“Your Majesty, the lake is still dangerous for Betty. How about just observing today?”

“Observing? What do you mean, Chancellor? I’ve learned that ducklings can swim within hours of being born.”

“Yes. That’s correct, but……”

“Besides, Betty isn’t just an ordinary duck! Chancellor, you know this, don’t you?”

“Ah……”

Caenian snorted and glared at Duke’s words. Even Potters beside him received that glare. Caenian spoke again.

“Speaking without knowing well.”

What do you know about this duck?

If there’s anyone who knows as well as I do, let them come forward!

That was roughly what Caenian meant.

“Ahem.”

Duke cleared his throat. As he turned his head away, the conversation ended. Bestia felt like she was going to faint.

─ Quaaack! Quaaack quack! (I’ve never swam before! What if I sink!)

Bestia lay flat on Caenian’s palm. That was all she could do. She kicked her duck feet in the air. She quacked until her throat was hoarse. Seeing this, Caenian’s face filled with contentment.

Truly an intelligent and affectionate duck. Could the thought of swimming be this delightful?

“That’s the most energetic quacking I’ve heard so far. I can feel your excitement about swimming, and I’m glad.”

─ Quaack! (That’s not it!)

“Let’s wait a bit, Betty. It seems a servant has a duck boat at home. I’ve ordered it to be brought immediately.”

─ Quaaack? (Someone actually owns that?)

Bestia, who had been quacking, narrowed her eyes, but Caenian’s eyes were full of anticipation. He was overwhelmed with the thought of crossing the lake with the duck.

The mascot duck swimming gracefully across the imperial lake.

A young emperor having tea time while watching the duck from a duck boat.

“Not a cloud in the sky, the weather is perfect.”

As if seeing a painting before his eyes, Caenian smiled. Bestia was bewildered by his excited murmuring. She even stopped flapping her wings.

A duck boat? What kind of household would even have such a thing?

“Your Majesty, the duck boat has just arrived.”

Nice timing.

Tororok. Her blue eyeballs rolled. Bestia, who had been lying down, stood up. She stretched her neck out of curiosity.

“Oh my.”

“Good grief.”

“For a duck, it’s a bit……”

─ Quaaack. (It’s bizarre.)

Silence fell when the duck boat arrived at the lakeside. Everyone had the same thought. Their expressions said it all. They had expected a white duck-shaped boat. Something small and cute, that is.

“Servant. Is this a duck? To me, it looks more like an ostrich.”

Caenian hit the nail on the head. His expression soured. The smile he had while looking at the sky completely disappeared. The servant who had proudly brought the duck boat began to sweat. He had acted hoping for a reward. Now, fear of punishment washed over him.

“Y-Your Majesty… It’s just that it’s quite old……”

“So. Is this really a duck? Did ducks in the past look like this?”

“Well… The paint has faded a bit, and the duck’s head part got slightly burned……”

“Regardless of how the emperor feels. Is it really a duck?”

“Hii, hiic! I have committed a grave sin! Your Majesty! I’ll remove it right away!”

The servant prostrated himself on the grass. The atmosphere froze. The palace had changed since Caenian brought the duck. In just two days, everyone’s nerves were on edge.

It was because of the emperor’s obsession with everything related to the duck. The news of twelve duck cloaks being made in one village had long since spread.

And how about in the palace?

Ordering to create an organic earthworm farm inside the palace.

Commanding the production of a luxury duck bag to carry the duck around…

He had done all sorts of nonsense. They knew he had a rounder personality than the previous emperor, but they didn’t know he’d be a duck nerd. People talked behind his back.

“Your Majesty, how about enjoying a picnic by the lake today?”

“Are you suggesting we disappoint Betty, who wants to swim in the lake, Chancellor?”

“That’s……”

─ Quack. (That’s not it.)

Duke quickly stepped in to salvage the situation. The problem was that he was immediately stuck, though. Bestia glared at Caenian. Her blue eyes blazed with fire.

This clueless, selfish emperor.

She cursed inwardly, then glanced at Duke. Fortunately, it seemed her inner thoughts couldn’t be heard.

“Your Majesty, I have a good idea.”

“Oh, Sir Potters. Do tell.”

It was then. All eyes turned to the large man. Even the servant who had been bowing his head slightly looked up. Bestia did the same. She had long forgotten her original purpose. The nonsense kept coming, and she was confused.

─ Quaack? Quack! (What is it? Hurry!)

