Chapter 81: 81

*Rainelle’s POV

As I couldn’t come up with anything while sitting on the roof after long thinking, I flew back to my room.

Haaah... I'm really incompetent... No matter how much I think about it, I can't think of a solution, huhuhu...

I went inside through the open window. There, Karmeut was waiting.

"Are you okay, Rainelle? I heard you ran away while meeting Young Lady Gwynell?"

My heart melted when I saw Karmeut looking at me with worried eyes.

---Ouch! How can I pass on such a man just because the heroine came out?! How hard did I go through to get Karmeut?!!

I was so moved that I rushed into Karmeut's arms. His body faltered for a moment at the same time as a thud sound, but then it was followed by a comforting hand that embraced me.

A strange sound, which may be a croak or a cackle, squeezed out through my beak.

Huhuhu! I know you're worried, but I can't say it because there's nothing I can say! Sorry!! If I say it, the world might be a mess! Like, 'You’re talking about the future! I will send you to Valhalla1!!' ---I don't know if the Will of the World or God will cut my soul!

Karmeut silently hugged me and stroked my feathers. The hand that gently touched my back and wings was really comforting, and so my heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, slowly calmed down.

"...are you feeling better now?"

How long had I been in Karmeut's arms? As he continued to gently rub my head and cheek with his index finger, he asked if I was feeling better.

His golden eyes as he asked that were full of worry, making me feel sorry even more.

---It's not settled, but it's okay, so let's nod.

When I nodded my head slightly, Karmeut sighed in relief. Then his eyes curved and he opened his mouth,

"Do you want cookies? Or fruits? You want to take a sand bath?"

Karmeut didn’t ask me to change into a human form. He also didn't ask what happened.

I had feelings that were difficult to express in words right now. He was just smiling while petting me as if he was just relieved.

The feelings that filled me were of being thankful, happy, and feeling sorry for not being able to tell him the problem.

I did not have the confidence to express these feelings in words, and I was ashamed. So, I, in the form of a crow, gently rubbed my beak on Karmeut's fingers and let out a small cry.

Even if I said thank you, he shouldn't be able to understand, but Karmeut's eyes softly curved.

"You're welcome."

My heart got tickled by his action of tapping the tip of my beak lightly with his finger.

Oh really. This is so good!

Looking at him, it seemed like a halo was surrounding his handsome figure which made me think again that it was a kind of cheat.

OMG! So dazzling! His golden hair and golden eyes shine so brightly!

I dug into his arms. It was so reassuring to lean in his warm and solid arms. My worry about the heroine... didn't go away completely, but this was enough to make me forget about it for a while.

Seeing my behavior, Karmeut gently stroked my feathers again. Then he went to the sofa with me in his arms, picked up a dried fruit, and offered it to me by placing it in front of my beak.

...to be honest, it wasn't a situation where I want to eat, but I couldn't refuse Karmeut, so I took it and ate it.

No! I didn't eat it because I like it! It's not something I wanted to eat because it is sweet, sour, and chewy! ---Ah, come to think of it, a dog or a cat would find it chewy, but crows don't.

I received fruits and cookies offered by Karmeut. No words were exchanged, so it was a more comfortable moment.

"Rainelle."

Me, who was lying comfortably on his lap, flinched.

---Is he going to ask about the heroine? Maybe, the heroine has moved his heart?

No, that can’t be. If you don't start the route and build a certain level of favor, you won't be approached first... so I don’t think that’s the case…?

There may be variables, so I can't say for sure. What if because of me, this place isn't an otome game? What if things no longer flow according to the game?

Then I can't lower my guard---! I don't want to lose Karmeut, but what if there's something like an instinctive attraction because she’s the heroine?

Anxiety enveloped my body. ---Does Karmeut know what I was feeling? He suddenly picked me up and hugged me to his chest.

His pulse was transmitted through my body. While I was dumbfounded for a moment by his beating heartbeat that had a constant rhythm, his voice reached my ear.

"Rainelle, shall we ban Young Lady Gwynell from entering the Imperial Palace?"

Startled, I looked up at Karmeut. His golden eyes looked serious.

"There must be a reason why you acted like that. No matter how hard it was, you never behave like that at the banquet."

Ah... that’s true. ---But at that time, I was afraid I would be scolded by Madame Fangxia. Fortunately, he didn't seem to realize my thoughts. Karmeut continued saying while stroking my back repeatedly.

"I understand that if you fly and run away in your original form, it means you feel threatened. …and the only suspicious person you've met today is Young Lady Gwynell."

...Karmeut's words that came close to the truth made me appalled. And, do you use the interest method?

Does he have some kind of power? No, of course not. But I didn’t expect that he would have such good insight. An emperor is not just anyone after all!

…This is not the time to admire---! An answer… how do I answer it? It is true that the heroine is a problem, and it is also true that I don’t want to meet her.

...But I don't know what will happen if I blindly block her entrance here... No, if she’s banned from the Imperial Palace, then Karmeut’a route won’t be able to be taken, right...?

Karmeut smiled reassuringly as I hesitated in confusion and couldn't answer easily. Then he said as he gently rubbed my cheek,

"For now, I'll block her way in. ...when you make up your mind, tell me then. Okay?"

After hearing that, I nodded my head silently while seeing Karmeut’s smiling face. Then he stroked my head as if to soothe me and hugged me tightly.

Although it was a little cramped, my heart felt lighter from the reassurance.

Karmeut is like this, so am I worrying for nothing?

When I thought about it, I was ashamed and thankful.

No, no. It’s too early. Karmeut has never met the heroine alone. Who knows if meeting her will make him think differently?

