Of All Things, I Became a Crow

*3^rd person POV

The nobles were startled. The murderous intent that flashed in the purple eyes was piercing their skin painfully.

"It's the same with humans. They have blood, flesh, and bones. It's normal to eat something dead and not moving, but... I usually like something fresh."

The wind blew as the woman’s wings flapped slightly. The wind felt so heavy that it did not synchronize with the light action.

"So, don't blindly believe that gold and power can save your life. If you think this is a threat, you can rip off my fine neck."

"...What? Do you think humans are easy enough that we’re willing to serve a beast that kills humans?"

The Duke tightened his fists and raised his voice. Then Rainelle replied with a smile,

" Of course, I'm trying to learn because I know I have no choice but to become a human being to become the empress, but that’s it."

She tilted her head.

"You see me as a crow, not a human being, then I have to act accordingly, don't you think? Because I’m a crow, I can eat humans, right? Even though you’re smarter than other animals, blood, flesh, and bones are attached to your body. So it can be my daily bread."

She said that with a serene look. The eerie wild logic in contrast to the calm voice chilled the spines of everyone present. Especially because of the seriousness contained in the purple eyes.

"So choose, whether you see me as a flying beast or a human. If you treat me like a human, I'll act accordingly. But if you see me as a flying beast..."

The crow's eyes darkened.

"As you don't seem to be of any help to Karmeut, what you're going to do is to provide that chunk of flesh."

The words didn't mean simply to kill. It was to kill and eat without leaving a corpse. The meaning had the power to make even the Duke take a step back.

But no matter who it was, of course there's no way they'd be happy with a death that didn't leave even a corpse behind.

Seeing him like that, Rainelle smiled. Then she concluded in a soft voice,

"Then, please take care of me. Duke, although I still have many shortcomings, please be considerate."

The Duke didn't answer. However, he was the only one to openly stare at Rainelle, who had her wings exposed and her head raised gracefully.

"---Let's postpone the meeting."

It was the Emperor's voice that broke the ice. Karmeut blinked his eyes slowly as he looked around at the nobles.

"I didn't mean to bring you all together to have a meeting to discuss things about the next Empress. But suddenly, the subject fell in."

His face was calm, but his tone was close to asking for responsibility.

"Was the question of the qualifications of the next Empress more important than state affairs? Is the Empire’s unstable situation enough to be stabilized only by appointing an empress right now?"

The golden eyes glowed solemnly with anger.

"If that's the case, then what have you guys, the cornerstones and pillars of the Empire, been working for? What a pathetic thing to do."

They dared not respond to the words of the Emperor, who reproached the nobles with a sharp voice. The needle was thick enough to prick their skin and shut their mouth.

"Let's wrap up the meeting with this. If you show such an ugly appearance at the next meeting, I will have no choice but to give a different evaluation of you guys."

Karmeut got up from his seat with his eyes gleaming coldly and held out his hand to Rainelle. When Rainelle took his hand, he naturally escorted her out of the meeting room.

*Karmeut’s POV

Karmeut blinked his eyes and chewed on what had happened in the meeting room.

Duke Howard, head of the nobles. In any country, there are people who want to take care of their own interests, so it was natural to have a leader...

How dare you touch Rainelle out of everyone. I can't believe it's a public insult in such a place.

He looked at Rainelle, vowing to himself that he would never let it pass.

‘If treated like a human, she will behave like a human, but if she is seen as an animal, she will kill and eat that person like a beast.’

It was faithful to the instincts of wild animals, and at the same time, she was not pushed around by the Duke's momentum, so her attitude was not bad, but...

Again, it was different from the usual Rainelle.

Feeling a little anxious about it, Karmeut entered a room. The Imperial Palace had as many rooms as its size, and all of them were neat because they were maintained.

"Rainelle."

Karmeut called her. She hadn't hidden her wings yet, so behind Rainelle's back were neatly folded huge black wings.

"Rainelle, are you okay?"

