A day at the detached palace began after a long time. The early morning sunlight rushed into the bedroom. As the warm sunlight illuminated the bedroom fully, Formo’s small body wriggled on the cushion. His dense eyelids trembled, then were gradually lifted. The large, jet-black eyes that revealed themselves from beneath the eyelids slowly came into focus.
Formo, who unconsciously thought this place would naturally be Arancha, was startled by a scene completely different from his expectations and looked around. Then, belatedly realizing he had returned to the detached palace, he calmed his surprised heart and stretched fully. He lightly shook his small body and sat up.
“……Pipi, are you already awake?”
Serdin, who had also woken up due to the commotion felt beside him, asked quietly while watching Formo, who was in the middle of picking through his feathers. Even though he had woken up several hours earlier than usual, his mood wasn’t bad at all. Rather, it was good. Was it because of the satisfaction of having retrieved Formo and the deep fulfillment that came from being able to keep him by his side for a long time?
Seeing Formo, who had returned safely to his side and was acting prickly and sulky just like before, made him keep leaking laughter.
Formo looked at such a Serdin with a gaze that said he was pathetic and shook his head with a sigh. For some reason, that jaguar seemed to be getting stranger as time passed. Was there a problem somewhere?
What sin had he committed to have to spend the rest of his life with such a strange jaguar? Formo grumbled inwardly while scurrying across the bed.
“What are you doing so early in the morning, Pipi?”
“Beep.”
[Exercise.]
Formo, who answered concisely to Serdin lying on his side with his elbow on the pillow and his head supported by his hand while observing him, diligently ran around the wide bed.
“Aha. You’re exercising to build stamina?”
When Formo nodded instead of answering, Serdin smiled slightly. Formo burning with motivation for exercise from the morning. That was so like him. Serdin watched Formo moving diligently, then opened his mouth.
“You know, Pipi.”
Formo knew well that whenever Serdin started nonsense or suddenly talked about something, he always began the topic with “you know.” The two legs that had been strutting across the bed stopped abruptly. Formo slowly turned his body and met Serdin’s gaze. It seemed certain he would bring up something useless or absurd this time too.
“Exercising like that won’t increase your stamina even as much as sleep in Pipi’s eyes.”
“……Beep?”
[……What?]
At the words like a bolt from the blue, completely different from his expectations, Formo’s pupils trembled helplessly. Serdin didn’t miss the opportunity while Formo was flustered and continued.
“It won’t be too late to start exercising after you get used to human form, Pipi. The speed at which stamina builds will be different.”
“……Beep?”
[……Really?]
At Formo’s question, Serdin nodded. Formo looked at Serdin with suspicious eyes, then hesitantly moved to sit by his side to hear more details. Serdin’s large hand reached out and stroked Formo’s round head. Soon a languid breath flowed through his teeth. Was he some kind of sedative……? Checking Serdin’s mouth with absurdity, it was slanted upward.
“Oh right, Pipi.”
“……Beep.”
After considering ignoring him but replying out of courtesy, Formo waited for what would follow.
“Do you know you smell savory?”
“……Beep?”
[……What?]
“It’s a smell I want to keep inhaling.”
“Be, bee-eep!”
[Wha, what do you think I am!]
His round eyes immediately filled with anger. Formo glared with fury at Serdin’s absurd words. Saying he smelled savory. There was no story more ridiculous and absurd than that.
Originally, adult long-tailed tits gave off scents like the tree they stayed in or the berries they often ate. But a savory smell! Formo had never in his life heard or seen that such a body odor existed. Thinking Serdin was teasing him again, he was opening his eyes into triangles when Serdin’s index finger came tapping his cheek.
“Why are you getting angry, Pipi?”
Serdin asked as if he didn’t know the reason.
“Bee-eep!”
[How could I not be angry right now?]
Formo shouted angrily, then clamped his beak shut. His tautly standing tail feathers trembled unpleasantly.
“Pipi, at this rate, you’ll end up flying through the sky with your tail later.”
