“Sigh… Fine. I’ll give you three gold coins. Now hand over Betty.”

— Kihihit!

The early morning negotiation ended like this. The winner was Bonobono. Bestia was transferred to Caenian’s hands. Bonobono also fondled the received gold coins with a satisfied face.

“Bring iron chains immediately and wrap Bonobono’s cage tightly!”

— Kihiik?

And as if he had been waiting for this, Caenian issued a stern command. Bonobono’s eyes filled with dismay.

— Quack. (I thought I was going to die of fear.)

“Betty, it’s alright now. You’re safe. To think I slept comfortably without even knowing you were gone. How shameful.”

— Quack Quaaack…… (I was actually sleeping well too until I woke up……)

To think it was in Bonobono’s arms…

Bestia looked back. She saw the cage tightly wrapped with thick iron chains. Bonobono showed some dissatisfaction briefly but soon didn’t care. He seemed to prefer the gold coins in his hand.

“Getting worked up from the morning has made me quite lethargic.”

— Quack. (Me too.)

Caenian looked tired. He dismissed everyone and firmly locked the door. Even Potters left, so only the three of them remained in the room.

— Kihit!

Bonobono laughed from one corner. Caenian leaned his body obliquely on the sofa. Of course, Bestia was on his chest.

“Nothing happened, right?”

— Quack Quaaack. (Well… I just bit his finger for a moment.)

“Anyway, you’ve been through a lot, Betty. Let me apologize on his behalf. He’s not bad, but his high intelligence is the problem. He covets everything I have, at least once.”

— Quack? (Really? Why?)

“I shouldn’t have criticized Princess Harael for being raised too indulgently. I also gave in to all of his whims. It’s too late to regret it now, but……”

Caenian began a monologue that resembled a conversation. He was stroking Bestia as he spoke.

Having no friend to talk comfortably with, he had used animals as conversation partners since childhood. In the past, that subject was Bonobono. And now it had become Bestia.

“It’s all good that he understands everything I say and thinks like a human. But because of that, I feel a wall, you know?”

— Quack? (Wall?)

“Perhaps, even you, Betty, a special duck……”

— Quack? (Me?)

“No. I don’t want to think about it. By the way, why does your heart feel like it’s beating so fast?”

Caenian stopped mid-sentence and changed the topic to something completely different. Bestia, who had been listening, stuck out her bill. Something felt off, but she couldn’t identify the reason. Instead, she knew something else clearly, so she narrowed her eyes.

— Quack! (Take your hand off my chest!)

“Is your startled heart from being captured by Bonobono still not calmed?”

— Quack. (This is my normal heart rate.)

Tap! Bestia swung her wing. Caenian laughed at the feeble wing flap. The back of his hand that was hit by the wing felt ticklish.

“You mean don’t touch you?”

— Quack. (Now you understand.)

“But touching you makes me feel good, what should I do? You’re soft and squishy, I want to stroke you and rub you against my cheek. Sometimes I even want to bite you hard.”

— Quack? (Are you a pervert?)

“Maybe I am a pervert……”

They both said the same thing simultaneously. Bestia pursed her bill and then sharply turned her head. The emperor’s smile as he looked at her was too bright.

“Anyway… Betty. Why do I like you so much?”

— Quack! (Mommy!)

Bestia couldn’t collect herself at the sudden confession. And the warm touch was continuing. Add to that the loving gaze she was receiving, and her chest felt ticklish.

Thump thump.

Her heart beat rapidly. The heart rate that she had just claimed was normal soared high. Her body felt hot. This was definitely a flutter of the heart. The tips of her duck feet curled.

“Wait a minute, Betty. Your heart is beating even faster than before? That’s strange. Are you really not sick somewhere?”

That’s when it happened. The touch that had been caressing the embarrassed Bestia suddenly stopped. Caenian tilted his head sideways. After putting his ear to Bestia’s chest, he furrowed his brow.

— Quack…… (No. You idiot……)

“Oh no! This is definitely a problem. We need to see a veterinarian right away. Just hang in there a little longer, Betty.”

— Quack…… (Sigh……)

Caenian jumped up from his seat. He alone was serious. Bestia shook her head, but it was in vain.

Bang!

As the door closed forcefully, making the room vibrate, Bonobono, who had been fiddling with his gold coins, turned his head.

— Kihi?

He was suddenly alone in the bedroom.

“Chancellor!”

“Oh my! Your Majesty, what brings you to this humble place?”

“I was going to call a veterinarian but came here urgently. I thought this side might be more competent than that side.”

Caenian, who had rushed out of the room with the duck, went not to where the veterinarian was, but to Duke’s office.

“What? How could I be more competent than a veterinarian……”

“Betty is acting strange.”

“Pardon?”

