You! Don’t Press that Button! - Chap 30

I blinked and stared at Doel. Doel bowed his head like that for a while, then took a deep breath and suddenly looked up. He also withdrew his hand that had been placed on top of my head. His face, which came into my sight, was flushed red.

“Sorry, I’m sorry.”

He spoke with his fist pressed against his mouth. When Doel apologized like that, I thought I should accept it magnanimously as an elder and opened my mouth.

“It’s okay. I think it’s understandable to make mistakes since it hasn’t been long since I turned from a bird into a human.”

I accepted his apology with my broad generosity. Knowing how to accept others’ mistakes, I’ve really grown up. Feeling proud, the corners of my lips slightly curved up. Doel looked at me with puzzled eyes for a moment, then ruffled his own hair with one hand.

“I’ll get going now for real. Cute Cheep, take care of yourself.”

Cute? It feels like an extremely annoying modifier was attached, but I couldn’t delay Doel any longer when he said he had to go, so I lightly nodded.

“Be careful. …And come back here if you can.”

Although he was a character from a novel, I had grown very fond of Doel, so it was very disappointing to see him leave. I comforted my sad heart, taking solace in the thought that we could meet again later. Perhaps because my expression looked strange, Doel slightly furrowed his eyebrows and smiled.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“…Okay.”

Since he was the one leaving, I thought I shouldn’t show my gloomy mood, so I awkwardly smiled back at him. After finishing our farewells like that, Doel left the ducal residence.

After Doel left, I changed my position and lay down on the bed again. Although I didn’t realize it before, there were small wings attached to my back. They were small, but they were still wings, making it uncomfortable for me to lie on my back on the bed. Since I couldn’t move much due to the pain, I just closed my eyes, enduring the discomfort. Just from talking to Doel a little, I quickly became tired.

Deep darkness came swiftly, and I surrendered my body to it, falling asleep as if I had fainted.

Two days passed after that, and the pain in my body had significantly improved. I still couldn’t actively move my body, so I couldn’t properly wash myself, and a couple of attendants took turns wiping my body with a wet towel every day. It was very embarrassing to show my naked body to others, but since I couldn’t wash myself, I had no choice but to close my eyes tightly and let them clean me.

Now, there was no significant difficulty in changing positions, such as sitting or lying down. Groaning, I sat up and leaned against the headboard of the bed. And today, I looked at the door, wondering who would come to see me.

Over the past few days, the people who entered through the door were limited. It was mainly the attendants who came in, and even among them, it was always the same one or two familiar faces. …Karhan didn’t visit often.

Why? Why on earth? Does he dislike me now? Did he lose interest because I suddenly turned from a cute animal into a white-haired old man?

I couldn’t hide my gloomy mood. He used to adore me so much when I was a bird, but now he doesn’t come to see me. Feeling anxious and uneasy, I fidgeted with my fingers. I lowered my head and looked at my hands. They were mottled but not deeply wrinkled.

Unable to conceal my distressing feelings, I let out a big sigh. Someone knocked on the door as I was spending time immersed in my worries. I raised my head and looked at the door. Could it be Karhan? The doorknob slowly turned. I widened my eyes and stared at the gap as the door opened.

“It’s time for your body stretches.”

It was the dedicated attendant who entered. He approached me with a polite demeanor. He came to give me a massage at set times to prevent my arms and legs from stiffening. The attendant skillfully laid me down on the bed, unable to hide my disappointment. He pulled back the blanket, covered me with a thin cloth, and kneaded my legs.

Although I was living in luxury, my mind was filled with thoughts of Karhan. I recalled how he never neglected to stroke me even when he was busy. He adored me so much when I was a bird. I pouted my lips.

When the massage was about to end, I impulsively asked the attendant.

“What is Karhan up to these days?”

“His Grace the Duke usually trains at the training grounds or handles documents in his office.”

They were the same things Karhan always did even when I was a bird. However, back then, I was always by his side or on top of his head.Does he not have time to come see me? Will he keep me by his side like before once I can move around?The more I thought about it, the more my mood seemed to hit rock bottom.

I stared at the ceiling with a gloomy expression.Could it be that he doesn’t even have time to think about me because he’s thinking about Doel? Still, can’t we at least have meals together?I swallowed my snot. Noticing my unusual state, the attendant asked with concern.

“Are you in a lot of pain?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

At the voice that seemed to care, I suddenly choked up, and my voice cracked. Even I could tell that it wasn’t nothing. Once my voice cracked, my distress doubled. The ceiling, which had been clear, began to blur, and soon, my eyes became moist, and teardrops flowed sideways.

“I, I’ll be gentle.”

“It’s… nothing…”

Hiccups escaped, and the end of my sentence rose pitifully. I bit my trembling lips tightly. If I opened my mouth, I felt like an ugly voice would come out. Confused even more by my attitude, the attendant finished the massage with a force as light as touching cotton.Hey. If you massage like that, it just feels ticklish, you know.At this rate, it seems like it will take longer and longer to go see Karhan, so I barely held back my sobs.

The attendant, who finished the massage in this strange atmosphere, covered me with the blanket again. Then, he bowed his head and hurriedly left the room. Judging by how he left faster than usual, he must have been very flustered because of me. Being left alone in the room, loneliness settled in a corner of my heart.

