ââ¦For a hundred times, Iâm wrong. Iâm sorry.â
A few days later.
Surprised by my calm confession, the servantsâ eyes were focused on me.
I was overcome with emotion and closed my eyes.
Finally, when I thought of something to say, I opened my eyes and murmured.
ââ¦Please come back⦠Bird⦠headâ¦â
I jumped up from my seat after writing clumsy letters with conspicuous yellow crayons.
âThe end! Itâs done!â
Only then did the knights waiting for my signal move their bodies.
The 4th floor of Valloisâ main castle.
Above the bedroom window, the official apology of the Princess was written in earnest.
It must have been two months ago.
After opening the letter to find out the identity of the sender.
[Chirp, chiirp! It wonât kill you to calm down a biiitt!]
Bird head never showed up after seeing the sight of hand-delivered letters being torn mercilessly.
âAt first, I thought it wouldnât come because it was in heartbreak.â
It was strange to think that the heartbreak lasted for two months.
âEven if it wasnât possible before then, it came to visit me once every two weeks.â
Whatâs going on?
I murmured, rubbing my cheeks with a serious expression.
ââ¦Apart from being angry, itâs against its professional ethic to not deliver the letter.â
âCan we do it like this, Princess?â
It was then.
âMm. Do it.â
After nodding at Lisaâs question, two knights climbed up the ladder and fixed a banner over the bedroom window.
âThe Princessâ animal friend will have to come back.â
The knight holding the banner outside the window stared at the sky.
However.
ââ¦Yes. Your animal friend will come.â
Contrary to the despondent tone, the corner of the knightâs lips, which emphasized the word âanimal friendâ, was raised.
It was the same for other servants.
âYour animal friend will definitely come back. Our princess is working so hard!â
âOh my! How cute, I mean, sad.â
âThe Princess who is waiting for the bird is lovely, no, pitiful.â
ââ¦These brats.â
âThis isnât animal play. Iâm really serious.â
She rested her chin with triangular eyes, wanting to scold them.
The servants who were watching that day shook without any word.
ââ¦What?â
Why do I want to look at a mirror that much?
Plump cheeks comically protruded from the palms under my chin.
Thanks to that, the naturally wrinkled lips only protruded on one side, like a puffer fish.
ââ¦You brats! Your master is so serious that Iâm going to die, when youâre done, get out!â
When my face turned red and I shouted, the servants who had been laughing shrilly dispersed in an instant.
Ahem.
ââ¦They didnât see me as an insignificant blowfish until now, right?â
Feeling embarrassed, I looked in the mirror.
I didnât want to play the role of the villainâs daughter, but I didnât want to look funny either.
Anyway, everything is ready.
A banner and a three-tiered cake.
These two were to remain at my window until the Guide returned.
â⦠The problem is that that bird head has to look after my sincerity.â
Dropã ¡
After getting ready as usual, I lay down on the bed with the blanket pulled up to my nose.
âPlease come. I will listen to you better now.â
Now I could understand the feelings of the bird head who lost the letter.
Yeah.
It flew all night to deliver a letter, yet it was torn to pieces.
How sad it would be.
ââ¦Even I played the original story.â
I was going to apologize and give it a bunch of delicious desserts when the bird came.
The beginning of the course meal was a three-tiered cake.
An hour after that.
ââ¦Wow. Why is it not coming?â
When the whipped cream on the cake started to melt a little, I felt nervous for some reason.
That cake, Higgs worked hard on it for an hour.
ââ¦Ugh.â
I had a heartache.
I was about to give up halfway and twist my body with my back to the window.
Plopã ¡
ââ¦?â
I heard a sound as if a body had been thrown onto the soft bedding.
I opened my bunny eyes and raised my upper body.
ââ¦Bird headâ¦?â
It must have been the noise from the window.
ââ¦Bird headâ¦?â
âC-Chirpâ¦â
âBird head!â
Startled by the familiar voice, I ran to the window and turned the cake.
The bird head was trembling while covered in whipped cream.
***
I was so shocked that I forgot to even breathe.
Bird head looked like a patient to anyone.
First of all, Iâm going to carefully pick up the bird and run to the treatment room.
âI-I have to call Uncle Doctor, Uncle Doctorâ¦â
ââ¦N-Not to that extent. Chirp.â
The bird head, which was lying on the palms of my hands joined together, lifted its eyelids with difficulty.
âBird headl!!â
âB-Be quietâ¦Â Chirp. My head is ringing. Just put me on the cake.â
âYes, yes! Got it.â
It finally spoke.
âFor now, calm down.â
With a happy heart, I put the bird head back on top of the cake sheet as requested.
It was my first time moving a fragile creature, so my hands were shaking.
âHave you come to your senses?â
The bird, which had been silent for a while, seemed to still be in pain, and trembled.
Soon a faint voice was heard.
