Of All Things, I Became a Crow

*Rainelle’s POV

I blinked blankly.

Are the golden eyes looking at me an illusion?

I rubbed my eyes.

"...I have been sleeping too long, haven’t I?"

Karmeut, who softly whispered, raised his upper body. He hugged me tightly before I could be mad at the hard-earned posture.

"Sorry for making you worry."

It was only then that I was really aware of the warmth and familiar arms.

Ah, this is real, not a dream or fantasy. Karmeut is really awake…

Tears flowed when I realized that. These were not tears of sadness or worry. It was just, it was just tears.

"...ughuu---!!"

"I'm sorry, Rainelle."

Karmeut patted me on the back while saying he was sorry. It was no different from usual, so I was relieved, but also because of that, more tears came out.

"I thought you were going to die----!! No, you are indeed dying!! Why did you receive that blow, why!! You've seen it before! That I can eat magic! But, but why take it on with your body! Your body was charred!!"

“Because you were in danger.”

I raised my head and met his gaze at his action of answering without a moment’s hesitation. Karmeut continued, reaching out and caressing my cheek carefully,

"My mate is in danger, so there's no one I can stay still."

"I was fine!"

"No. Even if you thought you were okay, I couldn't allow you to get hurt in the slightest."

"Then what about you? You don't think I also feel like that?"

Karmeut went quiet. I was angry and relieved at the same time.

I felt the realness that Karmeut was really alive.

I wiped away the tears with the back of my hand and escaped from his arms.

"Wait a minute, I'll call the others. You woke up after a week, so we need to check your body condition and you need to eat."

"---a week? That long?"

His eyes drooped as he murmured in disbelief. It was clearly visible that he was really, really feeling sorry.

When I informed the others that Karmeut had awakened, I had the illusion that the Imperial Palace became energized in an instant.

Healers and physicians were busy checking his condition, while the Imperial chefs cooked porridge, which was good for the body and easy to digest, for him.

His physical condition was fine, but since he had been lying down for a week, it seemed that he couldn't eat a regular meal right away.

When the servants brought the porridge, I received the bowl myself. Then, after scooping it up and cooling it down, I put it near Karmeut's mouth.

"Open up, Karmeut."

Karmeut opened his eyes wide in surprise. But soon he accepted it with a small smile.

"Is the temperature okay?"

"Yes, it’s fine."

"That’s a relief..."

"You want to continue feeding me like this, Rainelle?"

"Of course. ---by any chance, you don't like it?"

"There’s no way I wouldn't like it."

Karmeut's behavior of saying such a thing with a satisfied smile was sly, but even that was a welcome sight to me.

...Of course, it's not like I'm used to feeding others like this! Still! It's been a while since Karmeut woke up, and I want to do at least this much---!!

First of all, it's a little cute. The way he eats by opening his mouth and accepting each spoon of porridge was different from his usual appearance. ---Ah, of course the slick expression is familiar.

"I'm happy to be with Rainelle as soon as I wake up."

"...Me too."

"---Huh?"

"I was very, very scared that Karmeut would never open his eyes again."

My hands trembled involuntarily, and the sound of the spoon and bowl colliding with each other disturbed my ears.

"Your fur is all charred and brittle, your wounds are all burnt and not a drop of blood comes out, you were barely breathing... so, so..."

Just thinking about that time made my chest feel tight and it was difficult to breathe.

There was never been anything as terrible.

I started to raise my head at the touch on my cheek. As soon as I lifted my head, something soft touched and then fell on my lips.

"Rainelle, I'm alive."

He lightly kissed me and put our foreheads together. The golden eyes were shining warmly.

"I'm alive thanks to you. If it wasn't for your strength, I wouldn't be here."

I was taken aback by the remark.

"...You know?"

He said "Yeah," while running his hand through my hair. Sweeping down gently as if soothing, he continued,

"...it smelled like you."

I stared at his softly curved eyes as if bewitched. Karmeut kissed me lightly once again before opening his mouth once more,

"That's why I know. --I'm asking just in case, but it's not too much, is it?"

He immediately looked at me with concern. And I scrunched my brows at his behavior of asking that question.