Knowing that the more I indulged in gloomy thoughts, the more they would drag me down, I tightly closed my eyes and buried my face in the blanket. I pulled the blanket covering my body up to the top of my head, blocking out the light.

As my body warmed up in the dim light, drowsiness gently crept in. I tried hard to calm my heart, which was fluttering with inexplicable anxiety, and closed my eyes. Just as deep slumber reached my feet, someone knocked on the door.

Knock knock, ignoring the sound, the door opened without my permission. I pulled down the blanket that had been covering my face. Turning my head to look at the door, Karhan, whom I hadn’t seen in a very long time, entered the room, maintaining his usual expressionless face.

“Karhan…?”

I hurriedly raised my upper body and sat up. Perhaps because I abruptly sat up, Karhan approached with slightly faster steps. He pulled the chair that was next to the bedside table and sat close to me.

Finding myself face to face with him in an instant, I looked at Karhan with a certain expectation. However, he just examined me without saying a word. I couldn’t read what emotions were contained in his silver-gray eyes. I pouted my lips again.

“Do you not want to talk to me?”

The words came out sharply without me realizing it. Perhaps reading the distress in my voice, Karhan let out a small sigh.

“That’s not it. It’s just that I’ve been swamped with work…”

“You’re that busy? You don’t even have time to talk to me?”

It somehow turned into a situation where an overly upset lover was venting their distress to their partner.What am I saying? After all, I was just a bird he kept, and now he has Doel. He’s busy with other things, so let’s not make him do unnecessary emotional labor. I’m… an adult now.Comforting myself inwardly, I nodded.

But perhaps misinterpreting my actions, Karhan hurriedly spoke.

“That’s not what I meant, I…”

I?I looked at Karhan’s face as he hesitated. He gazed at me with slightly flustered and confused eyes.

“…I don’t know how to treat you.”

“Treat me…?”

Ah. Come to think of it, it must have been quite challenging for Karhan. It was natural for him to not know how to treat me since the pet bird he adored had suddenly turned into an old man overnight. Just knowing that he didn’t dislike me greatly improved my mood. I raised one hand and patted Karhan’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry about that! I’m old and have difficulty moving, so I won’t bother you! Just let me recuperate comfortably!”

For me, who had lived an unstable life, ensuring a comfortable retirement was extremely important.Don’t mind me, just date hard before I die and give me an ending!

Perhaps finding my words strange, Karhan froze. He stared at me without blinking, like a statue.Why is he being like this? Was it too shameless of me to desire a comfortable retirement? Still, we have a bond, so can’t he do that much for me?I tilted my head quizzically.

After a long while, Karhan raised his hand and covered his face. Then, he pressed his forehead firmly. Sighing deeply, he slowly lifted his head. For some reason, a shallow crease formed on his beautiful brow, as if something was frustrating him.

“I didn’t avoid you because you’re old.”

Then why…?Unable to understand, I furrowed my eyebrows like Karhan.

“And you, Cheep, are not an old man.”

“Huh?”

I lifted my hand, grabbed my hair, and waved it in front of Karhan. Look at my white hair. As I spoke with sad eyes, he let out another deep sigh. Then, he got up from his seat, approached the distant drawer, and took down the large mirror hanging above it.

Gasp!

“Ah, no!”

Like a vampire exposed to sunlight, I raised both hands to cover my face. I had deliberately avoided mirrors since coming to this world. Although the fact that I had changed was inevitable, directly confirming it with my own eyes was quite a daunting task.

It was scary when Karhan came closer with the mirror in his hand, taking large strides. I couldn’t even imagine my appearance as someone who had suddenly aged, and I didn’t want to imagine it either. I had never even uttered the first letter of the word “mirror” because I felt like I would suffocate if I saw my reflection!

As I diligently covered my face, a strangely ticklish voice tinged with laughter reached my ears.

“Shh, it’s okay. Try removing your hands.”

I feel a heavy weight on my knees. Karhan, who had placed the mirror on my knees, reached out and gently caressed my hair. It reminded me of his warm touch when he used to stroke my soft down as a bird. Unknowingly, I squinted and looked at Karhan.

Although his expression was inscrutable, his hand that caressed my hair was incomparably gentle, so I slightly lowered my hands that had been covering my face. It seemed like the corners of his eyes had softened a bit… I gathered my courage and glanced at the mirror.

In the mirror, there was me with white hair. I wasn’t an old man! Realizing that fact, my eyes widened. My eyes, which had grown large as if surprised, were as black as obsidian. I had gentle-looking eyes with slightly upturned corners, a delicate nose, and a small mouth.

I raised my hand and lightly pinched my cheek. Then, as if confirming that the person in the mirror was indeed me, they also stretched their cheek in the same way. I blinked my eyes with a dumbfounded expression, then remembered Doel.

“Ah.”

Doel’s hands were trembling, and his face turned red not because he was scared of me. It must have been amusing to see a clearly young-looking kid trying to warn me with the most solemn and serious tone, saying that I had aged.

I raised both hands and buried my face in them. He deliberately didn’t tell me the truth and left.So embarrassing. I felt like I was about to cry.