Of All Things, I Became a Crow: Chapter #69
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
*Rainelle’s POV
Whether they knew my confusion or not, the Emperor and
the Elementalist were fighting a tight battle of nerves.
Oh
please!! Don't do this!! I'm really going to turn into a crow, y’know?!
"Is there anything
you need, Rainelle-nim? Just name it. I'll bring it to you."
What's wrong with you? I'm in trouble right
now!!
"A marquis shouldn’t run errands that a servant
would do. Act with dignity."
The
same goes for Karmeut!! Do something about those blood-seeking eyes!!
"Oh, um... Marquis Miel...?"
"Just say it, Rainelle-nim."
...I wanted to tell him to stop and go somewhere else. However, when I saw Miel with his eyes
wide open like a puppy, I couldn't bring myself to say that.
Ugh, how can I kick away such a handsome guy
who looks at me with teary eyes and just wanted me to be nice?!
"Uh... sigh... Cookies, I want to eat them."
"I'll do as you wish."
Given that I had asked for something, Miel bowed with a
smile that looked like a blooming flower. He then moved from his spot.
"...you could’ve told me. I can bring you some
cookies."
A sulky voice tickled my ears. Feeling some strength in
the arms that hugged my waist, I had to whisper,
"...the Emperor shouldn't do that!"
"In front of you, the status of an emperor is just a
decoration for me."
...oh
really, why are sweet-talking at times like this, Your Majesty the Emperor?
Karmeut?
And
why are you being sulky? I don’t expect you to sulk…
"Rainelle-nim, I don't know what you like, so I
brought you all the kinds of cookies..."
...there
it is. There it is! Karmeut’s eyes change whenever he looked at Miel! Argh!!
The original storyline has gone to dust! Oh, why are you guys fighting such a
nerve-wracking battle?!
Seeing the sparks flying when their gazes collided in
mid-air, I thought to myself: ...I hope
the banquet is over soon! Please, please, please!!
...but contrary to my wishes, I had to experience the feeling
of being mentally squished between Karmeut and Miel throughout the banquet. Therefore,
when the banquet was over and I was alone in the room, I automatically let out
a burst of cheers.
Aaaah,
it's finally over! The banquet is over!!
I flew excitedly around Karmeut's room, screaming as much
as I could for the feeling of freedom.
Of
course, the banquet was spectacular! It
was fun to dress up in colorful dresses, jewelry, and perfume. And it was fun
to watch the makeup skills of an expert.
Besides,
everyone at the banquet dresses up nicely, right? It's a lot of fun, the food
is delicious, and dancing to the music is fun in its own way.
...But,
as expected, it’s most comfortable to be a crow!
Then my mind changed courses.
Hm...
Miel was there too, wasn't he?
When I thought of Miel, my head throbbed.
No,
everything is fine. It’s all good! It can't be bad! Who doesn’t like it when a
pure handsome man follows you around!! In terms of beauty alone, he is
comparable to Karmeut!
No,
that expression is a bit strange. I think it's accurate to say that they have a
different types of attractiveness. Yeah, Karmeut is a sharp and cool type of
handsome, while Miel is a pure and flowery man? There's some sort of protective
instinct when looking at him, but he also doesn't look like he’s weak!
Miel is a person who fits the expression that
if he smiles, flowers will bloom. When someone like that says that he’s gonna
give me everything he got and follow me around, I can't hate him! He’s outstanding
both in ability and appearance!
---The
problem is that he seems to have attached a flag to me! You're not supposed to flag other people before entering the original
story! This is the problem!! Depending on the choice of the female lead,
the matter of a flag being attached or not is different!!
Aaaaaah!
God, why are you giving me such an ordeal!! It's good to have a good-looking
man to come at me, but it twisted the original story! Now it even seems to have
broken into particles!!
Besides,
there’s also Karmeut! His eyes ignited when Miel approached me! Oh, God! I wanted
a little more calm, but what is this?!!
***
*3rd person POV
Myrdin's mansion, located far away from the Imperial
Palace, and a place that was even perfect to be called a quasi-dungeon. The
place had all kinds of magic that were seemingly hidden from the exterior. And now,
voices were flowing from a room inside the mansion.
No, the voices that were about to leak out were blocked
by a wind wall and were sealed off inside.
"-What's going on, Contractor? Calling me like
this."
"I have a favor to ask of you."
"Yes? What is it?"
The gray translucent bird with two pairs of eyes and two
pairs of wings narrowed its eyes. When the contractor said that he had
something to ask of it, it was half curious. The other half was anticipation.
"There is a crow with a golden necklace in the
Imperial Palace. It is a crow that can transform into a human form... I want
you to protect that crow."
"...protect?"
"Yes, protect her. So that she would be safe no
matter what."
