‘How can a crown prince of a nation be with a sparrow……’
Formo looked at Serdin while mulling over the unbelievable fact in his mind. Serdin had an indifferent face as if it wasn’t particularly surprising. Was interspecies love not that surprising? Well. It might be a common thing. He was still ignorant about beastmen culture after all.
Perhaps in the world of beastmen, whether interspecies or same-sex, they could become family as long as their hearts were connected. Though it was difficult for Formo, who had lived his entire life as an animal rather than a beastman, to understand, it seemed he needed to at least pretend to understand if he was going to live among them.
“Pipi, you must be tired from being in an unfamiliar place?”
Formo looked at Serdin, who was asking gently with a smile on his face, with somewhat suspicious eyes before nodding his head. Although Serdin clearly had a harmless-looking face, Formo couldn’t easily withdraw his suspicious gaze. Anyone would be wary seeing Serdin fiddling with his somewhat dried hair while asking questions.
Formo’s long eyelashes trembled with inexplicable tension.
“You worked hard.”
The face tinged with sentiment and the low praising voice gradually drew closer. Every time Serdin acted unfamiliarly like this, Formo felt truly subtle emotions. His fingertips tingled while he felt strangely tense…… His body kept moving backward at emotions he couldn’t describe.
“Pipi.”
Formo looked up at Serdin, who was calling him in a low voice. Before he knew it, Serdin’s hand had moved from his hair to Formo’s round head. Formo felt Serdin’s hand gently stroking his head, then as his eyes met Serdin’s golden eyes, he suddenly felt his head spinning.
Formo’s eyes squeezed shut.
‘N-no way……!’
Formo, who realized from several experiences that his body had transformed into an animal on its own, slowly opened his eyes.
“Pipi.”
Before he knew it, Serdin was looking down at him with a face full of laughter. Formo couldn’t hide the sigh rising from deep within. He had been training all this time, but it seemed he was still clumsy at controlling transformation between animal and human forms.
Formo sighed while checking his clothes that had fallen to the floor.
“Cheep, cheep……”
Just when would he be able to have perfect control ability? How much more training would he have to repeat…… Formo, who lamented inwardly, glanced up at Serdin.
“Pipi, come here.”
There were times when Serdin occasionally gave Formo new impressions with unexpected actions, and now was one of those moments. Formo, who had thought that the wretched jaguar would naturally try to tease him, opened his small beak wide when Serdin reached out his hand and spoke gently.
He had expected Serdin to mock him for not being able to control his ability and suddenly transforming into an animal, but Serdin reached out his hand without showing any sign of surprise, so he couldn’t help but be flustered. Formo moved his beak hesitantly before carefully placing his feet on his palm.
Besides the option of placing his feet on Serdin’s hand, there was the option of quickly transforming into human form, but that option had two problems. One was that if he transformed into human form, he would have to show his naked body to Serdin, and the other was that the misfortune of Serdin touching his hair or head as he pleased could happen again. Being touched while in human form felt strange, so he wanted to avoid it as much as possible.
So since it wouldn’t be bad to sleep as a long-tailed tit after a long time, Formo decided to spend the night like this.
“Pipi, there are banquets tomorrow and the day after too.”
Formo’s eyes snapped open at what Serdin, who was heading to the drawing room attached to the bedroom while holding him in his hand, said.
“……Cheep?”
[……What?]
It was an unbelievable story. Just how many days would they hold banquets? Formo recalled the banquet hall earlier that had been densely filled with predator beastmen and trembled his small body. Then Serdin spoke soothingly in a voice mixed with laughter.
“You don’t have to tremble, Pipi. You won’t have to go to the banquet again.”
“Cheep?”
[Really?]
Formo even turned his body to ask back. Serdin met the jet-black, round eyes full of sincerity and swallowed his laughter.
“Yeah.”
Only then did Formo’s complexion brighten. Formo moved his beak and showed his satisfaction without filter. After showing his greatly improved mood while facing Serdin, Formo turned his body again to look ahead. Serdin put Formo down on the drawing room sofa.
“Pipi, stay here for a moment.”
After saying that, Serdin turned and headed to the bedroom. Formo, who was watching that scene quietly while tilting his head, soon asked Serdin who was coming out.
“Cheep?”
[Why did you go in?]
