‘Help! Somebody help me!’

“Caw! Kyaaaw!”

I threw every ounce of strength I had into escaping the forest.

I’d take to the air, crash into the ground, tumble head over heels, then scramble back into the sky.

I couldn’t afford to stop for even a second. Not if I wanted to avoid becoming that owl’s next meal.

‘I’m just a crow!’

One swipe from the owl’s talons had sent me flying.

My abilities as a phantom beast?

I had none.

It was laughable. No, I was worse off than an ordinary crow.

The only extraordinary thing about me was my appearance.

Once I’d finally shaken the owl off, I flew onto a terrace and hurried into hiding.

Feathers were missing in patches, and blood trickled from my feet.

To think I’d end up in such a sorry state…

‘Just you wait, owl.’

With tears welling in my crimson eyes, I smoothed my ruffled feathers.

Then I revised my danger rankings.

1. Every natural enemy, including owls
2. Leonhart
3. Ruspell, Owen
4. The demon summoning circle
5. Fiache sneaking into my bedroom

Leonhart, who had previously held first place, had been bumped down by an owl.

‘I can’t believe a wild animal is my number one threat…’

The sheer absurdity of my fate almost brought tears to my eyes.

Just then, I heard footsteps behind me.

My heart nearly stopped.

‘W-Where am I?’

I’d never expected anyone to be here.

I’d been in such a panic that I’d flown inside without even looking where I was going.

‘So this is how I get found out…’

Resigned to my fate, I turned my head.

The moment I did, the other person’s blue eyes went wide.

“Little bird, you’re hurt?”

It was none other than Fiache, ranked fifth on my list of dangers.

‘…’

Pretending I hadn’t heard a thing, I turned my head away.

‘Good. That was perfectly natural.’

Now all I had to do was get out of here.

The instant I spread my wings to take off, Fiache lunged forward with astonishing speed and grabbed me by the neck.

“Kehk!”

‘My neck! My neck!’

“Hm? Does it hurt? Owie?”

‘C-Can’t… b-breathe…!’

Tilting her head in confusion, Fiache let go of my neck.

Then she wrapped both hands around my body and pulled me tightly against her.

‘Ghk… I-I almost died.’

“Does it still hurt?”

‘No! Now I feel like you’re going to crush me to death!’

I shook my head frantically, and the tip of my beak grazed her cheek.

‘Ah!’

I froze, blinking.

A thin red scratch appeared on her soft cheek.

It wasn’t bleeding, but it looked like it stung.

Even so, Fiache didn’t so much as flinch.

“Did I hurt you? I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

Instead, she only cradled me even more gently.

If I struggled again, I could easily break free.

But I couldn’t bring myself to move.

What if Fiache got hurt again?

‘…Wait. Do I even have a reason to leave?’

This was a safe zone.

Not only would I be safe from the owl, but I’d also avoid the household staff, who were undoubtedly still searching for me.

After all, no one would think to search Fiache’s bedroom.

I abandoned any thought of resisting and let Fiache fuss over me.

Once I’d settled down, she carefully placed me on the bed.

Not before closing every window, of course, to make sure I couldn’t fly away.

Clever girl.

“Stay right here for a moment, okay?”

Her pink hair fluttered behind her as she hurried around the room.

She took a first-aid kit from the bedside drawer, dampened a towel in the washroom, fetched a brightly colored box from beneath the table, and somehow even returned with a cup of milk.

After arranging everything she’d gathered in front of me, she beamed.

“I’ll make you all better.”

Then she gently took hold of my foot.

“Oh… you’re bleeding…”

Her brows drooped as though she were about to cry.

Using the damp towel, she carefully wiped away the blood and dirt coating my foot.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

‘Not at all. You don’t have to be so careful.’

Once my foot was clean, she dabbed ointment onto the wound.

It barely hurt to begin with, yet her touch was so gentle that I almost felt embarrassed.

“There, there. It’ll get better in no time.”

After meticulously applying the ointment, she blew softly on the wound.

Her warm breath brushed over my wrinkled skin and glossy black claws.

Unlike last time, the injury didn’t miraculously heal before my eyes.

Whether that was because Fiache hadn’t awakened her powers yet, or because I wasn’t human, I couldn’t say.

Even so, my heart felt warmer than it had back then.

‘What kind of child would take such loving care of a wild crow she doesn’t even know?’

At last, she wrapped my foot in layer after layer of bandages.

Only after tying the end into a clumsy little bow did Fiache let out a long sigh and stick out her tongue.