“Her heart is beating like it might burst, so I’d like you to take a look.”

— Quack. (I’m not sick, so ignore it.)

Caenian placed Bestia down from his arms with a serious face. This was opposite to Bestia sighing.

“Her heart, Your Majesty?”

Duke alternately looked at the two who had barged into his office. News that Bonobono and the emperor had made a financial transaction had already spread throughout the imperial palace.

“Yes. I think she’s still unsettled from being captured by Bonobono. Ah… that Bonobono, really.”

— Quack. (That has nothing to do with it. I’m not sick, Grandpa Chancellor.)

When Caenian spoke, Bestia followed. Duke just listened quietly. He wondered what he should examine when she herself said she wasn’t sick. Caenian stared intently at Duke.

“Chancellor, what are you doing? Aren’t you going to examine our Betty?”

“Pardon? Ah, but Your Majesty, in my view… Betty doesn’t look like a sick duck.”

“What? That’s impossible! Her complexion is so pale! And her heart is fluttering wildly!”

— Quaaack. (What can I do about having white feathers.)

Bestia shrugged her shoulders. She opened her bill slightly, looking  exasperated. Duke had similar thoughts.

“Hehe. Yes. I will examine her properly, Your Majesty. Should I come to Your Majesty in 10 minutes again this time?”

He just couldn’t express it. Duke focused on managing his expression. Since the emperor said she looked sick, he had to at least pretend to do something. But the problem came next.

“No, I want to watch here. How the Chancellor treats Betty. This time I want to see it clearly with my own eyes.”

“Pardon?”

Caenian didn’t leave. He even pulled up a chair and sat down.

“Why. Is there a reason I shouldn’t watch?”

“Ah, that’s not it……”

“Then quickly examine Betty. Pretend it’s just the two of you.”

Duke felt cold sweat running down his forehead. Bestia also glanced around nervously.

Grandpa Chancellor. What should we do?

Well. I don’t know either.

The two beastmen communicated with their eyes.

It would be strange if you understood all my quacking.

That’s what I’m saying.

But even that stopped soon. It was because Caenian was watching with eagle eyes.

“Ahem. Now… let’s see. Let’s see. Her heart is beating like it might burst, you said……”

— Quaaack. (Your acting skills are terrible.)

Duke scratched his forehead in embarrassment. He placed Bestia on his palm and pretended to examine her. Bestia narrowed her eyes in frustration. Behind them, Caenian was shooting expectant glances.

“Let’s see, if you have any pain besides your heart beating fast, quack once?”

— …….

“Quiet. Then if you’re not in pain at all, and your heart beating fast occasionally is natural, quack twice?”

— Quack… Quack…… (Do we really have to do this?)

“Oh my. She answers well too. Such a good duck. Your Majesty, Betty is not sick.”

The examination ended in just 30 seconds. Duke put Bestia down with a refreshed face. He looked like he had just taken a load off his mind.

— Quack. (I’m worried.)

Bestia glanced at Caenian. That was the moment when one of Caenian’s eyebrows twitched.

“Chancellor, are you mocking me right now?”

“Oh my, Your Majesty. How could I? As Your Majesty well knows, Betty is a smart duck who understands human speech. That’s why the diagnosis comes out so quickly, Your Majesty.”

“If you were going to do it like this, I wouldn’t have brought Betty here in the first place.”

“Hmm… I never asked you to bring her……”

“Chancellor.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Examine her carefully again. Betty is a companion duck that I cherish very much. Don’t you already know that, Chancellor?”

Caenian wanted excessive medical care. Duke had no choice but to put in a bit more effort.

He asked Bestia various questions and listened to her answers. He even unnecessarily took her to the window and examined her in the sunlight.

— Quack. Quack! (Wait a minute. What kind of play-acting is this!)

“Hehe. That’s what I’m wondering too.”

Bestia, who had been playing along for about 10 minutes, let out a quack! It was the moment her patience reached its limit. Duke burst into laughter. Even he thought this situation was funny. But there was one person whose face turned cold. It was Caenian.

“You two seem to be getting along very well?”

“Pardon?”

“I didn’t know the relationship between the Chancellor and Betty was this close?”

Caenian raised the end of each sentence. The questioning tone that sounded threatening pierced the ear. Earlier he had been worried with a sad face, but now his face was distorted with jealousy.

— Quack. (We’re doomed.)

Bestia tightly closed her yellow bill. Duke, who had been thinking of how to smooth things over, opened his mouth.

“Your Majesty, are you… perhaps jealous right now?”

“I am. Why. Is there a problem if I feel a little jealous?”

“It’s not that it’s a problem, but……”

“Hand Betty over to me, Chancellor.”

It was before Duke could finish speaking that Caenian, who had jumped up from his seat, reached out and snatched Bestia from Duke as if stealing her.