At those words, the spirit frowned. The words he said now
had never been heard by the spirit.
"I refuse. The one I will protect is the contractor,
not a crow."
Hearing that, Miel shook his head and responded,
"I know that's the case... but I want you to protect
her."
"It is you who signed the contract and provides
mana. Not that crow."
"...you really won’t?"
"Yes. Without you, I can't show myself like this. Naturally,
the most important thing for me is the contractor."
The spirit quickly turned his head.
A caring heart for others, a heart that wanted to
protect, was a noble thing. --But it was a law that a spirit couldn't put that nobleness
and the safety of the contractor on the same line. Moreover, there was no way
that human values could be applied to the spirits.
Miel's expression became clouded at the spirit's decisive
refusal as it spat out the facts. Miel lowered his head. After being silent for
a long time, his lips moved,
"...He's like a benefactor to me."
When he said that, the spirit's gaze was drawn to Miel.
‘...I’m
aware of that fact,’ thought the spirit. Because long before the
contract was signed, the spirit had been around him and watched him. Waiting
for the contract to be signed someday.
The spirit raised its head. Its’ contractor’s pink eyes
were shining with urgency and earnestness.
"I want to protect her. If it wasn't for her, I
wouldn't be here. Um, when I tried to escape, by my master... no, I would have
been beaten to death by my former master, without knowing that I could sign a
contract."
The spirit could not respond to those words. What Miel
said was true. No matter how strong the power of the high-level spirits was, the
way they could be involved in this world was very limited unless they had a
contractor.
It was to the extent that this high-leveled spirit
couldn't help Miel, who was being beaten by his previous master.
While the spirit was silent, Miel continued to speak,
“In that sense, she is like a benefactor to you too.”
"...why?"
"I wouldn't have been able to make a contract with
you and the others if she hadn't saved me."
"..."
The high-leveled spirit of the wind was worried. Originally,
no matter what the contractor said about it, the spirit had to refuse.
But... it wasn't that it was shaken by the words of its
contractor who almost pleaded, saying that he would not have even signed a
contract without the crow. It was because what its contractor said was also
true.
A sigh flowed through the beak of the spirit, who had
been staring at its contractor's face for a while.
"...fuuu… Right. As you said, without that crow, the
contract might not have happened."
"---! Then...?"
"I'll protect the crow you told me about. But keep
in mind: this is an exceptional situation. I hope you realize how much you've asked me to do."
"...thank you."
At those words, the high-leveled wind spirit waved one of
its wings slightly. The wind spirit, who shook its head as if saying “You
shouldn’t say such a thing”, dispersed. It was as if it had disappeared along with
the wind.
Pink eyes followed the wind as if they were chasing the
trail of the spirit that disappeared from its spot in an instant. Miel let out
a long sigh and then sat down on the sofa.
*Miel’s POV
The beginning was stupid. One day, a child who was born as
a slave and learning to live as a slave, was suddenly thinking:
‘I
want to be like that too. I want
to eat delicious food to my heart's content, have neatly tucked hair, have soft
hands, and wear such nice clothes,’ when he saw the child
of a noble family that he served.
Not knowing that those were something never allowed for
slaves, the young slave dreamed.
Fortunately or unfortunately, he was born with good
looks. That was why, unlike other slaves, he rarely did chores from a young age.
He was nurtured, groomed, and cared for according to the
wishes of the master. And when he grew up to a certain extent, he had to repay
the care he had received with his body.
Only when he flatters,
curry favors, and entertains could he receive ‘care’.
Was it because he achieved what he wanted? He was hoping
for more.
‘I
want to be free, I want to leave this place. I don't want to be looked down
upon as a slave.’
...it was an absurd wish. In order to achieve that absurd
wish, he haphazardly ruined what became of his first dream and was almost beaten
to death at the market.
...but
that was how I met her.
An ominous bird that flew over graves. A black crow that
flew with death.
And, that 'death' changed into a human form and saved his
'life'. Presenting the future. It gave him a dreamlike situation that was far
better than he had imagined.
"...so..."
I
want to give my life and everything to her. Because she saved me. I want to
devote everything to her and serve her, unlike when I was forced ever since I
was born.
He had been a slave all his life, so he was confident
that he would do better than anyone else as far as flirting with her.
However, his actions
seemed to have been very burdensome to her. Miel's expression distorted when he
recalled the face of that person smiling awkwardly while looking at him as if she
didn't know what to do.
I
didn't mean to. I just wanted to be by her side, protect her, and entertain
her.
...Then
let's protect her. So that you can
be safe no matter what happens. So that you can smile.
However, he did not know how to use swords, nor was he
strong. All he can do was summon spirits and use his body.
---That was why he asked the high-leveled wind spirit for
that favor even though he knew it was against the principle.
