- Gradually
Serdin couldn’t understand why Formo was apologizing to him. While neglecting the wound was clearly a mistake, he hadn’t even thought about receiving an apology for it. Of course, he’d be happy to hear words of gratitude. Well, even if not exactly “thank you,” something like “I’ll be more careful from now on” or “I’ll pay attention” would be sufficient.
Actually, Serdin had been ready to apologize willingly even if Formo had shouted, “It’s all your fault!”
“Why…?”
But seeing Formo’s trembling pupils as his apology wasn’t readily accepted, it seemed he hadn’t even considered saying such things. After pondering for a moment where and how to address this, Serdin opened his mouth.
“The apology isn’t necessary, Pipi.”
“Then?”
Formo asked back with an innocent expression. Serdin watched as Formo’s small lips parted slightly through narrowed eyes, then replied.
“Instead of apologizing, say thank you.”
“…Thank you?”
Formo’s eyes widened. To think that Serdin, who he thought would get angry if thanked, was actually encouraging it first. With a confused expression, Formo scratched the back of his head and spoke in a small voice, his lips moving.
“Th-thank you.”
Under normal circumstances, he would have teased Formo saying, “I can’t hear you well, Pipi. Speak up.” But seeing him so thoroughly deflated, he couldn’t do it. Serdin spoke with a faint smile on his lips. His tone was no different from usual.
“From next time, come to me right away when you realize you’re hurt. If I’m not there, have the servants call for me. That’s why I employ servants. Got it, Pipi?”
Serdin said this as he applied ointment to the wound. His touch was extremely careful. He lightly patted it so the thick ointment would soak into the wound well, then applied a bandage. Then, glancing at Formo, he began wrapping a bandage around and around his leg.
However, Formo had no time to pay attention to Serdin wrapping the bandage around his leg. Right after witnessing Serdin applying ointment to his wound with an extremely serious expression, he felt a somewhat subtle emotion. Though he couldn’t describe it in words, for a moment his fingertips felt slightly tingly and ticklish.
‘Why am I being like this…?’
By the time Formo came to his senses late, tilting his head at the unknown emotion and sensation that had suddenly appeared, the bandage had already completely wrapped around Formo’s calf. Formo shifted his gaze to his leg and his mouth fell open as if dumbfounded.
“What, what is this?”
Previously when he was a long-tailed tit, walking had been difficult because Serdin had wrapped an excessive amount of bandages around his head, but this time it was worse than then. Formo looked at Serdin with stunned eyes, then touched his calf wrapped tightly in bandages without any gaps.
Formo moved his leg slightly with a complicated expression. Sure enough, due to the bandages wrapped tightly around his kneecap area, his leg wouldn’t move properly. No matter how lightly he had treated his injury, wasn’t this kind of treatment too excessive?
“Are you kidding? How exactly am I supposed to walk around?”
At Formo’s question, Serdin smiled mischievously, then soon shrugged his shoulders and replied.
“I can just carry you around, Pipi.”
“That’s not what I meant…!”
The indignant Formo shouted loudly and glared at him. For all that, his gentle eye shape didn’t look very threatening. Serdin had to struggle to suppress the smile that flowed out every time he witnessed Formo getting angry, returning to his days of displaying valor as a guardian.
The brow he wrinkled fiercely in his own way to look scary, and his eyes and lips tightened with all his might, looked determined, but that was all. However, if he showed such signs, Formo would surely sulk, so he decided to humor and soothe him as much as possible.
“It would be terrible if the wound got infected, Pipi.”
“So?”
“What if Pipi scratches it because it’s itchy while sleeping, or scratches the wounded area again while strolling around the palace like before?”
“…”
Formo’s lips twitched at the examples Serdin was giving.
“I wrapped the bandage in preparation for such cases.”
“E-even so, this is too much.”
“Even if it’s too much, it can’t be helped. If you really hate it, just stick with me all day.”
That was an even worse option than the example he’d heard just before. Formo looked down at Serdin, turning pale with shock, then let out a deep sigh. In the meantime, Serdin tidied up the box containing medical supplies and sat down beside Formo.
“So Pipi, did you eat your lunch well and deliciously while I was gone? Did you chew thoroughly and swallow properly?”
“…What do you think I am?”
Feeling embarrassed, Formo scratched his cheek and turned his gaze away, but ended up making eye contact with Serdin. Golden pupils were looking straight at Formo.
