You! Don’t Press that Button! - Chap 28

My mind couldn’t comprehend the situation. Of course, my voice was completely hoarse, accompanied by the sound of scraping metal, but it was definitely coming from me.

I was in a dazed state, throwing out any random words, when I heard the sound of the doorknob turning in the room where I was. I mustered all my strength to turn my head towards the source of the sound. Through the slowly opening door, Karhan appeared, dressed in an elegant yet neat attire.

Seeing Karhan wearing the high-quality clothes he used to wear in the ducal residence after a long time, I widened my eyes. Then, with a bright smile, I said, “I can talk! I must be a talking parrot!”

I couldn’t hide my joy at the fact that I could speak. How frustrating it had been! Ever since I transformed, I could only make chirping sounds, unable to strongly express my opinions to Karhan, Doel, and others. But to think I was a talking parrot! I should have tried speaking sooner.

I looked at Karhan with a beaming face. Even though my expression might not be noticeable as a bird, I thought my feelings of happiness would be conveyed. I tried to smile as brightly as possible by narrowing my eyes.

“Now I can have conversations with Karhan.”

How about that? Aren’t you happy? I heard some pet owners wish they could talk to their pets. Did Karhan also long for the moment to converse with me? I hoped so.

I gazed at Karhan with sparkling eyes. Hurry up and give me an answer! However, instead of coming closer to me, he stopped at the bedroom door. Why is he standing there?

“Karhan?”

I called out to him as his demeanor seemed slightly different from usual. Could it be that he felt awkward about my sudden ability to speak? That could be the case. There might not be talking parrots in this world. I was an undiscovered rare species. Come to think of it, even the innkeeper said he didn’t know what kind of bird I was.

I decided to be understanding towards Karhan, a novice owner. Judging from his awkward posture, it seemed he needed time to adapt.

As I closed my mouth, the room that had been filled with my chattering fell silent, and Karhan slowly approached. Then, he quietly stood in front of the bed where I was lying. His eyes, looking down at me, seemed to be filled with confusion for some reason.

Karhan slightly bent his knees and leaned forward, reaching out his hand to my forehead. Gently brushing my forehead once, he said, “Does it hurt anywhere?”

His voice was low but gentle. I tried to nod, but even the small recoil of the bed shaking caused my body to ache, making me frown. Worried about my condition, Karhan’s large hand brushed the hair stuck to my forehead.

As I tried to feel his touch, I noticed something different from usual. Somehow, Karhan, who had come close, seemed much smaller than before. The hand touching my hair also felt smaller compared to the past. Previously, it was a huge hand that could easily hold my entire body, but now it was just the right size to touch my face.

Something is strange.

I blinked and looked at Karhan. It seemed like Karhan and I existed in a human-to-human ratio. That couldn’t be possible. Only then did I slowly start to observe the room. I also moved my head to examine the bed I was lying on. I was resting my head on a pillow and covered with a blanket.

“Huh?”

I’m lying on the bed, resting my head on a pillow, and my body is covered with a blanket? It was very confusing. As a bird, I couldn’t possibly be this huge. I quickly turned my head, which had been scanning the surroundings, to look at Karhan. Only now could I understand why Karhan’s eyes were filled with confusion.

He was looking at me with those eyes because I, who had been a bird, now had a human body.

“Could it be that I’m… human…?”

I asked cautiously in a trembling voice. Karhan, who met my eyes, nodded. Oh my goodness.

“No way.”

I never imagined this day would come, even in my dreams. I thought I would be born as an ordinary bird in this world and remain in that state until the story was concluded. But suddenly, I’m human.

Ignoring my aching body, I tried to move my fingers slightly. Then, I felt a ticklish sensation from my back. Anyway, although it was difficult to move, the sensation of having arms and hands made a silly smile appear on my face. Seeing me enjoying myself, Karhan spoke.

“You didn’t know you were an Avian tribesman, I suppose.”

“Avian tribesman?”

“Yes. Originally, you are a bird, but you belong to a race that can also transform into human form. …You are of that race.”

I see. I wasn’t an ordinary bird. Well, what does it matter what race I am? I’ve turned back into a human. To think that I am a different race all along! It was too late to be surprised after going through so many events. I calmly accepted the situation I found myself in.

Feeling the hand stroking my hair, I hummed a tune. It was strange yet delightful to make sounds other than chirping. However, not long after, Karhan straightened the knees he had bent.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to go and handle the piled-up work.”

“Really…?”

I felt a little disappointed that Karhan was leaving to work right away, even though we hadn’t spent much time together, but I thought it couldn’t be helped. Wasn’t he in the middle of an important operation? I had seen him working diligently all the time, so I understood that his work was urgent.

