Chapter 3: The Frightened Little Bird and the Grim Margrave (3)

‘Hah! I’m alive!? Wait—ow ow ow…’

Sharon shot upright, astonished to find herself alive.

What on earth had just happened to her?

Could it all have been just a dream?

She wanted to think so, but her body was still that of a tiny bird wrapped in feathers, and every inch of her ached.

While being exiled from the country, she had somehow transformed into a small bird and managed to escape, only to be attacked by a Magical Beast and left gravely injured.

The Magical Beast had been defeated by an Ice Arrow, but Sharon had come dangerously close to death herself.

Because—there was a presence nearby, radiating a terrifying aura even more dreadful than the Magical Beast.

‘But why… why am I alive…? And where… is this…?’

Just as she tried to survey her surroundings, she sensed the same presence from before she’d lost consciousness, coming from behind her.

‘This aura… I remember it…’

Her small body trembling, Sharon slowly turned to look over her shoulder.

Standing there was a rugged-looking man exuding that terrifying aura.

His black knight’s uniform was soaked in bright red blood.

His gaze was so sharp, it seemed it could take a life with a glance.

“Tch, what a hassle…”

The man clicked his tongue in irritation as he looked at the now-awake little bird.

‘Eeep…!’

This wasn’t the Forest of Evil. 

It was a splendid room, furnished with elegant decor.

That must mean this man had brought Sharon out of that forest.

But for what purpose had he picked up a little bird?

Sharon was so frightened of the man that her eyes brimmed with tears.

Just as his gloved hand reached toward Sharon, a woman appeared in her field of vision.

She felt an overwhelming sense of relief at not being alone with this aura-radiating man.

‘Maybe she’ll help me…!’

Judging from her attire, the woman seemed to be The Handmaid.

Her dark brown hair was cut at her shoulders, and her clear blue eyes looked strong-willed.

A small mole rested at the corner of her right eye.

Sharon slipped away from the man’s hand and gazed pleadingly at the handmaid, who noticed her.

However, even from the handmaid, an extraordinary aura seeped out, betraying her as no ordinary person.

“Zex-sama, tonight’s menu is Fried Chicken.”

Sharon froze at those shocking words.

‘Fried Chicken.’

‘Tonight’s menu is bird…’

‘Bird = me…?’

‘C-could it be I’m going to be eaten—!?’

Did the man called Zex say it was a hassle because the little bird he was about to prepare for frying had woken up too soon?

The handmaid was staring intently at Sharon too, and she couldn’t shake her bad feeling.

After all she’d done to survive, she was not about to end up as dinner.

Sharon forced her battered body to its feet.

‘Avoid the Fried Chicken fate—!’

Screaming that in her heart, Sharon made a run for it.

“Hey, wait!”

Zex’s hand reached out to catch her.

No! 

Becoming dinner as a bird was the one thing she absolutely couldn’t allow.

Pecking with her beak and flapping her wings, Sharon resisted with all her might.

‘I-I’m not tasty at all…!’

She just wanted them to let her go.

Now that Zex had withdrawn his hand from her pecking assault, this was her chance.

Looking up, she saw the sky, glowing with the colors of sunset.

‘Now that I’m a bird—I should be able to fly!’

Bracing herself, she leapt with all her strength, wings flapping furiously. 

But—”smack!”—she crashed straight into the windowpane.

“Pifuh!?”

The shock left her dizzy.

As she dropped, Zex’s hand caught her easily.

He touched her wound, and Sharon caught a whiff of something medicinal, right before her consciousness faded away.

***

When she came to again, the first thing she noticed was how constricted her wings felt.

‘It’s like… there’s something wrapped around my wings…?’

She tried to stand and check her condition, and her feet sank into something soft.

“You’re awake.”

Suddenly, Zex’s voice startled her so much she jumped in fright.

‘I-I guess… I’m going to be Fried Chicken after all…!?’

Unable to escape—her tiny body trembled uncontrollably.

“I am Zex Halbogen. I’ve treated your wounds, so don’t overdo it—rest for now.” Zex spoke gently, as if trying to soothe the frightened, shivering little bird.

‘Huh? Wounds? Treated? Rest…?’

Sharon cocked her little head.

Why introduce himself to a bird?

She couldn’t quite make sense of Zex’s words.

But as she calmed down and looked around, she realized she was on a soft, handmade bed of handkerchiefs and gauze, and her injured wing was neatly bandaged.

Nearby were a bottle of disinfectant and a pair of tweezers.

‘Oh… he treated my wounds…’

He hadn’t been about to season and eat her.

He’d just taken care of the injured little bird.

‘Come to think of it, I’m so tiny, there isn’t much meat on me anyway…’

Sharon, now no bigger than a palm-sized bird, was all fluff and feathers—there was hardly any meat.

Thinking back, she was embarrassed at how she’d misunderstood and lashed out.

‘I thought he was scary, but he saved me from the Magical Beast, didn’t he…?’

Sharon glanced up at Zex.

With black hair and indigo eyes, he watched her with sharp, narrow eyes.

He’d changed out of his bloodstained knight’s uniform, but his sturdy, well-trained physique and overwhelming aura remained impressive.

He looked to be in his early twenties.

His large hands wore black leather gloves, and a ring with a red gem adorned the middle finger of his left hand.

But the sleeves of Zex’s clothes were now riddled with small holes.

‘Huh? Why does his outfit have holes… Wait!’

She remembered.

Those were from her desperate resistance, pecking at him as she feared being turned into Fried Chicken before she lost consciousness.

She hadn’t held back then—she’d pecked with all her might.

She really should apologize…

“Pii, pipiyo… pi, pipii!?”

She meant to say “I’m sorry,” but strange chirping noises came from her mouth instead.

‘Aahh! Of course, I’m a little bird now—I can’t talk…!?’

As she was reeling from this, Zex tilted his head with a questioning “Hm?”

“You must be hungry.”

“Pi? (Eh?)”

To Zex, she must have looked like a baby bird begging for food.

‘Well, I guess I am hungry…’

Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t eaten anything but water since the Graduation Party.

So much had happened, she’d forgotten her hunger.

“Wait here. I’ll bring you something to eat.”

With that, Zex left the room.

‘I finally get to eat…’

After days without a meal, Sharon was overjoyed from the bottom of her heart.

Little did she know, she had no idea what kind of food was actually served to birds.