Of All Things, I Became a Crow: Chapter #66
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
*3rd person POV
When the Emperor's partner
was decided and the two started to dance, everyone else started to flock to the
dance hall regardless of who was first.
"...you're good,
aren't you, Reinelle?"
The Emperor lowered his
head and whispered as he admired Rainelle’s dancing which used gentle steps.
Rainelle's cheeks were slightly dyed red as a result and she replied,
"...that's because I
practiced a lot."
Karmeut smiled at
Rainelle's behavior of muttering while pouting.
"Yes, I know."
"...how do I look?"
"Hm, you’re so cute
and lovely, so much that I want to get out of this place with you right
away."
Rainelle's face flushed
more at those words, Seeing that, Karmeut chuckled and wrapped one hand around
her slender waist.
"It's nice to see you
after a long time."
"---Why didn't you
come to find me?"
She mumbled the “I think
you could have come as many times as you could,” part with a somehow weak
voice. Karmeut hastily responded to Rainelle's dead look.
“I didn’t because I’m
afraid to interrupt your lesson."
"...really?"
"Really. I've been
dying to see you."
Karmeut’s whisper which
stated that he wanted to meet her made the red hue on Rainelle’s cheeks
brighter. Seeing Rainelle like that, the Emperor smiled and whispered again,
"You're so pretty.
What do I do when you're this pretty?"
The Emperor's golden eyes
as he spoke like that were brimming with affection. Under such a gaze, Rainelle
smiled shyly while continuing to dance with him.
Soon the song ended. The
dance partners bowed to each other and the others around showed appreciation by
clapping.
Karmeut and Rainelle also
bowed to each other. Then they backed out of the hall to give way to others.
Many people looked at them
and seemed to want to ask them to dance, but they dared not approach.
Karmeut and Rainelle were
a well-matched pair, and their gazes when looking at each other were full of
affection. No matter who looked at them, they would know that the two seemed to
regard each other as special.
"Would you like to
have dessert together after a long time, my lady?"
"It would be a great
honor if you offer me that, Your Majesty."
After a formal
conversation, Karmeut and Rainelle looked at each other. As the golden eyes and
the purple eyes met, smiles spread across their lips.
When the Emperor and
Rainelle headed to the table where the food was served, the people backed away.
Actually it wasn’t very
good to eat food as soon as the banquet started, but as the Emperor himself
came to the table, people also began to come around the table.
"Your Majesty, is
there anything you would like to eat?"
"Hmm. This looks like
a good one."
Rainelle giggled at his chosen cake.
It was because it was the same kind that he had given to Rainelle all the time.
The kind that Rainelle liked.
*Rainelle’s POV
Ah, really, if you act so sweetly, my heart
won't last!
While grumbling inside, I
did my best to suppress the corners of my lips that were about to rise.
Uu, if I don't do what I've learned to
perfection, Madam Fangxia might come and scold me!
Without realizing it, I
reflexively looked around. Then I felt Karmeut's gaze and hurriedly handed the
plate of cake to him.
Karmeut accepted it with a
gentle smile, which caused my heart to begin racing.
Wow, sir... I haven't seen you in a long time,
but now when I see him, he uses such nice formal clothes. Wow...
There’s a reason for the saying ‘clothes make the man’! He
looks really handsome!
In order not to make my beating
heart go unnoticed, I hurriedly turned my head to the table filled with food.
Come to think of it, I danced with Karmeut
earlier.
To be honest, when I saw a dancing scene in a
movie, the first thing that came to my mind was, ‘What's so exciting about
that? Men and women going round and round, or are they the kind of person who
likes to match their steps together?’
But when I danced with Karmeut earlier, I could
easily realize that my thoughts before were wrong.
To match each other, the bodies inevitably had
to be close and even touched. As a result, the sense of distance and body odor
that followed made me feel the heat in the night, and it even made my heart
pound as we matched our movements together.
How should I say it? A sense of unity? Should
it be that?
---Anyway, I scolded my
trembling heart.
When I was receiving the
etiquette training, I was sad and angry because he never came to visit me—
I could have used the time when Karmeut came as
an excuse to take a break!
But… I remembered his
words earlier.
