Formo turned around to look at Serdin. Serdin, who was gazing at Formo with a composed expression, looked perfectly fine. He was surely in his right mind. Then why on earth was he spouting such nonsensical words? Formo narrowed his brow trying to figure out the reason, then asked.
“This is your palace, how could you get lost…?”
“I could suddenly forget.”
“…Say something that makes sense!”
Formo, who yelled with an absurd expression, shook his head from side to side. He didn’t know how such a jaguar became Crown Prince. At the moment when he was deeply worried about the future of this empire called Tersium, Serdin naturally put his arm around Formo’s shoulder.
“Wha, what are you doing?”
“Because I might get lost.”
Formo looked at Serdin, who retorted shamelessly, with round eyes, then bit his lower lip. He was truly a jaguar that made him lose even the strength to deal with.
In the end, Formo returned to the bedroom almost held in Serdin’s arms. On the way, they stopped by the dressing room and gathered an armful of clothes, and the amount was considerable. Formo’s face was full of complexity as he looked at the clothing that appeared more formal and complicated than usual. Then, upon confirming that unlike usual, Serdin had gathered quite a substantial amount of his own clothes as well, his expression quickly changed.
No matter how self-centered Serdin was, it seemed he had no choice when it came to the banquet. Imagining Serdin dressing up meticulously no less than himself made his mood quite good. He’d been displeased that Serdin always dressed comfortably by himself, so this was a good thing. Formo hummed unconsciously as he picked up the clothes one by one to wear.
“Pipi, you look unusually good-natured.”
“…No.”
At the sharp observation, Formo, who denied it softly, shut his mouth tight and fastened his pants buckle. While getting dressed, one question arose. The books definitely said that the more important the day, the more one entrusted overall preparation and grooming to reliable servants. Yet even though it was the day of an important event called a banquet, not even a single ant was visible, let alone servants.
This was strange even though he knew well that the servants of Sotes Palace handled most duties including cleaning at night. Formo, who was watching Serdin getting dressed with an irritated expression, carefully opened his mouth.
“The book said servants help you get dressed on important days…”
“Yeah.”
“But why isn’t anyone coming to help?”
At the innocent question, Serdin, who chuckled, roughly arranged his attire and made eye contact with Formo. He was staring blankly at Serdin while holding the strings attached to his blouse. Serdin finished putting on his white tailcoat and walked over to Formo. Then he took the blouse strings from Formo’s hands, tied them, and answered.
“Because I sent them away on purpose.”
“On purpose?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to see the sight of another beast-person helping Pipi get dressed instead of me.”
Formo’s eyelashes fluttered hearing the low answer right up close. Though still uncertain, it seemed Serdin was a peculiar type who felt terrible possessiveness toward his pet. Otherwise, there was no way he would show such strange behavior of being excessively interested in anything related to him, whatever it was.
The ribbon created by Serdin’s hands had a very good shape. It would be nice if he could make such a ribbon himself. Formo stared at it intently, then asked.
“How do you tie this?”
“You’re curious how to tie it?”
“Mm-hmm. If I know the method, I’ll be able to tie it by myself…”
No matter how peculiar a jaguar he was, constantly paying attention to him must be bothersome and tiring. Moreover, helping with simple yet subtly time-consuming tasks like tying ribbons or fastening cravats would feel even more troublesome. Until now, because he hadn’t adapted to humanization, he’d made many requests to Serdin half-willingly, half-unwillingly, but now he had no intention of demanding Serdin help him with everything from start to finish.
Wasn’t he an adult long-tailed tit who could do anything by himself?
“I’ll teach you later.”
“…Later?”
“Yeah.”
Formo frowned as he watched Serdin meticulously adjust his attire. It was because he had an ominous premonition that the “later” Serdin spoke of might mean after fifty years had passed.
* * *
Harold the Emperor’s influence was great in Formo attending the banquet. Harold had been thinking while listening to stories about Serdin and Formo through Kert.
‘If I tie Pipi to Serdin’s side, won’t even that guy who has no willpower to find change a little?’
Harold was a progressive beast-person who immediately put into action what he thought. One day after the state council meeting ended, he caught Serdin leaving the meeting room, put him in a carriage, and spoke his thoughts.
“There’s a good way to tie Pipi to your side for life.”