“Hehe. All done.”

Tiny beads of sweat glistened across the bridge of her nose.

She must have been concentrating with all her might.

Closing the first-aid kit, Fiache opened the brightly colored box.

Inside was a single palm-sized chocolate chip cookie with one end already bitten off.

‘Isn’t that the recovery cookie I gave her before? She’s still eating it?’

Anyone could tell she’d deliberately saved it and hidden it away.

“You’re hungry, aren’t you? The butler gave me this, but you can have it. Go on, eat the whole thing. And if you’re thirsty, there’s milk too.”

‘Why are you giving your favorite treat to a crow you’ve never even met before? You should eat it.’

I simply stared at the cookie.

Seeing that, Fiache picked it up and pretended to eat it.

“This is how you eat it. Nom, nom. Nom, nom. Mmm, it’s yummy! Go on, eat. Okay?”

Her eyes sparkled with such earnest expectation that I knew she’d be terribly disappointed if I refused.

Tap. Tap, tap.

Using my beak, I pecked the cookie in half.

I pulled the smaller piece toward myself.

Then I nudged the larger half toward her.

Fiache’s face lit up.

“Wow! That’s for me? I can eat it?”

‘It was yours to begin with…Honestly… I’m worried about you. How is someone as kind as you ever going to survive in a world like this?’

I pretended to peck absentmindedly at the cookie before settling down on my belly.

‘That should convince her I’m full.’

“Hm? Why’d you stop? Eat some more. You have to eat well or your owies won’t get better. That’s what the ladies told me.”

I busied myself preening my feathers without so much as glancing at the cookie.

After urging me a few more times, Fiache’s shoulders slumped in disappointment.

Watching her put the leftover cookie back into its box made my chest tighten.

‘Just how rarely do they give her treats for her to treasure a cookie like that? Is House Ivrante really in such poor financial shape?’

As if.

That extravagant diamond-studded gown alone probably cost more than buying out an entire pastry shop.

Come to think of it, I’d had more than my fill of tea at the manor, but I couldn’t remember ever seeing dessert.

‘Does Adrianne dislike sweets?’

If so, there was no reason for the head chef to bother making desserts.

Not unless he cared enough about the child to prepare food his Master would never ask for.

‘Does that mean Fiache’s never had snacks before? In a house this wealthy?’

No wonder she’d been so delighted when I gave her that box of cookies…

Meanwhile, Fiache polished off her half of the cookie and her milk, then quickly tidied everything away.

After that, she turned out the lights and climbed back onto the bed.

She lay down quietly beside me, gazing at me without a word.

“You’re still hungry, aren’t you? I’m sorry. I went to the kitchen earlier, but I couldn’t bring anything back. The head chef was really angry…”

The head chef was angry?

Why?

Fiache hugged me tightly and murmured,

“Fiache’s not a thief. I didn’t steal anything from the kitchen.”

‘…’

So the head chef had accused her of being a thief just because she’d gone into the kitchen.

Sniffling quietly to herself, Fiache finally voiced what she’d been keeping inside in a tiny, trembling whisper.

“If I’d been a child who belonged to this house… would the head chef have liked me? He said he doesn’t like me because I don’t have any parents. But… that’s not something I can help…”

‘…’

“So we can’t live together. I might get sent away someday. But it’s okay if you come visit. I’ll feed you. I’ll just sneak you some of mine.”

‘…’

“Let’s go to sleep now. Hush-a-bye… hush-a-bye. Little bird… don’t get hurt tomorrow.”

Sleep was finally beginning to overtake her.

Her eyelids drooped lower and lower, heavy with drowsiness.

Before long, her breathing settled into a slow, steady rhythm.

Only then did I lift the head I’d been pretending to tuck beneath my wing and look at Fiache.

Even in the darkness, I could clearly make out the scratch on her pale cheek.

‘Tsk.’

She’d treated a crow’s injuries, yet she’d left her own untouched.

A thought suddenly crossed my mind.

Animals often licked each other’s wounds to help them heal.

But if I tried licking her with a crow’s sharp beak, I’d probably only make the scratch worse.

‘If only I’d contracted with a demon whose phantom beast was a cat or a dog… it could’ve licked Fiache’s wound for her…’

I watched her for a little while longer.

Then, before dawn broke, I quietly slipped out of her bedroom.

Taking advantage of the butler’s brief absence, I returned to my own bedroom.

The moment I got back, exhaustion claimed me, and I collapsed into sleep.

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