MSOW l CH 07

Chapter 7

Pip!

The little bird—my Berry—flapped his wings as if to say he understood.

Now that I’d given him a name, surely my sister wouldn’t scold me.
…Unless she thought naming him was the wrong thing to do?

“Haaah, I’m tired…”

My legs ached from walking and talking so much. Wasn’t there a place to sit?

I lifted my eyes—and froze.

A boy was lying inside a white stone coffin, surrounded by blooming flowers.

The coffin was tilted upright, so it almost looked like the boy could step out at any moment.

Berry perched proudly on the boy’s head, wings spread wide, and chirped at me.

Pirororong!

He was hurrying me along again.

Putting my hands on my hips like my sister always did, I scolded,

“You shouldn’t just sit on people’s heads like that!”

Pirrng.

Berry chirped as if he were laughing at me, then fluttered down into my curly hair.

“Hey! Dolce brushed that for me this morning!”

It felt like my hair had turned into a bird’s nest. Berry rustled around for a while, then decided he didn’t like it and hopped onto the very top of my head instead.

He chirped and chirped, but the boy stayed perfectly still, as if asleep.

I held my breath, worried he might wake up. But he didn’t.

…Still, the more I looked at him, the more I thought—

“He looks just like the Grand Duke.”

Pip?!

Berry bounced up and down on my head.

“Oh? Not his brother, then?”

Berry flew back to the boy’s head and began pecking at his temple with his tiny wings.

“W-wait, don’t do that! What if he wakes—”

I flapped my arms to stop him.

But then—

“Mmm…”

The boy’s eyelids fluttered open, revealing bright red eyes.

We locked gazes.

“Oh no! You woke him up!”

***

The boy looked older than me, but not by much.
His black hair was just like the Grand Duke’s, and his red eyes were like glowing rubies.

“Are you… the Grand Duke’s younger brother?” I whispered.

Berry hopped again as if answering for him.

But the boy didn’t speak. He only stared.

Why? When he first woke up, I thought I heard him mumble something… but now, silence.

Maybe it was because I was a stranger? I’d only arrived here last night, after all.

“I-I’m Veronica,” I said carefully. “I came to the Grand Duchy yesterday.”

The boy blinked slowly. His long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings.

He was… beautiful. Even prettier than most girls I’d ever seen.

Back at the Marquis’ estate, I’d seen boys my age or older, but none of them looked like this.

His skin was as smooth and pale as the white stone of the pavilion.

Just like my sister’s flawless skin…

“…Veronica.”

“Yes?”

“…Veronica.”

Again.

“…Veronica.”

He said my name over and over, as if it was the only word he knew.

“Th-that’s my name, you know…” I muttered shyly.

He tilted his head, then slowly stepped out of the coffin.

And as he moved, every flower around him withered in an instant.

My eyes widened.

Oh no. Did I do something wrong? Was I going to get scolded?

But then—

The boy smiled faintly, so faint I almost missed it. His lips, red as my sister’s, moved softly.

“…Phyllis.”

“Huh?”

“…That’s my name.”

I blinked at him, surprised.

“Phyllis…”

But as he took another step, his body wavered.

“Ah!”

I rushed forward and caught him in my arms before he could fall.

His ears turned bright red, hot to the touch, even though the garden was warm.

“Are you okay?”

I rubbed my palms together quickly and pressed them against his ears to warm them, just in case.