“Your Majesty, I’ve brought food for the duck.”

“Oh! Bring it here. My duck is very hungry. But what did you bring?”

Several servants approached quickly. On the large table, a variety of items appeared: seaweed, clover, strawberries, fragrant flowers, sunflower seeds, breadcrumbs. And even wriggling worms. Caenian’s face lit up.

“We prepared as much as possible to ensure the duck’s palate is satisfied, Your Majesty.”

“Excellent! Your promptness has given me great satisfaction.”

“I’m honored, Your Majesty.”

“This is the appropriate attitude for the position of chamberlain. I shall reward you.”

Caenian carefully set Bestia down. The chamberlain bowed deeply and stepped back. Unlike the chamberlain whose smile reached his ears, Bestia stuck out her bill in displeasure.

─ Quaack. (What am I supposed to eat.)

“Duckie, go ahead and eat. I prepared everything because I didn’t know what you’d like.”

─ Quaaack! (That’s why I’m asking what I’m supposed to eat!)

Bestia diligently walked between the plates. She looked around, examining what was on the plates, but there was nothing she wanted to eat. No, there was nothing she felt like eating.

─ Quaack quack. (I want some soup.)

“Your Majesty, this duck probably…”

“Teacher, shush! They say even dogs shouldn’t be disturbed while eating. Be quiet so the duck can focus on the food.”

Caenian spoke sternly. Meanwhile, he offered Bestia one of the plates.

“Here, duck. How about these worms?”

─ Quack! (I hate worms!)

Bestia screamed loudly. The worms on the plate flinched.

“Not worms, then.”

Caenian tilted his head and withdrew the plate. Muala, who was watching from the side, quietly sighed.

─ Quaack. (What should I do.)

Bestia’s worries deepened as every menu item seemed to be lacking something. But she had no choice. She had to eat one of these. She was hungry and her legs were wobbling. Her yellow duck feet had turned almost white.

─ Quack. (I guess strawberries are the least bad option.)

“Ooh! Strawberries, is it!”

The cute yellow bill poked at a red strawberry. Caenian let out an exclamation. Bestia devoured all three strawberries in one spot. The sweet scent of strawberries filled the office.

─ Quack! (I’m full!)

The strawberries were an excellent choice. They replenished her depleted sugar levels and moistened her throat. If she had eaten the breadcrumbs, she probably would have choked.

“Are you full? Your belly has quickly become plump!”

─ Quack! (Don’t touch!)

Caenian quickly picked up Bestia after she finished eating. He patted the duck’s belly, now filled with strawberries, with satisfaction. Bestia slapped his hand with her small wing.

“Now, let’s go.”

─ Quack? (Where to?)

After feeding Bestia strawberries, Caenian immediately headed for the bedroom. Of course, with one duck in tow. After walking for a while through the sparkling marble corridor, they arrived at an incredibly luxurious place.

“Duck, this is my bedroom. From today, it’s your bedroom too.”

─ Quaack! (I don’t need it!)

As expected, the emperor’s bedroom was different. The ceiling was incredibly high. Rare and precious items filled every corner. Caenian secretly hoped Bestia would be impressed, but of course, that didn’t happen.

─ Quack quack! (I don’t like it here!)

Rather, she threw a tantrum with the energy she had gained from the strawberries. The quacking sound she made in the middle of the night echoed all around. At that sound, a small noise came from one corner.

─ Keehee!

“Oh. Bonobono, are you awake?”

─ Quaack! (You startled me!)

Bestia jumped in surprise. She had been tapping the carpet on the floor with her duck feet. Caenian laughed and then hugged Bestia to his chest again, heading towards the source of the sound.

─ Qua, quaack! (W, wait a moment!)

“Duck, this is Bonobono. It’s an animal called a bonobo, a kind of primate. I’m not sure if you’ll understand.”

─ Keekeeheeek!

─ Quaack! (That cry is so creepy!)

“Oh. It’s extending its hand in welcome. That’s good. As expected, being intelligent, it seems to know it should take care of a young animal.”

