In the first year after the Duke turned into a monster, even the servants who knew about his transformation could not easily enter his room.
He would often hurt himself by leaving broken dishes for days because he didn’t want to call a servant.
“The wound is healing well. What a brave bird.”
But now, he has made enough progress to allow a doctor into his room.
“That’s right.”
The Duke spoke with a proud voice as if he had received a compliment.
“Then I’ll be on my way.”
“Alright.”
“Oh, by the way.”
“What is it?”
“It’s nothing serious…”
Click.
After the door closed, the Duke reached out and fumbled around, moving towards the window.
Thud.
“Since you’re not fully healed yet, let’s keep the window slightly open.”
“Chirp?”
“But it would be better to keep it open for a long time.”
Upon hearing the doctor’s passing remark that wild birds dislike stuffy air, the Duke began to ventilate the room from time to time.
“Chirp…” (It’s a bit cold.)
The Duke, who interpreted Carol’s chirp in a positive way, smiled with a proud face.
The Duke slowly felt his way from the edge of the pillow.
Tap.
His fingertips touched the bird. The Duke’s touch slowed down. Carol did not move and quietly waited for his touch.
His hand slowly reached her belly.
Caress.
Her body trembled, but Carol did not push his hand away.
“Now you even allow me to touch your belly.”
The Duke spoke with a face full of emotion.
****
“At this rate, you should be fully recovered in about two days.”
Upon hearing the doctor’s words while changing Carol’s bandage, the Duke lost strength in his hand and dropped the cup he was holding.
Crash!
“…I see.”
“Please stay still. I will clean it up right away.”
Mrs. Wells, who was standing behind the doctor, calmly went out and came back with cleaning tools.
The Duke sat stiffly without saying a word until everything in front of him was completely cleaned up.
“Chirp.”
After the treatment was over, Carol, who was placed on the table, chirped softly, letting him know where she was.
“The next meeting will be the last. You’ve worked hard.”
The Duke quickly came to his senses and reached out towards the sound.
As the doctor watched Carol climb onto his palm, he bowed his head respectfully and retreated.
“Then I will see you for the last treatment next time.”
Click.
After the doctor left, Mrs. Wells quickly cleaned up and served food before leaving the room.
Left alone, an awkward silence flowed between them.
The Duke was surprised for two reasons. The first was that the time that seemed eternal passed quite quickly, and the second was that he realized his own wickedness in wishing that this little bird’s wound would never heal.
“If you’re with me, this hell would be a bit more bearable…”
Unable to show that she understood his painful voice, Carol closed her eyes and rubbed her small head between his fingers. The Duke, who gently stroked the bird’s back with his thumb, laughed painfully.
He couldn’t drag this little bird into his hell. It was enough that he was in this huge birdcage.
“It would be a good thing if you get better soon.”
The Duke carefully placed Carol on the chair next to the window. As he slightly opened the window, the cold air swept into the room in an instant.
Carol was not a real bird. If the Duke had tried to confine her, she would have thought of escaping at the first opportunity. Because Carol had a family. She had left her siblings behind, she also thought of her lost parents.
‘No one would say anything if he confined me…’
If he had been selfish, she would have run away without regret.
Although her siblings would be worried about her, Carol was not too worried about her siblings. Her friend who had been in the capital had returned. It was a friend who knew about Carol’s family.
When they realized that she could not turn into a human, the siblings first called Carol’s friend according to Carol’s instructions. He would have come straight to the north, so he should be taking good care of her siblings now.
‘Should I stay with you a little longer? Until I’m all better.’
She looked at the Duke facing the cold wind. He, who didn’t notice Carol’s gaze at all, was staring out the invisible window.
In the meantime, it had become cold again, and white snow was piled up on the roof, and the sky was covered with dark clouds. As the wind blew fiercely, his mane fluttered.
Where did those unfocused eyes want to see as they stared into the distance?
The more they were together, the more curious she became about him. Even now that he has become a monster, he is so kind, what was he like when he was a human? Although he attracted people because of his ability, it seemed that it was not just for that reason.
