Chapter 16.
He looked up at the pavilion ceiling and let the crow do as it pleased. Then it climbed on top of him.
‘Huh. Isn’t this dangerous?’ he thought.
He glanced at the crow. Its black eyes glittered.
Snap—
Leonhardt grabbed Kaye’s body tightly.
“Ahem. You can’t do that,”
and tossed him back outside. The crow flapped its wings and cawed loudly.
Kali, bewildered, pushed herself up.
“Kali. Don’t go making another master just because I’m not here.”
“What the… don’t be ridiculous,”
“Just now you looked like you were about to say something nasty. Right?”
“I didn’t. I like pretty words and proper words. And I don’t know how to say nasty things.”
She smiled, pretending to be innocent.
“Don’t lie.”
He rose from his seat with a lazy smile. That little tuft of fur that fit neatly in the palm of his hand — what to do with it.
This mania that made him have to see blood every two or three days. Because of it he sometimes ran out chasing monsters.
But maybe it was just his imagination; since meeting that squirrel, his blood had curiously grown quiet.
“Kali. Aren’t you bored?”
“Well, I am. Even eating and sleeping has its limits.”
Leonhardt narrowed his eyes and fell into thought for a moment.
Shall I do a little test.
Whatever the result.
“You’re a real glutton. You’ll end up rolling around later.”
“Did you add anything? You didn’t.”
“I’ll give you something to do.”
“What is it? It better not be pointless.”
She crossed her arms and glared at him as if she couldn’t believe him.
“Pointless? It won’t be boring at all.”
He grabbed Kali and plopped her onto his shoulder. She slapped his shoulder with a little smack.
She lifted herself up again on her own terms. What does he take me for? Kali moved and climbed to the very top of Leonhardt’s head instead of staying on his shoulder.
“What are you going to make me do?”
“I’m not exactly ordering you to. Just…”
He smiled meaningfully.
“Just be a good pet.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Behave like a pet — do tricks like now and be playful.”
He reached a hand over her head. Kali kicked out; it was a very light contact, not a big blow.
“And act spoiled.”
“… I’m getting nervous.”
Kali worried what schemes might be hidden behind that smiling face.
‘It’ll be fine, right? It’ll be fine. Yeah. Of course.’
She resolved to put the worry aside for a while. If she fretted too much, something bad might actually happen.
“Nothing’ll happen. Nothing…”
…Nothing, my foot.
“Waaah!”
Kali’s loud voice echoed through the woods. Leonhardt allowed himself a small smile.
She responded even better than expected. Indeed, it wasn’t dull being together — it was fun. And if he fussed with her one more time—
“You feel so happy you could go mad, right? Huh?”
“No, Leon, you’re the one who’s crazy!”
“Oh. So you’re acting spoiled?”
“That’s not what I’m doing!”
Kali wanted to change the subject right away, but he didn’t listen at all.
The moment he reached into his coat pocket she flapped like a paper doll and it was obvious she would end up crashing into the underbrush.
“How can you take me with you! I’ll stay at home quietly, okay?”
“You said you were bored. I’ll make it less boring for you.”
But still, taking her along to hunt monsters? How dare he!
‘I’m never being a pet again…!’
Slaughter begets vengeance, and vengeance begets more slaughter.
The vicious cycle continued. Kill and be killed, and each killing swelled the size of the revenge.
So this time the monsters must have decided to come altogether.
“Leon, just you go. It’s fine if only you go!”
“Oh. Now you’re talking informally? How rude, Kali.”
“Whatever. Send me home. To the house!”
Kali struggled in the pocket where she’d been rolling around. She howled to be sent back to the mansion.
If that would have worked, he wouldn’t have brought her in the first place.
“It’ll be less comfortable than the mansion, though.”
With time short he took the reins himself. Kali was in a panic.
He could have gone alone, so why insist on bringing her? The question nagged. Why? The doubts kept multiplying.
“I’m willing to be your attendant, you know.”
“I refuse.”
Kali refused firmly.
“I politely decline.”
“What are you refusing? Just accept it cheerfully. To be attended by a duke — Kali, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
“I don’t need that chance.”
It felt as if someone had been bouncing her on a trampoline for thirty minutes — she felt dizzy and nauseous.
Kali clutched the hem of Leonhardt’s coat. Being stuck only in the pocket made her restless, so she popped her head out.
“Why are you really taking me with you?”
“Incidentally.”
“Say it properly.”
He glanced at the half-head poking out. Then he reached to push her back into his pocket.
“If you fly off, I won’t save you.”
“You’re so annoying. I feel like throwing up. If I vomit in your pocket, you’re on your own.”
“That would be unpleasant.”
Kali poked her head out again and gripped the pocket with both paws so she wouldn’t fly away.
Leonhardt, still smiling, spoke again.
“Hey, Kali. You’re under a curse that turned you into a squirrel.”
“That’s true. So what?”
“Kali, have you ever wondered why you were cursed? Thought about that?”
“I dunno.”
She couldn’t ever admit that she woke up one day and found herself a squirrel. So she stared at the ground.
“Don’t you want to regain your memories?”
“I don’t know… But Leon, you’re rather interested in me.”
I’d like you to stop being interested.
Leonhardt smiled quietly as if thinking something over.
“I’ve wondered, too. Your curse — why did it fall on you?” he said.
“So have I. Why?”
“My mother told me once.”
“Your mother too… was a cursed bride, right?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
“What sort of question is that for a child…?” he muttered.
He was about to add asking what answer he’d heard, and his golden eyes flashed cold for a moment.
“She said the stars led her.”
“…The stars?”
“She wouldn’t say anything more,” he said. He had wanted to hear the whole story but couldn’t.
He swallowed a bitter smile and continued in a low voice.
“When I was young I had a hard time controlling the madness.”
“…”
“Even if my father taught me ways to manage it, at that age it was difficult. Every time I went to see my mother I was almost taken over.”
“To see your mother?”
“Yes. My mother was kept imprisoned in a iron tower beside the mansion’s annex.”
He spoke as if it were nothing, but his expression wasn’t. Anger lay in his eyes.
Who was that anger aimed at? The curse? The witch? Or someone else…?
“My mother’s face was said to be so terrible to look at that it was horrifying. Like someone burned by fire, or beaten so badly it was deformed — not something you could call a human face.”
“…”
“So my father made her wear a mask for life. He locked her in that iron tower, calling her horrible. Every time I saw her the madness would spike uncontrollably.”
His breathless words began to falter. Tsk, this won’t do. He muttered and decided to take a short break.
He tied his horse under a large tree and sat down, leaning his back comfortably against it.
“I wanted to kill my mother.”
Leonhardt didn’t stop. He stared down at his palm and clenched his hand tight.
This was part of his past he’d never told anyone except his close friend Kendrick. Why was he telling it to a mere squirrel?
Maybe because she had a squirrel’s face you couldn’t read.
“Before I could commit that filial crime, my mother died first.”
“…”
“She jumped. For me.”
He murmured in a dry, brittle voice. Kali didn’t know what to say.
She couldn’t speak thoughtlessly; one wrong word might strike his nerve.
“If my mother was the cursed bride, what did she do wrong? Why? Why me?” From then on, questions began to form in his mind.