Serdin, who roughly understood what Formo was curious about, smiled and answered.
“I went to change clothes.”
“Cheep?”
[Clothes?]
Formo, whose eyes widened round, looked over Serdin. Then he belatedly noticed that Serdin had taken off his tailcoat and put on a robe. To think that Serdin, who usually stripped so easily in front of him, would think to change clothes in the bedroom and come out.
Formo looked at Serdin with a look of surprise. That look also contained a bit of meaning asking why he didn’t do that from the start.
“Why. Should I have changed in front of Pipi?”
“Cheep, cheep?”
[Wh-what?]
When Formo asked back absurdly, Serdin shrugged.
“Weren’t you looking at me with those eyes because you were disappointed?”
“Cheep?”
[What?]
Formo glared at Serdin, who was absurdly interpreting his eyes, and turned his head sharply.
“Well, I don’t mind changing in front of Pipi though.”
“Cheep!”
[No need!]
Formo indicated his refusal loudly and flapped his wings as if displeased. When he finally did something normal for once, it seemed it was just a small whim. Formo shook his head from side to side with a sigh.
* * *
The next day, Kert stood in front of Harold’s office with an extremely tense face. Since the delegation from Chaimb was staying at the castle and the banquet was in full swing, the front of his office was in a state of ironclad security.
“……Ahem. I will enter, Your Majesty!”
“Come in.”
With a short approval, the office door opened. Kert, who cleared his throat once more, stepped into the office.
“So. How is it?”
Kert calmly paid his respects to Harold, who asked as if he had been waiting as soon as he stepped in, and opened his mouth.
“Lord Pipi was reading professional books related to catnip and silvervine. He was also already aware that Your Highness Serdin has no interest in them.”
“Oho.”
Harold’s eyes, listening to Kert’s story, sparkled brightly.
“He was concentrating on reading so much that he didn’t even notice me entering. I think perhaps he read it because he found it strange that Your Highness Serdin doesn’t show much reaction to catnip and silvervine.”
At Kert’s additional words, Harold smiled with satisfaction and gave a look as if to tell him more.
“Not only that, but he also showed interest in Your Highness Serdin’s compensation. I haven’t yet heard whether he conversed with Your Highness regarding compensation…… I will confirm it soon.”
To think he even showed interest in Serdin’s compensation. How admirable this was. Harold shook his head as if moved. While listening to Kert’s story, he had only one thought. It would be so good to bind Serdin and Formo under the name of family.
Serdin felt interest in Formo, and coincidentally Formo also had interest in such a Serdin. Could there be a better time than this? Harold thought he should bring up his thoughts in front of Serdin soon and dismissed Kert.
Kert, who had completed the important mission of reporting on Serdin and Formo’s daily life, let out a deep sigh of relief as soon as he left the office.
“Haa……”
Standing before Harold, who was the Emperor, was always nerve-wracking. It was the moment when Kert, who could finally feel at ease, was about to stroke his chest and move his steps.
“Kert.”
At the familiar voice, Kert’s legs stopped abruptly.
“Your Highness?”
Kert had surprised eyes when he came face to face with Serdin in front of Harold’s office. He had an expression as if he had encountered an unexpected person.
“Don’t tell me you came to see His Majesty?”
“Mm.”
“If His Majesty knew Your Highness came, he would be so pleased! He’s already someone with a lot of interest in Your Highness, and if Your Highness visits frequently, I can clearly see how pleased he would be.”
When Serdin gave no particular answer, Kert, who had been continuing to speak with a bright smile, blinked. Kert felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding while looking at Serdin, who was just quietly staring at him without answering. He hesitated for a moment with his mouth closed, then carefully asked.
“Why, why are you doing this?”
“Kert.”
“Yes?”
Kert, who answered Serdin’s call, swallowed dry saliva while waiting for the words to follow.
“Prepare books about the Spring of Blessing so that Pipi can read them naturally.”
“……Yes, yes?”
What kind of order did he just receive? Kert’s eyes widened round at the word “Spring of Blessing” that appeared out of nowhere and asked back.
“Why on earth that book……”
However, as always, there was no response. Naturally, there was also no answer that occasionally came like beans in a drought. Immediately after giving the short order, Serdin turned without lingering regret and entered the office. All that remained in the corridor were the guards protecting the office door and Kert with a dumbfounded expression.
