Chapter 6

Chapter 6

There wasn’t anything in appearance that could distinguish cursed humans from normal animals. If the animal didn’t speak then we had no idea of knowing if they were animals or cursed people. Apparently, some cursed humans weren’t able to talk for up to several years because of the shock of being turned into animals.

Was it sometime last month?

I’d caught what I thought was a normal carp because it hadn’t said a word the entire time, but only when I was about to eat it did it say, “It hurts, could you put me down first so I can say something.”

「I feel like Your Ladyship is different from usual. You usually don’t have much interest in what’s going on in the lake.」

“……It’s not like that.”

I’d told her not to say anything unnecessary, but my eyes were still fixed on the baby swan. I couldn’t keep being like this, but my steps didn’t stop.

“Now, the sun is coming soon, so Madam will go in and take a rest until the moon rises. I will take this baby. If you go out into the field at the end of the lake, there may be some kids you know. ”

「The sun is about to set but is Your Ladyship going to go inside and rest before the moon appears? I will take this child. If I go to the edge of the lake to the field, I might be able to find some kids I know to care for it..」

“…You’re taking the baby swan to the field?”

「Yes, these days, some feral dogs will come down every once in a while, so if we just leave it here then it might not even last the night.」

“No, shh!”

Cover the baby’s ears!

Without thinking I extended my arms and picked up the baby swan. As I felt the baby swan breathing in my arms, so surprised at being picked up that it didn’t even let out a cry, my voice also became quieter.

“It’s fine, Selene, so why don’t you leave first. Didn’t you promise to help clean up the reed fields in the evening? A promise is a promise.  Don’t think lightly of the communal life.”

「……But then what about the baby swan……」

“Hyoo-ooh, Well, it looks like I have no choice. I’ll take care of her today.”

I shrugged my shoulders and let out a light sigh. Selene shook her head and looked like she was going to die from annoyance, or as much as she could for a duck.

“……I was just going to take a light nap, but now it looks like I really won’t be able to rest.”

◇ ◆ ◇

……No one is here, right? As soon as I entered the villa, I looked around and then put the baby swan on a table. As for resting, I was already wide awake. I’d slept yesterday and the day before, and I’ll probably be sleeping tomorrow, so why’d I need to go to sleep now?

“Hmm…….”

Okay then.

I nodded my head as I examined the baby swan. The spotless white fuzz of feathers looked soft and like snowflakes just before they melted.

At its hesitating and frightened appearance, I immediately moved it to the bed.

“I’m sorry. It’s just been so long since I’ve seen a child.”

Of course it’d be scared stiff.

I quickly pulled over a blanket and wrapped the swan in it. I felt like I needed to do something for the child but I wasn’t sure what exactly I should start with, and I only grew more nervous.

“Alright now, how’s that?”

「 ……. 」

I knew I wouldn’t get a response, but I still waited for a bit before I chuckled. Since there wasn’t anyone watching me, I slowly got on my belly and made eye contact with the baby swan’s red eyes as it slightly tilted its head in confusion.

“Ah……what do I do.”

It’s so cute I could go insane!

I just wanted to nestle my face in that fluff and skip around the room.

But if I kick up a fuss like that I’d only frighten the baby swan.

I bit my lips and supported my chin. I had always taken care of the baby animals that had been born or brought to the zoo in my previous life.

“Child, where exactly could your mother have gone?”

「 ……. 」

“Anyway, how can your eyes look as pretty jewels?”

As long as you weren’t scared of the color, anyone would want to kiss those sparkling eyes. They looked like rubies, and though I’ve never seen one in person, I’d say the child’s eyes were of a purer and clearer quality.

But……aren’t the swan’s eyes usually black?

I tilted the head I was supporting as I copied the baby swan’s movements.

For a moment, I thought it might really be a cursed person, but now I was sure it wasn’t.

If it had been cursed, it would have said something by this time.

Though all animals can understand my words, the normal animals didn’t have as diverse of a vocabulary as the humans.

So even if I could understand what they said, it was pretty much just what they liked and didn’t like, or maybe if they were hungry or sleepy.

“……”

But this child didn’t even speak up.

Except for the surprise when I’d first discovered it, it didn’t seem to show any signs of fear or distress from then until now. Only the kind curiosity that was unique to children remained.

I kept tilting my head this way and that way until I snapped my fingers.

“Ah, ah! So it’s like that!”

That’s right, it could be something like a mutation.

If I thought of it like that, then it also made sense that the mother abandoned this baby swan.

The baby swan flinched, perhaps startled at my sudden movements.

“No, no. It’s not your fault.”

What’s wrong with such pretty eyes?

My eyes teared up.

I didn’t have a memory of being abandoned since I was too young, but I could never erase the feeling that I’d been thrown away by my parents.