It was a statement that made Serdin’s eyes and ears perk up, as he wasn’t reassured by the contract he’d manipulated and Formo’s promise.
“What is it?”
The conversation with Harold, which he would normally have avoided with a bothersome remark, began that way.
“First, station Pipi in official settings.”
Serdin glanced at Harold. For some reason, he neither immediately refuted nor crumpled his expression as if to say what nonsense, so Harold, feeling encouraged, continued speaking.
“Right. As it happens, aren’t you holding a grand banquet? That would be a good time.”
“You don’t mean this banquet, do you? I have no intention of showing Pipi even to those dog bastards from Chaimb.”
When Serdin, who had been listening attentively, suddenly became sharp, Harold burst into laughter.
“Serdin. What if, just what if. Imagine Pipi ran away while you briefly left your seat.”
Serdin’s eyebrows twitched as if displeased. His fists naturally clenched. Since he’d already experienced it once, he couldn’t act relaxed. Though it was an escape at the level of a walk, it was certain that the experience at the time was dizzying. As he recalled that memory again, curses rose up.
“It’s fucking shit.”
Serdin said with a face clearly showing irritation. At the too raw expression, Harold was at a loss for words with a flustered face.
“I answered it’s fucking shit, so why are you speechless?”
“…Oh.”
Harold let out an interjection, glad even for the negative emotion his child was displaying. Then he cleared his throat softly and opened his mouth.
“That child doesn’t know the geography here well, so he could cross the border and flow into Chaimb. In fact, the possibility is very high. But what if you show Pipi’s face at the banquet where Chaimb’s Crown Prince is present, and reveal that Pipi is precious to you?”
At Serdin’s gaze that seemed both cool and heated, Harold paused briefly. For his son to send him such a look. It was unbelievable. Wasn’t it a touching situation enough to make his heart pound violently? Harold continued speaking while trying to calm his trembling heart.
“They won’t even dare think of laying a hand on Pipi who flowed into that place. And.”
This part was most important. Harold’s eyes, which closely resembled Serdin’s, sparkled.
“What would Pipi think amidst those brutish beasts at the banquet?”
Harold recited in a voice as if whispering a secret.
“He’ll think that you, Serdin, are the only one he can rely on here.”
Discovering Serdin’s lips twitching subtly, Harold drove the point home.
“The thoughts he has while feeling the suffocating fear throughout his body in the midst of beasts will last a lifetime. Isn’t that right?”
Serdin clearly lowered his eyes at those words and smiled with satisfaction.
…And so now.
“Pipi, it’s okay.”
Serdin and Formo were preparing to enter in front of the entrance to the banquet hall where the banquet was being held. Formo trembled like an aspen tree, restless. Though he looked pitiful enough to want to hide in his arms right away, Serdin endured. If he comforted Formo here and now, he would be very hurt in his pride and get irritated.
“You just need to stay by my side. Understand?”
At the low question, Formo nodded his head. The glimpse of Formo showed quite a determined expression. If it were an ordinary long-tailed tit or small animal, they would have already gotten scared and run away, but as expected, a long-tailed tit born with the fate of a guardian was different.
“What if the other bastards find out about Pipi’s bravery?”
“…It’s, it’s good.”
Formo retorted in a trembling voice. His facial muscles twitched in response to the praise even while being tensely contracted.
“I’m worried the other bastards might covet Pipi.”
Serdin spoke in a voice that lowered instantly, as if unpleasant just from imagination.
“You can’t even glance at the other bastards, Pipi.”
“Y, yeah.”
Formo didn’t have the guts to do that in the first place.
“Tersium’s little sun, His Highness Crown Prince Serdin Belius, and His Highness’s partner, Pipi-nim, are entering!”
Along with a loud trumpet sound, voices announcing Serdin and Formo’s entrance rang through the banquet hall. Soon the tightly closed doors of the banquet hall opened. As the large doors connected to the platform fully opened, dazzlingly bright light and magnificent music poured out from inside.
Formo, who was entering with his head deeply bowed while holding the end of Serdin’s sleeve, slightly raised his head to check the surroundings. In the silence, not knowing when the music had stopped, everyone’s gaze was directed at him and Serdin. It was a suffocatingly breathtaking moment to the point of bewilderment.
