Chaimb was an empire just like Tersium. To be precise, an empire formed by canine predators gathering together. It was a place attached to Tersium with a forest that was practically a border between them. They also had a tendency to value territory like Tersium’s feline predators, and therefore had been making efforts not to invade each other’s territories.
Even when delegations or merchant groups passed through, they had to formally obtain travel permits each time to come and go, respecting each other’s territories to that extent. Yet suddenly not only trespassing on Tersium’s territory but also causing a brawl.
They must have gone completely mad. When stories circulated that the atmosphere among Chaimb’s nobles had become strange after Chaimb’s Crown Prince, who had been missing, returned alive from the vagrants’ street, they should have realized that doom had befallen Chaimb. Otherwise, how could they trespass on Tersium’s territory?
And of all times, now.
Feeling Formo’s gaze watching him from behind, Serdin struggled to suppress the irritation slowly rising and opened his mouth.
“We’ll depart in four days.”
“Pardon?”
Even at Kert’s question, Serdin handed him the letter without much response and went inside, closing the door. Kert, who couldn’t grasp the full story, stood there blankly holding the letter, then belatedly checked its contents.
The moment he saw the sentence ordering him to end his vacation and return to the capital promptly, his heart became desperate and he had no choice but to bang on the firmly closed door.
“Y-Your Highness! This is a matter that requires departure not in four days but tomorrow, no, even today right away!”
“……”
“Your Highness, are you listening?”
Kert called out desperately, but the only answer that came from beyond the door was silence. It was when Kert, looking down at the letter with blank eyes, turned around and was about to trudge away. The door that had been firmly closed and seemed like it wouldn’t open suddenly flung open.
“……Your Highness?”
Kert turned around with moved eyes. Serdin was looking at Kert with a displeased expression. Whatever change of heart made him reopen the door, it was fortunate that an opportunity to persuade him had arisen.
“Your Highness, if we depart four days later, it will be too late. Since the matter is what it is, it would be good to depart by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.”
Kert laid out his claims in a small but firm tone and waited for Serdin’s answer with resolute eyes. Unless there was a special reason, they needed to depart quickly and check the developing situation. If they weren’t careful, the brawl could escalate into a major fight between empires.
The Emperor had already been waiting for Serdin’s return for a while, so he must have thought “good” when he got a reason to summon him with the brawl with Chaimb. This time, there was no choice but to meet the Emperor’s expectations. Kert’s eyes gleamed.
“His Majesty must be eagerly awaiting Your Highness’s return. So how about deciding to depart as quickly as possible?”
“Arancha comes first.”
“Pardon? What do you mean Arancha comes first……”
Kert, who had been moving his lips blankly, opened his eyes wide.
“S-surely you don’t mean to postpone departure to four days later because of Arancha?”
He asked with a sliver of hope, but Serdin too readily expressed affirmation by nodding his head. No matter that he had promised to go to Arancha, shouldn’t matters of his own country Tersium take priority? Kert stared at Serdin dumbfounded.
“I’m going to Arancha two days from now.”
“Y-Your Highness!”
With those words, the door closed again. Kert dropped his hand that he couldn’t fully extend with a devastated face. At this point, he thought the gods were truly being too much. What great sin had he committed to be given such trials?
Kert was about to habitually say “damn royals” out loud, but remembered his superior’s excellent hearing and quietly swallowed it.
Meanwhile, at the very moment Kert was turning away with heavy steps, Formo was watching Serdin’s back with bewildered eyes. Formo, who had even forgotten that the tightly tied cravat was stuffy, asked Serdin who was returning to him.
“Do you have to go back?”
At the question thrown while blinking his large eyes, Serdin responded playfully.
“Yes. But Pipi. If I go, you have to go too.”
“Wh-what? Really?”
Formo asked back with a face drained of color. He had to follow along to a place crawling with natural enemies—what kind of bolt from the blue was this? As Formo’s complexion changed moment by moment, Serdin burst into light laughter.
“……You said that to tease me, right?”
No matter how he looked at it, those must have been words meant to tease him. Look at that face brightening immediately when he showed a believing reaction. Formo glanced at Serdin with triangular eyes.
“I’m sorry, but Pipi. If I go, you really do have to go too. We promised. To be together forever.”
“……That’s ridiculous.”