ââ¦Cake, cake. I wanted to eat it, but⦠I canât turn my head because my body hurts, chirpâ¦â
âWait.â
I carefully supported the bird head with one hand, squeezed the cream with my fingers, and held it in front of the white beak.
Munch, munch.
The bird head, who had been swallowing the cake with a serious expression, let out a languid breath only then.
âYouâre getting stronger now, chirp. Really, for the first time in my 500-year guide lifeâ¦Â Chirp! Chirp!â
My face contorted from the pitiful cough.
What the hell has it been through, I wonder.
âSomeone who didnât like me going to you interrupted me.â
âWho is that person?â
âAnother regressor.â
â?â
Bewildered, I narrowed my eyes.
âYou mean thereâs another regressor besides me?â
I had never heard or experienced it.
However, it was rare for an extra like me to return in the first place.
âIt wouldnât be strange if one more regressor appeared.â
A regressor who beated the Guide up.
Even if there was one more regressor, if it was someone who had nothing to do with my life, we would have been able to become colleagues.
But this wasnât it.
Isnât it already stupid enough to touch a weak bird just because youâre special?
âIt even said they didnât like it going to me.â
My clenched hand turned white.
First of all, I thought I should listen to the bird headâs explanation more.
âTackling a small bird is something that even a villainâs daughter like me wouldnât do. Real villains donât touch those lesser than themselves!â
âStill, I came this far. T-The Guide has an obligation to deliver the contents of any letter to the person concerned, chirp. Delivering letters is my whole life, so I had to do it.â
Stung by my conscience at the Guideâs conviction, I kept my mouth shut.
Only then did I really understand the bird headâs feelings of anger and resentment when I tore up the letter.
âThatâs why Iâm a little late, chirp.â
The bird head said that and trembled for a while.
Dark eyes turned to the sky.
Rather than being in pain, it was something thoughtful.
âAsk me three things, chirp.â
It was then that the white beak moved.
âThree?â
âI can give you answers as far as I know.â
The bird head, who had been struggling to raise its head to look at me, put its head down on the cake.
âYou screamed so much that my ears were tearing at the âSalary Lupinâ. I have to pay for the cake, chirp.â
âIsnât that against the rules?â
âAnother regressor already broke the rules. I can tell you this much, chirp.â
It hurts, so ask me right now, chirp.
It urged with a gasping voice as if the pain was getting worse.
First of all, the identity of the regressor is important.
I clenched and opened my fists in urgency.
âHow many regressors are there in total in this world?â
âYou and them, two people.â
âWhat is the identity of the regressor?â
The bird head frowned as if my words were ambiguous.
âI never asked for their name, chirp? Since a guide doesnât care about private life at all, I donât know the name or background of the regressor at all, chirp. But.â
The bird head who was munching on the cream in my finger, was lost in thought.
âThey seemed like a noble, chirp. I think they liked the fact that they received Godâs mercy. But it wasnât long. And it was a gaze as if they were content with the fact that their temper was dirty.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âIt means they donât seem normal, chirp.â
The guy I have to deal with is a crazy one.
I wanted to get out of my 5 year old phase quickly.
âI donât know how I figured that dirty temper out, but when I said I was busy, I doubted there were other regressors in this world.â
Even quick-witted.
âThey grabbed me and shook me with one hand when I handed them the letter, chirp.â
Babble, babble.
The voice complaining to me was watery.
Did the humiliation it suffered until now remain as a trauma?
Suddenly, tears welled up in its dark eyes.
ââ¦â
Seeing that, I felt anger and pain at the same time, chewing my lower lip.
âIt was a man, chirp. Was it blonde?â
Peter.
The simple explanation reminded me of the name that was embedded in my bones.
I expected it.
If there is a regressor who received Godâs mercy, it must be one of the main characters.
But when that imagination became a reality, it felt like my blood was gushing backwards.
I stared into space with a pale face.
Why did he, who had a happy ending and was even righteous, harass the bird head?
Something isnât right.
âOf course, that regressor doesnât know your identity, chirp.â
ââ¦Thatâs a relief.â
âI donât care. No matter how this life ends, it will be a happy ending for some people and a sad ending for others.â
The cold words left me with nothing to say.
When I was an extra outside the main characters, I had the same thoughts as the Guide.
There was silence for a moment.
âCan I really get involved in the battle of the main characters?â
My black hair fluttered in the morning wind.
âIt will be cold. Cover with this.â
I put a handkerchief over the bird in case it was cold because of the wind.
âIâll give you one piece of advice for the third question, chirp.â
âRight now?â
âChirp.â
The bird head, who had been watching my actions carefully, opened its mouth as if it had made up its mind.
âAsk me how to reply to the letter, chirp.â
***
âH-How to reply to the letter?â
ââ¦â
ââ¦Bird head? Guide?â
ââ¦â
Come to think of it, the birdâs eyes were closed.
I watched the birdâs breathing for a long time with my eyes wide open, then hurriedly ran to the treatment room.
The bird headâs breath had stopped.