While Serdin and Formo were spending time in the office, Kert received a summons from Harold and came to Karta Palace. It hadn’t even been a week since they came to the capital, yet Kert had already been summoned by Harold more than three times. The reason Harold summoned Kert was, naturally, because of Serdin.
Was Serdin doing his work well, how was he getting along with Formo, what changes were there in him, and so on. Harold tried to find out through Kert things he could have asked directly. Something about it being embarrassing to ask directly, or whatever. Because of that, only Kert was dying from reading the room between the two of them.
“Oh, Kert. Come in.”
As he entered the Emperor’s office, Harold waved his hand in welcome. Kert bowed at the waist in courtesy, then stood across from the desk.
“So. How is Serdin?”
In truth, because Harold’s summons were so frequent, there was no time to observe Serdin properly. But he couldn’t tell Harold such things, so he had to ramble on as detailed and specifically as possible about what he’d observed in the short time available.
“Yes. When I went to see him earlier, he was admiring the sight of Pipi-nim eating. He tried to feed him directly and got his hand slapped by Pipi-nim’s wing, but he seemed to be in a good mood. Also, starting today, he’s commuting to the office together with Pipi-nim. Thanks to Pipi-nim, His Highness’s work efficiency seems likely to improve considerably.”
“Oho.”
At this most interesting story, Harold’s eyes sparkled. Just commuting to the office together with Formo improved his work efficiency? That Serdin, who once tried to eliminate the office from the palace altogether just because he found working bothersome… Harold clenched his fist tight, overcome with emotion.
He’d already been worried about Serdin, who constantly complained about being bored. Right up until leaving for vacation at the Detached Palace, Serdin wouldn’t even leave the palace, saying it was boring and bothersome. Since he’d long since quit even the occasional hunting he used to enjoy, Harold had been anxiously worried that Serdin might completely lose interest in life.
But he changed after being with the adorable long-tailed tit he discovered during his vacation. Thanks to that, wasn’t Serdin now getting annoyed, laughing, and living a fairly normal life? It felt like tasting a ray of hope. Harold was nodding his head with a satisfied smile on his lips when he recalled the rumors circulating inside the castle recently and opened his mouth again. His voice still carried traces of laughter.
“I heard a rumor that Kert is refusing all the gifts and invitations addressed to Pipi. What do you think about it?”
“That… it’s an accurate rumor, nothing to deny. He’s so sensitive when it comes to matters related to Pipi-nim… I haven’t had a proper conversation with Pipi-nim yet either. Ahem.”
“I see.”
“Yes. And he takes such meticulous care that sometimes I think it’s excessive.”
“Oho. More?”
“Also… he seems to like Pipi-nim very much. Enough to freely use the privy purse he’d only been accumulating all this time, and even to personally treat the wounds on Pipi-nim’s body.”
As Kert’s story continued, Harold’s complexion brightened. What Kert was saying was tantamount to Serdin gradually changing. Even if that change was limited only to the tiny long-tailed tit named Formo, so what? Harold’s favorability toward Formo skyrocketed exponentially.
* * *
Having disposed of about thirty documents in one sitting, Serdin put down his pen and decided to take a break. Just watching Formo dozing on the perch felt like his fatigue was melting away. The small long-tailed tit who had long since succumbed to drowsiness was swaying this way and that, unable to get a grip on himself.
Though that sight was quite adorable, if left alone, the unfortunate incident of falling from the perch and smashing his head on the desk would occur. Serdin reached out his hand and firmly caught Formo’s body as it tilted to the left. Then the small body squirmed as if it had been waiting and entered into his palm.
“Ah, Pipi…”
The corners of Serdin’s mouth twitched and then slowly rose. With Formo sound asleep, there was no need to hide his smile. Holding Formo in one hand, he moved his pen with the opposite hand. Work was flowing smoothly today, and if possible, he was in the mood to even pull an all-nighter with Pipi. At the idle thought that came unbidden, Serdin shook his head from side to side and continued processing documents while holding Formo in his hand.
It was about two hours later that Formo, who had been curled up sleeping in Serdin’s grasp, opened his eyes. After blinking several times to focus, Formo recognized where he was and gaped his beak wide open.
