‘Ah, there you are!’
Sharon managed to slip out through the vent and made her way into the garden.
She spotted the white tiger she had seen from the window and quietly approached.
She had come out of curiosity, but seeing the tiger’s large body brought back memories of the terror she felt when attacked by a Magical Beast.
To a large tiger, a small bird like herself could be crushed in an instant.
However, as she watched the tiger groan in pain, its steps unsteady, her desire to help quickly outweighed her fear.
‘Could it be because of that?’
Sharon noticed several red, thorn-like objects lodged near the white tiger’s waist.
Summoning her courage, Sharon called out to the tiger.
“Mr. Tiger! I’m going to pull out the thorns stuck in your body, so could you crouch down for me?”
In that moment, the white tiger’s golden eyes locked onto the little bird.
Sharon flinched, but she met the tiger’s gaze with her own obsidian eyes, refusing to back down.
Then, the white tiger obediently crouched.
‘Thank goodness… Does it understand my words?’
Without delay, Sharon climbed up from the tiger’s front paw and carefully made her way to its waist where the red thorns were embedded.
“It might hurt a little, but try to stay still, okay?”
She gripped a red thorn with her beak and pulled it out with all her might.
The tiger’s body trembled just a bit, but it endured.
Sharon continued removing the remaining thorns the same way.
“That should be all of them…! You’re okay now.”
Sharon gently patted the tiger’s back with her wing.
“Thank you. You’ve saved me.”
Hearing the tiger thank her, Sharon was convinced.
‘Just as I thought… In this form, I can talk to animals!’
Because she had transformed into a small bird, she was able to speak with animals.
She was honestly delighted by this new ability.
Though she wasn’t fond of bugs, Sharon loved animals.
“But, how did you end up with thorns stuck in you?”
Descending from the white tiger’s back, Sharon looked up at it.
“I was napping in the Forest, and before I knew it, thorns had gotten stuck in me.”
It seemed the tiger had lain down atop a plant full of thorns native to the Forest.
Given how dignified and majestic the tiger looked, Sharon had thought it might have been attacked by someone.
To think it was just bad sleeping posture made her laugh unintentionally, and the tiger let out a small grumble.
“I was unbearably itchy, you know.”
“Fufu, sorry. But I’m glad I got them all out.”
It had been a long time since Sharon had talked and laughed with someone like this.
Speaking with the tiger made her feel at ease.
Perhaps it was because, unlike humans, there were no complicated interests involved.
Right now, Sharon was treated as nothing more than a small bird, regardless of whether she had magic or not.
There was no stigma of being labeled worthless, or being called a villainess.
It was comfortable, and she found it enjoyable.
“Um, if you don’t mind… would you be my friend?”
She had given up on making friends as a human, but as a small bird—
Sharon bravely asked.
“We’re already friends. I owe you for the thorns, after all.”
Sharon jumped up in delight at the tiger’s words.
“Thank you! I’m Sharon. What’s your name?”
“I have no name.”
“Really?”
People gave names to pets, but in the wild, perhaps names weren’t necessary.
“But calling you Mr. Tiger is a bit…”
“Then why don’t you give me one?”
“Is that okay?”
The tiger nodded.
Looking at its pure white, fluffy fur, Sharon voiced the first name that came to mind.
“Sugar.”
Because it was as fluffy and white as sugar candy.
It was straightforward, but she hoped the tiger would like it.
“How about ‘Sugar’ for your name?”
“That will do.”
Sharon gave her first animal friend a hug.
Well, her body was so small that she could only drape herself over the tiger’s front paw.
“Do you live in this house?”
“Yeah… But soon, I’m planning to leave here and head for the Millier Kingdom.”
“Leave this house? Why? Is it because that man is cursed?”
Sharon’s eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly denied it.
“That’s not it! I… wait, is it true that Zex-sama is cursed? Sugar, do you know something about it?”
Didn’t Sugar just say the same thing as the birds who had talked to her before?
If it was just a rumor among the local animals because Zex’s aura was so intense and frightening, that would be fine.
But if Zex was really cursed, she needed to know more, so Sharon asked.
“It’s true that man is cursed. And it’s a complex curse.”
“What kind of curse is it? How can it be broken?”
Leaning forward, Sharon pressed for answers, but Sugar let out a breath and shook his head.
“It’s not something you can fix by trying. Rather than that, shouldn’t you focus on your own situation?”
“My own situation?”
“If you’re leaving here soon, you’ll need to prepare, won’t you?”
Indeed, when she thought about what would happen after she escaped, things like a map, food, and clothes for when she became human again should be prepared in advance.
