You! Don’t Press that Button! - Chap 32

After our sincere conversation, Karhan and I started having meals together. I wanted to wander around the mansion, but Karhan stopped me, saying I was still too weak, and even prevented me from eating in the dining room, directly coming to my room to have meals with me instead.

Clatter, the sound of the knife and plate colliding resonated. I diligently held a fork in one hand and a knife in the other, cutting the meat. Judging by the way it was being cut, it was hard to tell if the meat was being sliced or mashed.

Perhaps because I was eating three hearty meals a day along with medicine, I could now handle meat without any difficulty.

“Delishush.”

I stuffed my mouth full of meat and chewed it vigorously. As I was diligently putting food in my mouth, Karhan quietly handed me a glass of water from the side.

That night, he had said he didn’t know how to treat me, but he was being kind to me, not much different from when I was Cheep. Although his expression was still icy, I could feel warmth when our eyes met, and his gentle actions, one by one, revealed his kindness.

Today, we finished another satisfying lunch and had tea time. Despite looking very busy, he allocated leisurely time like mealtimes and tea times to me.

The tea, with a subtle brown hue, was poured into a teacup adorned with a vibrant floral pattern. My reflection, still unfamiliar, appeared on the rippling surface of the tea. Hoo hoo, I blew on it to cool it down so it wouldn’t burn my tongue, and when I thought it had cooled enough, I carefully pressed my lips against it.

The tea, which had cooled just enough to make my insides comfortably warm, neither too cold nor too hot, left a bitter taste and aftertaste on my tongue. With a happy face, I focused on drinking the tea without pause, gulping it down. As I was enjoying the peaceful atmosphere with my eyes closed, I heard Karhan’s voice.

“How is your mobility?”

“The pain has mostly disappeared, and I can walk a little now, probably because I practiced a lot.”

As if he had heard the answer he wanted, he nodded slightly without much change in expression. Although it wasn’t very apparent, I liked how he showed concern for me in this way. His concern always pleasantly tickled my heart. Feeling refreshed, I sat on the chair like a child and swung my legs back and forth using the momentum.

“Do you have a lot of work today too?”

“I suppose so. There are many things to resolve before recruiting new personnel.”

I see… I felt a little sorry for Karhan, who was always diligently handling work in his office. Upon closer inspection, it seemed like he had developed very faint dark circles under his clear eyes. Dark circles on a handsome face… Although I felt a bit sorry, his beautiful face turned even that into a charm.

As I observed Karhan’s face, staring intently, Karhan, who had been focusing his gaze on the teacup, suddenly raised his head and looked at me. For a moment, our eyes met, and I froze.

I got caught staring! Feeling awkward, I slyly shifted my gaze to the teacup. Th-The pattern is really nice. As I pretended to quietly drink tea, I heard a very soft, low chuckle.

“There will be a festival soon.”

“Festival?”

Forgetting to even wiggle my feet, I perked up my ears and listened attentively to Karhan’s words. What festival? Curiosity arose.

“It’s called the Three Days of Athlena, the days when the gods of this world are worshipped. For three days, the sun doesn’t rise, and only the moon shines brightly.”

“The moon for three days?”

“Yes. They hold a festival throughout those three days.”

It felt like a holiday in our country. Of course, our country’s holidays are not festival days, but still. As someone who had lived in the 21st century modern era, I couldn’t help but find it fascinating that the moon would remain up for three days. I wanted to capture all three days with my own eyes. With anticipation, I placed my hands on the table and leaned my body close.

“Karhan, let’s go to the festival together! Ah, but I wonder if you’ll be busy…”

If the festival lasted for three days, I wanted to go sightseeing with Karhan for at least one day. However, realizing that Karhan might have to work cooped up in his office, I slowly trailed off. He would probably be busy. It would have been perfect if Doel were here. Feeling regretful, I mumbled my words, but then I heard Karhan’s voice.

“I think I’ll have time then.”

“Really?”

I widened my eyes and looked at Karhan. I could interpret those words as him agreeing to go to the festival with me, right? A gentle smile naturally formed on my lips. Although it was two days away, my heart was already pounding as if I had already gone to the festival.

Not knowing what kind of things were at the festival in this world, I chattered away, asking Karhan various questions. What foods they sold, what rides they had, if they sold pretty toys, and so on. I couldn’t hide my excitement, like a child going to an amusement park for the first time, wondering how a village festival in a fantasy novel would differ from the modern world.

After listening to me for a long time, Karhan put the teacup down on the saucer, as if it was time for him to go to work. Clinking, making a colliding sound, I saw him raising his hand and smoothing his collar, and I thought it was about time for him to go work. He had a habit of tidying his clothes before going to his office, making sure nothing was out of place.

With me waving my hand as a final gesture, he nodded and left the room. I was alone again.

Although an attendant would come in soon, I grabbed the table in front of me tightly and got up from my seat. My legs still lacked strength and trembled unsteadily. Like a newly hatched bird, I carefully moved one leg at a time, wobbling.

I stuck my butt out and spread my arms wide, slowly walking forward. It was a relatively powerful posture I had learned over the past few days.

‘Go!’

I managed to maintain my balance and took one step at a time, and the bed was just a few steps away. Until a moment ago, I thought I could slowly improve, but thinking about the festival, I became a little impatient. By then, even if I couldn’t run, I wanted to at least walk on my own.

