CHAPTER 52…………….
“Haa… haa… I’m out of breath. Why’d you come all the way here? I looked everywhere for you.”
‘…….’
“This time, I’ll make you shine for sure.”
Bianca, having found me, smiled and raised her arm—
the one holding the lamp.
At that instant, her knees buckled and she collapsed forward.
“Ah!”
Instinctively, she threw her hands out to the ground.
The next moment, both her hands sank deep into the soil.
“Wha—! What is this…?! Ugh! Nghhh!”
She struggled desperately to pull them free.
But the earth only shifted faintly, refusing to release her hands.
“Moooommyyy!!!”
Her shrill wail echoed through the night, and lights inside the mansion flared on all at once.
Soon, people would come rushing to find her.
[Sylph! Ready? Aqua Drop!]
A droplet formed beneath me, bouncing me upward like a rubber ball.
[I already set it up! Wind Feather!]
Sylph’s summoned wind caught me and hurled me even higher.
I didn’t waste the chance—I began to flap with all my might.
“Hey! Don’t you dare fly off! Stay thereeee!”
Bianca’s shrieking voice rang behind me.
I used that sound as fuel, beating my wings at full speed.
My wingbeats grew weaker.
I wobbled in the air like a drunkard.
‘Haa… haa…!’
[Rian! What’s wrong? You can’t fly anymore?]
‘Ngh… it hurts too much.’
[Oh no… it must be too painful to keep flying. We need to rest a while.]
[Not the forest! If we run into beasts, we won’t even be able to escape! Better to slip into any house nearby!]
[Are you crazy? After what just happened, you still think that’s safer? At least with beasts we wouldn’t have to worry about being burned alive… Hm? Gnome, what is it?]
Gnome pointed ahead.
A place lit brightly, even at this hour of night.
[Huh? You want us to go there?]
[(Nods)]
[But if the lights are on, there might be humans inside. Gnome, are you sure it’s safe?]
[(Nods)]
[For god’s sake, would Gnome ever endanger the contractor? Let’s just check it out!]
Even Salamander, who had opposed it, followed Gnome’s lead.
With the spirits’ help, I barely managed to follow the light.
‘Ah… it’s the Grand Plaza.’
The plaza was under heavy groundworks.
Bright work lights illuminated the place so strongly I could see it from afar.
The problem: there were too many people. It made me question why Gnome had guided us here.
The other elementals looked just as puzzled. Clearly, this wasn’t the safest place to rest.
That was when I suddenly thought of Leonhart’s command tent.
If I slipped in there to rest, I’d be safe. At this hour, surely no one would be inside.
‘Ngh… can’t help it. I need to rest.’
The pain was too overwhelming to hesitate.
I crawled straight into the tent through a gap.
“You…”
That was my mistake.
Contrary to my expectations, someone was inside.
I craned my head back—and met the gaze of a man towering over me.
‘Leo…na…’
Leonhart.
He stared down at me, then bent on one knee, meeting me at eye level.
“I thought it might be… but seeing your eyes, I’m sure. You’re that crow from before.”
He cupped me carefully in both hands.
“What are you doing here? I told you human places are dangerous. Why come back again…”
He spoke gently, but suddenly his expression hardened.
“You’re injured.”
His narrowed eyes swept over my left leg, caked with dirt and oozing pus.
“A burn, only on one leg… someone did this on purpose, didn’t they?”
It was Bianca—the sprouting little psychopath!
Almost as if he’d heard me, Leonhart brushed my head with his finger.
“That must’ve hurt.”
‘…Yeah. It really did.’
The words, the touch—they cracked something inside me.
After all that fear and helplessness, stepping into this shelter felt like finally breathing again.
I rubbed my head against his finger.
For a moment, he stayed quiet. Then he called out to someone outside the tent.
“Eshir, where’s Owen?”
“He said he’d be inspecting the site. Should be back any moment.”
Owen was here too?
Unlike me, who was just a consultant, these men carried direct responsibility.
So even for basic groundwork, they wouldn’t leave it unattended.
Leonhart nodded.
“When he arrives, send him straight to me. And bring something for the bird to eat.”
“…Sorry?”
“Bring bird feed.”
“At this hour? Your Highness, this isn’t the Imperial Palace.”
Leonhart only fixed Eshir with a steady stare.
Unable to bear the pressure, Eshir sighed and bowed.
“…Understood.”
After dismissing his subordinate with an unreasonable order, Leonhart placed me gently on a stool.
Then he pulled out an old handkerchief from inside his suit.
‘Oh… that’s…’
It was the handkerchief I had used as Adela.
I had once given it to him to bind a wound, then forgotten all about it.
‘He still kept it? Why not just throw it away? It’s such a cheap thing. He’s the Imperial Prince—why would he treasure that?’
‘If I’d known, I would’ve given him something nicer…’
Leonhart dampened the handkerchief and gently wiped my burned, grimy foot.
‘Ahhh!’
Agonizing pain surged. I clenched my beak tight, stifling the scream.
“You’re enduring well. Good bird.”
When he finished, instead of discarding the soiled cloth, he folded it neatly and tucked it back into his suit.
I stared at his suit, then lowered my gaze.
Strangely, my heart felt constricted.
“Just hold on. You’ll be healed soon.”
He must have planned to ask Owen to heal me.
‘…Then maybe I should stay until then.’
Leonhart rested an arm on the chair I sat upon, propping his chin atop it.
His face drew closer.
“Don’t you have a nest?”
‘I do.’
“If you don’t have anywhere to go… want to live with me?”
‘…I just told you, I do have a nest.’
The sweetness of his tone, combined with his smile, left me unsettled.
It reminded me of the old days—hunting the Demon King alongside my comrades.
“Come live with me.”
‘No way! Why would I leave my home to live with you?’
Hmph!
I snorted loudly, and he burst into laughter. Then, he stroked my head with a finger.
“You’re really cute.”
‘As if stroking me would make me—ah… that feels… good…’
N-no! I’m not an animal! I won’t let him tame me like this.
“Hm. I’ve never kept a pet before. Should I give you a name first?”
Hey! Who are you calling a pet? I already have a name—Piace gave it to me!
“Della.”
‘That’s just Adela, with one syllable dropped.’
“I took it from the name of the person I love most. What do you think? Do you like it?”
‘…H-how dare you… giving a human name to an animal is… so rude…’
Gods, why is my heart pounding so hard?
I couldn’t look at him. I snapped my head away.
“I think it suits you—brave little thing.”
‘What did you just call me, you—?’
Suspicion filled my eyes.
‘He doesn’t actually think I’m a male crow, does he…?’
Leonhart’s long eyes curved into a smile.
“Della.”
Just hearing him call the name made my chest soften.
‘Whatever. It’s not like I’ll see him again anyway. He can call me whatever—Della, Adel, Adela…’
With a resigned sigh, I let it go.
Seeing that, he smiled brightly, his eyes crinkling.
“I’ve never seen a bird sigh before. Ha, you’re adorable.”
‘…….’
Try smiling like that at people instead of animals.
‘Though… that might be a problem too. You sinful man.’
And then—
Something soft brushed the tip of my beak.
Smack.
‘……!’