‘He must have been a very attractive person.’
Even with the mind crumbling, it is still so attractive.
“Chirp.”
“Are you hungry? It’s gotten cold again so quickly, I don’t think I can catch bugs for you.”
She wanted to say that bugs were not a special meal but a terrible punishment, so she flapped her wings. The Duke was startled and fluffed her feathers, stroking Carol’s forehead in anger.
Carol pecked at the Duke’s hand for no reason. Even though she knew there would be no impact because it was covered with fur.
‘Ordinary birds would like it. Come to think of it, don’t ordinary birds chirp?’
The Duke, who was talking to himself, laughed softly. Carol approached him and pecked at his thigh.
“It seems like you understand words at times like this.”
The Duke, wanting to feel more wind, opened the window a little more and sat Carol on his thigh.
It was when a soft laugh came out.
Thump.
Her heart began to beat fiercely. Every time her heart beat fast as if she was being born anew, it felt like her blood vessels were boiling. She knew this precursor symptom.
When Carol stood still as if frozen, it seemed that the Duke also noticed something strange.
“Do you hurt somewhere else?”
He bowed his head. Unlike other places, the soft fur on his calm forehead touched Carol’s body.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The sound became increasingly louder. She had a hunch that she couldn’t stop this flow. It was an unstoppable flow.
‘I didn’t want it to be so sudden.’
She looked at her reflection in the window. Soon her lush brown feathers will become hair. Her legs, which were thin like branches, will become long and white legs.
Despite her resolution not to meet, Carol was sorry to leave. But she couldn’t help it. There was no time to worry more.
The time to be flustered by the sudden arrival was urgent. Carol kicked his hand and threw her body through the window.
Whoosh.
She flew powerfully. It was uncomfortable because of the bandage, but it was almost healed, so there was no big problem with flying.
“…Huh?”
The Duke made a dumbfounded sound. She couldn’t even turn around to look at the Duke. The Duke, who had tried to hold onto her leaving leg reflexively, let go of his strength before the little bird was caught in his hand.
The short cohabitation was over. Every time she flew, the cold wind wrapped around Carol.
****
“Sister?”
Carol, who was lost in memories of the past, came to her senses at the presence she felt right behind her.
Sitting by the window, she could see who had entered the room through the reflection in the glass.
“Dylan?”
“What are you thinking about that you don’t answer even when I call you?”
“Did you call me?”
“I knocked on the door three times before coming in.”
“Sorry, I didn’t hear. What’s up?”
Dylan sighed deeply.
He saw Carol as a sister, but also as someone he had to take care of. The same was true for Dylan’s twin, Kevin.
“Sister, are you going to the Duke’s place again today?”
“Yes, soon.”
“What about dinner?”
“I’m going to eat there.”
“…They do serve dinner there, right?”
“They do.”
“You’re not starving yourself to save on food expenses, are you?”
Carol raised her eyebrows and said,
“You even ate the quiche I brought last time.”
“You could have bought it on the way.”
“Unfortunately, there’s no place in the north that sells such delicious quiche at dawn.”
“…That’s true.”
Although there was a suspicion inside that she might have bought it from somewhere else on the way, it quickly disappeared at Carol’s words.
“What’s so dissatisfying?”
“Do you have to go to the Duke’s place?”
At Dylan’s words, Kevin, who was finishing dinner outside the room, agreed, saying, “That’s right!”
“Why?”
“Because we can’t always eat together these days.”
“Don’t lie.”
At Carol’s probing, Dylan sighed and confessed his true feelings.
“No matter how much it’s for the sake of the commoners… Nobles kill if you deviate a little.”
At Dylan’s deflated words, Carol was surprised. She never dreamed he would think like this…
“Even if my sister sacrifices herself for us to attend the academy, I’m not happy at all.”
Kevin, who seemed to have finished cooking, leaned against the door of Carol’s room and added his opinion to Dylan’s words.
“We’ll look for a job like posting flyers during the day.”