"---Who should say that? The one who did too much was Karmeut."

"---Haha. That's right."

"It's going to get cold at this rate, so let's finish your meal and then talk."

Saying that, I hurriedly scooped up the porridge and held it to his mouth.

A peaceful silence filled the room until we finished the bowl of porridge.

"---Karmeut, do you want me to tell you what happened? Or after you have had a good rest...?"

"Tell me now, Rainelle."

"---Are you alright?"

"Except for being a little drowsy, I'm in excellent condition. The physician and healer said that too, right? It's also because I slept too much that I'm drowsy."

Looking at him saying “So now I have to move slowly,’ while smiling, I sighed briefly.

"---You aren’t overdoing it?"

“This… It seems that our position has changed?”

“Karmeut is the reason why.”

As I pouted and grunted, Karmeut laughed lowly. Then he kissed me on the lips.

"Karmeut!!"

"If you pout your lips like that, it looks like you're asking for a kiss, you know?"

"Ah, really---!!"

"Sorry, sorry. Please understand how my heart fluttered when I woke up and the first one I saw was you."

---I really can't beat Karmeut.

As I looked at him with that thought in mind, Karmeut smiled and held my hand.

"So, what happened? From how you said it, Rainelle seems to know."

I was close to saying “In fact, since this is a world of a game, I know the future,” and I swallowed the words.

This, it will be metafiction¹, so pass! Even if I tried to explain it, I don't think he will understand anyway!

In order to let Karmeut understand, I conveyed it like this:

The sudden attack was caused by Namuel who ate Crobanlock, awakened as a wolf, and ran out of control. And the Imperial Knights were seriously injured as a result of his rampage. When I said that Namuel was detained in the Imperial Palace after all that happened, Karmeut nodded his head.

"...I see. Is that what Rainelle ordered?"

"...I didn't take the empress lessons for fun."

"That’s impressive."

I scratched my cheek at the word ‘impressive’. It was embarrassing to receive praise from Karmeut.

"...By the way, what are you going to do with Namuel? The decision was left for you to be made after you woke up,"

“How is Marquis Namuel doing now?”

"He’s locked in a room where he can't escape and can’t use magic, and he’s recuperating. They said that his body was overworked while he was running rampant."

I thought of Namuel lying on the bed. And the image of Adriana who begged to let her meet Namuel at least once also surfaced.

"...Honestly, because he tried to kill you, I want to end him almost every time I see him, but I know it was unintentional. ...so I can't decide. Karmeut is the biggest victim. I want Karmeut to decide."

At that, he was silent. Then he reached out his hand and stroked my hair.

“Rainelle, did the Marquis regret it?”

"...He said that a prison would be more suitable than such a comfortable place."

"I see."

He stroked my hair without saying a word. I was used to the gentle touch, so my heart got calmer without my knowledge.

Finally, Karmeut, who lightly tousled my hair as if tickling my feathers, speak:

"I shouldn't decide rashly. But... you did well, Rainelle."

"---By treating and confining him in a comfortable room?"

"It wasn't a prison. And if you haven’t locked him up, you'd get opposed by others. What you did was the best."

Karmeut, who responded with a soft smile, continued,

“By the way, what about the nobles? Since the emperor is inactive, they must have made a fuss by coming to visit.”

"...I kicked out all the nobles who didn't even show themselves during the incident without hesitation. What makes them worthy of visiting Karmeut?"

Hearing that, he burst into laughter.

"I see, I see. Of course it happened suddenly, but even if it's so, nobles are mostly like that. Loyalty is based on a calculation to some extent, so it's natural that they won't show up."

Nobles who behaved like that were disgusting, but I nodded my head as if I understood. ---Looking at Karmeut, these words came out of nowhere:

"---The emperor's position is also difficult."

"It's a position where you shouldn't trust anyone easily. That's why it's lonely and solitary."

His hand stretched out. Grabbing my arm and pulling it gently, Karmeut whispered,

"Except for my one and only companion. I can trust you as much as I can."

The shining eyes filled with strong emotions were so pretty. Faced with the beautiful eyes that I couldn't take my eyes off, I said something I didn't mean to say,

"---When I read human history books, I learn that even the empress fights for power? The power of the king is diminished when the power of the queen is stronger."

