~Chapter 13~
I started to feel a bit desperate.
‘Zeno won’t spill everything to Cedric, will he?’
I might die of anxiety if I just stay like this.
I immediately opened the closed window and whistled. Birds flew in and perched on the windowsill.
“Chirp chirp.” (What’s going on? Got any food?)
A sparrow flew in, turned its head, and looked around.
You’ve already eaten enough in the morning!
“Can you do me a favor?”
“Chirp.” (Nothing in life is free.)
What kind of bird talks like that?
You’ve only lived in the forest…
Reluctantly, I took some crumbs of bread from my pocket and sprinkled them on the windowsill.
“Chirp chirp!” (Bread! This is tasty!)
“…It’s not good to eat too much flour.”
“Chirp!” (You don’t always just eat rice either.)
Not a single word of thanks.
I couldn’t help but laugh at myself, arguing with a bird. But that wasn’t what mattered right now.
I composed myself and carefully spoke.
“Go to the Duke’s office and see if anything’s going on.”
“Chirp chirp.” (Are you asking me to spy?)
The bird, which had been busy eating the crumbs, paused and looked up.
“Yeah, if Zeno tries anything, peck him with your beak.”
I nodded confidently. Otherwise, there was no reason to call them here.
“Chirp chirp!” (Alright! Pecking him sounds fun.)
The birds, who had been hesitant, agreed when I said they could peck Zeno.
Apparently, they remembered how Zeno had once tormented them when he tried to catch one.
I peered out of the window and watched the birds fly off.
I feel a little relieved now.
“Well then, maybe I should go to the garden and make sure the animals are quiet.”
Of course, Cedric couldn’t talk to the animals, but I didn’t mind organizing things in advance, just in case.
‘I’ve even treated injured animals before.’
The animals had started to visit me often after they learned about it, and it was starting to take a toll on my body.
The birds would come to me wherever I was, so I headed straight for the garden.
As soon as I arrived in the garden, I was surrounded by animals.
A rabbit hopped over, wagging its little butt. Its round rear was so cute that I couldn’t help but smile.
It had once been injured after picking a fight with a leopard, but it seemed fine now.
“Let’s see, you’re jumping well, so you must be all better.”
[No, not yet. Look at this.]
The rabbit limped as it hopped, clearly not wanting to go back.
“I see. Then stay for a little longer, but you really have to go back once you’re okay.”
[Really?]
“Of course, but you have to leave once you’re completely better.”
The rabbit jumped around happily as it understood, confirming that it was indeed feeling better.
But I decided to ignore it for a few more days. It didn’t need to use any strength, so I could let it stay as long as it needed.
While watching the rabbit hop around with satisfaction, I suddenly heard a scream.
“Ahhh!” (It hurts!)
“Whoa, that scared me.”
My heart raced. A roe deer was crying, bleeding.
Upon closer inspection, there was blood flowing from its body.
“Where did you get hurt? This wound seems too deep for just a thorn.”
“Ahhh!” (Someone attacked me while I was sleeping!)
The roe deer’s cries were still hard to get used to. It had such a loud voice that it hurt my ears.
“Hold on, I’ll treat you.”
I carefully reached out and used my energy. The deep wound needed some extra power.
‘Better eat a good meal tonight.’
I needed to build up my strength. Even though I should be dizzy by now, I was handling it better than expected.
Maybe it was the passive ability I got when I made a contract with Zeno.
“Ahhh!” (Wow! Claire is amazing.)
The roe deer seemed to feel better quickly and ran off.
If I couldn’t communicate with the animals, I would’ve been knocked over by the deer’s body slam, and my ribs would probably be broken.
Shaking my head, I laughed at myself.
After treating the deer, the other animals, noticing that I was feeling better than before, gathered around.
‘This isn’t what I came here for…!’
I had come to quiet the animals, but now I was treating them.
Before I knew it, I was surrounded by animals, feeling their warmth while I treated them.
Meanwhile, Cedric entered his office with Zeno.
Startled by the sudden influx of birds, he opened the window, and they perched on Zeno’s head and back.
“What is going on here?”
To make matters worse, the birds sat on Cedric’s shoulders and chirped away.
The constant chirping from both sides was making him tired. He tried to leave the office, but the wolf was staring at him, whining.