At his question, Rainelle slowly turned her head to meet his gaze. Her cold, frozen purple eyes fluttered, and her expression softened.

"Hhhh... I, I was scared..."

For some reason, Karmeut felt like his body was drained of strength when he saw Rainelle saying she was scared with a tearful face.

"What is that Duke?! He didn't have to talk like that! I said I'd eat him because I thought I'd become a fool if I just listened to it like that---! Ugh, I don't really have to eat him later, right? I've never eaten a human being before."

Rainelle kept blabbering and made a fuss.

"I've never eaten a human! No, I don't think it's going to taste good! Since he’s old... What am I talking about? Ugh, that doesn't mean it's good to eat people!"

Rainelle murmured over and over as she flapped her wings.

"Karmeut is also human, so I wouldn't want to kill and eat people! I hate that! Call other crows to eat them? ...Ugh! I think that’s not good either!!"

Rainelle, who had been babbling incessantly, clenched her fists, looked at Karmeut, and cried out,

"Karmeut! Give me a teacher!!"

"Teacher?"

"Yeah!! If I take the Empress's lessons and show an empress-like appearance as the Duke said, they won't be able to make a sound!! I'll work hard and learn! I don't want to be ignored like that! I'll make sure I never hear that again!!"

Rainelle said this until she wheezed. A smile crept across Karmeut's lips.

I was worried that she might have lost her affection for humans because she said those things, or that she might return to just being a crow...

Karmeut embraced his most adorable lover. Watching her wings flutter and tremble on her back, Karmeut reached out and stroked her wings. The smooth, soft feel of feathers lingered on my fingertips, just like when she was a crow.

"Okay, I'll give you the best teachers."

"Really? Thank you so much!!"

Karmeut smiled slightly at Rainelle's act of pulling him tight while showing a bright expression. Then he whispered as he kissed her soft cheek,

"You're welcome. You can do anything you want. My Rainelle."

"Oh, Karmeut, can I choose one of the teachers?"

"...Huh? Is there anyone you would like to have as a teacher?"

She nodded at his behavior of opening his eyes slightly wide as if it was unexpected.

*Rainelle’s POV

“I want Namuel to be my teacher.”

"...Marquis Namuel?"

"Yeah. Namuel is a wizard, isn’t he? So, I think he can tell me about monsters and stuff like that. It's not bad to know about monsters. Don't you think so?"

Of course, there are other bigger reasons, but that’s also the truth. Because this is a world where monsters exist... And I don't think ordinary nobles know that much about it.

"...if that's the case, there are others."

"Namuel is a trustworthy person. So I don't think it's a bad idea to learn from him..."

Karmeut seemed troubled. He was silent for a moment while stroking his chin with one hand. Finally, he nodded and opened his mouth,

"...Okay, I can trust him. If you have any questions other than monsters, just ask him. I'll inform Namuel."

"Thank you, Karmeut!!"

"No, I'm the one who’s grateful."

"...Huh? Why?"

"You're doing it for me, so there's no way I can't be grateful."

As he said that, Karmeut bent his eyes gently. The actions brought heat to my face. So I mumbled as I turned my head slightly.

"That, that..."

There was a small laugh. Then lips touched my cheek.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Rainelle. Got it?"

"...Can Karmeut do that too?"

"...Of course. I don't want to worry you."

Karmeut said “Then I'll see you later," and pulled himself away in regret. After staring at me for a while like he really didn't want to leave, he reached out and gently stroked my hair.

"Hmm, I really don't want to go..."

I sighed lightly at the sight of Karmeut’s slightly grumbling and hesitating appearance. Then I approached him and whispered, before kissing his cheek,

"Work hard, Karmeut, I'll be waiting for you."

"---If I work hard, will you give me a reward?"

"…As long as it’s not too much, you can."

A smile spread across Karmeut's face at the words. As he kissed my forehead, he said “Then I'll do my best.”

His steps as he left the room seemed light for some reason, so I swallowed a laugh.

