However, he soon turned his gaze to the paper with the paw print and smiled naturally. Serdin, who put the paper with the paw print in his bosom as if it were precious, gently wiped Formo’s feet covered in ink with a clean handkerchief. At the rather meticulous and careful touch, Formo’s eyes relaxed drowsily.
Feeling like he might fall asleep at this rate, Formo decided to pull himself together.
“Pipi, you can sleep if you’re sleepy.”
“Ppiii, ppik.”
“Are you worried you’ll get nagged by Kert?”
At the question mixed with laughter, Formo, who had been moving his beak, turned his head to the opposite side. Just hearing the name of Kert, that terrible stickler for principles, made his head throb.
Kert still hadn’t given up his attachment to Formo’s lifestyle habits and was still showing tremendous interest. Whenever Formo didn’t take his afternoon nap on time or didn’t eat his meals on time, he would rush over and kneel down begging desperately.
“You mustn’t become like His Highness! Pipi-nim must grow up properly! If you want to live longer than 5 years, you must manage yourself from now on. Actually, it’s already a bit late even now, but…… Since you were born healthy, the divine spirits will probably overlook that much. Of course they will!”
Formo sighed, recalling Kert who had spoken like a machine gun without even breathing. Well, still, there’s such a thing as affection born from annoyance, so when he returned to Arancha, he thought he might miss his nagging full of worry.
Formo, who had been lost in thought for a moment, snapped to attention, recalling his plan with Armo. Thinking about escaping from this boring place made his heart pound so much that his chest swelled greatly. It was a bit regrettable to leave behind the delicious food and the fluffy high-quality sleeping cushions, but Formo preferred freedom over such things.
Therefore, he was very relieved about the current situation. He had thought he would have to live here without being able to move until his wings healed, together with two wretched humans, but fortunately Armo had come to find him. Formo planned to return to Arancha, wait obediently until his wings fully healed, then fly around the sky to his heart’s content.
Because he was so intoxicated by the pleasant imagination, he had completely forgotten that he hadn’t closed his beak. As a result—
“Pipi, you’re drooling.”
He ended up making the absurd mistake of dripping a couple drops of drool on the floor. He had even been caught in the act by Serdin. Could there be a more embarrassing situation than this?
“……”
“Are you done drooling, Pipi? You don’t need to drool anymore?”
Though he belatedly closed his beak, the laughter permeating Serdin’s pupils didn’t seem like it would be easily erased. He must be excited thinking about teasing him persistently for a while with this. Wretched human. Formo lowered his eyes in shame and deliberately turned away from Serdin.
Of all days, why did he have to make such an absurd mistake on his last day? The fortunate thing was that he would be leaving today and escaping from Serdin’s mischievous teasing.
Formo let out a deep sigh and turned away from Serdin.
“……Ppii.”
“It’s okay, Pipi. You’re too small so I couldn’t see it well. I could only see it because it’s me. And it’s okay to show it to me.”
The words he spouted as consolation were very naturally laced with self-praise and excessive self-consciousness. Formo jutted out his beak with an irritated face, then flapped his wings.
“Ppiit!”
[Get out!]
Serdin, who selectively understood only the words favorable to him, shrugged his shoulders and showed an annoying smile.
“Ppiiiit!”
[I said get out!]
When Serdin didn’t leave the bedroom and persisted, Formo, unable to bear it any longer, turned his head to glare at him. Meeting the fiercely raised black eyes, Serdin restrained himself from smiling brightly and covered his mouth with his hand.
“Ppi! Ppiit!”
[Too late! I already saw everything!]
Though he couldn’t understand what it meant, it seemed certain that Formo was extremely angry, so Serdin decided to take a step back.
“I did it because Pipi is so cute.”
“Ppiiiii!”
“Pipi isn’t cute but valiant? Well, that’s also true.”
“Ppiit, ppik!”
“Alright, Pipi. Calm down. What should I do for you to forgive me? Hm?”
At the affectionate words that continued as if soothing a child, Formo frowned.
“Ppii, ppiit!”
[If you want forgiveness, get out!]
Formo threatened while busily flapping his wings. Serdin looked at Formo with a face still swallowing laughter, then unconsciously recalled the conversation he had with Kert yesterday.