‘Why, why am I sleeping in that wretched jaguar’s palm?’
With a flustered face, he tried to recall his memories from before falling asleep, but nothing else came to mind. He was sure he’d been dozing on the perch. Formo gaped his beak blankly, then sat up. While turning his head to check on Serdin, he discovered a single transparent droplet that had fallen where he’d been lying.
‘…Hup!’
Unless there was something wrong with his vision, that was surely his drool. Which meant… he’d slept drooling in front of Serdin again. Formo’s pupils shook left and right as he belatedly realized this tragic situation.
Formo swallowed dry saliva and slowly turned his head. Then he ended up making eye contact with Serdin, who was gazing at him with an amused expression.
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence squeezed in between the two. Serdin had no intention of opening his mouth, busy as he was appreciating Formo’s expression, tight-lipped with embarrassment, and Formo couldn’t easily open his mouth, busy reading Serdin’s mood and racking his brain over how to salvage this situation.
Breaking the continuing silence, it was Serdin who spoke first.
“Pipi.”
“…”
Formo just stared at Serdin without answering.
“Are you done drooling? You can drool more if you want.”
At Serdin’s teasing words spoken in a low voice with a playful smile on his lips, Formo’s face, which had been maintaining composure, twitched finely and then immediately crumpled ferociously.
“Pii-iit! Pipipit!”
[I’m sorry for drooling on your palm! But if you’re planning to tease me about it, I’ll peck you!]
Chirping in an angry voice, Formo glared at Serdin with furious eyes. A rather fierce aura flowed from his small body.
“Pipi, are you so excited because you want to give me a kiss?”
“Pi, pit?”
[Wha, what?]
What on earth was that wretched jaguar babbling about right now? Formo asked back with a dumbfounded expression, forgetting he’d been angry.
“Aren’t you doing that because you want to give me a kiss?”
It seemed Serdin, who had been interpreting his words quite well all this time, had suddenly broken down. To become strange enough to spout such nonsensical interpretations. How could one possibly interpret “I’ll peck you” to mean “I want to give you a kiss”? Formo twitched his beak and said,
“Pi, pit!”
[Th, that can’t be!]
At that answer, Serdin only shrugged his shoulders, neither affirming nor denying. That made him even more displeased. Formo flapped his wings and tail feathers busily. While catching his breath with a face full of dissatisfaction, Formo realized he was still on Serdin’s palm and hastily flew up to the perch.
The more time he spent with that wretched jaguar, the more he felt like he was becoming strange too. Should he somehow reduce the time they spent together? As Formo let out an irritated sigh, Serdin suddenly thrust his face right up close.
“Pi, pit!”
[Wha, what!]
Formo was so startled he jumped up from his spot.
“Pipi, shall we go out and play?”
“Pi?”
[Go out and play?]
Formo, who was about to ask why he kept startling him, tilted his head at the unexpected invitation. Was there any place in this empire full of beasts where he could go out and play? No matter how much he thought about it, no suitable place came to mind besides the rear garden or the glass greenhouse.
“Don’t you want to see the capital?”
At that question, Formo’s eyes widened. As if he’d want to see that capital teeming with beasts. If something went wrong, he could even get eaten.
“If you humanize, it’ll be safe, Pipi.”
Whether he’d read Formo’s anxiety, Serdin spoke gently. If he humanized, it would indeed be safe as he said, but it would become difficult to escape from others’ sight. There were limits to hiding behind Serdin too. Was it really worth sightseeing while accepting such things?
Formo, who had been pondering with quite a serious expression, had no choice but to bristle and cry out at Serdin’s following words.
“Surely a dignified and brave long-tailed tit like Pipi isn’t scared, right?”
“Pii-iit!”
[That’s absolutely not it!]
Serdin, like the cunning jaguar who knew how to handle Formo, touched on Formo’s weakness. Formo, who absolutely couldn’t tolerate having his bravery disparaged, opened his beak with determined eyes.
“Pit. Pii-i!”
[Let’s go sightseeing. I’m not scared at all!]
Determination surged on Formo’s tiny face. Serdin smiled secretly without Formo noticing, then gently stroked his round head.