So as not to scare it, I carefully held the swan in my arms.

“They’re so stupid. To leave such a pretty baby.”

Hm……but why couldn’t I stop smiling.

Knowing the reason why, I gave pressure to my cheeks so I didn’t look like I was.

Because it’d be mean if I smiled right in front of the child’s face despite their circumstances.

But despite my efforts the corners of my mouth had slowly risen on their own.

「 ……. 」

“It’s not what you think. I just tend to……smile a lot.”

When the innocent eyes looked up at me, I made up an excuse.

But how could I not smile in this situation.

I might be getting a family member!

And it’s such a pretty baby at that!

“That……what I’m about to say might be a little weird, but…….”

「 ……. 」

“Should I be your mommy?”

I was nervous and swallowed saliva down my throat. I never thought that I’d be saying this to a baby swan, but this was still much better than all the other moments I’d had since I’d transmigrated.

I didn’t know if I would say this to a baby swan, not a man, but honestly, I was more nervous than what had never happened.

“I was lonely you know!”

No matter how satisfied I was with my life on the lake, I was still living the loner life I’d had in my past life after I transmigrated.

Especially since I was the only one who transformed back into human form and returned to the house among the lake inhabitants who stayed behind

“Think about it. This isn’t really a bad thing for you, either.”

「 ……. 」

Even though I knew I wouldn’t get a reply, I didn’t take my eyes off the little baby swan as I spoke.

As I thought, I should be a little more proactive in my approach.

Reaching out and touching its head, I trembled as I felt like my hand was going to melt.

“Let’s just live together. Hm?”

「 ……. 」

Though I asked for permission like this, I’d already blackened on the inside like the black swan I was.

……Well who cares. As long as I didn’t want to send the baby swan away.

Though I felt my conscience being pricked for a moment, I wasn’t really doing anything bad. Since it had been abandoned by its parents and siblings, there needed to be someone to take care of the child unless its parents and siblings came searching for it.

‘Honestly, even if they came now to take back their child……is there even a chance that it’s swan with proper principles?”

It’d probably abandon the baby it’d thrown away a second time since it did it once already.

I had already amassed a list of over a hundred reasons why I should be raising this baby swan in my mind.

Though I tried not to overdo it my fingers itched to keep touching the baby swan, and I kept rubbing and stroking its cheeks. It was only when I saw its head lowering that I let go.

“You must be sleepy. Makes sense.”

「 ……. 」

I gently laid the swan on a folded blanket.

Though all I wanted to do was hug the child, I was just as sleepy after not being able to sleep a wink earlier. If I hurt the child by accidently pinning it down in my sleep just because of my needless greed, such a big crisis……I wasn’t going to let that happen.

I was going to turn into a black swan anyway.

“……Haha. “

I gave an awkward smile and opened the window and curtains wide enough for the moonlight to reach my bed. If I did it like this, there was no way the baby swan would get crushed since I’d be smaller.

Though there was a much easier method of having the baby swan sleep separately on the floor, frankly, I didn’t want that.

“It’s okay to do this. It’s the baby’s first day.”

After all, it must have been frightened after being abandoned.

The idea that this pretty baby had been abandoned was already a foregone conclusion in my mind.

Oguogu. I covered its head and leaned on one another.

T/N: 오구오구 is basically coochi-coochi-coo.

I don’t know which of the two of us fell asleep first, but I was definitely the first one to feel like I was dreaming.

Thank you! To grant my wish like this!

I had nothing else to wish for now that a baby had rolled into my relaxed lake life. Even better, it wasn’t just any baby but a cute little swan!

It was like a customized baby made just for the cursed Catherine.

Maybe there was a slight error with all this because I was a black swan and a white swan had appeared, but it wasn’t to the point that I could call it a flaw, really.

‘It’s probably not a dream, right.’

And even in my dreams, all I could do was worry that the baby swan was just my imagination.

It’s cheating to give me something I wished for and then taking it back, after all.

Murmuring that I’d never let it be taken away from me, I stretched my arms toward the baby swan.

No, it wasn’t stretching my arms, I was spreading my wings.

「Euh euhm, did you wake up?」

Now when did this kid bury itself like this.

I’d opened my eyes and felt the baby swan had snuggled itself next to my stomach.

As I thought, I’m also the only for you, right?

There was no doubt that it had searched to nestle into my arms by instinct.

The baby swan that kept moving around next to me finally emerged from its burrow, tilting its head cutely. I smiled as I spoke.

“Well, you look surprised, but there’s nothing to be scared about. Mommy transformed suddenly because-”

「Mommy?」

Wai, wait a second.

I instantly froze in place as the baby swan’s face brightened. It flapped its wings and innocently asked a question that put the nail in the coffin.

「Mommy？ Awe you weally my mommy？」