The introduction came suddenly without warning. Bestia’s blue eyes were filled with the image of a black primate. A body covered in fur, a small head with long arms, a distinct parting in the middle of its head, and protruding lips.

─ Qua, quack? (H, hello?)

─ Keehik!

─ Quack! (You startled me!)

Bestia raised one wing in greeting. The tip of her wing trembled slightly. Bonobono stared at her for a moment before letting out a loud cry. Startled, Bestia jumped.

“Bonobono, you need to lower your voice a bit. The duck’s heart might not survive.”

─ Keekik.

“Yes, that volume is good. You’re really smart. All the animals I’ve taken in are so intelligent. I guess this is what they mean by birds of a feather flock together.”

─ Quack. (Self-praise.)

He’s starting to say weird things again.

Bestia learned to give up in just half a day. She no longer had the strength to resist. When Caenian held her in his arms, she stayed still. She was overcome with sleepiness.

─ Quaack. (I ended up falling asleep.)

It was the next day. Unlike the day that felt incredibly long, the night was short. It seemed like she had just closed her eyes for a moment, but it was already morning.

─ Quack quack! (I can’t believe I’m still a duck today!)

She recounted the day while receiving the morning sunlight through the window. Yesterday was a day when many events hit like a storm. Not only did she get to participate in the Peace New Year’s Parade she had wanted to see, but she also had her first overnight stay away from home in the form of a duck.

─ Quack! (Oh God!)

Somehow, it felt like her peaceful life had become thoroughly tangled. If only she hadn’t turned into a duck, she could have lived as a human for her entire life.

“Duck, you’re up early.”

It was then, as Bestia was raising her wings high with a serious face on the soft cushion from early morning. As she was calling out to a god she had never believed in before, Caenian approached, smelling strongly of soap. Her eyes were naturally drawn to his more splendid official attire than yesterday.

─ Quaack. (Sigh.)

He is handsome, I’ll give him that.

How could I not be surprised when he shed tears with that face?

Bestia had strange thoughts while looking at Caenian. She kept remembering the scene from the Memorial Hall. She also recalled when he saved her from the thieves before that.

The red-haired man shining in the sunlight had instantly captured her attention. Even before she knew he was the emperor, she thought he was handsome.

─ Quaaack. (The way you treat me when I turned human and when I’m a duck is so different.)

Of course, now she was looking at Caenian with more complicated feelings, but the feeling of receiving both the affection and dislike of a handsome man was… strange.

“Your Majesty, do you really intend to keep this duck in the imperial palace?”

While Bestia was quacking to herself on Caenian’s palm, Duke arrived. Caenian tilted his head with a displeased expression at the criticism he faced first thing in the morning and turned around.

“Chancellor, why are you asking such a thing this early in the morning? There’s no rule saying animals can’t be in the palace.”

“But Your Majesty, you already have Bonobono. With your busy schedule of state affairs, keeping two animals…”

“Bonobono is all grown up. He eats by himself and wanders around the palace as he pleases.”

“What does that have to do with the duck-“

“Chancellor.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Caenian stroked the duck while listening to Duke. His touch on the duck in his palm was gentle, but his gaze towards Duke was cold. The atmosphere was not good. Bestia could only roll her eyes without saying anything.

“This baby duck has no parents.”

“What? H-how do you know that, Your Majesty…”

“When I first saw it, it was about to be beaten by some nasty fellows. Such a young duck wouldn’t survive in the wild. It needs a guardian, that’s what I’m saying!”

“Ah.”

─ Quaaack? (I don’t need a guardian like you though?)

However, she had a feeling the conversation was taking an odd turn. Bestia narrowed her eyes.

Caenian’s personality was, how should I put it… a bit extreme?

The vulnerable side he showed when they were alone. His authoritative demeanor as the emperor of the empire. His flustered behavior when looking at her. His attitude changed drastically each time. At this point, she was curious about what other aspects he might have.

─ Quack! Quaaack! (No. Don’t be curious!)

No. She almost got swept up in a strange atmosphere. Bestia looked at Duke. It was a gaze asking for help.

─ Quaaack? Quaquack. (Does the emperor have time to take care of me? Just tell him to let me go.)