"I came out for a bit because Shuian seemed bored."
"...Shuian?"
Instead of elaborating on the Empress's question, Theo gently stroked my chin.
"I'm not good at naming things, but I named him myself."
"It's a very lovely name. It suits him well."
"If Your Majesty, with your excellent aesthetic sense, says so, then I'm relieved."
"By the way… I heard there was an unfortunate incident recently?"
I wondered why she was being so complimentary, but the Empress's true purpose was in her last words. It was infuriating how she pretended to have heard about the situation through rumors when she was the one who orchestrated it. I unconsciously puffed up my chest feathers and flinched, and Theo gently patted my butt.
"The betrayal of those closest to you is always painful. There are even rumors circulating that madness has taken hold due to the pain of betrayal. This Empress was very worried."
"Since they were people I had known for a long time, it would be a lie to say I'm unaffected. But it's alright. I gained something more precious than that, didn't I?"
Even though the subject was omitted, it was clear what he was referring to, and the Empress's face momentarily hardened, but Theo added with undisguised mockery.
"It seems Your Majesty also has parrots that you raise… I don't know if they're competent, but you should be careful. Unlike our Shuian, they're fickle and might fly away at any time, don't you think?"
The parrots were a reference to her ladies-in-waiting, who spread words in social circles as the Empress instructed. The Empress and her ladies-in-waiting couldn't possibly misunderstand the meaning of his words, which implied that just as he had been betrayed, they too could betray her at any time.
"Then, please take care on your way back."
Leaving behind those whose faces were flushed red with anger, Theo strode away. If saying whatever you want without worrying about what others think is one of the essential virtues of a villain, then being a villain isn't so bad!
"Being on the receiving end all the time isn't my style."
"Screech-!"
Yes, very well done! As soon as I wrapped his cheeks with both wings like before, Theo burst into a happy laugh.
When we arrived at the greenhouse, Orca excused himself, saying he had a mountain of work to do and would return when we were about to leave.
The interior wasn't particularly noteworthy, as I had heard beforehand. However, the weeds that had been growing haphazardly seemed to have been removed, and a stream of water, quite wide like a river, flowed on one side, perhaps through the use of magic.
So, he was trying to create something similar to the forest where we first met. Looking up at Theo with a renewed feeling, he curved his eyes softly.
"I'll release your favorite fish soon. Shall we secretly grill a few without Orca knowing?"
"Screech-!"
Knowing it was a joke, I quickly replied, but it wouldn't have mattered even if it wasn't a joke. The memory of Theo catching fish and grilling them together was still a joy to me.
Theo sat down by the riverbank as he had in the forest, and I flew around the greenhouse to my heart's content. There was nothing to obstruct my view, so Theo could see me wherever I was, which made me feel more comfortable flying around.
Perhaps it was true that my condition had worsened due to reduced exercise while being indoors, as my dazed mind gradually became clearer and my stiff body felt relaxed as I flew around. It couldn't compare to flying in the wide-open sky with dense trees below, but this wasn't bad either.
While flying around excitedly for a while, I happened to discover an area where sprouts were emerging and landed on the ground. Several small, green sprouts were coming up, as if flowers had been planted, and some of them already had flower buds. Among them, there was only one with its petals slightly open. It was still a young flower that hadn't fully bloomed, but it was the closest thing to a flower.
Since this all belongs to Theo, Orca wouldn't scold me even if I plucked just one, right? I quickly plucked that one flower, held it in my beak, and flew back up.
Theo looked puzzled to see me return sooner than he expected, but when I sat next to him and dropped the sky-blue flower on his thigh, his expression became strange. It was like he was smiling, and also like he was crying. And perhaps even frowning, his face resembled the one he had when he saw that the tea leaves he was about to drink had been poisoned, and I had gotten very angry.
"This is… a flower."
"Screech."
Of course, it's a flower. It was my favorite flower, one that resembled the sky. When asked what my favorite color was, I couldn't really answer, but it was the first color I thought was pretty after becoming an eagle.
