if there was, who would leave it anywhere for a wild crow to eat?"

At that, Karmeut went silent.

I mean, there was absolutely nothing wrong with what I said. If it is in the Capital, what kind of person would leave a shiny, precious-looking fruit alone?

"That- that’s right."

"And to get to Aria's manor, I have no choice but to pass through the crow's territory, or I have to go around a long way."

"..."

With a face full of displeasure, he shut his mouth. ---If he had been in the shape of a wolf, I’m sure he would have been beating his tail to the floor.

But I also had my own dissatisfaction.

It would have ended neatly if you hadn’t interfered right then and there!

"By the way, since when have you been watching?"

"Ever since he said that he had a hard time finding Crobanlock."

---After watching it almost from the beginning, why did you intervene only then?

Karmeut's behavior was absurd. But what was even more absurd was his gaze that seemed to say, “I am very dissatisfied.”

A sigh came out of my mouth. I didn't expect to see it until now, but it was surprising to see Karmeut behaving like a child.

"Why did you cut in?"

When I asked why he interrupted, his eyes widened and his pupils shook.

---Ahh! He misunderstood! If I don't speak up quickly, I'll be ruined!!

"If Kamut hadn't cut in, I would have refused right on the spot and ended things cleanly."

"...uh?"

"I was going to say no on the spot. ...What are you looking at with such surprised eyes?"

Karmeut averted his gaze, seemingly feeling guilty. Then, without realizing it, my eyebrows went up.

"Don't tell me, did you think I would accept it because I was tempted?"

"Oh, no. It can't be."

"Yeah? If you thought so, I'll be terribly disappointed."

Karmeut's shoulders shook at the word ‘disappointment’.

---Look at this?

"You didn't jump out because you couldn't trust your mate and were anxious about another male courting me, did you?"

"..."

"Karmeut, you can swear on your name, right?"

"..."

He was silent, then he lowered his head...

“---Sorry. I thought so a little bit...”

It's good to be honest, but that doesn't mean I won't get angry! Still, since you are admitting that, there is room for extenuation.

"Why? Am I that unreliable?"

"No! It's not like that!"

Karmeut shook his head violently, denying it at once. Then, his expression suddenly darkened.

"It's just... because you're so charming, and because you're originally a crow... That's why I'm a little bit nervous. He's a crow, and he can turn into a human from eating Crobanlock..."

---To be honest, it wasn't something I couldn't understand.

Yes, of course.

However!!

I went up to him, grabbed his face and lifted it up. With a forced to purse lips, he stared at him with wide-open eyes, as if surprised.

"Karmeut."

"...Uh, yes?"

"If you think like that, it makes me, who is taking empress classes, look like an idiot."

"---!!"

It seemed only then did he realize. His eyes widened.

His pupils shook so much and his gestures became awkward, to the point that I felt my heart getting lighter from it.

Karmeut is a bit of an idiot at times like this, huh?

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