You! Don’t Press that Button! - Chap 48
I furrowed my brow and quickly turned my head to scan the surroundings. With so many people, it was impossible to identify the culprit. The people, who had been silent for a moment, began to whisper one by one. Karhan, ignoring them, crossed the hall and approached the table where the drinks were set.
“Chirp.”
I don’t know who laughed, so I’ll forgive you just this once.
Karhan picked up a glass filled with golden liquid, went to the window, and took a sip. Karhan’s words about it being an animal show seemed to be true, as everyone was standing with unusual animals that I was seeing for the first time. Although they weren’t yet blatantly boasting about their animals, I could clearly see them subtly showing off to each other, even with my small eyes.
When Karhan and I, who had no desire to mingle with them, were quietly standing in front of the balcony, someone approached us.
“Greetings, Your Grace, Duke of Barthes.”
“It’s been a while, Marquis Andrew.”
“Chirp.”
Oh, I see. A noble who came to greet Karhan? I stood solemnly in my place. The person addressed as Marquis Andrew looked at me sitting on Karhan’s shoulder and burst into laughter with a “pfft” sound.
“Cheep?”
Laughing? I tilted my head in confusion. He didn’t hide the smile on his lips and shook his head.
“Ah. My apologies, Your Grace. I never thought that you, Duke of Barthes, would bring such a… small bird…”
A clear sneer hung on the corners of his mouth. This man in front of me referred to me as “small,” but I could bet one of my feathers that the hidden meaning behind those words was “worthless.”
Marquis Andrew’s eyes were glimmering in an unpleasant way. He exaggeratedly twisted his body and waved his hand. Why was he doing that? Narrowing my eyes and observing, I could see a leash grasped in his hand. Following the golden leash with my gaze, I saw a black animal I had never seen before standing on four legs. It looked like a leopard.
Grrr.
The animal, whose eyes met mine, twitched its nose. Pondering the situation that had just unfolded, I realized why the marquis was acting this way. He was disparaging me and showing off the animal he had brought.
At his blatant behavior, Karhan twisted one corner of his mouth upward. Then, in a cold voice I had never heard before, he quietly said,
“You—”
No. I shook my head and quickly spread my wings, pressing them against Karhan’s cheek with a smack. Surprised by my sudden contact, he stopped speaking and turned his head to look at me. His silver-gray eyes, which met mine, were filled with bewilderment.
“Chirp. Cheep cheep.”
Stop it. No matter how many times you talk, people like him won’t understand. I’ll show them directly.
Using one wing, I properly adjusted the sunglasses that had slightly slipped off my beak. I climbed down from Karhan’s shoulder and stood on the floor. The chandelier above the ceiling shone brightly on me, like a spotlight on a stage.
The people who had been subtly observing Karhan and Marquis Andrew looked at me standing stylishly in the middle of the floor with a look of intrigue. All eyes were on me.
Trying hard to calm the hot blood boiling inside me, I spread one wing wide. Then, I stood on one leg and stretched the other diagonally, moving it up and down.
“Chirp.”
Wiggling my bottom back and forth, I showcased the dance I had practiced with all my might at the Duke’s mansion. Although no music could be heard, a beat flowed in my heart.
“Chirp! Chirp!”
I enthusiastically made sounds and displayed my flashy footwork. I took diamond steps and shook my bottom from side to side. I also flapped my wings vigorously, dazzling the onlookers. A tension that felt like sweat would flow through me swept over my body. The fact that everyone was watching me made my body feel hot.
The dance reached its climax, and I raised both wings high and spun around quickly. Just before the rotation stopped, I folded one wing and used it to knock the sunglasses off my face, throwing them high into the sky. The black sunglasses flew into the air with a “ting” sound, and my dark eyes welcomed the bright light.
Just before the sunglasses hit the ground, I stopped the rotation on one foot. With a “tak” sound, everything fell silent. A moment later, the fallen sunglasses caught on the tip of my wing with a “chak” sound. Imagining my cool appearance, I carefully opened my eyes that had been closed.
People were staring at me. Karhan, too, couldn’t take his eyes off me. His silver-gray eyes, which were strangely quivering, seemed to be moved by my coolness.
As I stood there, catching my breath, the hall was filled with silence. Then, from one corner, a small laugh erupted, and as if it were a trigger, the quiet place suddenly became noisy. I shook my head at the murmuring sound.
“Chir-p.”
It’s a success. People gathered around, perhaps finding me intriguing. As I was happily contemplating what to do if I received a request for an autograph, a familiar voice was heard amidst the crowd.
“Wow, that was really cool.”
The voice approaching while clapping loudly felt like I had heard it many times before. Could it be? With a feeling of disbelief, I turned my head. Then, a familiar platinum-blond hair came into view.
“Long time no see.”
“Chirp!”
What are you doing here?
Asmil was approaching me with a languid smile.
