You! Don’t Press that Button! - Chap 82
My body trembled violently as I lifted my head. An enormous eagle-like creature I had never seen before was holding me with one foot, looking down at me. Its brightly shining yellow eyes were truly menacing.
“Peep…!”
The talons dug into my flesh as if they were about to burst my body. I tried to twist myself, but there was no gap at all. Feeling like I might die, I shouted as loudly as I could.
“Peep, peep!”
Arthur!
I shouted with all my might, as if my voice would be buried in the ground, and Arthur, who had been standing blankly below, lifted his head. Yes, I’m here! His mouth and eyes opened wide as he discovered me.
“Bird, bird!”
Arthur, who still didn’t know my name, kept calling out “bird” and stretched his hand high. There was no way he could reach me from the ground, but he jumped towards me with desperate struggles. The sight was so touching that my vision blurred with tears.
“Peep…”
Arthur…
Eventually, Arthur, who was causing a commotion on the ground, became as small as a millet seed and then disappeared from view. The sky high above felt dizzyingly close, as if I could touch the clouds. I felt I had to escape somehow, but it wasn’t easy due to the talons constricting my body.
“Peep!”
Let me go! I raised my eyes fiercely, leaving a warning message, and for a brief moment, the yellow gaze pierced my body. But that was all; after that, I received no attention at all. I tried to twist myself, shaking my head and bottom vigorously, but the talons gripping me only tightened more, choking me. In the end, I had no choice but to gasp and cry out in surrender.
Did it mistake me for food? I deeply engraved in my mind the thought that I should escape when I got the chance if it took me to its nest. I had the naive thought that I could easily escape since a human mind was superior to that of a real bird.
Until I entered the birdcage…
The place I arrived at was not a round bird’s nest made of tree branches, but a bleak birdcage made of iron bars. The cage door closed with a chilling sound of unoiled metal. Blinking at this absurd situation, I looked up at the familiar person beyond the cage.
“Peep.”
The identity of the eagle that had kidnapped me was none other than Asdion. The identity of the one who always glared at me with menacing eyes from behind Asmil was that of a bird person. In a state of bewilderment, I opened my beak and blinked.
Yellow eyes filled with disgust and hostility pierced my body like needles. I swallowed hard and met his gaze without backing down. An uncomfortable silence passed for a moment, and Asdion’s tightly closed lips twisted.
“Why does he take interest in something like you?”
“Peep!”
Ah, I don’t know about that!
I shook my head and bit at the iron bars. Let me out quickly. If he was a fellow bird person, he would surely know that iron bars that suppress freedom were not good. As I made a lot of noise, clanking the bars, Asdion’s hand fiercely opened the cage door and grabbed my body.
“Enjoy it while the master is giving you attention. After that, you won’t be able to enjoy it even if you want to.”
He left this heavy warning message and threw me back into the iron cage. Due to his uncaring handling, I hit the opposite side of the cage and fell to the floor.
“Squeak!”
My head spun from being thrown, but I gathered my wits and looked ahead. Asdion had already left the room, and a cool space with only a table standing greeted me. I sat down in despair, feeling dejected at suddenly being trapped alone in an unknown place.
“Peep peep.”
How did this happen? Why did that attendant kidnap me? If I hadn’t misheard, he mentioned Asmil as his master at the end. Then there was a possibility that Asmil had ordered my kidnapping, rather than Asdion acting on his own.
That brat. I’ll pluck out his hair when he comes later.
I made a firm resolution in my heart, but the closed door showed no signs of opening.
🐤
A day passed, then two days, without any food. No one entered the room where I was confined, and there was no sign of anyone outside. My whole body was so weak that I couldn’t even sit, and I lay listlessly on the hard floor.
“Peep, peeep…”
I began to worry that I might starve to death at this rate. As I blinked slowly, waiting for Karhan to come find me quickly, I heard the sound of the firmly closed doorknob turning with a click.
“Peep.”
I, who had been lying down weakly, summoned every last bit of strength to raise my body. Supporting my wobbling legs, I moved to the front of the cage. As dim light entered the previously dark room, the door slowly opened.
“Peep!”
Karhan! You finally came to find me.
I looked at the approaching black silhouette with tears dripping. Hoping to be let out soon, I wiggled my bottom, but that expectation quickly crumbled at the voice I heard.
“Did you wait for me that much?”
It wasn’t the voice of the person I had been waiting and waiting for. Light footsteps full of joy approached me, and with a click, the room light turned on.
“Peep!”
“Nice to see you. I came a bit late because I had some business. Sorry.”
As the room brightened, I saw the familiar beautiful platinum blonde hair and blood-red eyes. The one who came to find me was none other than Asmil.
