Chapter 8

“You can’t even eat properly.”

The master of the house clicked his tongue as he looked at the snack I had spat out.

Just like that, I had become a baby bird who couldn’t even eat properly.

That’s not it!

“Peep! Peep-peep!”

I stomped my feet as hard as I could and shook my head in anger.

The master of the house smiled coldly.

“If that’s not it, then did you spit it at me?”

“Peep, peep…”

“How rude.”

The master of the house suddenly grabbed me.

My body floated helplessly in the air.

I was startled and kicked my legs frantically, but I couldn’t move even an inch.

“Such a tiny thing.”

The master of the house smiled arrogantly.

Before I knew it, his face was right in front of mine, and my entire body stiffened.

He had an incredibly beautiful face.

His languid gaze as he looked down at me was frightening, but his appearance was beautiful enough to overwhelm even that fear.

But I mustn’t let his looks fool me.

The master of the house had an absolutely terrible personality!

I boldly glared at him.

He looked me up and down before giving a derisive snort.

“Oh? You know how to glare, too?”

“Peep!”

“And yet you’re not even as good as a rabbit.”

BOOM.

That was a shocking statement.

I wasn’t even as good as a rabbit?

No, I’m not! If you’ve ever seen a baby bird as cute and pretty as me, bring them here!

It was an extremely rude thing to say to someone who was still growing!

“Peep!”

“I feed you, put you to sleep, and raise you, and this is how you repay me. What an ungrateful little bird.”

The master of the house began complaining loudly, as though he wanted me to hear every word.

I flinched.

Whatever the case, I knew that none of the life I was enjoying right now would be possible without his permission.

I slowly lowered my eyes, which had been glaring sullenly at him.

When I obediently tucked my kicking legs together, the master of the house looked me over with an intrigued expression.

It was almost as though he had discovered some strange new creature in the world.

“You’re tiny.”

“……”

“Have you grown a little, though?”

“…Peep.”

I timidly nodded.

“I heard you still haven’t managed to transform into a human. Is something missing?”

Crack.

I’m still a baby! That’s why!

I kicked my legs in protest.

The master of the house took up a leisurely stance, as though encouraging me to keep going.

He was still holding me in one hand.

Exhausted, I turned my head away with a sulky expression.

A finger poked me in the cheek.

“Peep!”

“You’re such a little thing, yet you know how to throw a tantrum.”

“Peep!”

I was starting to get annoyed.

I put all my strength into both wings and tried to wriggle free from his grasp.

Ugh.

Ugh!

Ah… I’m out of strength.

“Peep!”

Let me go!

I pecked the master of the house’s hand with my beak.

He let out a quiet laugh and finally put me down.

I immediately darted behind the cushion, keeping my guard up.

Then I cautiously poked my head out.

Why aren’t you leaving? Hurry up and go.

“It’s my house, you know.”

The master of the house lifted his chin and smiled, apparently reading the meaning in my eyes.

Right.

This place belonged to him.

This room belonged to him, too.

So did this cushion.

And that snack.

Realizing the reality of my situation, I let my shoulders droop.

The master of the house, who had been watching me silently, spoke.

“Come to think of it, having a daughter isn’t so bad. At least for the time being.”

“…Peep?”

“So I thought of a name for you.”

What is he talking about?

My eyes widened at his unbelievable words.

I was hearing something I had never expected, not even in my wildest imagination.

“Irene.”

“…Peep?”

“That’s your name from now on. Irene Astrophel.”

At that moment, an indescribable emotion swept over me.

Is he really giving me that name?

I had never had a name before, so no one had ever called me by one.

Perhaps that was why.

I simply couldn’t believe that someone had given me a name and would call me by it.

Irene Astrophel.

From now on, that was my name.

I stared blankly at the master of the house, forgetting even to breathe.

“What? Don’t you like the name?”

“Peep!”

I hurriedly shook my head.

No! That’s not it!

I was just a little surprised.

“Peep-peep-peep…”

What do I do? I love it.

I quietly repeated my new name over and over.

But the man’s red eyes suddenly flicked toward the door.

At the same moment, the door flew open.

“Baby! I’m sorry I’m late—My lord?”

“Ah. You’re here, Rosaria.”

“Peep-peep-peep-peep!”

I happily welcomed Rosaria, stretching my wings out toward her.

