You! Don’t Press that Button! - Chap 7

As I quietly observed, the duke seemed to have a headache, as he pressed his temples firmly with his hand that wasn’t holding a pen. His desk was visibly full of tasks that needed to be dealt with at a glance. The papers stacked much higher than my height were quite threatening.

It was just like looking at an exam period.Ah, come to think of it, during exam periods, I used to give my friend amazing scalp massages.

According to my friend, although my strength wasn’t that great, my ability to tap precisely on the necessary spots was top-notch. If I spread my hand wide and tapped with the side of my hand consistently like a machine, everyone would leave satisfied.Just as the duke is suffering from a headache, should I help him a bit?I tilted my head, contemplating.

Nah. He gave me food and let me sleep in a soft place, so a scalp massage is nothing.I nodded my head. I’ll do it for him.

I spread both wings and flew up above the duke’s head. Then I gently landed.

“Cheep.”

I’ll make you feel refreshed!

Without hesitation, I alternately kicked strongly with both feet on top of the duke’s head. The sound of my feet colliding with the duke’s scalp could be heard with a tap-tap. Although my feet were small compared to the duke’s head, I was diligently stepping on him using even my wings, so it should be quite effective.

“Chirp! Chirp!”

One, two! One, two! How’s that? Refreshing, right? Once you receive my touch, you won’t be able to forget it!

As I excitedly and vigorously moved my feet, the duke’s hand, which had been still for a moment, rose up. I was caught in the blink of an eye. He didn’t grasp me painfully, so I stayed still as he brought me in front of him and looked at me. His silver-gray eyes sparkled and reflected my image.

As I tilted my head and looked back at him, he silently got up from his seat and placed me on the cushion. Then he tapped my body with his finger and went back to the chair to start working.

I guess he doesn’t have time to receive a scalp massage.I decided to do it for him separately when he seemed to have some leisure time.

I’m not sure how much time has passed since I was adopted into the duke’s house. Eating and sleeping all day long, my sense of time was a mess. It just filled my mind that I was living much more happily than when I was captured by the trader, no, even happier than when I was human.

“Chirp.”

It was a very satisfying life.

The duke consistently provided me with food and a warm place to sleep. He didn’t seem to particularly want anything from me. When I tried to show my gratitude by offering a scalp massage, he would grab me without a word. Perhaps because he had everything, it seemed like he didn’t need any repayment. I can’t help it.

I lay on my back with a plop. Indeed, it was good to be in a wealthy household. To think that I could live happily without any worries like this. I rolled around like that, then raised my wing and scratched my chest. Ooh, it tickles.

Back when I was human, there was a time when a foreign celebrity’s dog appeared on television. That dog’s room was much more luxurious than the room I used to live in. Honestly, I was very envious of how it lived in this world without any worries, eating, pooping, and sleeping. Even if it didn’t do anything and just lounged around, everyone loved and adored it.

But now, that life had magically become my life.

I slightly turned my head and looked at the leftover steak beside me. I tried my best to eat it all, but my tiny body quickly reached its limit.

“Burp. Cheep.”

Ah, a burp. I must have eaten well and fully.

In the corner of the room, the cage I hadn’t entered for a long time was left alone. From the day he adopted me, the duke didn’t put me in the cage. I couldn’t tell if it was because I didn’t try to escape or if he didn’t care even if I did, but it was a welcome situation. Being stuck in such a narrow place was extremely stuffy and boring.

I lay on the cushion that had now become my bed and looked around the room. The duke had gone out for some business, and I was left alone to occupy this spacious room. I thought about taking a nap, but worrying that my already round body would become even rounder, I let out a small sigh and got up.

Sitting still and surveying the room, my gaze was fixed on the desk. The duke always sat at that desk to handle his work. Even though there must be a separate dining room in this luxurious mansion, he would eat briefly at the table in front of the desk and go back to work.Is he that busy?The documents were stacked quite high.

Feeling a bit of curiosity, I flapped my wings vigorously. I flew up, flapping, and headed towards the desk.

“Chirp.”

I landed on top of the highly stacked documents. There were various items neatly arranged, such as white paper stacks, yellow envelopes that looked like letters, and glass bottles filled with ink. I hopped and pecked at a sheet of paper, lifting it up with my beak. Unfamiliar characters were written on it. It wasn’tHangulor English.What kind of characters are these?I tilted my head.

Wanting to take a closer look, I put more force into my beak and pulled. The very light paper was pulled as I intended, and it floated up. I saw it fluttering weakly and flying upward.