As I was walking diligently, sweating on my forehead, the strength in my right foot suddenly gave out. Gasp! Inhaling sharply, just before I tumbled forward and hit my head on the bed, a breeze gently blew. That breeze enveloped my body like a blanket, slowing down the speed of my fall.

“Ack!”

Taking advantage of that moment, I flailed my arms and grabbed the bed with both hands, and the ghostly wind disappeared. Wondering what had just happened, I raised my head and looked around. I thought there might be something, but there was nothing.

“What was that…?”

I’m pretty sure I floated in the air for a moment. Could it be that I possess some incredible ability like supernatural powers or magic? It was quite a plausible hypothesis. It wouldn’t make sense for me to enter a fantasy book world without any abilities! I can use magic in dangerous situations!

With a flushed face, I sat down on the floor. I turned my head from side to side to check if there was anyone around, in case someone was nearby. After confirming that I was the only one in the room, I struck a pose I often did when I was young.

I brought my hands together like a flower bud, creating a pose as if I was about to shoot something. I muttered in a very small voice.

“Energy beam!”

🐤

Karhan didn’t know how to treat his small and cute Cheep when he turned into a human. At first, he was worried about him, who was covered in blood, so he couldn’t think deeply, but after carefully observing his unconscious state for a long time, it was definitely Cheep. The pretty silver-white feathers he had as a bird had taken the form of swaying hair and dense eyelashes, making it clear.

The awkwardness doubled when Cheep regained consciousness and spoke like a human. So even when he first faced him in human form, not knowing what to do, he uncharacteristically avoided the situation. He saw disappointment lingering in those weakly trembling black eyes, but he deliberately turned his head and avoided the situation. He had a lot to think about, so it couldn’t be helped.

However, an incident a few days ago had somewhat organized his confused thoughts.

He felt distressed when he received a report from the attendant in charge of Cheep’s massage that his condition was very different from usual. Like a small stone creating ripples in the water, his heart was stirred, and he went to the room. As he opened the large door and entered the room, Cheep, who had been lying weakly on the bed, sat up abruptly and called out to him. Listening closely, he could hear the sound of a heart beating rapidly and passionately. He had been waiting for me.

He approached and faced the fluffy face that was as soft as cotton wool. His gaze, filled with innocence despite the deep black color that seemed to swallow everything, was directed at me. As I looked into those eyes without realizing it, time passed, and his small lips pouted, and his gaze was withdrawn.

“Do you not want to talk to me?”

The voice muttering softly was full of disappointment. It was easy to tell that his feelings were hurt because of me. A sigh naturally escaped at the thought of making the animal he raised with affection, Cheep, who had been getting along well with him until a few days ago, feel this way. After briefly making an excuse about work, he felt it wasn’t right and poured out his true feelings.

He talked about the awkwardness and sense of disconnection he had been harboring inside. He expressed his uncertainty about how to treat the pet he had been raising when it suddenly took on a human form. Then, Cheep started saying something absurd about being an old man. The sight of him waving his white hair made his vision blur for a moment. He was still as nonsensical as when he was a bird.

Looking around the room and confirming that a mirror was hanging on the wall, he took it down and placed it next to Cheep. Cheep, as if frightened by something, diligently covered his face with both hands to avoid looking at the mirror. Seeing that, a smile involuntarily escaped his expressionless face. His desperate struggle looked as if he was truly risking his life.

When Cheep confirmed that he wasn’t an old man and asked if Karhan disliked him, placing his small hand on top of Karhan’s, it was a bit surprising. He had always been the one to caress Cheep, never expecting it to be the other way around. The way he carefully matched his round and serious eyes with Karhan’s overlapped with his bird form. Only after that did Karhan somewhat accept it. That it was indeed Cheep.

Despite having a human appearance, the way he called out “Karhan!” with his small mouth was incredibly cute. Did he keep calling Karhan’s name even when he was a bird? Thinking about it, there were many instances when he would raise his head high and chirp “Cheep, Cheep.” It seemed like he had been continuously calling him, to the point where Karhan felt apologetic for not noticing it until now.

Perhaps because he was comfortable with Karhan when he was a bird, Cheep naturally spoke casually to him. Strangely, Karhan didn’t mind it. It wasn’t easy to find someone in this country who would casually call him by his name and speak informally without any regard, but it didn’t bother him. Rather, it felt like this was how it should be. It might also feel strange to be addressed politely by an animal he had raised with affection.

Someone called out to Karhan, who had stopped twirling the pen in his hand, lost in thought while handling documents.

“Your Grace.”

Ah. He twitched the pen he was holding. Recently, he often found himself lost in other thoughts. He raised his head and looked at Claude, who had called him. Claude was standing in front of him, holding a letter adorned with an ornate gold border. Reaching out his hand, Karhan received the letter Claude was holding. He unhesitatingly tore open the red sealing wax and took out the contents to read.

His silver-gray eyes, which had been moving swiftly, narrowed. Then, as if there was no need to read the letter further, he leaned back in his chair and tossed it onto the desk. The letter flew carelessly.

Glancing at the visible text between the unfolded letter, Claude made a “hmm” sound and rubbed his chin. With his gaze fixed on the letter that had been tossed aside nonchalantly, Karhan spoke in a chilling voice.

“The viscount committed suicide.”