CH 105

Does he hate it that much?

The girl sitting in front of me looked just small and lovely.

Of course sometimes—she was like a little devil when she ran with a broom and broke a window on the first floor, or when she knocked over a jar of sugar—.

Leona’s first shapeshift was expected. 

‘It must look like a cute little lion, right?’

When I imagined Arsene and Leona in beast form, my heart fluttered for nothing. 

When the first shapeshift is successful, they usually throw a small party to commemorate the official status as a shapeshifter. 

Perhaps Leona and Arsene were also going to have a party if they succeeded in shapeshifting. 

I hoped the two children would soon succeed in shapeshifting.

‘Uhm, of course lions are a bit scary, but…’

Thanks to the tearful efforts of Betty and the other servants, I was now completely used to the appearance of a giant wolf.

Of course, even now, if someone bared their teeth and threatened me, I might fly away in surprise.

But at least.

‘Now I’m not surprised by the way it looks!’

That’s all, I could now take a nap on the backs of the servants who turned into wolves. 

The huge wolves’ backs were so cozy that I used to fall asleep while playing on them in my bird form. 

Therefore—.

‘I hope that Arsene and Leon will soon be able to shapeshift.’ 

Leona, who made eye contact with me, grinned. The pointed fangs peeped out.

I laughed after Leona.

I really wanted to see my friends succeed in their first shapeshifting. 

…Not knowing what will happen in the future.

Until now, I didn’t know why Kendrick was so freaked out by her first shapeshift.

Until before.

***

“I don’t like unpeeled cod dishes. Is there anything else besides this?”

When Leona grumbled, the servant who was serving the food bowed his head.

“I’ll bring you another one in a minute.”

“Eung. Linsy, do you like this?” 

Leona tilted her head and poked the cod dish with a fork.

I nodded as I poked the cod dish with a fork and stuffed it into my mouth.

“Mmhm! How delicious the fish is!”

“I hate fish, too.”

Arsene said firmly.

“Right?”

Leona immediately rejoiced and asked back.

Arsene and Leona looked at each other and exchanged glances, as if they had found a point of agreement after a long time.

I said in a stern voice.

“You can’t be a picky eater, don’t you know? Eat it all. Yeah, eat half of it. Otherwise, I won’t hang out with you guys.”

When I spoke sternly, Arsene and Leona twisted their faces and nodded.

I put the dish in my mouth, ignoring the pathetic expressions of the two children.

‘Come to think of it.’

Kendrick wasn’t present.

He looks busy, is he going to skip his meals? 

I poked a cherry tomato, put it in my mouth, chewed it, and thought.

And

“You know, what about father?” 

When I asked the servant who was standing next to me, he bent down and answered politely. 

“He said to eat first. He said he has business to take care of.”

“I see…” 

Is he really busy?

I have to tell him about the strange thing that happened at the theater and the broken necklace. 

I couldn’t afford to speak.

After we quickly finished our meal, we went up to Arsene’s and my room.

The bed was very wide, so on days Leona came to play alone, the three of us would sleep side by side on the bed.

Of course I was in the middle.

Arsene declared that he would rather sleep on the floor than sleep with Leona, and Leona declared that she would rather sleep on Hector’s stable than sleep with Arsene. 

So I was forced to sleep between the two children.

Of course, when Cain comes to play, the story changes.

The bed was so wide that four people could sleep, but the maids wouldn’t allow us to sleep in the same bed because it was so narrow that we might fall. 

Thanks to that, Cain and Arsene used to share the room Arsene originally used when Cain came to play, and Leona and I used to use this room.

“But you know, Linsy.” 

Leona was the first to speak.

I lay down and slowly turned my head to Leona.

“I, I want to see you shapeshift again!”

Leona said, her eyes twinkling.

Leona has been asking me to do shapeshift lately.

The reason is that,

“I’m going to do shapeshift soon, too, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

I’m not sure what Leona’s handprint has to do with my handprint.

“Yeah, I’ll do it for you.”

I would mostly listen to Leona’s requests.