The moment Rosaria spotted me hiding behind the cushion, she quickened her steps and hurried over.

“My little one!”

I missed you!

I threw myself into her arms and rubbed my cheek against hers.

Rosaria gave a small laugh.

Being held in those familiar arms made me feel safe.

“Were you frightened because I wasn’t here?”

“Peep!”

I hugged Rosaria tightly and nodded.

Once I had calmed down a little, I poked my head over her shoulder and looked at the master of the house.

He was watching Rosaria and me with a crooked posture.

His expression looked as though he was dissatisfied with something.

“My little one, aren’t you hungry?”

“Peep.”

I shook my head.

I was already full from the snack I had eaten earlier.

“Did you behave well with the master?”

Hmm.

Did I?

I fell into thought.

The master of the house had given me a snack, and then…

He had given me a name, too.

Come to think of it, his hands had been incredibly careful when he held me earlier.

“Peep.”

I nodded to say that I had been fine.

Rosaria looked surprised.

The corners of the master of the house’s lips rose in satisfaction.

“Apparently so.”

The master of the house stood up.

It seemed he was about to leave now that Rosaria had arrived.

He grabbed the doorknob and was about to walk out when he suddenly stopped.

“Oh.”

“…?”

“Now she’s not ‘Baby’ anymore. She’s Irene.”

It was a warm afternoon.

I was having a picnic in the garden with Rosaria.

We had spread a picnic mat beside the fountain, and I was lying down, basking in the sunlight.

I hugged the yellow cushion Rosaria had prepared and stretched out comfortably.

The warm sunlight enveloped my entire body.

Ah. This is so nice.

“Irene.”

“Peep.”

Ever since the master of the house had given me a name, the way Rosaria addressed me had changed.

From Baby to Irene.

It was a little strange at first, but I really liked it.

I love my name!

If I could, I would go around saying it all day long.

But I couldn’t do that yet.

I had no idea what had suddenly possessed the master of the house to give me a name, but a good thing was a good thing.

For now, this probably meant that I was allowed to stay in this house, too.

He had said he would acknowledge me as his daughter for the time being, so that was probably what it meant.

I had to make a tremendous effort to keep the corners of my beak from curling upward.

I have a name now!

And I have somewhere to stay for the time being!

Rustle, rustle.

The ticklish sensation of a gentle hand stroking my soft feathers made my body grow pleasantly limp.

I rolled onto my other side, silently asking her to do the same there.

Then, from nearby, I heard an unfamiliar voice chuckling softly.

“Heh heh. Lady Rosaria, it seems you’ve come out for a walk with Lady Irene.”

“Peep?”

“Are you enjoying your walk?”

“…Peep-peep.”

I awkwardly nodded and studied the unfamiliar old man.

I didn’t know why, but recently, more and more members of the household had begun acknowledging my presence.

This time, when an old man I had never seen before appeared, I instinctively sprang to my feet.

“What impeccable manners.”

“Peep.”

“Heh heh. And where in the world did such a daughter come from?”

Surprisingly, the people here were incredibly open-minded.

Even though I was a bird, they seemed to accept me without question as the master of the house’s daughter.

If I had been somewhere else, I probably would have been thrown out long ago.

Even mixed-bloods with only a trace of foreign blood were often easily cast out by their own clans.

“Lady Rosaria, are you not uncomfortable staying at the estate after such a long time away?”

“I’m perfectly fine. You don’t need to worry about me, Jeras.”

“I see.”

There was another thing I had recently learned.

Rosaria’s position was much higher than I had initially thought.

Most people spoke to her respectfully.

Amazing. So cool!

“You seem to be in such high spirits. Does that mean the matter you were worried about has been resolved?”

“Ah, that matter? Thanks to the Head of the Family personally stepping in, it was resolved quite easily.”

“The Head of the Family did?”

That can’t be right.

Rosaria looked genuinely disbelieving, as though she couldn’t accept it at all.

Jeras simply chuckled.

“It’s true. The Head of the Family swept everything away himself. All the way past the Aneaed Plains and to the Benead River.”

“My goodness. Isn’t that almost near the neutral territory?”

“That’s right. A shelter has been established in the south as well.”

“My goodness.”

Rosaria covered her mouth in astonishment.

I did the same.