After the door closed and it became completely silent, I looked around.

---Nobody’s around right?

I grabbed my necklace with my hands. Then a voice came out.

"You did well."

"...all thanks to Eileen’s help."

"What. Even if I told you, you were the one who said it."

I laughed awkwardly at Eileen's words. ...To be honest, all the threatening words of eating them if they don’t respect me were just me reciting the words Eileen whispered in my head.

...I did get angry, but I was a human before, so I never thought of eating people.

Should I say it’s Eileen’s words, or should I call it a change of thinking...? I don't know. But as a result, I didn't look as easy as I was before, so it's okay.

"If you feel uncomfortable, you can call crows and other flying animals to eat them instead. You are the Queen of crows. The Queen of all flying creatures with wings and feathers. No one can deny your orders."

"...can I abuse your power like that?"

"What about it? No one wouldn't be happy to eat fresh meat."

...that’s how you think.

I laughed awkwardly at the new sense of separation and said, “I'll consider it.” After that, I organized his thoughts.

It was on half-impulse that I asked Karmeut for the education to become an empress, but it wasn’t a bad thing.

Education was hard, but...

At least, I will be able to keep watch on Namuel.

That alone was a great harvest. Besides, it would be difficult, but the knowledge of how to become an empress was also essential for me.

Since it was Karmeut, there was a high possibility that he will appoint imperial nobles. Madame Fangxia... Maybe she'll be one of them? Uh... I'll have to be careful.

And Namuel. Namuel is...

"...I should at least send a letter to Aria."

Or I'll go ahead and tell her myself. ---Would this one is better? If I send a letter and someone else sees the contents...

"...let's go and come in person."

I can go and come back quickly. Karmeut also went to work anyway.

Thinking like that, I turned into a crow and headed to Aria's manor.

***

"Huh? Rainelle? Didn't you go earlier? What's going on?"

Aria widened her eyes, wondering why I had come twice in a day.

...well, I haven't been coming here twice in a day before.

"To tell you something important."

After saying that, I confided in what had happened earlier. Aria, who had been listening to my story, widened her eyes,

"Namuel as your teacher?!"

"Yeah. I thought that would be good."

"Oh, oh! That’s true... that would make it easier to watch Namuel. But..."

Aria's expression changed into a bitter one when she spoke up to that point.

"Namuel and Rainelle... Class alone... Namuel is the teacher..."

Aria's muttering voice caused a cold sweat to run down my back.

No, that’s right! She could have a misunderstanding!!

"Oh, nothing will happen! I’m only interested in Karmeut!!"

"It must be so. It must be..."

Aria sighed, swallowed her breath, and she exclaimed.

"I envy you! Classes alone with Namuel!! Classes! Alone! In the same space!! Aah! Me too!! If it's just the two of us, with Namuel---!!"

...I added carefully to Aria's voice, which sounded like she was shedding tears of blood,

"...doing this and that?"

"That's a given!! It's just the two of us, we're going to do this and that!"

I had nothing to say about Aria's actions, expressing her self-interest so proudly.

"Oh, I, I see..."

"Ugh... Rainelle! Let me join you! No matter how much you say it's to save Karmeut, this is---!!"

"Don't worry, I don't even have 0.00001% -interest in him. I'm really only going to take classes. You don’t have to think so negatively."

"Why!! Class alone with my man, khhh, so suffocating---!!"

"...I mean, I can get a sneak peek at what he thought of Aria, right? He can open his mouth easier because it’s not you."

I asked, “You don’t like the idea?" and tilted my head. Then Aria grabbed and clasped my shoulder.

"I love you, Rainelle. Please reveal Namuel's heart."

"Right? It isn't that bad, is it?"

"---Well, If you tell me to choose between the two, joining the class is better."

“Give up for once.”

"Aaahhh---!!"

I turned her head, pretending not to see Aria shedding her bloody tears again.

Sorry, Aria. Please understand because it's only to keep an eye on Namuel.

***