CH 4

He was heading straight for the gate.

As the conversation—actually, the notice— seemed to have worked out, so the steps towards the carriage were light. 

It was impossible to catch up with the carriage with this clumsy flapping, no matter how the transformation was.

As soon as the door burst open, I bit a note in my mouth.

Then, Adele came into the room.

“Lady—? Where are—?”

Adele looked around the empty room as if bewildered. Soon, her gaze came to my body, which had been transformed into a beast. 

Adele opened her eyes wide when she found me.

“Ack, Lady?!”

Clank!

Then there was the sound of the dish breaking.

Adele seemed to have missed the plate, surprised by the Lady’s beast transformation.

The cookies that were on the plate fell to the floor.

“Lady!”

But I didn’t look back and jumped out of the window frame.

“C, chirp!”

The problem was that it was my first time flying with this body.

Wings with undergrown flight feathers kept leaning to one side.

In addition, the note in my mouth kept slipping, so I had to make an effort not to miss them.

I squeezed my power and flew away to catch up with Kendrick Yeckhart. 

And when I finally flew close to Kendrick Yeckhart. 

‘Do I succeed, Do I—?’

“Chirp!”

My wings weakened, and I fell to the top of Kendrick Yeckhart. 

“….?”

“….”

Kendrick Yeckhart stood tall in his position. 

He put his hands under his chin and shook his head lightly.

“Chirp!”

It didn’t take long for it to roll from the top of the head and fall into Kendrick Yeckhart’s hands. 

‘Ack!’

As a result of the shock of falling, the note that I was biting narrowly fell to the floor.

‘I’m in trouble!’

I hurriedly looked down at the grass. Fortunately, the note was right under Kendrick’s feet. 

I have to pick that up now—.

“….”

“….?”

I slowly lifted my head and looked up at Kendrick with a stinging gaze.

His close-up expression was quite mysterious.

He raised his eyebrows.

After that, he looked at me for a long time as if he was trying to figure out what was going on.

“Chirp… Chirp…”

I smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of my head with my wings.

Of course, because I’m in a beast condition, it’s difficult to tell if I’m smiling or crying, but I tried to smile anyway.

“Wheat feathers… So you’re Raniero.”

Then, Kendrick Yekhart opened his mouth first.

“Chirp!”

I nodded and pointed my wings at the grass.

‘Hurry up and drop me off!’

Because my precious note was on the floor.

I can’t communicate with this man at all in this form, so I have to show him the note I wrote earlier. 

I sobbed, my gaze fixed on the lonely note on the ground. 

Fortunately, Kendrick seems to know what my gesture means.

“Were you playing alone in the garden—”

He looked around the garden and carefully put me down on the grass. 

“Chiirrp!”

As soon as I got out of Kendrick’s hand, I rushed to pick up the note.

Then I bit the note that was covered with the mud in my mouth.

‘Ahh, what is this!’ 

As it fell on the grass, I had a bitter taste in my mouth because of the muddy note. It seems as if a grain of sand were rolling around in my beak.

But I didn’t have time to care about this. 

I frowned and ran towards Kendrick.

The problem is that Kendrick, who put me down on the grass, was leaving without hesitation. 

‘No!’

I was desperate to see his back as he left.

Just how did I get here? I couldn’t fail like this.

‘I must follow the wolf family no matter what!’

It was the only way to save Adele and the innocent people in the family.

‘And me too.’

If I don’t run to the wolf territory now, I’ll be thrown away for having the cursed feather again. 

After taking a deep breath, I firmly asked for the note again.

And I flew up, flapping my wings and vigorously kicking up the ground.

Thanks to Kendrick walking slowly, I could catch up with his walk without difficulty.

‘A little more!’

I flew as hard as I could and landed on Kendrick’s shoulder.

Done!

Kendrick turned his gaze to me. He seemed to be asking, ‘Why didn’t you go and come back?’

I held out a note to Kendrick with a triumphant look.

“…a note?”

Kendrick reached out with a big hand.

I spat a note on Kendrick’s palm.

I messed up the note with my beak marks and dirt.

Kendrick looked carefully at the small note on his palm and soon opened it carefully.

