I don't know if Orca has started working on it yet, but if the rumor that I might be a divine beast has already started, things will be much easier. No wonder everyone seemed strange today.
Unlike before, when they were just scared of Theo, now they seem to be wary of me, thinking I'm some kind of mystical creature. Suddenly, I was reminded of the villagers who thought of me as the guardian of the forest. I hope they don't think I left the forest because I was angry....
Realizing that rumors spread faster than I thought among the servants, I got up from the bed and sat neatly on the cushion. To accelerate the rumors, it would be better to pretend to be something than to show such a sloppy appearance, right? As I sat quietly on the cushion, gazing out the window with a distant look as if contemplating the distant future, the maids whispered among themselves.
"Lord Shuian is looking out the window. What could he be thinking?"
"Oh, is he perhaps hungry?"
“Now that you say it, he would be getting hungry at this time. Let's bring him a meal quickly!"
I'm not hungry, I'm in contemplation! Suddenly, I missed Theo, who understood my words perfectly, so I flew past the maids and approached the bedroom door.
I thought I could go outside as I pleased now, but this time, opening the door was the problem. There's something like a handle, but.... Unless it's locked, I can just pull or push it, right? First, I tried to grab the handle with my beak and push it, but Annie, who was watching from the side, readily asked.
"Lord Shuian, if you're going to see His Highness the Prince, shall I open the door for you?"
"Screech-."
When I stepped aside, Annie opened the door, and the maids who were standing behind and watching exclaimed, 'he's definitely a divine beast...!' As a sign of gratitude, I screeched at Annie and immediately took flight, almost hitting the ceiling. The ceiling was lower than I thought, considering the power of my flapping wings. Whoa, I have to be careful....
I was adjusting my height as I flew, but flying through the narrow hallway with my large body was quite cumbersome and annoying. Moreover, seeing the servants who were passing by startled and moved to the wall as they saw me, it seemed like a considerable nuisance. Sitting on Theo's arm would be the most comfortable after all.
After almost hitting the wall several times, I finally arrived in front of the office, which was guarded by knights. They were so startled to see me that they looked like they had encountered a ghost. The knights greeted me awkwardly and asked.
"Shall we open the door for you?"
"Screech-!"
It's good that everyone is quick-witted! The knight was amazed that I understood and answered, but he opened the door to the office. His sense of duty was amazing.
As soon as the office door opened, I flew towards Theo, who was sitting at his desk. Theo smiled brightly as soon as he saw me, and he didn't seem to mind that the documents were flying in the air due to my strong flapping. Whoa, sorry. This was a real mistake....
"Goodness, did you come here alone? Did you miss me that much?"
"Screech."
I rubbed my forehead against his neck as he quickly pulled me into his arms. Theo is the only one who understands me after all! Have you had lunch?
"It looks like you just woke up. Your feathers are pressed. I'm very happy that you came to me as soon as you woke up."
Theo smiled as he brushed my pressed feathers with his fingers. In the original work, Theodore was described as a person with little emotional change and cruelty. I was proud that he, who used to act like he only knew how to be angry, had become so good at smiling.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Screech!"
Whenever Theo saw me, he would always ask if I had slept well, if the meal was delicious, and if anyone had made me uncomfortable. Even though he knew that I couldn't give a proper answer other than screeching. Of course, Theo was satisfied just to hear a cheerful answer, but sometimes I also wanted to ask him things like he did to me.
As much as he was curious about me, I was curious about him too. Whether he slept well today, whether he didn't skip breakfast, whether he didn't have too much work, whether he was sick anywhere.
There were many things I was curious about, but there was nothing I could ask. That's why I'm satisfied with my current life, but.
"It's not lunchtime yet, is it? Shall we eat together?"
Very occasionally, I missed being human.
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While we were having lunch together in the office and taking a break, Orca came to visit. He had brought a gardener to fix the glass greenhouse at Theo's command, but he reported that it had been neglected for too long, so the soil lacked nutrients and it would take more time to plant anything. Of course, Theo's face crumpled at the thought of it taking time.
"Call a priest from the Arentio Order."
"They're a bit backed up. I've already bought some fertilizer and stimulants, so I'll proceed as quickly as possible."
"What if I donate more?"