Despite my aching body, I showed a bright smile and cheered him on to work hard. Karhan slightly nodded his head and left the room.

Once alone, the room became quiet again. I didn’t know why I had suddenly turned into a human. However, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible. I remembered what had happened right before I collapsed. The platinum-blond man had held me in one hand and cast a strange spell. After that, I experienced tremendous pain throughout my body and lost consciousness.

That strange spell seemed to have turned me into a human. Doel must have conveyed the story about that man well.

Judging from the room I was in, it seemed like I was still in the lord’s mansion, but it was utterly peaceful, as if the matter had been resolved. The sunlight streaming through the window was bright, and the sound of birds chirping and conversing made me want to get out of bed. I was starting to feel hungry too. Although every part of my body ached considerably, lying still like this made my joints feel stiff.

Even the slightest movement made me involuntarily groan as if my entire body was suffering from muscle pain, but I mustered up my strength and gripped the bedsheet. I had hands now! I put strength into my arms and slowly raised my upper body. The fingers I was clenching tightly, the muscles moving in my forearms, everything hurt to the point of bringing tears to my eyes.

“It hurts…”

I mumbled softly, even though no one was there to hear me. Something seemed wrong with my throat, as a spine-chilling sound like nails on a chalkboard could be heard. Having barely lifted my upper body, I changed my posture and leaned my back against the headboard of the bed.

Phew. I let out a big sigh after overcoming a major hurdle. Following the sunlight reflected on the floor, I looked towards the window and saw the bright outdoor scenery. I could see tall trees and a vast blue sky.

The closed window made me feel a bit stuffy. It would be nice if it could be opened slightly to let the breeze in. However, with my current condition, I couldn’t walk to that window. It was difficult enough just to raise my upper body like this, let alone getting up and walking there.

As the boring situation persisted, I puffed out my cheeks like balloons, filling them with air. Then, I slightly loosened my tightly sealed lips and slowly exhaled the air from my cheeks. While engaging in this meaningless playfulness, a fluttering white thread kept obstructing my view.

“What is this?”

I focused my eyes and stared at the thread moving back and forth in front of me. Was it a thread sticking out from the wrapped bandages? But there were too many threads for that to be the case. The thickness wasn’t stiff, and it was like fluttering hair… Hair?

With a doubtful feeling, I carefully tilted my head slightly to the side, trying not to cause pain. Then, the something presumed to be hair also swayed in the same direction. I moved my head in a different direction again, and it followed exactly the same way. Only then could I realize it. The something that was sparkling and reflecting the sunlight was none other than my hair.

White hair…? Did I suddenly age because of the rapid transformation into a human…?

I fell into deep contemplation. I had heard stories of people instantly aging when they experienced a great shock. That could have happened to me. And originally, the lifespan of a bird was different from that of a human.

Somehow, it was difficult to move my body, and my voice sounded like an elderly person.

It couldn’t be anything but a big deal. If I were an extremely old person, it was doubtful whether I would live long enough to see the conclusion of this story. Would I be alive until then? Although it was utterly unfair to become an elderly person overnight, it didn’t matter once I left this world anyway.

Comforting myself, I turned my eyes and noticed a mirror sitting on a distant drawer. My gaze lingered there for a moment, but I quickly shook my head. I didn’t particularly want to see my transformed appearance. The appearance I couldn’t bear to see even as a bird, it was even harder as an elderly person.

There wasn’t much I could do with an aged body that couldn’t even move a single finger. I spent time staring sadly at the hair fluttering above my forehead. How long had I been alone and bored like this? The sound of someone knocking on the door was heard.

Someone is here!

“Yes…”

It was a sign for them to come in. The knocking stopped, and soon the door opened slightly. The person who appeared from behind the open door was Doel, whom I had been with until right before I fainted.

“Doel…! Cough.”

As I spoke in a loud voice, it felt like something was stuck in my throat, and I started coughing. I coughed repeatedly like a sick person, but I didn’t frown at the sight of a familiar face.

Doel approached with a refreshing smile. He grabbed a chair near the table with one hand, placed it next to the bed, and sat down. Being at eye level with him felt strange. Except for when I was on top of his or Karhan’s head, I always had to look up at them. Lost in thought, our eyes met.

“You finally woke up.”

“Finally?”

It sounded like I had woken up after a long time. Out of habit, I tilted my head quizzically and frowned at the pain in my neck. Perhaps finding my expression amusing, I heard a chuckle in front of me.

I’m in so much pain, and you’re laughing? How dare you? I furrowed my eyebrows and glared at Doel. My expression must have been quite fierce, as he cleared his throat and stopped laughing.

“Peep, or rather, you fainted like that, and five days have passed.”