With just a few movements of Serdin’s hands back and forth, the drooping string became ribbon-shaped, and the cravat took on its proper form. Though he didn’t want to admit it, the fingertips of this wretched jaguar were quite deft, unsuited to his appearance.
“Pipi, let’s eat and go to the rear garden.”
“Why the rear garden? To take a walk?”
“I told you I have something to show Pipi today.”
Come to think of it, he said yesterday that he had prepared something for him. Though he wasn’t particularly looking forward to it. Formo nodded roughly and sat in front of the table. He was curious what delicious menu would come out today.
After finishing a satisfying meal, Formo sprawled in his chair stroking his full stomach. It was a state where satiation and drowsiness coexisted to the point where he didn’t want to move even a fingertip. Formo stared blankly at the neatly cleared table, then turned his gaze away.
“Pipi, try transforming into your animal form.”
“Why?”
“Because the gift I’m showing you is for Pipi in animal form.”
“……Really?”
Formo looked at Serdin with unpleasant eyes, then closed them. Then, as he tried to recall himself in his long-tailed tit state as he had practiced with Serdin, he suddenly felt absurd. If he was going to make him transform into his animal form this quickly, shouldn’t he have done it before changing clothes?
He had struggled so hard to button up! Did it make sense that those efforts would disappear in less than an hour? Formo opened his closed eyes and glared at Serdin.
“What’s wrong, Pipi?”
“If you were going to do this, why did you make me change clothes?”
“Well.”
Serdin let out a subtle laugh and answered vaguely. He couldn’t tell the truth that he had originally planned to satisfy his ulterior motives by dressing Formo, but the plan fell apart because Formo stepped forward to dress himself.
If he did that, the prim Formo would definitely throw a fit.
“Pipi, hurry.”
Instead, Serdin decided to rush Formo. Formo narrowed his brow and glanced at Serdin, then obediently closed his eyes. Then he concentrated hard until he felt a churning sensation in his head. Before long, his head began to churn.
The texture of the fabric touching his skin disappeared, and he felt a body that was much lighter and smaller. Formo flapped his wings and slowly opened his eyes to look down. Large pieces of clothing were scattered carelessly on the floor. Serdin picked them up and arranged them neatly.
Before Serdin could speak, Formo flew up and perched on his shoulder. Thus, Formo headed to the rear garden with Serdin. When they went outside the building, a clear sky was visible. Formo blinked while looking up at the sky where a few clouds were floating.
It was his first time coming out to the rear garden in the morning, so it felt different.
“Pipi, look at this.”
Formo gave his attention to the object Serdin held out. Formo, who had been staring at it for a while with bewildered eyes, opened his beak wide.
“……Ppi?”
[……Are you joking?]
What Serdin had prepared for him was truly absurd. Formo rolled his eyes in bewilderment. He wondered if he had seen it correctly.
‘……Should I peck his cheek hard?’
It seemed time to carry out the plan to peck mercilessly without any consideration if Serdin presented a bizarre object.
“Pipi.”
At Serdin’s low call, Formo didn’t answer and pretended not to hear, turning away from him. He was still pondering his punishment.
“Ignoring me again.”
Even while complaining, Serdin carefully stroked the head of Formo perched on his shoulder. However, even that touch was not pleasing right now. When Formo smacked his hand away with his wing, Serdin burst out laughing.
Soon the laughter subsided, and he spoke in a rather serious tone.
“This is good for training wing muscles, Pipi.”
Good for training wing muscles. He seemed a bit enticed by those words. Serdin, who noticed Formo showing interest, threw something toward the air.
“Pipi, bring it.”
What crossed through the air was a disc the size of a fingernail. And Formo, swayed by Serdin’s words, flew toward the disc with fierce eyes. His movements were very swift. Serdin stood behind and watched Formo’s flight with satisfaction. Indeed, befitting the dignified long-tailed tit that Formo himself claimed to be, spirit could be felt in each flap of his wings.
So he would easily bring back about ten discs. Serdin launched the discs he had tucked away one by one with the corners of his mouth raised. Formo’s eyes chasing the discs were gleaming.
Thus the vigorous exercise using discs continued for a while.