She placed her hopes on Potters, at least. Among the three, he seemed the most likely to say something sensible.

“I think you should ask Betty.”

“What?”

“Oh, Sir Potters.”

Caenian furrowed his brow. It was the opposite of Duke’s favorable reaction. Encouraged by one person’s approval, Potters spoke again. This time, looking at Bestia.

“Your Majesty said that Betty is a special duck. But Your Majesty seems to forget that this special Betty has intelligence.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means you’re treating Betty just like an ordinary duck.”

At Potters’ words, everyone slapped their foreheads.

Bestia also tapped her forehead with her short wing.

Jesus. Could Potters Kleeman possibly be a genius?

Everyone thought so. They looked at him with awe. Caenian was silent. His face was full of anguish.

An ordinary duck and a special duck.

“…Is that so. Was it like that……”

Caenian murmured softly. He wanted to deny it, but he couldn’t. It was true. He recalled his first meeting with the duck.

He thought she was special when he saw her blue eyes, but that was it. He glossed over it with the excitement of saving her from danger. He was an idiot. He also remembered when he suddenly fell into depression. It was the moment he felt guilty towards Duke.

What did the duck do then?

The small duck danced with her wings in front of him. As if trying to cheer up his gloomy mood. These were things that should have made him realize she was different. He had been a blind fool.

“Thank you. You’ve opened my eyes.”

It was a moment of awakening to one more quality an emperor should possess – the ability to consider both humans and beastmen equally. Caenian, with clear eyes, patted Potters’ shoulder. His voice was full of authority.

“Your Majesty… Thank you.”

Potters bowed his head. He was relieved it was taken well. Everyone around felt the same. The atmosphere quickly softened. It was then that a smile appeared on Caenian’s lips.

“Servant, go and bring a pen and paper. Much larger than writing paper.”

Caenian called the servant who had brought the ostrich-like boat that didn’t look like a duck. The servant quickly brought the items.

“Your Majesty?”

“Everyone, come here.”

Everyone gathered at the spot prepared for the picnic. It was after Caenian had filled the paper with something.

─ Quack? (What’s this?)

Bestia stood tall on the table. She was standing on a paper filled with various phrases.

“There’s a superstition that all citizens of the Delta Empire know. The only difference is that I’m calling for Betty, not a spirit.”

“Oh! Your Majesty, this is……”

“It’s an ‘Ouija Board’!”

“So Your Majesty asks questions, and Betty answers by stepping on the corresponding letters! Brilliant!”

“Changing ‘Ouija Board’ to ‘Duck Board’! As expected, you’re amazing!”

“It’s all thanks to you all. Now, Betty. Let’s give it a try.”

The atmosphere became solemn. Bestia gulped. Everyone was looking at her. They all wondered if a duck that understood human speech would answer promptly. Even Duke, who understood her words, had visible tension on his face.

“Betty, if you don’t want to swim in that lake, go to ‘No’, if you like it, go to ‘Yes’.”

Finally, the question everyone was curious about was asked. The emperor’s duck stretched out her webbed feet. The cute yellow feet moved slowly.

Tap tap tap!

“Ooooh!”

“Sh-She moved! She moved!”

“She understood! Clearly, it’s an action showing she understood Your Majesty’s words!”

“Betty is… truly…!”

A single duck stood on the word ‘No’. She puffed up her chest and held her head high. Now Caenian had to acknowledge it. That he wouldn’t think of Betty as just a mere duck.

“We’ll forget about putting a duck boat on the lake and joining Betty for a swim.”

Everyone rejoiced at the emperor’s declaration. The servant who brought the ostrich boat was especially happy. Bestia also hopped up and down on the table.

“It feels good to have this weight off my chest. I should have done this earlier!”

“It’s amazing, Your Majesty. Betty is a great duck.”

“Of course. Whose duck is she, of course she’s great.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. You’re absolutely right.”

─ Quaaack. (The conversation between fools is unnecessarily serious.)

Bestia shook her head. She thought the people who were so happy about her small actions were foolish. Especially Caenian.

─ Quaack. (This human called emperor.)

Bestia looked up at Caenian. Their eyes met. His face, beaming with joy, was dazzling.

“Betty?”

─ Quaack. (Don’t smile with your eyes.)

A sweet call accompanied their locked gazes. Embarrassed, Bestia snorted and avoided his eyes. It felt like her heart had dropped.

Every time I think about it, why is he so nobly handsome? Is it because he’s the emperor?