As I stared at him with great tension, Karhan, who had been standing a short distance away, quickly approached and scooped me into his arms. As soon as I was embraced by him, I swiftly placed the sunglasses on my head. I didn’t want to make eye contact with Asmil. Asmil approached us, followed by a red-haired servant. What was he trying to do now? Narrowing my eyes, I tried to discern his intentions.
“Have you been practicing hard?”
He casually spoke to me. Go away! I flapped my wings, signaling him to stay away. However, even at the sight of my behavior, Asmil’s smile only bloomed brighter as he approached even closer.
“Yes, I’m happy to see you too.”
“Chirp!”
That’s not it! He seemed to have mistaken my wing-flapping signal as a greeting of joy. If I can’t avoid it, I’ll strike first. I had no choice but to spread my wings and puff up my body. Karhan, who was holding me, spoke quietly in a low voice.
“Why are you here?”
“Ah, Your Grace, Duke of Barthes. It’s been a long time.”
He addressed Karhan with respect, bowing deeply as if acting in a play. Why is he pretending to be polite all of a sudden? What’s his motive? I frowned without letting my guard down. Karhan also narrowed his eyes, sensing the oddity in his behavior. The hand holding me tightened slightly.
Seeing our wary expressions, Asmil’s eyes curved. As the awkward standoff continued under people’s gazes, a deep male voice abruptly spoke from behind Asmil.
“Were you acquainted with my son, Your Grace?”
A middle-aged man in a dark navy suit appeared behind Asmil. He was short but had a sturdy build, and his grayish hair and wrinkles around his mouth indicated that he was quite advanced in age. The man who had suddenly appeared placed his hand on Asmil’s shoulder in a friendly manner and pulled him close.
“I thought he had a personality that easily befriended people, but I didn’t expect him to have already made your acquaintance, Your Grace. Haha.”
The middle-aged man patted Asmil’s shoulder, expressing his admiration for him. Karhan remained silent for a moment, observing the situation, and then quietly parted his lips.
“Count Huxley.”
“Yes, Your Grace. Have you been well all this time?”
“Always the same. But… you seem to have changed a lot.”
At Karhan’s words, Count Huxley let out a loud, carefree laugh. Then, as if feeling awkward, he raised his hand and scratched the back of his head. He lowered his gaze, slightly curved his eyebrows, and displayed an uneasy smile. Karhan, who had been watching his actions intently, posed a question.
“Did you have a wife?”
“Cheep.”
The person named Count Huxley referred to Asmil as his son. I wondered if I had misheard, but the way he placed his hand on Asmil’s shoulder in a friendly manner seemed like a genuine fatherly attitude.
I opened my beak in the face of this incomprehensible situation. Karhan’s reaction seemed to be no different from mine, as Count Huxley’s face, which had appeared embarrassed, gradually turned red, starting from his neck.
“I thought you wouldn’t be interested, but you remembered that I was alone.”
He took a deep breath and paused for a moment. He had been unable to properly look at Karhan’s face, but he mustered up the courage to raise his gaze.
“This may not be the right place to say it, but at this old age, I have adopted a son.”
“Chirp…”
Of all people, he adopted Asmil…? I looked at Count Huxley with a distant gaze. Did this person know what kind of person Asmil was when he adopted him? A hint of worry crept in. The way he grasped Asmil’s shoulder with an innocent face seemed to indicate complete trust in him.
Beside Count Huxley, Asmil remained silent with a gentle smile on his face. He was truly playing the role of a “good son.” Count Huxley couldn’t take his eyes off Asmil, as if he adored him to death.
“How did you become acquainted with His Grace?”
“We happened to meet while traveling. I didn’t expect you to still remember me.”
The way he clasped his hands together, as if shy, looked repulsive. I narrowed my eyes and obsessively tapped my beak. Tak. Tak. Then, Asmil looked at me through his narrowed eyes. His red eyes, which met mine, flashed like those of a predator that had found its prey.
“Hic!”
Hiccup! In the moment of startlement, my sunglasses became crooked. Like a child hiding behind their parent’s back when seeing a scary person, I hurriedly buried my face in Karhan’s palm. I hunched my body so that Asmil couldn’t see me. Then, a large hand enveloped my body. As I trembled and hid, I heard Asmil’s voice from behind.
“Father. I’d like to catch up with His Grace and have a conversation we couldn’t have during our trip. May I have a moment to talk with him privately?”
“Ah, of course. This father of yours intervened without reading the situation. Go and have a comfortable conversation.”
Count Huxley stepped aside, his eyebrows drooping. Although there were only three of us conversing face-to-face, gazes of interest could be felt from various directions. Everyone was secretly glancing at us, pretending not to.
Karhan stood still with an expressionless face, an air of displeasure emanating from him, and then spoke.
“…Follow me.”
“Oh. Are you inviting me to your room? I’m honored, Your Grace.”
Asmil continued to use honorifics that didn’t suit him and followed Karhan. I, who had my face buried in Karhan’s hand, raised my head and flew to his shoulder. I wanted to find comfort by sitting on his warm crown and warming my bottom, but I suppressed my desire, remembering Karhan’s words to endure it before coming to the social gathering.