At those absurd words, Formo had no choice but to gape his beak open. However, Serdin, who had actually brought up such a story, had a rather serious face. It seemed he really thought there was a possibility of that happening.
“Your Highness.”
Formo, who had been glaring at Serdin with burning eyes, sharply turned his head at Kert’s voice heard from outside the door.
“Are you still sleeping?”
He opened the door wide to stop Kert, who was rattling on outside. Kert, who had his fist in front of the door as if about to knock, froze when the door suddenly opened and Serdin came out.
“Kert.”
“Don’t tell me…… I have to get lost again?”
Kert’s voice faded as if resigned. He had clearly asked yesterday to have a private talk in the office……
“No. Let’s talk in the office.”
“Re, really? Yes. Then I’ll head to the office right away……!”
Kert, who had been continuing with delight at the unexpected hospitality, belatedly discovered Serdin’s attire and blinked. That was because the nightgown he had roughly thrown on was one step away from completely sliding down to the floor.
Since it was a very familiar sight to Kert, it didn’t have much impact on him, but it would be quite a serious problem for the other servants they would surely encounter on the way to the office. It was behavior that would steal not only their mental health but also their motivation. Kert stroked his surprised chest and opened his mouth.
“Your Highness, there’s plenty of time, so please change clothes first. And…… shouldn’t Pipi-nim come along too?”
Formo, who had been listening to their conversation indifferently until then, opened his eyes wide when the shoddy name “Pipi” came up. Serdin asked Formo, who was pricking up his ears while glancing at him repeatedly as he picked up and put on a simple shirt and pants.
“Do you want to go too, Pipi?”
If it had been last time when he was aiming to escape, he would have refused flatly without hesitation, but this time he wanted to go even just to find out what they would talk about in the office. Formo pretended to ponder, then nodded as if bestowing a favor.
“Pipi, want to try flying to my shoulder?”
“……Beep?”
[……Really?]
“They said Pipi’s wing has improved a lot, so you can fly once or twice a day to keep the muscles from stiffening.”
At those words, Formo’s eyes sparkled.
“But you can’t overdo it.”
“Beep!”
[Of course!]
Formo spread his hidden wings wide and flapped them a couple times. Both wings were in perfect condition as if they had never been hurt. Since he had improved this much, he would be able to fly to Serdin’s shoulder without difficulty. Formo moved his wings vigorously and flew up. Then he landed directly on Serdin’s shoulder without straying anywhere.
“Good job, Pipi.”
“Beep. Beep!”
[Of course. This much is basic!]
Formo flapped his wings and showed off. He had finally shown proper wing flapping to the wicked jaguar. Moving with his own wings after a while made him feel very good, and laughter leaked out happily.
Like that, Serdin headed to the office carrying Formo sitting on his shoulder. He placed Formo on a cushion on the desk. At the sight of the office that hadn’t changed at all from when he came before, Formo felt a sense of stability and wiggled his rear to settle into place.
Formo, who had found a satisfactory spot, blinked his eyes as if ready to listen to Serdin and Kert’s conversation.
“……Ahem. Pipi-nim.”
When Kert cleared his throat and carefully began, Formo’s gaze naturally turned to him.
“Do you know what becoming a beastman entails?”
“Beep.”
Formo replied to Kert, who was asking an obvious question, as if sneering.
“……Is it just my feeling? Somehow the answer seems mixed with mockery. ……Well, it’s fine. Then I’ll ask directly.”
“Beep.”
Formo flicked his wing as if saying go ahead and try. That strangely high-handed behavior…… wasn’t it just like his superior? To have learned such a nasty attitude in such a short time. Kert swallowed a sigh inwardly and opened his mouth.
“Will you really become a beastman?”
“……”
It was the first moment Formo’s words, which he had been replying without a moment’s hesitation until now, were blocked. Kert waited patiently, and Serdin sat in front of the desk with his chin propped up, looking at Formo. Formo moved his beak, then slowly replied.
“Beep.”
It was an affirmation. And at that reply, Serdin’s eyes took on a particular light.