At those words, Karmeut laughed lightly.

"Sure, but it doesn't matter."

"Why?"

"Even if you want my heart, I'm willing to give it to you. Can't I give that one heart for my one and only companion?"

Karmeut bowed his head and kissed the back of my hand. His soft lips tickled the back of my hand, then the lips parted slightly and his tongue touched the back of my hand.

I flinched at the touch and tried to pull my hand, but I couldn't get my hand out of his grasp.

"I'll do anything you want, my beloved one, my crow."

I avoided his hungry gaze without even realizing it. However, I couldn't get rid of the warmth on his hand, so I quietly held hands with him.

"---Even crows don't look for another partner until their mate dies. You know what I mean, right?"

"Then all the more reason for me not to die, because I don't want anyone to take you away."

“If you died that time, I would have been taken away.”

"Is there another man?"

"Hmm, well? I don't have one, but..."

There is no way. Several crows move on with others, but… if Karmeut died at that time... Uhm, it's useless to imagine because it didn't happen, but honestly, I don't know what would happen.

For a moment, I was under the illusion that the air had frozen. It was Karmeut who broke the awkward silence.

"...Ugh..."

"Karmeut?!"

He suddenly groaned and tightened his hold, and I reflexively looked at him in surprise. My heart sank at the sight of him suddenly clutching his stomach and slouching.

"Ka, Karmeut?! Where does it hurt? Your stomach? Your stomach hurts?"

"Ra- Rainelle..."

"Uh, yeah! I'll call a physician right away! No. Healer, call a healer!!"

My mind went blank at his sudden appearance. Stuttering, Karmeut pulled my arm as I searched for the bell.

"Come this way…"

"Uh, okay."

Carefully, I sat down on the bed. Then Karmeut hugged me tightly.

"Hm?!"

"...Haaaa... I think I'll live a little longer now."

“Ka, Karmeut?”

"Will you stay like this for a while, Rainelle?"

Bewildered at Karmeut's behavior, hugging me as if he was a child, I nodded my head.

...Don’t tell me, are you thinking that I might get taken away?

Questions popped into my head, but I couldn't continue thinking.

"Oh!"

It was because Karmeut, after biting my earlobe, buried his face in my shoulder while taking a long inhale.

"Please don't say that. Even if you don't have one, I'm jealous."

It was a very low voice, but I wasn't afraid. On the contrary, I even laughed at the thought that he was really jealous.

When I let out a small giggle, I flinched as he ran his lips around the nape of my neck.

"Ah, Karmeut..."

"I get angry just imagining that my only precious mate is taken away, you know?"

Suddenly, my body was laid on the bed. Karmeut's eyes above me were dark yet gleaming dangerously.

"Crow symbolizing disease and death, the black bird flying high toward the sun, the queen of all birds, --that's you. But even if you were an ordinary crow, I would have loved you."

"---Even if I can't transform into a human?"

“But I can cherish and give affection as a family.”

He smiled softly and kissed me on the lips. His tongue, which was licking my lips as if expressing affection, came into my mouth.

Like Karmeut, I felt drunk on the gentle sucking of my tongue in a soft, careful way. His lips, which kissed me deeply, slowly came down and reached the back of my neck. It was a little itchy, but there was a moist texture, which made me laugh.

The hand that had been gently stroking my waist paused for a moment at the sound of my laughter.

Then he felt a stinging sensation on my neck.

"Eup---!!"

Heat rose at Karmeut's act of gently licking the sore spot.

---Will it leave a mark on my neck?

"---I can't stand it anymore."

A low, growling voice sent chills down my spine. The eyes looking at me were dark. Dark with desire.

"Let me taste you. From head to toe."

***

Notes:

1 Metafiction is a self-conscious literary style in which the narrator or characters are aware that they are part of a work of fiction.^↩

Translator's (Ririi's) Note: This is a kinda awkward atmosphere to end the year. Or is it just me. Oh, I'm so single. Anyway, see you next year!!

Nyx's Note: We'll see you again at January 5th! Happy holiday!