Translator: Aura / Editor: SaWarren
Queenâs small body lay inert on the bed, more stretched out than usual, with his beak slightly open and his drooping head. He looked like a seaweed.
âHeinley. Heinley? Heinley!â
I tried to wake him up several times, but Queen didnât move a muscle. I moved out of bed on my knees with Queen in my arms. The palace doctor! The palace doctor!
No, not the palace doctor! Heinley was not Heinley right now! But that was a secret, I couldnât reveal that he was a bird.
So, should I bring in a veterinary doctor? Is Queenâs body the same as that of an ordinary bird? What was normally done in this situation? Normally⦠McKenna!
McKenna could also turn into a bird. Therefore, he should know who normally treated Heinley when he was injured in his bird form.
I quickly left the shared bedroom after placing Heinley back between the pillows.
âMiss Rose, please call McKenna. Hurry up.â
While Rose went to find McKenna, I quickly showered, changed my clothes that smelled of alcohol, and tied my hair up. Shortly after I started pacing around the room, McKenna appeared.
âYour Majesty, whatâs wrong? I was informed that it is an urgent matter.â
After asking Rose to leave, I said to McKenna,
âStay here for a moment.â
âHuh?â
I quickly hurried into the shared bedroom, took Queen in my arms, and returned to my room.
Seeing Queen inert, McKenna was startled,
âOh my, His Majesty is drunk!â
Huh?
Drunk?
I still hadnât explained anything that had happened.
When I looked at him in surprise, McKenna raised his eyebrows and covered his mouth with both hands.
âOops, not drunk?â
When I told him the details, McKennaâs eyebrows relaxed and he took his hands away from his mouth,
âSo, he really is drunk. He tends to turn into a bird when heâs drunk. Well, thatâs much better than people who turn into an angry dog.â
âStill, how can he still be unconscious after a day has passed?â
âSometimes this happens when he drinks in his bird form.â
Drinking in his bird form? Was that possible?
âIf you leave him like that, heâll wake up on his own.â
McKenna laughed at me.
âYou donât have to worry, Your Majesty.â
Only then was I relieved.
âThank you.â
âDonât mention it. Itâs my duty.â
After McKenna left, I took Queen back to the shared bedroom, put him to bed, and returned again to my room to ask Countess Jubel to bring a clear soup.
The soup was quickly prepared. When I entered the shared bedroom with the soup, Queen was still lying inert on the bed.
I left the soup bowl on the bedside table, then sat down next to Queen and carefully touched his body.
Looking at him closely, I was glad. It was evident that he had fallen sound asleep due to the influence of alcohol.
Seeing how at ease he was, I naturally smiled.
No⦠no way.
I was in trouble. Anyone could tell that I was falling more in love with Heinley with each passing day.
If I had looked closely from the beginning, I would have noticed that it was because he was drunk. I didnât even notice that, so I urgently called McKenna.
âWhat should I do?â
Although I asked out loud, Heinley was asleep, so he wouldnât be able to answer.
I leaned down and rested my head lightly on his chest. When the warmth of his body reached my forehead, my eyes closed on their own.
âWhat should I do, Heinley? You have so many secrets. If I loved you, it would certainly be hard to bear.â
This is all because youâre sly, Heinley.
After checking that he was sound asleep, I pet his rear, and kissed his soft forehead.
* * *
Just as McKenna said, Heinley woke up three hours later.
It was very cute and lovely to see him flap his wings while asking with his eyes what had happened.
But from that day on, I was completely absorbed in work.
I was trying to keep my mind occupied so as not to fall completely in love with Heinley.
Even if I liked him, not loved him, or even if I loved him only to the point so as not to suffer, I wanted to hold that line.
Fortunately, there was much work to be done, so I didnât need to create it.
Trade with Rwibt also progressed rapidly, as the first three test teams were formed.
Now we had to wait for the results they would bring back, and based on those results determine the corrective actions to be taken.
Once I had expressed my good wishes to the three test teams before they set out on the trip to Rwibt, I returned to the office exhausted.
After working for several days on only three hours of sleep, fatigue was starting to get the better of me. I drank two cups of strong coffee, but my eyelids still felt very heavy anyway.
In the end, I seemed to have fallen asleep. When I opened my eyes, my body was tilted to one side.
Why hadnât I fallen? What was I leaning on now?
Looking up, I could see that I was leaning on Heinleyâs shoulder.
âHeinley?â
When did he get here? Once I called him puzzled, Heinley startled and inadvertently bumped my head with his.
âItâs not too much.â
âHuh?â
âDid it bother you to see me passed out like that because of the alcohol?â
âWhy do you say that?â
âYouâve been avoiding me since the day I passed out from too much alcohol.â
âI havenât avoided you. We always see each other at night.â
âOnly at night.â
ââ¦â
âEvery time I visited you during the day youâre busy.â
âI was really busy.â
It was true. I wasnât trying to avoid Heinley, I was just trying to finish as much work as possible.
âI understand.â
Heinley stared at me with a frown and said,
âYouâre trying to avoid me by being busy, right? You work on things that could be left for later.â
ââ¦Thatâs not true.â
When I answered again, Heinley took my hand firmly and asked,
âSo, did it bother you that I became Queen while so drunk?â
As he held my hand firmly, he stroked the back of it with his thumb, but he wore a very worried expression.
âAbsolutely not.â
I denied it again, Heinley closed his mouth and lowered his gaze.
I didnât want to hurt him. Really, I didnât. I just wanted to keep a line so I wouldnât get swept away by the current.
It broke my heart to see Heinley sad, I felt guilty.
Should I have expressed my feelings more clearly? But how? I think I love you, but I only want to love you in moderation, should I say that?
Unable to resist the impulse, I kissed him, put my hand on his soft blond hair and stroked it, tilted my head and rested my forehead against his.
âYouâre so handsome, Heinley.â
I whispered, softly kissing his face.
âMy Queen⦠Navier.â
When I slipped my hand into his shirt and bit his earlobe, Heinley let out a low moan.
I put my feelings inside a box by force, but they finally came out, suddenly finding this man so lovely that it was hard to resist.
I slowly moved my hands down towards his pants as I caressed his entire body.
âHeinley. Spread your legs.â
But before I could reach my treasure, Heinley tightened his legs and turned backwards.
As I wondered why he did this, he gave me a reproachful look.
âHeinley?â
As soon as I spoke his name, his mouth opened and closed a couple of times.
I donât know why, but he had a very complicated expression. After a while, Heinley covered his face and asked,
âMy Queen. Are you only⦠interested in my body?â
***