‘When will you confirm whether Pipi-nim has the qualities of a beastman?’
‘I’m still pondering.’
‘Rather than just pondering, how about checking quickly? If he’s someone without the qualities to become a beastman, we need to swiftly devise other methods.’
‘Other methods?’
‘Yes. Shouldn’t we order the Spring of Eternity water that extends lifespan as Sara said, or obtain herbs said to have similar efficacy?’
To keep this cute bird by his side for a long time, extending his lifespan was the top priority. Wasn’t he a species that would live for 3 to 5 years at most even if they struggled and persevered, then meet their end? His heart, which had always been like a calm lake, began to surge with anxiety.
Though he showed such a spirited appearance now, Formo was a fragile being whose lifespan could end as soon as tomorrow. However, Serdin didn’t want to feed Formo the blessed spring water just by pushing forward with his own will. If Formo was an individual without the qualities of a beastman, the spring water would act as poison instead.
To confirm whether he had the qualities, there was no choice but to drop Formo’s blood into the spring water. However, that method would inevitably require Formo to see blood, wouldn’t it?
That’s why Serdin was racking his brain. Kert didn’t seem to understand that concern at all.
“Ppiit! Ppiii!”
[What are you doing standing there blankly? Hurry and get out!]
He felt a strange feeling at the snowball-like bird desperately trying to send him out. Though there were many times he was driven out unable to resist Formo’s urging, today he felt an odd dissonance and his feet wouldn’t move. However, when he thought that the frail Formo might collapse if he got this angry, his stiffened legs moved.
“Alright, Pipi. You want me to go out for a bit?”
When Serdin said that and headed toward the door, Formo, who had been watching blankly, urgently flapped his wings to stop him.
“Ppi!”
[Wait!]
What whim had struck the capricious bird this time? Serdin stopped short and looked at Formo with expectant eyes. Could it be that that adorable long-tailed tit was trying to stop him from leaving? Was he going to apologize for being a bit harsh and give him the opportunity to kiss his round head?
It was an overly positive and unrealistic wish, but what was impossible about it?
Formo, who didn’t know what kind of expectation Serdin was looking at him with, blinked his round eyes and pointed at the window with his wing.
“Ppii.”
[Just open that before you go.]
Then the way he quickly lowered his gaze to avoid it, as if a bit embarrassed, was very cute.
“Open the window?”
“Ppi!”
Formo nodded as if he’d been waiting for it, then watched with bated breath as Serdin opened the window. When the double-hinged window opened wide, a cool breeze came rolling in. Formo’s small nostrils flared busily, smelling the scent of trees and grass coming in on the wind.
“Pipi, you’re not angry anymore, right?”
Serdin asked quietly as he sat down beside Formo. At that question, Formo, who was dumbfounded, opened his eyes into triangles. Not angry anymore? As if. Formo’s anger remained. And his anger wouldn’t be resolved even if Serdin did something cute.
The reason was very simple. For him to leave this place with Armo, Serdin, the biggest obstacle, had to be out of this room. From what he had heard in passing yesterday, Serdin had finished even today’s work to play with him.
Of all times, why was he diligent yesterday? Therefore, Formo had to drive Serdin out of the room by all means, even if he had to force himself to be angry.
“Ppi?”
[Are you messing with me right now?]
When Formo glared and asked back, Serdin’s lips twitched as if they would crumble at any moment. Even though it was obvious Formo would get furiously angry if he couldn’t hold back his laughter and burst out, Serdin’s lips didn’t calm down.
“Ppii!”
[Get out!]
Discovering Serdin’s twitching lips, Formo got angry while flapping his wings.
“Alright, Pipi. I’ll go out for a bit until you calm down. In the meantime, you can’t go out on your own. If you go out on your own, I’ll never open the window again.”
Serdin spoke soothingly while stroking Formo’s round head. At the same time, he gave a subtle warning. At this, Formo, who was truly infuriated, swatted Serdin’s hand away with his wing.
“Ppik!”
[Don’t touch me!]
Since it was quite a fierce touch, Serdin looked at Formo with slightly surprised eyes. Formo was also surprised at himself for having swatted Serdin’s hand so hard that his wing tingled.