If something happened, she wanted to be able to retrieve those things at any time.
“If you have anything to take with you, I can keep it safe for you outside.”
“That would help a lot! But how should I give them to you?”
As Sharon fretted over how to hand things off, the estate’s gate became noisy.
Zex and the others had returned from their subjugation mission.
“Oh no, I have to get back soon! Sugar, if you stay on the grounds, you might get caught too. Hurry and run!”
Sharon called out to Sugar in a panic.
People were protective and affectionate toward little birds, but with a tiger as big as Sugar, there was no telling how they’d react.
“Ah, next time we meet, tell me more about the curse!”
“…You’re leaving this place soon, so you’d best forget about this. Until next time.”
With that, Sugar swiftly turned and headed out of the estate grounds.
He looked back once and nodded, then faced forward and disappeared into the Forest.
Struggling for words, Sharon hurried to the same vent she’d used before.
But she was a moment too late.
“Snow! Why are you outside!?”
Zex spotted her just before the vent.
“Even if your injuries are healed, it’s dangerous to go out on your own.”
Zex crouched down and offered his left hand for Sharon to climb onto.
Sugar’s words kept echoing in her mind, and Sharon was suddenly seized by the urge to rely on the overprotective Zex.
She was about to hop onto his hand, but seeing something black—perhaps dirt—she quickly brushed it off with her wing before settling onto his palm and snuggling up.
“Pipii ‘Welcome back'”
“Ugh, you’re too cute… If you do that, how am I supposed to scold you, Snow?”
Zex seemed to be muttering something, but Sharon didn’t catch it.
‘You’re leaving this place soon, so you’d best forget about this.’
Just as Sugar said, there was probably nothing Sharon could do about the curse, and for someone who was just a temporary guest here to meddle was overstepping.
She might just end up being a nuisance.
But now that she knew Zex was truly cursed, she couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.
‘Just what kind of curse are you suffering from…?’
A wave of sadness welled up in her, and Sharon squeezed Zex’s hand a little tighter.
***
‘Today was rough, too…’
Because the Magical Beasts had grown more ferocious, the subjugation had been a struggle.
Why had the Magical Beasts become so violent?
The cause still hasn’t been found.
At this rate, it was dangerous.
Perhaps because of the Magical Beasts’ influence, the curse had progressed a bit more as well.
With that, the fits and pain also grew worse.
‘But just having Snow by my side soothes me…’
For some reason, the little bird, who had gone outside, now sat on his palm as Zex headed back to his room.
“Pipii.”
The little bird made a brushing motion, and then settled contentedly into his palm.
‘She’s been doing that a lot lately.’
He didn’t know what the gesture meant, but it was so cute he hadn’t given it much thought.
However, while changing in his room, Zex was shocked by the change he saw in his own body.
“The curse… it’s fading?”
When he unbuttoned his shirt and looked at the skin usually marked by the curse, the mark was still there.
But it was clearly smaller than it had been before he left for home.
Even though the curse had advanced after touching the Magical Beasts during today’s subjugation.
This had never happened before, and Zex couldn’t hide his shock.
Then he spun around, as if struck by a thought.
“Snow… is it you?”
He stared at the little bird, who had fallen asleep on his bed ahead of him.
From the moment he found her, Zex had felt that this little bird possessed some mysterious power, that something was about to change, but he never expected something this miraculous.
“…Does Snow have a Healing Power…?”
Could it have to do with that brushing motion?
Just her cuteness and fluffy feathers had soothed him enough, but now it seemed she might even have the power to heal curses.
He sat quietly on the edge of the bed, placing his hand gently over Snow’s small body.
Warmth radiated from her, calming his heart.
“If I could stay with Snow… maybe I could…”
He cut himself off and shook his head.
He shouldn’t get his hopes up.
He’d long since given up on ever living a normal life.
Still, there was no doubt that he could feel something mysterious from Snow.
She had given Zex hope, and if he could stay with her, even a little longer, that alone would be enough.
“Snow… If only I could always be with you…”
At the same time, Zex felt another premonition from Snow.
A suspicion that Snow might not really be just a little bird.
Oddly, Zex often felt as if he was talking with someone through the bird’s form.
Sometimes, the gestures of sadness she made weighed heavily on his heart, as if that pain belonged not to Snow, but to someone else entirely.
“Who are you, really…?”
Where did you come from?
Why were you alone in that Forest?
No matter who the little bird really was, it didn’t matter.
What was certain was that she was precious to him.
Snow was full of mysterious secrets, but he wanted to love all of them.
No matter what happened, he would stay by her side and protect her—Zex quietly made that vow in his heart.