No matter how many times I thought about it, there was only one conclusion:

Never! I absolutely, absolutely can’t allow anything connects the heroine and Karmeut! I'll stop it!

 

*Karmeut’s POV

Karmeut bowed his head and looked down at his arms. Rainelle, who had been trembling with anxiety, had suddenly fallen asleep.

Her sleeping posture which was more like lying down made Karmeut wonder if it was okay for a bird to do this, but the sight of her sleeping so well made him smile. He carefully tapped the tip of the drooping wing, but the crow did not wake up.

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"...you were so anxious."

Rainelle herself may not have realized, but she preferred the look of her crow. Maybe it is because she is a crow in nature, but she seemed to think that if she returned to the form of a crow, she could always escape and protect herself.

Rainelle would return to her true form when she felt like she is in danger unless she wanted to be comfortable.

So far, she has gone back to being a crow to be comfortable... Although she is in the Palace, today for the first time she was back in her crow form and ran away because of Young Lady Gwynell.

And as soon as she returned… I don’t know what made her so anxious, but she rushed into my arms without controlling her strength, and she made the kind of cry that I’ve never heard before...

There is nothing from that woman that stood out except for her suicide attempt...

What bothers me is that she asked Rainelle who she is…

She dares to speak nonsense to a being who is the Emperor's partner and the next empress. It was hard to forgive, but it could have been said that she had been mentally confused for a while after her suicide attempt—it was an understandable excuse.

Or...

The figure of the black crow was captured in the golden eyes. She was so comfortable and her beak was slightly open. He couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her sleeping figure.

...Is there something that only the two of you know?

Rainelle's appearance was heart-warming every time he saw her, but his worries did not go away.

No, I had to think so. I don't think there's anything between the two without a single point of contact before, but...

The Emperor stroked the crow's smooth feathers without hiding a sigh that flowed out of his mouth. The texture on his fingertips was still smooth and soft, but it did not soothe the Emperor's complex heart and mind.

***

 

*3rd person POV

"...what should I do..."

When the Emperor was in the midst of his troubles, someone on the other side was also troubled.

The woman who sighed was Young Lady Gwynwll. She nervously shook her head. Due to her actions, her thick and shiny honey-like blonde hair fluttered in the air.

The maid swallowed her saliva while looking at the Lady’s actions, then she moved her gaze.

After her suicide attempt, the Young Lady, who opened her eyes, was very different from before, so the maid didn't know when and where the sparks would fall if she didn't take care of her.

Whether or not the Lady knew the mind of her maid, Young Lady Gwynell murmured softly,

" 'Rainelle' didn't exist before... that means..."

The blue eyes flashed as she mumbled. Then she stood up from her seat with her fist clenched. It was unknown what she was thinking.

"Please bring a blank letter paper and a quill."

"Understood, Young Lady."

Young Lady Gwynell’s eyes gleamed strangely as she quickly wrote down a letter with the paper and pen that the maid brought.

***

 

*Rainelle’s POV

For the time being, let's not be a human and take it easy as a crow. If that's the case, I can fly and run away when I’m in a hurry! Humans can't fly! Long live the birds! I can run away to the sky ah ah ah ah!!

I rolled around on the bed in the form of a crow, then I dug into the blanket. It was so soft! As I dug in and enjoyed the sensation, I became the happiest in the world.

After all, the heroine cannot enter the Imperial Palace.

As long as Karmeut had said that he won't let her in, she won't be able to come in. That fact couldn't be more reassuring.

If she can't come in, we won't even meet. She can't put a flag on! It’s like that! Ahh, I can put my mind at ease now!!

"Rainelle-nim, a letter has arrived."

---As soon as I thought about being at ease, the maid told me that a letter had arrived, which made my heart stir.

...no! Why did something like this arrive when I just become relieved?! Can't you give me some slack?! Who's the letter from this time!!

In anger, I puffed my feathers and swished over the maid's shoulder. The maid, who visibly flinched at my actions, carefully turned her head and opened her mouth,

"Uh... Shall I open the letter, Rainelle-nim?"

Yes! Do it!

When I nodded my head with that meaning, the maid’s eyes trembled. Then she carefully opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

"Caaw? (It is the heroine again?)"

No, what trick are you trying to do?!

As I thought this, my heart pounded with anxiety. The letter said that she wanted to meet me because she wanted to apologize for the rudeness she had done before.

I remembered at that moment that most of the girls in the original game were cancer-inducing women.

Of course, there was a lot that wasn’t like that, but you always have to be prepared for the worst to make your lifeline longer!

I just wish that the heroine would target other people rather than Karmeut, but there's a possibility that she won't, so I have to be prepared! But why is she trying to meet me like this?

Meeting itself was not difficult. If I say I wanted to meet her, Karmeut will arrange it right away.

...the problem is that I didn't even know what to do after we met.

...so not yet, for the time being! I won't meet the heroine until I come up with a plan!

As I hardened my heart, I snatched the letter from the maid’s hand. Then I flew to the fireplace and dropped the letter inside.

"Rai, Rainelle-nim?!"

Watching the paper burn down from the fire elevated my mood.

Good! The evidence that the letter came is gone with this! So there’s no need to reply!

Of course, it's just blindfolding myself, but what can I do if I don't want to see her?! I haven't come up with a solution yet. There’s a chance that she could snatch Karmeut! And will I let that happen? Of course not!

Recalling the fact that I am the only one who can protect Karmeut from the original heroine's magic(?), I vowed:
Take down the heroine! I won't let Karmeut be taken away! I'm not going to let her!

***

 Notes:

1  Valhalla: Afterlife in Norse mythology↩

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