I wanted to give Theo, who couldn't fly, the sky that I always saw and loved the most. He picked up the flower I gave him with very careful hands, as if afraid it would be damaged, and said as if muttering to himself.
"...I'm always only receiving from you, and I don't know what I should do for you."
I wanted to answer him. I wondered if I could say even just one word if I wished strongly enough.
'You've never only received, and you don't need to do anything for me. But if you really want to repay me, I just want you to smile. Just like you always have.'
"Screech."
What came out of my mouth was the same bird sound as usual. Was it because of the wind? I felt like tears were about to well up, so I rubbed my forehead against Theo's neck.
He smiled very kindly, as if he had read my mind.
ê•¥
As soon as Theodore returned to his bedroom after the walk, he cast a preservation spell on the gift Shuian had given him.
Until now, he had never felt anything about flowers withering. Everything changes with the passage of time, and the withering of a humble flower was as natural as water flowing from top to bottom.
But why does it feel so precious now? What is it about the fading of a single blue flower that hasn't even fully bloomed?
Putting the preserved flower in a drawer, Theo thought that he should ask Orca for the name of the flower when he came. He then approached Shuian, who had already fallen asleep. He looked very comfortable lying sprawled on his favorite cushion.
He had a hearty lunch, so it would be alright to let him sleep longer. Instead of waking him up for dinner, Theo decided to let him sleep soundly and headed straight to his office. He had been so happy flying around, it was a pleasant sight. If he wanted to go for walks often, he would have to work diligently. Theo picked up his pen, thinking of Shuian's appearance.
But unlike his expectations, Shuian did not wake up even late at night, and the same was true the next morning. Since there were no groans or moans, Theo thought he was just sleeping soundly, but by the time noon was approaching, he couldn't help but feel that something was wrong.
"Shuian, wake up."
Sitting on the bed, he placed his hand on Shuian's body. It was a very careful touch, lest he startle him. He still showed no signs of waking up, so he shook him gently. Seeing him not move at all, Theodore felt that something was wrong and quickly pulled Shuian into his arms. His warm temperature and peaceful breathing were still the same, but he still didn't wake up.
Even though he pulled the bell cord urgently, Theodore couldn't wait for the maid to enter, so he burst out of the bedroom with Shuian in his arms and stormed into Ben's bedroom. Ben, who had been fast asleep, screamed and was horrified, but upon seeing Theodore and Shuian in his arms, he quickly came to his senses.
Seeing Shuian not wake up even in this commotion, he sensed that it was no ordinary matter, but the problem was that the examination revealed nothing unusual. There was no fever, no foam or foreign substances around his mouth, no lesions on his skin, and not even any areas where feathers had fallen out excessively. In short, he was simply sleeping soundly, no different from any other time.
"H, he's just in a sleeping state."
"Then why isn't he waking up?"
"I, I don't know either…"
It was a statement that felt somewhat irresponsible, but there was nothing else he could say. Theodore was about to draw his sword, but Orca, who had rushed in belatedly, dissuaded him, and he hugged Shuian again.
"You should pray that Shuian wakes up safely. That way, you'll be able to die with less pain."
After saying that fiercely, Theodore suddenly stopped in the hallway. His head was blank, and he didn't know what to do next. Orca, who couldn't bear to watch, chimed in.
"Your Highness, let's go to the bedroom first. I'll call a priest."
"Get rid of that useless bastard."
"When Shuian wakes up, he'll need a veterinarian someday. How about watching over him a little longer?"
After hesitating for a moment, Theo nodded slightly and walked towards the bedroom.
Theo laid Shuian down and sat on the bed, then got up again and paced around the room. He knew that Orca would call a priest as quickly as possible, but he couldn't just sit still.
What if he was seriously ill? What if he couldn't wake up like this? What if his condition had worsened because he went for a walk earlier? He should have called a priest this morning. Various thoughts spread like wildfire, as if burning his entire head.
While he was trembling with anxiety, the priest arrived. Whether it was because Orca had urged him so much, the priest was breathing heavily with his clothes and hair disheveled. He bowed to Theodore.
"Omit the unnecessary greetings and start the treatment quickly."
"Y, yes, I understand."
Comments Box