“Is that beastman I saw earlier a new friend you made?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“You hated all sparrows.”
Just hearing the word “sparrow” made him glare and act aggressively, so Serdin had been secretly relieved. Thinking that there was no way Formo would hate him most in this world. However, seeing Formo befriend that sparrow beastman of all people, he felt a sense of crisis.
What if the sparrow who had proudly been on the list of beings Formo hated most in the world disappeared and he took that place? Of course, occupying a large position in Formo’s life even like that wouldn’t be bad, but if possible, he wanted to occupy a more absolute and unique position.
“Bléar is different. Bléar is quiet for a sparrow and also easygoing. And… he knows a lot that I don’t know.”
Especially about something called love. The cheeks of Formo, who spoke as if confessing, were dyed red, though a light color. Serdin stared at Formo’s face like that for a while, then opened his mouth quietly.
“Bléar?”
“Yeah. His name is Bléar.”
When Formo nodded and answered, Serdin burst out laughing. Formo’s eyes widened at the sudden laughter.
“What’s wrong?”
“They certainly came up with quite a name.”
Serdin muttered quietly and made eye contact with Formo. Eyes full of curiosity were waiting for Serdin’s answer.
“It’s not really a name to give a sparrow beastman.”
“Then is it a name only for beasts of prey?”
“It’s not like that, but it’s a name that doesn’t suit sparrows.”
Formo pestered Serdin, who kept beating around the bush.
“What does it mean? Tell me. Hm?”
The sight of Formo pestering him like a child whenever he wanted something was always adorable. That might be why he ended up beating around the bush to deliberately provoke curiosity. After sufficiently enjoying the sparkle in Formo’s eyes, Serdin replied.
“Bléar is a name mainly given to beastmen who are solid and brave like a large wall.”
“Solid and brave beastmen?”
Formo, recalling the story he’d heard earlier, thought that name was perfect for Bléar. And he expressed that thought without reservation.
“If that’s the case, then it’s a very fitting name for Bléar.”
When a statement that seemed to defend Bléar came from Formo’s mouth, Serdin’s eyebrow rose at an angle.
“Bléar said he protected Chaimb’s crown prince.”
“Did he?”
“Yeah. Back when Chaimb’s crown prince was a dim-witted and weak wolf.”
Serdin didn’t know what that sparrow beastman Bléar had been babbling about, but from his perspective, it was an unconvincing story. A sparrow protecting a wolf. If it were Formo, a long-tailed tit who was born with the fate of a guardian and was brave and dignified, it would be another matter. However, seeing Formo talking about Bléar with sparkling eyes, he didn’t want to take the words inside him out as they were.
“It’s a rather unbelievable story. But if Pipi says so, then I suppose it must be.”
Formo squinted his eyes at the words that didn’t contain an ounce of sincerity.
“You don’t believe what I said?”
“I believe everything Pipi says, but that story is just a bit difficult to understand.”
The moment Serdin, who answered brazenly, was about to turn his gaze away from Formo.
“Don’t look down on someone just because they’re small!”
Formo shouted sharply with an extremely angry face. Then, as if surprised by himself, he covered his mouth with wide eyes.
‘I, I’m defending a sparrow…?’
Formo’s pupils shook finely, never having expected the day would come when he’d defend a sparrow. If he had considered them an enemy, he had considered them an enemy, yet to think he’d raise his voice to defend a sparrow. Formo’s face turned redder than a tomato.
“Pipi, why are you blushing?”
“Sh-shut up!”
Formo snapped at Serdin, who asked in a voice tinged with laughter, pressed his lips tightly shut, and lowered his gaze. It was fine that he’d become friends with a beastman named Bléar, but defending a sparrow was an entirely separate matter.
“But Pipi. If I only listen to what Pipi said.”
Formo glared fiercely at the terrible jaguar who opened his mouth again without even checking his mood.
“When I was in a similar situation as Chaimb’s crown prince, it could be interpreted to mean that Pipi could save me.”
“…”
“Can I look forward to it, Pipi?”
Formo, who had been blinking at the unexpected question, soon snorted and answered.
“Of course! What’s so difficult about protecting someone like you!”
Of course, if the opponent were a beast of prey, the story would be a bit different, but he didn’t want to add that qualifier and hurt his pride in front of Serdin. Whether Formo asserted his pride or not, Serdin was somewhat moved by his confident answer.
