The wind that had been swirling around the room disappeared without a trace.
Only a greenish mist lingered, curling up softly before a faint popping sound echoed.
And then—
“Chirp, chirp!!”
I had turned back into a little bird.
Impossible.
I had finally regained my human form—how could this happen?!
I hopped in place, desperately trying to transform back into a human, but it was useless.
Arsen’s eyes widened in surprise. His blue irises flickered through the air before finally settling on the tiny bird in front of him.
“…You…?”
“Chirp!”
“…Why did you suddenly shift into beast form?”
‘How should I know that?!’
Frustrated, I smacked my tiny chest with my wings as if to answer.
‘Was it because I used too much of my ability?’
That had to be the reason.
I had expected there might be side effects—but not like this. I had never pushed my powers this far before, so how could I have known?
“Perhaps it’s because you forced your ability at such a young age?”
Chloe, the maid attending Arsen, cautiously spoke up.
“I heard there have been such cases before.”
‘So if you overuse your power, you revert to beast form?’
That’s ridiculous!
I bounced in place, repeatedly trying to transform back, but it was no use.
In the end, I had no choice but to admit Chloe might be right.
‘My body must still be too immature to handle using my powers so much.’
But I needed to hurry and heal Arsen.
If this happened every time I tried, I might be abandoned.
The thought made me want to sink down and cry.
As I slumped to the floor, Arsen glanced at me.
“…Are you crying?”
I glared at him. All this was because of him—!
No. That wasn’t right.
In truth, thanks to Arsen, I had been able to escape Raniero.
I should be grateful. And yet…
“You’re really tiny. Are birdfolk always this small?”
“Young master, that’s rude,” Chloe chided.
“But it’s true! You’re as small as a bean.”
Arsen kept marveling at how ‘small’ I was.
He must have found it fascinating since he’d probably never seen a birdfolk in beast form before.
Still, how rude.
‘What an ill-mannered wolf.’
I glared sharply at him.
But Arsen paid no mind and started poking me here and there.
“Chirp!”
…Don’t touch me.
I curled up and stepped back from him.
My fluffy pale-gold feathers puffed out, making me look like a round ball.
Just then, Betty returned with Ethan in tow.
Betty hurried inside, followed by Ethan, whose face was filled with shock.
“…Miss? Young master?”
Ethan blinked, staring first at Arsen, then at me perched in his hand, back and forth.
“Good heavens, Miss!”
He quickly rushed forward and stretched out his hand to me.
The moment his fingers brushed my chest, I hopped onto his hand without hesitation.
“Chirp, chirp!!”
I felt so miserable.
I had barely managed to regain human form, only to immediately turn back into a bird.
The unfairness of it made me want to weep.
As I huddled my wings together and sobbed softly, Ethan lifted me up with wide eyes.
“Miss, are you alright?”
‘I’m not alright at all…’
He tucked me carefully into his palm and stroked me gently with his finger.
Warmth spread through me, easing my tension a little.
I felt my body relax, melting into the comfort.
Then Ethan carefully handed me over to Betty, who wrapped me tenderly in her apron.
Casting a worried look at me, she then turned her gaze to Arsen.
“And you, young master? Are you alright as well?”
“Yeah.”
Arsen nodded.
Indeed, his complexion looked far healthier than before I had treated him.
It seemed the healing ability had worked quite well.
Even if I had ended up in this pitiful state.
Ethan let out a breath of relief, pushing up his monocle. He pulled the blanket up to Arsen’s chest, tucking him in warmly.
“You there—go fetch Doctor Hern.”
He pointed to one of the maids.
The maid with her hair tied back quickly rushed out.
Click.
After the door shut, Ethan placed a hand on Arsen’s forehead, checking for fever.
When he felt no unusual heat, he sighed in relief.
“Chirp?”
“Young master’s fever rises easily. Just today, he went out to the garden briefly and came back with a fever, so he’s been taking medicine.”
“Chirp!”
“Though, by the look of it, he hasn’t taken much.”
Ethan clicked his tongue as he eyed the nearly untouched bowl of medicine.
Arsen flinched under the blanket, looking guilty.
“Doctor Hern is the family physician of the Wolf Clan. He’s very skilled. He’ll be able to check your condition as well, Miss.”
Ethan looked straight at me as if to soothe me.
“Chirp!”
Unable to speak human words, I bobbed my head vigorously in response.
Ethan’s eyes softened, the wrinkles crinkling as he smiled faintly in relief.
Time passed.
Just as Arsen’s eyes began to droop with sleep, the door burst open once more.
The newcomer was a man in his forties or fifties, with a plain, gentle appearance.
He wore a white doctor’s coat and carried a heavy-looking brown leather bag.
This must be the “Doctor Hern” Ethan had mentioned.
“Chirp?”
I tilted my head, watching him.
The moment he stepped in, I caught a familiar scent.
This man…
‘He’s a deerfolk?’
I remembered because once, deerfolk had visited the Raniero estate.
The deerfolk always carried a distinctive floral scent, unique to plants that only grew in their territory.
‘But wait…’
The Eckhart family was the Grey Wolf Clan—the leaders of the wolf houses, one of the central clans that represented predators.
Why was there a deerfolk physician in the very heart of their mansion?
The deerfolk were known for their advanced medicine and herbal knowledge, which made them constant targets of other clans. To survive, they had hidden themselves away on an island.
They rarely left, except to send herbs to allied clans.
Direct interaction with outsiders was almost unheard of.
So why was a deer here?
“My name is Hern.”
The man bowed his head politely toward me.
His wavy brown hair fell just above his brows.
I hopped down from Betty’s hand and stood firmly on the bed, meeting his gaze.
‘I’ve never seen deerfolk up close before.’
They belonged to the clans not blessed by the gods—meaning they had no “abilities.”
Yet they were the only clan with medical knowledge rivaling even the Raniero.
While Raniero healed with natural-born powers, the deerfolk healed with herbs and medicine.
Living in harmony with nature, they had mastered knowledge of plants.
‘And they also have the eyes to see the flow of abilities.’
That was an extraordinary gift, allowing them to observe a person’s health through the currents of power.
They made their living by crafting medicines with that advantage.
‘But I’ve heard it can take more than half a year to get just one of their medicines.’
Since every clan desired their remedies, that was inevitable.
Many clans had tried offering fortunes to hire deerfolk as personal physicians, but not once had the deerfolk accepted.
At most, they would make rare house calls once or twice a year.
‘And yet, here is a deerfolk! In a wolf’s mansion!’
‘How on earth did they hire him?’
Doctor Hern turned to Arsen, lying in bed.
“Let’s have a look at your condition.”
Just as Ethan had done, he first felt Arsen’s forehead, then examined his mouth thoroughly.
Arsen looked uncomfortable, but he obeyed and opened wide.
“Wider, please. Say ‘ah.’”
“Ah—.”
His sharp fangs glinted.
Though only seven years old, Arsen’s fangs looked sharp enough to kill me instantly if he wanted.
“Chirp…”
I instinctively stepped back, and Arsen scowled in offense.
Meanwhile, Doctor Hern pressed a stethoscope-like tube against his small chest, listening to his heartbeat. He tilted his head in puzzlement.
“That’s strange.”
“Is something wrong?”