“Squeak…”
My delicate bird legs, which had been trembling slightly, finally gave out. As I lowered my head with tears dripping, the cage door opened. Long fingers entered and poked my head.
“Peep!”
Don’t touch me! Of course, getting angry while crying wouldn’t be threatening, but I couldn’t help but shout due to the unbearable anger and sorrow.
I had waited endlessly alone in the dark room for two days. There had been no proper meal, and the only thing I could consume was water. Even that I had sipped sparingly, but now there was only enough left to barely reach with my beak.
Despite the poor treatment, the human heart was truly shallow. The moment I confirmed it was Asmil who had brightened the dark room, a small sense of relief sprouted deep in my heart. A relief that I wouldn’t die like this.
Realizing this emotion, tears poured out along with anger.
Asmil placed me, who was sobbing, on his palm. He lifted me up to meet my gaze. His red eyes, unable to understand my sorrow, curved beautifully.
“It must have been hard waiting for your new owner.”
“Pee-ep!”
What owner? He was wrong to be someone’s owner at the point of starving an animal for two days. I glared at him, raising my eyes fiercely, but he nonchalantly averted his gaze and put me down on the table.
As I lay there without the energy to resist, a sweet smell wafted to my nose. Sniffing, I turned my head to see Asmil opening an unidentified bag. Noticing my gaze, he let out an amused breath.
With a rustling sound, the large bag opened, revealing meat that looked so delicious it made my mouth water. It must have been freshly cooked, as it had a glossy sheen and an irresistibly savory smell that pierced my nose.
Soon, the meat was displayed in a bowl on the table, showing off its fine appearance.
“Peep, peep…”
My sorrowful feelings had flown far away into the sky, and I, consumed by hunger, looked at Asmil with desperate eyes, without any pride.
I’m not usually like this, but just for today. Just one bite…
Asmil, who had been carelessly poking at the food with a fork, looked down at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Along with a small hum, his eyes sparkled with joy. I couldn’t tell what scheme was behind that look, but I met his gaze without avoiding it, trying to make the most pitiful expression possible.
“Peep…”
I opened my beak wide and appealed my hunger with a thin, trembling voice. He slowly moved his hand and cut the meat with a knife. Juice dripped from the small pieces of cut meat.
It looks delicious. I wiggled my bottom, earnestly hoping for that delicious meat to enter my mouth soon. As I moved my body up and down, the fork slowly approached. When the meat came close to my nose, I opened my beak wide and closed my eyes, like a baby bird receiving food from its mother.
My tongue, eager to eat, moved brilliantly to welcome the food, but nothing touched it. I opened one eyelid slightly, and the fork was hovering near Asmil’s mouth.
No way…
I looked desperately at the meat, holding onto my trembling heart with anxiety, but as expected, it disappeared into Asmil’s smooth mouth. I watched his moving lips and cheeks with empty eyes.
His Adam’s apple moved greatly, and I heard the sound of him swallowing the food. I heard Asmil’s annoying nasal sound as if he was savoring the flavor of the food. Knowing that I was watching, he cut the meat with a knife once more and quickly put it into his own mouth without hesitation.
After repeating this action several times, there was only enough meat left to barely fill my stomach.
“Peep.”
No. My eyes contorted with urgency. I barely dragged my weak body and hurriedly ran onto the bowl, opening my beak to try to snatch the meat, but the huge fork blocking my way was much faster. I had to stop in my tracks the moment I heard the sharp sound of hard objects colliding.
The fork, twice as large as a bird’s body, exuded its presence like a barricade.
I stared at it blankly for a moment before looking up at Asmil. His expression seemed to have gathered all the joy in the world. His eyes gleamed beautifully, and the corners of his mouth were turned upward. Fine wrinkles appeared at the corners of his gently folded eyes.
“Peep…”
Standing on the edge of the bowl, I looked at Asmil with the most innocent eyes I could muster. He made a “hmm” sound as if contemplating something, moving the fingers holding the fork. Soon, as if a good idea had occurred to him, his round eyes sparkled.
Asmil tilted his head slightly, and his platinum blonde hair swayed beautifully. His ominous eyes swallowed me, and his smooth lips slowly parted.
“Do you think you can obey my words well?”
“Peep!”
Yes! I nodded vigorously. I, unable to satisfy one of the three basic human desires – hunger – had not even a speck of pride left. Asmil, seeing that I had already become a loyal subordinate, nodded with satisfaction.
“You’re prepared, right?”
I swallowed hard at his behavior, as if he was laying the groundwork for some important matter. I wasn’t prepared to do anything, but I nodded anyway to get my hands on the small piece of meat in front of me.
I had taken the bait.
