Chapter 08
Queen of the Starling Kingdom (4)
“Rupia, how is married life going?”
Bado, the sacred beast, who had reappeared after three days, asked me that as his first words.
“Eh? H-how is it going… what do you mean exactly?”
I turned bright red in confusion and waved my hands frantically.
Seeing me like that, Bado let out an exasperated voice.
“Huh? It’s already been three days since your marriage, and you’re still like this? I know you’re shy, Rupia, but this is almost impressive.”
Unlike someone mocking me, Bado was simply stating his honest impression. That made me puff out my cheeks.
“Lord Sacred Beast Bado, I am now a married woman. I’m improving every day, you know.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Bado looked amused, but unusually, he didn’t comment further.
Perhaps he was trying to be considerate toward me as a newlywed.
Of course, I appreciated the restraint… I thought as I gently stroked him on my shoulder.
Bado always clung to me in the form of a squirrel, but in reality he was a sacred beast with his own castle in another dimension and a role befitting his existence.
Because of that, he sometimes left my side—but this time, it felt like he had stayed away for a few days not out of duty, but out of consideration for my newlywed situation.
I smiled gratefully and took his tiny hand.
“Bado, thank you for being considerate. You really are the kindest, greatest sacred beast… By the way, I’ve told Feliks and my personal maid Milena about my secret—that I am a witch. They both believed me, so may I introduce you as well?”
“…Did they really believe you? I don’t mind being introduced, but I’ll stay in squirrel form for a while.”
Bado, as a sacred beast, was quite suspicious.
Even in my homeland, the Kingdom of Diablo, he had hidden the fact that he could speak and continued pretending to be a squirrel.
Because of that, among those who knew I was a witch, almost no one knew that Bado was a sacred beast.
“If we exclude my family, I think the shortest time it took for you to reveal your true form was two years after being introduced… But Feliks is already part of my family, so couldn’t you show your true identity sooner?”
I suggested it, hoping they would deepen their mutual understanding and become closer.
But Bado pretended not to hear me.
This is going to be a long battle, I thought, just as Milena entered the room.
“Milena, let me introduce my friend. This is Bado. It’s a secret, but Bado is a sacred beast who was born with me and can speak human language. However, he’s a bit shy, so he might keep pretending to be a squirrel for a while.”
“…It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Lord Sacred Beast.”
Milena knelt and bowed deeply.
But Bado ignored her completely, twitching his tail like an ordinary squirrel and looking away.
“…I’m sorry, Milena. It seems his shyness is in full effect.”
“No, it is only natural behavior if I am an unknown person to him.”
Seeing Milena respond with a perfect polite smile, I thought how different she was from my free-spirited sacred beast—my maid was such an exemplary model student.
As for Milena, when I confessed my secret—that I am a witch—and told her “this is just between us,” she had been visibly shocked.
She looked confused by the sudden revelation, so I had desperately grasped her hands.
“I understand this is hard to believe. But I would be happy if you could gradually accept that this is simply how I am.”
“Yes, I understand. I… I have never heard of anything like this in my understanding of the world, so I apologize for my confusion. However, since it is Your Majesty’s word, I will of course believe you.”
At her serious promise, I shook my head.
“No, your reaction is only natural. However, you being my personal maid makes your belief very important to me. Well… aside from my substitution ability, I don’t have many witch abilities, but I would like to gradually share those secrets with you. Milena, will you sometimes listen to my little secrets?”
“Of course.”
Seeing her bow deeply, I felt glad to have such a sincere maid by my side.
And I once again felt grateful that Feliks had believed me immediately without hesitation.
After all, that was not a normal reaction.
