🔊 TTS Settings
~Chapter 51~
“Hmm.”
I sighed deeply and slumped over my desk.
Soft breathing.
In the sunny spot where the egg used to be, the chick was sleeping quietly.
Just earlier it had been so angry, but suddenly it started nodding off and then fell asleep, saying it was tired. This was the divine beast.
Meanwhile, I was lost in thought.
‘No matter how I think about it… that old lady is the most suspicious.’
The old lady who had given me the egg that would hatch into the divine beast on the train and then disappeared.
I tried to remember if she had appeared in the original story, but nothing came to mind.
In the original, Emily did not get her divine beast like this.
So why had this divine beast suddenly appeared in front of me?
‘…Should I at least try to find out who that old lady really is?’
The best way would be to look for her, but I shook my head.
It was impossible. Even as a duke’s daughter with resources, how could I find an old lady who had vanished as if by magic?
Even the people on the Ramier Express had never seen her.
Besides, I had this feeling.
No matter how hard I tried, I wouldn’t be able to find her.
[Snore…]
I sighed and looked at the sleeping chick.
It was snoring peacefully.
‘…Alright, fine.’
I made up my mind.
At this point, I’d just take care of the divine beast and return it to Emily when she appeared.
‘I don’t know if a divine beast who thinks I’m the saint will recognize the real saint later…’
But for now, that was all I could do.
This divine beast clearly came to the wrong person.
I didn’t know why, but I’d keep it until I could return it to Emily somehow.
Anyway… there was only one clear fact.
I was not the saint.
Believing in that one fact, I decided to stay with this ill-tempered divine beast for now.
…The time when the original story would begin was drawing near.
“Ah~ Today’s walk was so nice, wasn’t it?”
On the way back to the mansion, Sophie stretched in the carriage.
After days of being indoors reading and walking in the garden, I’d felt like getting some fresh air. So Sophie, Deon, and I had gone out into the territory for a little trip.
Sophie looked refreshed and happy, but I couldn’t respond properly.
[Saint, I’m hungry.]
A tiny voice had been ringing in my head for a while.
[I said I’m hungry.]
“…”
I looked at the little chick sitting on my shoulder.
The divine beast had been whining about being hungry since earlier.
Apparently, Sophie and Deon couldn’t hear this arrogant voice.
When I kept ignoring it, the divine beast spoke in an offended tone.
[Hey, Saint. Are you ignoring me? You can’t just starve a divine beast, you know?]
“…”
[Fine then. I’ll just disappear. You don’t even realize how precious I am.]
“…Ha. Stop it already.”
“Huh? What did you just say?”
Grinding my teeth, I answered, making Sophie and Deon look at me. I laughed it off.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Hm… By the way, this chick,” Sophie said, glancing at the divine beast on my shoulder,
“It really seems to like you, milady. Always following you everywhere… Sometimes I get a little jealous, you know?”
Sophie picked up the chick as if she found it cute.
But the divine beast chirped angrily.
[Hey, human. Only the saint can touch me, got it? Put me down! Put me down!]
…Seriously, what a lunatic.
It wasn’t nice to me most of the time, yet when someone else touched it, it got mad.
Anyone would think it was my devoted pet…
[Hey, Saint. If I’m being mistreated, aren’t you supposed to save me?]
“…”
[Oh? Not answering? Since when did saints get so arrogant, huh?]
It kept talking, but I ignored it and turned my head.
The carriage was entering the mansion gates.
I looked out the window and heard the sound of a small quarrel.
“Look, I said no!”
“Please, just ask her once. If you tell her my name, she’ll know!”
“I won’t say it again. Leave now. If you keep this up, I’ll call the knights to throw you out.”
Huh?
I turned my head toward the noise. I saw the back of a man that felt familiar.
“Oh, that person…”
Sophie also tilted her head, recognizing him.
“Wait. Stop the carriage.”
I twitched my eyebrow and gave the order to Deon.
Deon signaled the coachman, and the horses came to a halt.
When I stepped out, the two men in the quarrel turned toward me.
“Milady.”
The butler, who had been pushing the man away, quickly approached and bowed.
“I’m sorry for the disturbance. Some crazy man came and kept begging to meet you…”
“Milady. I’m truly sorry for coming like this.”
Before the butler could finish, the man turned toward me and ran over.
The moment I saw him — and what he was holding — my heart sank with a thud.
“Milady. Please, save my younger brother.”
It was Harry Jackson, holding the limp Finn in his arms.
“So…”
I crossed my arms and looked at Harry.
The room was quiet. On the bed in front of me, Finn lay still.
Even though I’d sworn to avoid the male leads, I couldn’t coldly send Finn away when he’d suddenly been brought to me.
I had him placed in a spare room of the duke’s mansion.
“He’s been unconscious for ten days?”
“Yes.”
Harry nodded.
“Before, even if he collapsed, he never stayed down this long. But this time it’s different…”
“…”
“Then the other day, the doctor said there’s no hope. He told me to prepare myself.”
Harry looked at Finn with a half-broken expression.
“So… I came to you. I know it’s shameless, but I thought maybe… You’ve always been so kind to Finn…”
Trailing off, Harry stood up.
He slowly bent his knees and knelt before me.
I was startled.
“…Harry.”
“Milady, can’t you find a way to save Finn?”
“…”
“If you can save him, I’ll do anything. Even if you ask for my life, I’ll give it.”
“…”
“Please. Please… save Finn. I’m begging you.”
Harry’s voice was desperate as he bowed his head deeply.
“…”
I pressed my lips together and looked at him, then turned to Finn.
Finn’s breathing was faint, as if it could stop at any moment.
My mood sank sharply.
Finn’s death.
The start of the original story was close.