“Chirp!”

Oops. It shouldn’t fly away!

With the thought that I had to catch it before it flew too far, I flapped my wings. Then, wind generated around me, and the documents that had been stacked in layers began to move slightly.

Gasp.

“Cheep!”

Oh no!I immediately stopped flapping my wings. Fortunately, the papers swayed and settled down. Although they were a bit scattered, they didn’t fly away anywhere.Phew. I let out a sigh of relief. Coming to my senses and looking around, only the paper I had pulled with my beak had fallen under the desk.

Let’s just pick that up.

I carefully got down from the stack of documents and silently descended to the bottom of the desk. Now the fellow was a trapped mouse. Giggling, I opened my beak to grab the paper. No, I tried to grab it. But perhaps due to the slippery floor, it didn’t get caught and slowly slipped back. How annoying.

If I were an ordinary bird, I would have continued trying to pick it up with only my beak, but I had a human brain. I hopped and stood on top of the paper so it wouldn’t slip back further, then lowered my head and easily grabbed the corner with my beak.It got a bit dirty and crumpled, but this much shouldn’t be a problem, right?Just some wear and tear.

I happily flapped my wings. The paper was several times larger than my body, so it was a bit cumbersome, but I didn’t mind. With only the thought that I had to put it back in its original place before the duke returned, I diligently flew up.

“Chirp?”

I guess that was the problem. I should have thought more deeply.

Just as I was about to place it on top of the stack of documents, the paper caught on the desk and bent, blocking my view. As a result, my foot got caught on the papers I had scattered earlier.

Oh no!

“Chirp!”

I had been eating well and living well since coming to this ducal household.The reason I’m mentioning this now is that because I ate well and lived well, my originally round body became even rounder, and as a result, I’m rolling around on the desk.

The foot that I misstepped once made me fall forward, and my body, which had no sharp edges, rolled over and over several times. I was the one rolling, but the world was spinning. Feeling like I was going to get motion sickness, I tightly closed my eyes and flapped my wings. Fortunately, my wings hit something, and the world that had been spinning stopped.

“Cheeep…”

Phew… I let out a small sigh and opened my eyes. As I struggled to get up, I felt something tugging at my feathers.

“Chirp?”

What’s this?

When I examined my wings, some strange sticky paper was stuck to them. I tilted my head and flapped my wings, but that unidentified thing didn’t fall off.

Hmm… It’s heavy, sticky, and somehow… somehow infuriating. I narrowed my eyes and glared at it.

Fall off!

“Cheeep!”

I got excited and flapped my wings like crazy, striking the floor. But as if mocking me, it swayed here and there, and instead of falling off, it stuck to my bottom with a smack.Gasp!With a feeling of disbelief, I wiggled my bottom from side to side.

“Chirp…”

Unfortunately, it was persistently sticking to my bottom feathers as if it loved them. My beak slightly opened and trembled at the unbelievable reality.

Thinking that I shouldn’t give up, I repeatedly shook my wings and bottom, but it only tugged at my feathers without falling off. It felt like I had become an insect trapped in flypaper. Come to think of it, I was currently just a bit larger than an insect.

“Chirp! Cheep!”

Save me! Save me!

When it didn’t fall off no matter how much I moved, I became frightened.What if this never comes off? Could it be that I have to pluck out my feathers?When I closed my eyes, an image of myself lying on an operating table, having my feathers plucked one by one, flashed in my mind. I felt like I was going to cry. Plucking feathers would be extremely painful.

The thought that such a situation should never happen filled my mind. I struggled with all my might on top of the desk.

“Cheeep!”

Let go! Let go of me!

Crying out chirp chirp, I rolled around wildly, wrapped in paper. Not being able to come to my senses and shaking it here and there, I bumped into something with a thud. I spread my wings this way and that, bent and stretched my short legs, and kicked. I also opened my mouth wide and gnawed at the paper.

“Cheep!”

I exhaled heavily. As a result of my hard efforts, a large portion of the paper that had been stuck to my bottom and wings, except for the sticky part, was torn off. I lay down on the desk with my back against it to rest for a moment. It was a difficult fight.

“Cheeep…”

My body was drained of energy due to the passionate struggle. Phew. Letting out a small sigh, I got up to remove the remaining part. Only then could I see it. The fact that the top of the desk was a mess.

The black ink, which was probably the main culprit of the stickiness, was splattered all over the place, and the documents I had tried not to drop were scattered everywhere, on the floor and chairs, without discrimination.

‘Gasp.’

Ah, I’m doomed.