I
want to protect her. I want to protect her no matter what. Without her, I would
have been born and died as a slave.
Recalling that fact again, the Elementalist clenched his
fist. His pink eyes were shining
resolutely as he thought of the crow that gave him a new life.
***
*Rainelle’s POV
I puffed my feathers, fully enjoying the wind coming in
through the window.
"You like it that much, Rainelle?"
I nodded my head without thinking at Karmeut’s question
that was said while he grinned.
Oh, how long had it been since I was in my crow form? And
how long had it been since I came to Karmeut's room?
I was more familiar with this place than the other room
since I had stayed in Karmeut's room longer than a month. The room allotted to
me before was spacious, luxurious and nice.
I
know that it’s a very nice room... but it's awkward.
I spread my wings and flew up. Then I flew to Karmeut,
who was sitting on the sofa and reading a book leisurely. He smiled softly and gently
stretched out his hand, but I avoided it and sat down on his lap instead.
Then I rolled over my body like a human. I felt at ease
with my back on Karmeut's lap and my feet stretched out to the sky.
OMG!
This is so comfortable! So warm!! Come on, Karmeut! Pet me now!
I cawed and tilted my head back.
Come
on! I even tilted my head so that you could stroke me comfortably, y’know? Pet
me!
A burst of loud laughter followed. Karmeut smiled softly
as he rolled his eyes. He reached out and stroked my stomach. A pleased caw flowed naturally out of my
beak as his hand stroked the feathers near my belly.
Uu,
this touch is the best! I don't know how you can caress so pleasingly.
I was enjoying the happy feeling while enjoying the touch
when I heard Karmeut's voice,
"Is the human form so uncomfortable?"
I hesitated, not knowing how to respond to that.
It's
not... exactly uncomfortable. Besides, looking at my human form objectively,
isn't it perfect? An absolutely superior beauty! My form is so pretty that
there is no guarantee that I will be able to have this beauty no matter what I
do in my next reincarnation!!
I'm
happy because my appearance is really superior to what I have ever imagined...
I'm very happy to be able to eat well, have nice clothes, and good makeup,
but...
Etiquette
is the problem, etiquette! Madame Fangxia is scary! If I don't follow the
etiquette, she might come out of nowhere and start nagging at me, starting with
the words “Is that how you behave---?!...” and she would even drag Karmeut’s
name!!
...It was difficult for me to convey these feelings by simply
nodding or shaking my head, so I straightened my posture, then, when I was a
little further away from Karmeut, I turned into a human and answered,
"...it's not that I'm uncomfortable to be human,
it's just that I’m not comfortable with etiquette. Don’t you know how scary
Madame Fangxia is?!"
No,
she's beyond scary! Just thinking about Madame Fangxia... No, let's not think
about it! Thinking about it is detrimental to my mental health!!
"Oh. Hmm, are you so scared of Madame Fangxia?"
"I'm a crow. Do you
know that human etiquette is too difficult? Not only talking, but also facial
expressions, posture, and even eating are full of 'don'ts'. I don't know why it’s like that."
I grumbled and pouted my
mouth. Of course, I know it was necessary. Because being courteous was tantamount to oiling
the relationship between people.
But
I'm a crow now! It’s only natural that it’s difficult to all of a sudden learn
the etiquette that I hadn't learned when I was a zookeeper before! Of course
it’s no wonder that it's hard!
"Well, the higher your position is, the more you pay
attention to useless things."
Karmeut's face as he nodded while fixing his dressing seemed
to be shining. Was that why? While suppressing my beating heart, I shook his
head and turned my face away.
"And I'm more comfortable being a crow. I can fly
freely, I can sleep on a perch..."
"...Ah, I see, because your nature is a crow."
...I was
somewhat appalled by the words. He was right, but why do I feel this
way?
"Rainelle, if you're comfortable with it, you can
return to being a crow."
However, Karmeut's words that said that it was okay for
me to return to being a crow brought a smile to my face.
"Caaw! (Thank you!)"
After crying out in gratitude, I sat on his shoulder and
rubbed my beak on his cheek. He smiled a little, followed by a hand stroking my
wing.
It was a familiar touch, but that was why I missed it
even more.
I
haven't received this touch for over a month! That Madame Fangxia is
really---!!
...No.
I’m in no position to be angry with Madame Fangxia. Argh! I won't blame you, so
please just don’t come out and shoot me with scary eyes!!
Ugh, I’m frightened just thinking of Madame
Fangxia--! I, I'll do so well that I don't have to see her again. Yes, that’s
right!
Seeing the crow trembled as she was lost in thought, Karmeut
smiled and then brought her into his arms.
***
Previous chapter | Novel page | Next chapter
Feel free to help us keep our spirit
up by buying us Coffee
You can visit too to check out some
cute and cool phone wallpapers!