“Who would expect a bird to know anything… but if that’s what you think, I get it.”
Lania puffed her cheeks but nodded.
“But if the bird runs away to look for you, it’s not my fault.”
[Don’t worry, I’m not following you!]
It was a shame she couldn’t write articles, but she couldn’t pass up the chance to live freely while the Duke was gone!
Isadore, the crow, happily flew to Lania’s side.
“Canary, you’ll be fine, right?”
[Hurry up, everyone’s waiting!]
“Do you think you can wait without me?”
“Duke, it’s time for you to leave.”
Isadore hesitated, but eventually left when a servant urged him.
He really had bad separation anxiety.
It had been three weeks since the Duke left for the capital.
“Why is he taking so long to come back? The promised date is long past!”
Isadore groaned as he rolled around on the bed.
“I’m so bored. I’m going crazy.”
Since many servants had gone with the Duke, the castle was quieter, and Isadore got to live freely as a human.
He spent his days checking on Lania, observing the servants, exploring the castle, and hiding in the Duke’s room or study during his free time.
Maybe he was too happy about living freely that he lost track of time.
Yesterday, while reading in the study, he suddenly turned back into a bird.
“I thought I had enough time as a bird…”
Was he being stupid and misjudging the time?
“Ah! When is the Duke coming back?”
Isadore messed up his feathers in frustration.
“I’m so bored! The Duke needs to come back so we can do something!”
As soon as the Duke left, he wrote a letter to Edgar. Then, he explored the castle, checked secret passageways, and read every book and paper he could find.
He was quick with his eyes and hands, so he finished everything on his list in just a few days. Now, there was nothing left to do.
So, Isadore turned back into a crow.
[That’s it. I’m going to check on Lania.]
Isadore happily pecked on Lania’s door like a woodpecker.
[Lady, please open the door!]
If Lania shook the bell inside, a servant would usually appear and open the door, annoyed.
But today, the door suddenly opened from the inside.
[Good morning, my lady…]
Isadore’s eyes widened.
[Lord Sleed! What are you doing here?]
Why are you coming out of Lania’s room?
Lord Sleed scowled when he saw Isadore.
“Lania, why is this crow here?”
Lania casually sipped her tea.
“Don’t worry about it. He just comes by to say good morning.”
“Good morning? Does that mean he visits every day?”
“Usually, yes.”
“Hm… What a suspicious bird.”
Oh no, here we go again.
This was getting really annoying.
Then Lania nonchalantly asked Lord Sleed, who was twitching his mustache.
“What’s so suspicious?”
“This crow follows the Duke around all day!”
“I guess the Duke must be special to him. After all, he saved his life.”
“But the fact that he comes to check on you every day seems to have some hidden agenda.”
“Maybe he just likes me, like the Duke. We look alike.”
“…”
Lord Sleed immediately fell silent.
Isadore had a hunch, but Lania was no pushover. She wasn’t someone who let people talk to her however they wanted, even if they were of high rank, like the Duke.
Her delicate appearance didn’t match her sharp personality.
After a brief silence, Lord Sleed returned to the matter at hand.
“Anyway, it’s time for you to practice walking regularly.”
“But I’m still not strong at all.”
“That’s to be expected. You haven’t used your legs for a long time.”
He explained that it was like when a baby takes their first steps or a soldier gets used to holding a heavier weapon.
“If you really want to leave the castle, you have to practice walking, not just get treatment.”
Unexpectedly, Isadore took a step forward.
[My lady, is that true? You want to leave the castle?]
Lania had been living in seclusion at the Duke’s residence. Even when King Enoch was alive or after the Duke killed him and took power, she hadn’t left.
Rumors even spread that she was dead.
‘If Lania leaves the castle, it’ll cause a huge stir.’
Isadore was getting nervous.
“Well, if I could walk, where would you like to go first?”
“…I haven’t decided yet.”
“You should figure that out first. The results of training with a clear goal will be completely different from training without one.”
Lord Sleed gave a serious piece of advice and bowed respectfully before leaving.
Once Lord Sleed left, Isadore jumped up on the bed without hesitation.
[My lady, is there any special reason you suddenly want to go outside?]
Lania had a small collection of dried flowers, leaves, and coral on her nightstand.
All of them were from Edgar, from the Blackbird newspaper.
“Hello, is Editor Isadore back yet?”
“Unfortunately, not yet. Here’s some dried freesia for you while you wait, my lady.”
“Hello, you must be back by now, right?”
“He’ll be back soon. Please wait a little longer.”
Lania was bombarded with letters from the Blackbird newspaper.
Isadore couldn’t help but think that Lania seemed more interested in getting Edgar’s decorations than in Isadore’s return.
“Take a look at this.”
Lania, holding a red leaf, called Isadore over.
“Did you know? There’s a beach in the south where the sea splits in half.”
[Ah, you mean Misrob Beach.]
Isadore knew the place well, having written about it before. It was close to his hometown.
“Apparently, the path opens when you walk on it, and as soon as you reach the island, it closes.”
Isadore had seen it with his own eyes as a child.
The golden path with seashells that glittered in the sunlight.
He and Edgar had once run around collecting shells, and they ended up falling into the sea.
Isadore had been too focused on finding pearls to notice that the path was closing, and Edgar had hesitated between the beach and the island, causing him to be too late.
“Do you think I could go there?”
There it was.
The place Lania really wanted to go.
[Of course!]
It might take a little time, but it wasn’t impossible.
[The southern waters are warm, so even if you fall into the sea, you won’t catch a cold—ah!]
At that moment, Lania suddenly stood up from the bed.
[No! I didn’t mean we should go right now!]
Her legs were as thin as a bird’s.
Isadore couldn’t help but worry.
[Don’t overdo it! You’ll hurt yourself!]
“Quiet. I’m just practicing.”
[Who practices like this all of a sudden? You should do it safely where others can see!]
“Ugh, stop it!”
Lania’s face turned pale.
And sure enough, as soon as she took a step…
– Thud!
“Ahh!”
“Caw! Caw!”
Lania fell forward.
Isadore screamed in surprise, and the room became a mess.
“….”
Lania lay on the floor, clutching her leg.
Had she injured herself badly?
[See? I told you to be careful!]
If she was seriously hurt, she might not be able to walk again.
And that would mean no exclusive articles, and the future of the Blackbird newspaper would be in jeopardy!
But why weren’t the servants coming? The room was making so much noise!
[What should I do?]
Isadore quickly looked around.
Aha!
There it was!
The golden bell was hanging by the bedside.
Without thinking, Isadore flew toward it.
– Jingle jingle!
The small bell shook wildly.
Soon, he heard footsteps approaching.
“You called for— Oh my! Miss!”
A maid opened the door and screamed when she saw Lania on the floor.
The other servants who had been resting in the room rushed out in surprise.
“My lady, are you alright?”
“…I’m fine.”
Isadore screeched at the maids who were helping Lania up.
[Why are you all so lazy? When there’s a loud noise in the owner’s room, you should come right away!]
“Caw! Caw!”
“I’m so glad you’re okay, my lady. But how did you pull the bell?”
“Caw, caw…”
Isadore’s cries slowly quieted down.
“Well…”
Lania turned her head sharply.
Through her messy hair, her eyes glinted toward Isadore with an obvious look.