[My name is Linsy Raniero. Please take me to Yeckhart.] 

He saw the bad handwriting.

“Linsy… Raniero?”

“Chirp!”

“Take you to Yekhart?” 

Kendrick, who read the note, asked back in disbelief.

“Chiirp!”

I nodded my head up and down.

I nodded so vigorously that all the goals rang, but it didn’t matter.

Kendrick hasn’t said anything for a long time. He seemed to be thinking about something for a long time.

I folded my wings in agitation and repeated them.

‘What if he says he won’t take me?’

Of course, I thought that was impossible, but I became impatient as the silence grew longer.

Let me prove my ability.

Then Kendrick might end his troubles and take me.

I flew near his wrist and landed on his hand.

Then I bit Kendrick’s finger as hard as I could. 

He frowned slightly.

A drop of blood flowed from Kendrick Yekhart’s finger. 

“Chiirrp!”

Take a good look, Mister. 

I used this skill quickly. The skin, which was torn very slightly, healed quickly thanks to this ability.

Then I held out my chest in high spirits and looked at him.

“Chirp!”

What do you think? Did you see it well?

So take me with you!

I quickly dug into Kendrick’s arms, looked up at him, and blinked.

Then he turned and looked at the noisy Raniero family mansion.

Perhaps because I disappeared, all the servants were coming out to the garden one by one.

Some of them flinched at the sight of Kendrick Yeckhart, head of the Wolf family, standing in the middle of the garden.

I kept my posture as low as possible so that servants wouldn’t notice me and clung to Kendrick’s jacket. 

“Chirp…”

Hurry, hurry, take me!

Kendrick lowered his head and made eye contact with me.

Then he raised the corners of his mouth and laughed.

“….?”

Why, why are you laughing?

Kendrick unfolded his jacket collar with his hand to hide me and whispered lowly.

“Yeah, let’s go together.”

That was the sweetest voice I’ve ever heard.

Without even having time to think about anything else, he carelessly put me into his pocket. 

In an instant, it was dark around.

Kendrick’s body shook slightly as he began to walk.

I took a seat in his pocket and thought, holding my breath.

‘I succeeded!’

Now, I can hide like a mouse and follow him to the wolf’s mansion.

But there was a small problem.

It’s too dark in his pocket.

Kendrick’s pocket was so large and cozy that it was just right for me to fit in. However—.

Being alone in a dark place, I kept thinking of that day.

The smoke that was rising everywhere, the smell of blood on the nose. 

Even the wolves that were looking for me were wandering around the room.

‘—I should be hiding quietly.’

Otherwise, the servants of Raniero might find out. 

The birds had very good eyesight, so if I stuck my head out, the people of Raniero could find me.

But, 

‘I can’t breathe.’

I was constantly choking. I felt like I was alone in the fire pit. 

Tears welled up in my eyes.

I could feel my heart beating faster than usual.

Eventually, I couldn’t resist and stuck my head out of his pocket.

As I stuck out my head, I could feel the cool wind brushing my hair.

‘Phew, it’s better now.’

“Chiirp—”

I hid in the pocket and then popped out repeatedly as Kendrick made his way to the carriage.

Kendrick immediately got into a carriage engraved with Yekhart’s pattern. 

The men who appeared to be escorts standing on both sides of the carriage bowed their heads.

As Kendrick sat down in the carriage, a splendid interior came into sight.

Hiik. 

I opened my beak at the sight of the fancy carriage.

My father also had a lot of luxury, so he used to lead a fancy carriage.

Compared to the inside of this carriage, I thought it looked simple.

I stuck out my head and looked around, and a big hand picked me up and put me on his lap. 

“Chiirp.”

I raised my head reflexively.

—Hiccup.

‘Hiik.’

My eyes met with a pair of blue eyes that looked interesting to me.

A pair of blue eyes that looked at me with interest met my eyes.

“Chirp—”

‘Hello, Mister… the weather is good….’

I didn’t know before because I had to follow this person right now to survive.

But this man in front of me was a wolf.

A beast that can eat me in one bite.

—Hiccup. 

‘…You’re not gonna hurt me, right?’