"They prioritize the commoners who farm, so even if you donate more, they won't accept the requests of the nobles first. It'll be difficult."
The priests who worship Arentio, the god of abundance, usually blessed plants to make them grow faster or protect them from pests. Therefore, they were a god mainly believed by commoners who farmed rather than nobles, and they were famous for their integrity.
The corruption they committed was only to divide the crops received as a thank-you in addition to the donations among the priests. I hadn't read the setting book thoroughly, but they were known as the epitome of integrity and innocence, and they were the first to volunteer in the event of natural disasters or epidemics, so they were mentioned several times in the original work, and I remembered them.
"Tsk, then there's nothing I can do."
Theo urged him to fix it as soon as possible, and Orca answered vaguely as if he was listening with one ear and letting it out with the other. Theo didn't pay much attention to his insincerity and turned to me.
"Shuian, shall I show you around the Imperial Palace today? There's not much to see, but you must have been bored staying in the bedroom or office all this time, so it would be good to take a look around."
I guess he was worried that I hadn't been able to walk around comfortably until now. Well, I'd be happy if you showed me around!
"Screech."
"Orca, you heard me. Prepare."
Orca, sorry.
As Theo said, there wasn't much to see even if we looked around the palace. I sat on Theo's arm and looked at the many rooms in the palace, and he explained the paintings and sculptures, and I just listened quietly. He was good at using his body and also good at talking, so I could listen with interest even though I didn't know anything about art.
Orca's role was to open the locked doors wherever we went. Originally, the head maid or the head butler managed the bunch of keys, but both of them were replaced during the recent reshuffle, so Orca is currently managing them. It seems that Orca has taken on all the vacancies created by the reshuffle. No wonder his dark circles have gotten darker.
Since the daytime is also the busiest time for the servants, the maids were busy moving around, cleaning or carrying something wherever we went. I was amazed to see them carrying large buckets of water or baskets full of laundry with their small bodies without any signs of difficulty. I shouldn't brag about being strong anywhere....
"The number of servants has decreased a lot due to the recent incident. It's likely that more people will be hired soon. However, we will only allow the minimum number of people to enter the floor where Shuian stays, so you don't have to worry too much."
Orca explained, conscious of the fact that I was wary of the people passing by but also looking at them curiously. Now that he's seen me for quite a while, he's pretty good at reading my expressions and actions.
"Shuian, shall we go to the kitchen this time? You'll get tired of eating the same thing every day, so let's go and find some food that you'll like."
The veterinarian advised that it's best not to eat food with a lot of seasoning or spicy food, and it's best to eat raw materials as unprocessed as possible. So most of my meals were just lightly seasoned cooked meat or prepared fruit. I guess he's worried about me eating the same food every time. Theo was taking care of me much more delicately than I thought. This is really touching....
"Screech-!"
When I answered excitedly, Theo moved without delay. It was definitely more comfortable to be held by Theo than to fly while twisting my body in the narrow hallway. Theo's car is the best....
When we arrived at the kitchen, the cooks and kitchen maids who were preparing dinner from early in the morning, and even the head chef who was in charge of the kitchen, all stopped what they were doing and froze as if they had encountered a ghost.
In fact, the most common method used by the Empress was to poison the food, so the kitchen was the place where the most people had died so far. So the servants working in the kitchen would feel more afraid of Theo. It's a slightly different issue from whether they are innocent or not.
Still, Orca often visited to check the ingredients, so the head chef cast a desperate gaze at Orca, who was the most familiar face, as if asking for help, but Orca, who was suffering from a vicious boss, was not in a situation to save anyone either.
"We're going to check if there's any food that Shuian can eat. Shuian doesn't like people, so only Eden should follow."
"Yes...."
The man called Eden answered reluctantly with a tearful face. Most of the keys to the food storage were held by the head chef, who was in charge, so there was no choice.
In fact, he could have just received the keys, but Orca brought Eden to the food storage, perhaps because he had the mindset that he couldn't die alone.
While walking ahead with awkward steps like a toy soldier, trying not to get close to Theo, Eden kept looking back at me. He must be amazed to see the main character of the rumors in front of him. Haven't you ever seen an eagle before? It's not an easy opportunity, so take a good look now!