I never thought that a single sentence can
affect my mood like this. It's funny because that sounds so deceitful, but
really, how can he say that?
"You’re so cute and lovely, so much that I
want to get out of this place with you right away."
My heart tickled when I
remembered the words whispered in my ear while we were dancing.
It makes me feel good when
he told me that I’m lovely.
It feels worthwhile to repeatedly put on and
take off dozens of clothes on the urge of the maids! Just
thinking about how long it took to dress up is terrifying!
I looked at the piece of
cake on the plate. It was a whipped cream cake with fruit on top. Hehehe~ It looks delicious! But still,
according to the etiquette, elegantly...
I cut one small piece with
a fork and put it in my mouth. As I ate the cake while being careful not to get
it on my lips and not to open my mouth too wide, a voice reached my ear,
"Um, Your Majesty the
Emperor. If you don’t mind, would you like to try this too?"
The young lady who shyly
offered a dessert on a plate with blushing cheeks looked young.
High school student? Around eighteen? Nineteen? Sigh...
such a young age...
I can guess why they use dessert, it’s so heartwarming...
Wait! The situation itself may seem like a shy girl who’s
making a clumsy and sweet dash, but the target is wrong!! I don't care if it's
someone else, but not so with Karmeut!
She’s cute, but no! No way!
My heart was boiling inside, but I
could not express it on the outside.
...this, this cramming education... no, brainwashing of
Madam Fangxia is really scary!
This brainwashing training makes me smile gracefully in the
blink of an eye even in this situation!
"...Ah, I appreciate
it."
The girl's face became
even redder at Karmeut's smile, and my heart became more inflamed.
"But I still have
this. Besides, I have a beautiful partner. I hope you understand that I don't
want to do anything that will make her sad."
Hearing those words, the
girl turned her head to me with a red face. Tears welled up in that girl's
eyes, and I even felt guilty.
I was feeling very sorry
for that child who leaves her spot with her head down...
Still, I can't lose Karmeut to the faceless
Extra no. 1! No one’s going to take this handsome guy away from me!
"...I'm sorry,
Rainelle. But can you please understand my position?"
I smiled at Karmeut, who
whispered in my ear with his head bowed.
“The emperor is so popular?”
"Especially because I don't have
a partner yet."
I felt better during the conversation at Karmeut's consideration for thinking of me
and explaining it in easier words. As I nodded with a small giggle, he gently
curved his eyes.
"By the way, the
etiquette training was really hard. I was really scared of Madam Fangxia. If
you had come to see me at least once in the middle, I would have been able to
take a break for a while."
"Haha... I'm really
sorry. If I had known that, I would have gone to meet you without holding
back."
"Is that right?
Besides, I've been in human form for a month. I've been patient about wanting
to go back to being a crow."
"Yes, yes. I'm sorry,
and thank you very much."
Karmeut handed me a glass
of what appeared to be orange juice. After saying “Thank you, Your Majesty”, I
took it and drank it. I loved the sweet and sour taste along with the fresh
scent.
"Oh, ho ho. I
wondered who this dazzling beautiful woman was – It turned out to be
Rainelle-nim."
"...Ah,
Myrdin-nim."
The old man swept his
beard while wearing a benevolent smile. Seeing his appearance, Karmeut said
with a gentle smile.
"Welcome. Are you enjoying the
banquet?"
"Heh heh... This old
man can't dance like the younger ones. But it's fun to watch. Most of all, it's
an honor to be with this beautiful lady."
I let out a “fufu” at
Myrdin's playful wink.
"I'm flattered."
"Do you want me to swear by magic that I told the truth,
Rainelle-nim?"
I became embarrassed as Myrdin said
that, so I unfolded the fan and covered my mouth. Then Myrdin exclaimed “Oh!”
as if he remembered something.
"Oh, my. I've been
distracted by your beauty and I've forgotten the point. Your Majesty, may this
old man give you a surprise gift for Rainelle-nim?"
"...ho, a surprise?
What is it?"
"It will be very
helpful for you too, Your Majesty."
What? A gift for me? And something that helps
Karmeut, too? What's that? No, more than that, at a banquet like this...?