“Whine, whine.” (You’re not trying to leave without me, are you?)
“Chirp chirp.” (Claire told me to keep an eye on you.)
“Growl.” (Do you really want to get your neck snapped?)
“Chirp! Chirp!” (You’re the one tied up!)
Cedric let out a wry laugh as he looked at the office, now filled with bird sounds.
“Is this an office or a zoo?”
Whether the birds knew what was going on or not, they pecked at Zeno, teasing him.
Anger boiled inside him.
If only he could transform into his human form, he could easily catch those birds with one hand.
But if that happened, Claire’s position would become difficult, so he decided to hold back.
Eventually, Zeno looked to Cedric, who was watching him, and asked for help.
“Woowoo!” (Take me with you!)
Cedric stared at Zeno for a moment before walking to his desk and grabbing Zeno’s leash.
“Tch, what a hassle.”
Cedric had planned to leave him behind, but if Claire found out he had left Zeno tied up here, she might hate him. So, reluctantly, Cedric left the office with Zeno.
“Your Grace?”
The butler, Bahala, was shocked when he saw Cedric standing with Zeno.
Cedric, who normally didn’t care about anyone, was walking a pet! This was practically unheard of in the Duke’s residence.
‘The Duke’s residence has changed a lot since the Duchess arrived.’
With more animals around, there were more troublesome things to deal with, but the Duke’s estate had become livelier. It felt like spring had arrived in a frozen northern land.
Cedric snapped his fingers in front of Bahala, who was smiling.
Bahala quickly regained his composure and hid his smile.
“Oh! Your Grace, where are you going?”
“Don’t worry about me. Keep doing what you were doing. Where’s Claire?”
“She must have gone to the garden to see the animals.”
“She goes to the garden every day, huh?”
“Maybe it’s the Duchess’s joy.”
“…Joy, huh.”
Cedric glanced at Zeno, who was standing beside him. A wolf and birds were sitting on his back.
It didn’t look right.
“Did you tell Claire about the Emperor’s visit?”
“I haven’t been able to yet.”
“Then I’ll do it.”
Bahala nodded and immediately left, disappearing into the kitchen, smiling softly as he went.
Cedric and Zeno soon arrived in the garden, but after a short while, Cedric stopped walking.
“Ahhh!”
It wasn’t a human scream, but an odd, eerie sound that made Cedric’s eyes widen.
‘What was that sound?’
He paused to catch his breath and tightened his grip on Zeno’s leash.
Maybe he had imagined it.
Cedric tilted his head.
But soon, an even louder sound came.
“Ahhh!”
That sound made Cedric think of Claire, who might be in danger. He started to worry.
However, Zeno, recognizing the sound as the cry of a roe deer, didn’t react.
‘She’s probably treating another animal again.’
Zeno’s gaze slowly turned to Cedric, still holding his leash.
After seeing Cedric’s face, Zeno shook his head and took a few steps back.
“No! Woowoo!” (It’s not what you think!)
Cedric didn’t even look at Zeno as he continued to focus on the direction of the sound. The tension in the leash grew as he started to feel uneasy.
“Claire!”
In the end, Cedric began running towards Claire.
In his panic, he didn’t let go of Zeno’s leash, and Zeno was forced to run alongside him.
‘This crazy guy!’
Cedric, despite being human, ran as fast as Zeno, showing no signs of tiring.
It seemed like he thought Claire might be in danger, as his eyes were slightly wide with worry.
Cedric ran like mad and entered deeper into the garden. But suddenly, he stopped.
Zeno barely managed to slow down and looked ahead.
There, surrounded by animals and smiling happily, was Claire.
The green trees and the animals surrounding her made a beautiful and peaceful scene, completely out of place in the frozen northern land.
“Haa… Haa.”
Cedric finally let out a deep breath, sitting down on the ground, laughing helplessly.
“Eh? Cedric?”
Startled by the sound, Claire, buried in the animals, turned her head slowly to see Cedric.
Seeing him, out of breath and soaked in sweat, sitting on the ground, Claire looked at him with a dazed expression.
The animals wouldn’t let go of her, so she finally stood up and walked over to Cedric, offering her hand.
“Are you okay?”
Zeno, with his exhausted face, was surprised too.
“What is all this…?”