Formo muttered helplessly with his mouth agape. The helplessness soon transformed into anger. Formo’s eyes took on a fierce light. He wanted to demand an explanation for how Serdin could think of driving him to a place that was practically a death trap. The moment his trembling lips were about to move, Serdin added words with good timing.
“Pipi, there’s nothing to worry about. As I said earlier, we’ll go to Arancha first. Going to the capital is four days later.”
Formo squinted at Serdin, who had completely missed the mark. That wasn’t what he was worried about. Arancha was a place he could fly to right now if he set his mind to it. Regardless of Serdin’s intentions. But going to Tersium, where feline predators lurked who regarded small animals like him as toys or prey, was an entirely different matter.
Formo felt even more repulsed because he didn’t think their fundamental attitude or impression would change just because he had become a beastman. This must be an emotion that Serdin, who had lived his entire life at the top of the food chain, couldn’t understand.
When Formo just stared silently at Serdin with set lips, his face softened gently.
“I know what Pipi is worried about.”
“Liar.”
“It’s true though.”
Serdin brought his face close to Formo’s ear, who was showing a suspicious look, and whispered softly.
“You’re scared of being eaten by other bastards.”
“G-get away!”
Startled by the hot breath tickling his earlobe, Formo fluttered his hands and pushed Serdin’s chest. Even though he didn’t use much force, Serdin was easily pushed back. Serdin, who stepped back a couple of steps, looked at Formo with a smile on his face.
Formo touched his ear and let out a deep sigh.
“Don’t worry, Pipi. I won’t let other bastards come near you.”
“……Mm.”
Formo, who responded in a small voice, raised his head. Then his eyes met with golden eyes that were quietly watching him.
“But Pipi, do you remember me saying you need to move so your wing muscles don’t stiffen?”
“Mm.”
Formo answered obediently.
“I’ve prepared something for Pipi.”
“……What did you prepare?”
“It’s a secret. I’ll show you tomorrow.”
Just what kind of bizarre thing did he prepare to show tomorrow? Surely he wouldn’t do something terrifying like making a jaguar chase him…… Formo looked at Serdin with suspicious eyes, then soon shook his head from side to side.
If Serdin really prepared something strange……
‘I’ll peck him mercilessly without any consideration.’
Enough to make holes in his cheeks.
The next day, Formo got up from bed, yawned, and stretched fully. Every morning when he opened his eyes in a human body, he felt a strange sensation. It was natural that he had adapted to the human body to some extent as time passed, but he still had subtle feelings about the fact that he had gained a human body.
Formo, who had been looking around his pajama-clad body this way and that while sitting up, got up completely from bed. Sunlight poured in through the large window. Formo looked down at Serdin, who was still in the middle of the night, then put on slippers and went to the window. Then he drew the curtains to block the sunlight that had been pouring abundantly on Serdin’s face.
It wasn’t because Serdin looked pretty that he drew the curtains. He just thought that once that wretched jaguar woke up, this quiet and peaceful time would also end, so he gave consideration that wasn’t really consideration.
When the scorching sunlight disappeared, Serdin’s furrowed brow returned to normal. Formo, who had been standing by the window, slowly moved his steps toward the bed where Serdin lay. He didn’t forget to maintain a certain distance so Serdin wouldn’t notice.
Formo stayed at a distance and peeked out only his head to observe Serdin. While sleeping, that cold impression softened pleasantly, making him quite nice to look at. He even seemed to look like a somewhat warm jaguar.
Formo, who had been appreciating Serdin with a rather serious expression, scratched his cheek and turned around. Though his desire to appreciate Serdin’s warmly lit face more was like a chimney, it would be troublesome if he locked eyes with Serdin when he woke up. It would be the sight of being caught watching him.
If it ended with just being caught, it would be fine, but Serdin was the type to tease endlessly with that, so there was no choice but to be careful in advance. Formo shook his head from side to side and sat in front of the table. Then, resting his chin on the table, he quietly waited for Serdin to wake up.
With Serdin deep in sleep, it was quiet and peaceful, but boring. Formo glanced at the curtain.
Should I draw back that curtain?
“N-no!”
What? What am I thinking right now…… Formo, startled by his own thought, reflexively uttered words of denial. He should just be happy when the wretched jaguar was quiet, yet he was thinking of drawing the curtain because he was bored. Moreover, didn’t he like quiet atmospheres? It seemed he had become too accustomed to Serdin’s presence.