I blinked my eyes
curiously. Perhaps it was the same for Karmeut as his golden eyes gleamed with curiosity.
Seeing our gazes, Myrdin
smiled and turned his head to one side, then he opened his mouth,
"Come, come. Come
here. You have to say your greetings."
---Huh? Greetings? Huh? ...Uh- huh?!
Water-colored hair and bright pink
eyes. Most men here didn’t use white clothes that were difficult to bring out
their charm. However, the white clothes rather highlighted this man's pure beauty and attracted the attention of others.
Now, wait! I feel like I'm reminded of
something! Oh my brain that has been tormented by Madam Fangxia for a month! Work
after a long time!!
---aaaah!! I remembered!!
"The one in the
market---!!"
"Yes, that's
right."
Myrdin nodded and looked
at him. The man stepped in front of us, then he knelt down on one knee and
spoke politely,
"It is an honor to
meet you. Your Majesty, Rainelle-nim. My name is Miel."
...Miel? Miel?! Mi-el?!
"...Hmm. Can you
explain why this guy is helpful to me and Lady Rainelle, Myrdin?"
Karmeut asked a question as he frowned
slightly as if he was displeased.
I could see his golden eyes that are looking at
Miel getting sharper, but that's not the point right now!
"Show them the
reason, Miel."
Miel nodded his head at
those words. Then, a wind that used spirit power blew at my cheeks.
"Oh, wow!"
My mouth opened by itself
at the overwhelming spirit power. A gray-colored bird with two pairs of wings
and two pairs of eyes, with the power of the wind.
"A, a high-level wind
spirit...?"
I mumbled that without
realizing it.
I only signed a contract with a low-level wind
spirit, but with this amount of power, I can feel that this one is a high-level
spirit!
But that wasn't the end.
People’s murmuring continued to grow louder as a whale made of water and a
snake made of fire with similar powers appeared from thin air one after
another.
"Since it is inside
the banquet hall, I did not call the high-level spirit of the earth."
"...what?"
"Let me introduce
you, Your Majesty. His name is Miel. He’s an Elementalist
who signed a contract with four major spirits."
The words created exclamations of
astonishment from all over the hall.
I understood! The crazy talent of signing contracts with
four major spirits at once is at the level of picking stars in the sky, and
now, on top of that, there is a person with a crazy
enough talent to sign contracts with high-level spirits! This will be recorded
in human history itself!
...and most importantly! That
man, Miel, was really a target character in the game!
Now that I think of it, I'm really out of my head, but
there's no excuse for this!! I had completely forgotten the setting that Miel
was a slave in the past!! Besides, who would have been
completely sure that a slave who was beaten with a whip like that would be a
target character?!
I barely, really barely,
managed to cover my mouth with a fan and kept my composure. However, the
overwhelming spirit's energy was enough to make my body tremble.
Was it a coincidence?
Miel's eyes turned in my direction. Then the summoned spirits disappeared in an
instant.
"--A man of rare
talent even if we look through the entire history. Did you say your name is
Miel?"
"Yes, Your Majesty
the Emperor."
"Since the time is
not suitable, the formal procedure will be done later, but I will give you the
title of marquis, a surname, and a territory."
"I'm so grateful to
Your Majesty that I don't know how to express it."
Perhaps Karmeut was also
aware of the importance of Miel, so he gave him
the second-highest position after ‘duke’. There were murmurs of disappointment
from the foreign people around, but in the original story, Miel was a figure
that stood on the Empire’s side.
I was very surprised, but
since it was the same as the original story, I sighed in secret.
This is still in line with the original story.
"Rainelle-nim."
"...? What's the
matter, Marquis Miel?"
I responded softly, barely
showing my surprise at Miel's sudden action of addressing me. He reached out
and took my hand carefully. Then he lowered his head and opened his mouth,
"It was thanks to
Rainelle-nim that I was able to be here. ...I swear to serve you all my life,
with all that I have."
Miel's act of kissing the
tip of my fingers while saying that was even
reverent, but to me, it was just an act of pulverizing my mind.
What are you talking about?! Is that a smashing sound of
the original story?!
Oh, God!! I'm sorry I keep calling you, but I have no
choice but to call you! Oh, God!!
***
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