After the exercise ended, the exhausted Formo ended up getting dressed with Serdin’s help as soon as he humanized. He was so worn out that he couldn’t even eat lunch on his own. Just how many discs had he prepared? Later on, even though he wanted to stop and hid discs here and there in the rear garden, they endlessly came out from somewhere, causing trouble.
Formo, who had been collapsed on the bed, tensed unconsciously when the door opened and Serdin entered. It was the aftereffects of fetching discs.
“Pipi.”
Formo didn’t have the energy to answer, so he responded with his eyes instead.
“There’s bad news.”
Was there more bad news besides the fact that what he was going to show him was those damn discs? Formo gestured with his eyes, meaning to speak quickly.
“I was trying to return to the capital as late as possible, but it seems difficult.”
“……When do we have to go?”
Formo, who heard the word “capital,” asked back in a tense voice.
“We have to go straight to the capital from Arancha.”
The schedule Serdin had mentioned yesterday had changed. Formo swallowed dry saliva at the fact that the time to go to the capital had moved up.
“When are we going to Arancha……?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
Was it because he heard the story that they had to go to Arancha tomorrow and head straight to Tersium Empire? Even though he was going back to Arancha where his dear family and fellow tribesmen were, he wasn’t happy at all. Formo, whose feelings became complicated, let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes.
Deep down, he wished tomorrow wouldn’t come.
* * *
Contrary to Formo’s wish, the next day came. Formo began preparing hesitantly. Today too, as he was putting on his vest by himself, Serdin, who was standing behind, said.
“Pipi, you can’t transform into your animal form at Arancha.”
“Why?”
Formo, who had been concentrating on buttoning, turned his head and asked back. His eyes showed he didn’t understand why.
“When you humanize again, there’s no suitable place to change clothes.”
At the firm answer, Formo blinked.
“Can’t I just stay in my animal form?”
“It’s fine if you’re not scared to go to the capital in your animal form.”
When Serdin shrugged and answered, Formo’s eyelashes trembled. He hadn’t thought that far. Nothing would be scarier than going to a place teeming with predators while remaining a long-tailed tit. No matter how much he was a brave long-tailed tit born with the fate of a guardian, since he couldn’t properly exercise that power yet, he had no choice but to yield.
Formo, who trembled, nodded his head.
“……Okay.”
Formo focused on getting dressed again. Now only the last button remained.
“Your Highness, we need to depart now.”
Kert urged from outside the door. His mind was already uncomfortable from returning late, but Serdin seemed leisurely without such signs, making him anxious. Above all, they needed to move quickly to grasp what state Chaimb and Tersium were in.
“Pipi, did you hear? Kert says it’s urgent.”
“Mm. So?”
“Pipi, you spent thirty minutes buttoning two buttons.”
“……What are you trying to say?”
When Formo asked primly, Serdin said in a sweet voice.
“That we need to hurry. Come here, Pipi.”
Serdin, who finished speaking, held out his hand. Formo swallowed a hollow laugh at the invitation as natural as flowing water and obediently took his hand. Though he wanted to delay time by hesitating even more, his conscience pricked him so he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
To Serdin and Kert, it must be an important matter of their own country. Since they helped his homeland of Arancha, Formo also intended to follow them obediently. Though he did hesitate a bit……
Serdin’s long fingers finished arranging his clothes in an instant. Serdin even firmly put an overcoat on Formo.
“……Wait.”
Formo, who was about to leave the room, asked reluctantly.
“Is it okay to go like that?”
Formo looked absurdly at Serdin, who was wearing a simple blouse as always. No matter how selfish he was, he wondered if it was okay for a crown prince to go dressed so carelessly.
“Pipi, are you worrying about me right now?”
Serdin interpreted the intention of Formo’s question completely differently. At that unique interpretation, Formo irritably narrowed his brow. He had just shown a little concern, yet what was this wretched jaguar babbling about?
“……Never mind.”
Formo whirled his head around and walked toward the door. Serdin, who caught up to Formo going ahead in an instant, answered in Formo’s ear the moment Formo grabbed the doorknob.
“It’s okay, Pipi. Even if I walk around completely naked, there’s no beastman who can say anything.”
……Wasn’t that more of a problem? Formo had that thought.
