“I think it’s a good name.”
“……”
Just as I opened my mouth to suggest another random name in a hurry, the bird and Klen spoke simultaneously.
Even though the reaction was positive, belated embarrassment rushed in.
I thought it was a good idea at first. I wondered if I had done something unnecessary.
“Aren seems to like it too.”
The creature hopped onto Klen’s outstretched hand and began to sing.
A clear chirping sound that resonated as beautifully as its voice.
Thus, the name of the Divine Beast became Aren.
I was told I could draw the curtain when sleeping, but in the end, I didn’t.
Thanks to that, the first thing I saw when I woke up was the neatly maintained potted tree.
Looking at it from a distance, the thick branches extending in all directions had a somewhat magnificent charm.
True to its declaration not to interfere, Aren did not come out and sit outside or make eye contact.
When I carefully approached and looked inside, the creature was curled up and sleeping in the house.
Klen also approached silently and peered in.
“Is it sleeping?”
“It seems that comfortable.”
As if reacting to the small voices, the small body twitched, and the creature opened its eyes.
The flapping of its wings seemed like stretching.
And it hopped up onto my shoulder.
[I am pleased that the house is quite comfortable~]
“That’s a relief.”
Aren began grooming itself on my shoulder, and Klen and I also prepared to move.
When I changed clothes, it flew around, avoiding the edges of the clothing by moving between my head and shoulder, and when the meal was ready, it landed on the table.
Grains were placed for Aren as well, and it pretended to diligently peck at them.
But its eyes, which occasionally turned to look at me with a look of dissatisfaction, clearly held a different meaning.
‘Endure it.’
However, it was difficult to give it food without the surrounding maids noticing, and there was probably nothing Aren wanted right now anyway.
After the meal was finished, a simple dessert was brought in.
Today it was honey-soaked cake and chocolate cookies.
Linda placed them on the table and said.
“Lady Adrian. How is your condition today?”
“Huh? I’m fine… Why?”
“The healer said she’s not feeling well today and will be resting.”
“What? The healer?”
Klen also immediately lifted his head, as if this was the first he was hearing of it.
“Healing magic? Medicine?”
Is it that even such a brilliant person can’t fully utilize their ability on themselves?
The healer is resting because she’s ill.
But even if she’s the only one with the title of Healer in this castle, there must be many apothecaries under her.
Is there no one to treat her?
What about the medicine she prepared in advance?
“Please don’t worry.”
Linda continued, smiling lightly as if to reassure me.
“It seems the Count instructed her to rest as much as she suffered, even though she has already recovered. She will be resting soundly all day today. She even told us not to light a fire in the pot.”
“Ah… I see.”
“Since she hardly ever had a day off, this is a good opportunity.”
It was a relief that she had recovered, at least for now.
Klen seemed to have lost interest and picked up a fork to cut a small piece of cake.
The cake, thoroughly soaked with honey even in between layers, cut smoothly with just a little pressure.
“And I should add that you cannot visit her.”
That seemed to be for the purpose of blocking those who would try to get treated under the pretense of a visit.
Given her personality, she would never ignore a patient who came to see her.
It would be great if she could properly rest this time.
I picked up a cookie and broke it in half.
A savory smell gently reached the tip of my nose.
“According to rumors circulating in the social circles, it’s an aftereffect of dancing with Lord Elliot…”
“Huh?”
“It’s just a joke.”
Linda laughed lightly.
Although it was just a joke, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
There’s a saying that tension and stress make illness worse.
If she truly disliked it, it could happen.
I broke the smaller piece of cookie in half again.
“Young Master! Birds should not eat cake!”
“…Is it not allowed?”
My hand holding the cookie flinched.
Linda quickly snatched the fork from Klen, who was holding out a tiny piece of cake from across the table.
Aren’s beak, which had already stretched forward, pecked uselessly at the air.
[I can eat it! Give me that sweet thing!]
“Aren’s food is this.”
The bowl of grains was placed in front of the creature again.
Aren then nudged it with its small foot as if protesting.
Of course, the kick from such a small bird didn’t move the bowl.
[Tell this child again! I can eat that kind of thing anytime!]
“Aren seems to be protesting?”
“He is angry because what was offered was taken away. The thing is, we shouldn’t have offered it in the first place. Isn’t that right, Lady Adrian?”
In the end, the eyes of all three focused on me.
One was curious about what Aren was saying, another was demanding agreement with her opinion.
The last one glared with small, sparkling eyes, demanding that I relay its anger.
“……”
First, I lightly clenched the piece of broken cookie.
“It is said that cake is not good for ordinary birds.”
“See that.”
[I am not an ordinary bird, but a Divine Beast, am I not~ There is no problem whatsoever!]
Before any other words could pop out, I quickly drank my tea and shot up from my seat.
And avoiding Linda’s eyes, I opened a small pouch and dropped the cookie pieces into it.
“I’ll go to the East Tower today.”
“Even though the healer is resting?”
“There will be other apothecaries, so I can probably get extra medicine.”
After tellingVis not to follow, Klen and I hurriedly left the room.
[What happened to my sweet food!]
Aren was still full of complaints.
I brushed it off as just singing and walked across the path.
We were walking together now, but our destinations were not the same.
I was going to the East Tower, but Klen had been summoned by Elder Brother Fabian.
“Do you really need to go there?”
“Since you overdid it yesterday, wouldn’t it be better to get some medicine?”
“……”
Klen’s eyebrows trembled slightly as he realized it was medicine for him, not me.
“Don’t overdo it.”
He said softly, seemingly unaware that his brow was furrowed.
It probably meant that if there was no extra medicine, I shouldn’t try too hard to get it.
And a certain degree of hope that there wouldn’t be any might also have been mixed in.
He slowly approached, pressed his lips to my forehead, and then moved away.
The moment Klen moved away, Aren, who had been quiet, flapped its wings noisily.
[It’s embarrassing to do that outside, so embarrassing~]
Klen, who didn’t understand the words, placed his hand on my head and carefully stroked it.
This was the fork in the road.
He emphasized again that there was no need to bring the medicine and walked off in the other direction, while I continued heading east.
Just the fact that the healer was resting changed the atmosphere of the tower.
The peculiar scent that always wafted from the entrance and made my mouth taste bitter was unusually faint today.