Then I stomp my feet while lying down, pong–! A familiar explosion was heard. 

A cloud of light green smoke rose and obscured the view. And not long after.

“Chirp!” 

The view was lowered and wings were formed.

Leona’s eyes twinkled when she saw me in my bird form.

“You know, your feathers look really pretty. I wish I could molt into a red lion.”

“Chirp?” 

A red lion.

I wanted to shake my head that there was no such thing.

‘…There are red birds, too?’

Even in the bird family, the red bird was almost an existence that shouldn’t be born.

But since I was born, Leona’s dream wasn’t completely absurd either.

I flew away and stood in front of the mirror and looked at myself.

Inside the mirror, a small bird with a reddish body stood tall.

Of course. 

‘It’s a lot bigger than me.’

Compared to when I was seven years old and had wheat-colored feathers, I was in a huge state. 

I had grown since then, and my beak was now shiny.

The legs were also thin enough to break if struck, but now they are a bit thicker than that.

“Chirp!” 

I spread my wings once, then flew back to Leona and sat on Leona’s shoulder.

“Linsy, you are really cool. When will I shapeshift? Hmm? Ung?” 

“How did Linsy know that, you fool.” 

At Arsene’s scolding, Leona immediately drooped her shoulders.

I glared at Arsene, sat on Leona’s shoulder, and covered Leona’s cheek with my wings.

“Chirp!” 

You’ll be able to shapeshift in no time! 

Now that Arsene and Leona’s birthdays were approaching, both children would soon have their first shapeshifting. 

Leona held out her hand to me.

I got used to it and jumped on top of Leona’s palm.

“Linsy, you are so cute… look at your feather. It’s soft. Can’t I live in a mansion?”

“Are you crazy, Leona Fernando?”

At Leona’s words, Arsene suddenly jumped up in anger and hurriedly stood up.

“Chirp!” 

I quickly spread my wings and mediated between the two. And I glared at Arsene once more.

‘Where did you learn those words?’

These days, we often hang out at the gymnasium, and Arsene seems to have learned from hearing the knights talk.

I glared at Arsene, determined to tell Kendrick about Arsene’s tone.

“Why? Anyway, Linsy’s house is Raniero. But she lives in Yeckhart. Then, wouldn’t it be possible to live in Fernando as well?”

Leona again engaged in a war of nerves with Arsene by playing arbitrary logic.

Arsene looked at Leona with his mouth open as if he were dumbfounded, and said with a blush.

“What are you talking about! Linsy is married to me, so she lives in Yeckhart!” 

“That’s true, but… Linsy, do you want a divorce? How about marrying my brother? My brother is also the heir.”

“Hey! Are you crazy?”

Eventually, Arsene and Leona got entangled and rolled on the bed.

Fortunately, neither of the children seemed to fight seriously.

Pong—! 

I quickly shapeshifted and stood tall in front of Arsene and Leona. 

I put my hands on my waist and glared at Leona and Arsene.

“Leon, Arsene. Why are you fighting? Father said that if you fight, he will scold you.”

“But that kid!”

“Arsene hit me first.”

The former was Arsene and the latter was Leona.

Even though Leona was a girl, Arsene never pushed her back by force.

That would be the case, because Leona was the youngest daughter of Fernando, the head of the lion clan, a beast among beasts.

If the two of them fought sincerely, it was obvious that Arsene would lose.

Arsene is also the successor of Yeckhart, the head of the wolf clan, but Arsene is weak.

Furthermore.

‘It’s not completely cured yet…’

All other clans know that Arsene has been cured.

Not only that, but also all of the wolf clan.

But me, Kendrick and Arsene knew the truth.

‘Arsene is not completely cured.’

Although I’ve been treating him with care for three years, it’s not completely cured.

The spots still remaining on Arsene’s body proved it.

With steady treatment, the symptoms are quickly suppressed, so it seems to be cured.

Phew, I sighed.

Being with Arsene and Leona made me feel like I was taking care of two children.

It’s okay to take care of two kids, but—.

At that time.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.