Chapter 5. The Sick Duckling

“Hey there! Bring a new veterinarian!”

A big problem occurred in the imperial palace. Bestia had begun to fall ill. The emperor’s duck no longer smiled. She no longer waddled around. She just lay on her duck-exclusive chair and cried.

— Quaaa. (I want to go home……)

“Betty! Why are you suddenly like this? Tell me.”

Caenian stayed by Bestia’s side. He gently lifted her small head to meet her eyes. Plop. A tear dropped from her blue eyes.

“Oh no!”

— Quaaa…… (I want to go home……)

When the startled Caenian removed his hand, the duck’s head fell limply. The duck with her head tilted cried sorrowfully. Bestia had only one wish. She wanted to go home. She had also told Duke.

That she would escape right away!

But he opposed it. He said it wasn’t time yet. He asked her to be patient until the emperor’s excessive duck love calmed down.

Bestia couldn’t understand how it would calm down when she was constantly by his side. Out of sight, out of mind—that’s how it should work.

“Betty, let’s talk. If you hate being the empire’s mascot, tell me. If you hate being my companion duck, I won’t force you. Just please stay healthy by my side.”

— Quack…… (No. I hate it……)

“Please, Betty. What’s going on? Hmm?”

Anyway, Bestia felt like she was going crazy. Caenian also felt like he was going crazy. His hands holding the tiny duck trembled. His fine brow was deeply furrowed with worry. Even his voice trembled. The emperor’s dignity was in shambles before the small duck.

— Quaaa…… (What do you mean? It’s all because of you. Why did you kidnap me……)

I told you to release me! I asked to be returned to the wild!

Bestia glanced at Caenian and then sat down. She was filled with resentment. She wanted to go back to the day she first became a duck. She should have desperately escaped from Caenian’s hands then. She should have run home as if her duck feet were on fire.

— Quaaa…… (Sob. I’m homesick……)

“Ah, Betty. Why are you really like this? Seeing you without energy breaks my heart.”

The duck’s sorrowful cries filled the emperor’s bedroom. Darkness fell over Caenian’s handsome face. Since Bestia stopped smiling, he too had lost his smile. He spent each day in a sensitive state.

He didn’t accept any audience requests. He only heard the results of state affairs meetings through Duke. The empire’s emperor shut himself in his bedroom and stayed by the duck’s side all day.

“Betty, my duck. I don’t know what to do with you. I really… don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to send you away like that squirrel from the past.”

The imperial veterinarians who couldn’t find Bestia’s illness were all fired. The newly hired ones were the same. The veterinarian scheduled to come today was clearly destined to be fired within a day.

“Betty, my duck. Please give me a hint with this board. If there’s something you want, I’ll grant it all. Please, just say something.”

— Quack. (If I ask you to send me home… will you grant it?)

“Please. Don’t leave my side in any way, Betty. I’m afraid of losing you.”

— Quack…… (Forget it……)

Caenian begged and begged. He was anxious about losing the duck like the squirrel that had died because of him. But even so, he didn’t think about releasing the duck by his side.

“Betty, this is troublesome. I brought you to the imperial palace to make you live happily, but what do I do if you’re sick?”

— Quack…… (I miss Grandma and Grandpa……)

Betty was a special duck he had picked up. She was the first endangered animal he had saved with his own hands. Moreover, with blue eyes and intelligence capable of conversation, he couldn’t give up his desire. Blue eyes. Capable of conversation… At this point in his thoughts, something occurred to him.

‘Your Majesty, I can understand the thoughts of your duck Betty. If you’re curious, please find me.’

The human Betty with the same name as his duck.

“Ah. Oh! Why didn’t I think of that?”

Caenian jumped up. Now wasn’t the time to look for a veterinarian. He needed to find that woman.

“Hey there! Call Chancellor Schubien! Bring his messenger too! Right now!”

“Chancellor, why did you come alone?”

“Your Majesty, it’s currently 2 AM. That child is still young and should be in dreamland at this hour.”

Late at night. Duke, who had been summoned to the palace, rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he spoke.

“I called for you at 9 PM. Wouldn’t it be better for you to first acknowledge that you’re late?”

“Your Majesty, I humbly report that this body, a mere old beastman, sleeps heavily at night and lightly in the morning. So, following the logic that the early bird gets tired……”

“That’s enough. I’m not in the mood for wordplay. No veterinarian has been able to identify Betty’s illness. Call that woman immediately, Chancellor.”

“Ahem.”

The atmosphere grew cold at the stern command. Duke looked at Bestia. The duck, who had fallen asleep exhausted from crying, looked pitiful. He could hardly continue looking at her out of guilt. He hadn’t expected her to lose her strength this quickly.

For a moment, his granddaughter who had died early flickered before his eyes. Duke racked his brain for Bestia’s sake. This was the last chance.

“Your Majesty, I will ask that child to come to the garden. Please wait there.”

“The garden? Why the garden?”

“When she met Your Majesty before, she said she was frightened by how majestic the audience hall was. Your Majesty’s bedchamber is even more splendid, so wouldn’t a young girl be even more startled?”

Growing old, his cunning had increased these days. The lies flowed smoothly.

“Oh. That makes sense. I’ll do as the Chancellor says. Then our Betty……”

“She’s sound asleep, so leave her here.”

“Alone?”

“Not alone, Your Majesty. Look, there’s Bonobono.”

— Kihi!

Duke, who had been spouting coherent nonsense, pointed at Bonobono. The quick-witted primate made a sound as if he had been waiting. Caenian frowned.

“That fellow looks like he’s going to ask for gold coins again.”

— Kihihik?

“What if you give him some? Stingy… mmph.”

“Chancellor, do you not want there to be a tomorrow?”

But there was no other way. Caenian, with an urgent heart, left the room first.

Bang!

“Oh my, my legs are so wobbly……”

“Be careful! You’ll wake our Betty!”

Duke didn’t follow immediately but began to act. He pretended to limp and knocked over a table. Caenian burst out at the old beastman’s physical comedy.

“Ha, haha. I’m sorry, Your Majesty. C-carefully……”

Bang, crash!

“Chancellor! What are you trying to do!”

“Oh dear. Your Majesty, Betty hasn’t woken up yet. I’m coming. I should come.”

Bang! Crash!

“Chancellor! Are you crazy?”

“Oh dear. Oh dear. Since she’s not a nocturnal bird, her night vision is poor.”

Three loud noises came from the emperor’s bedroom. Duke, who had committed an audacious act, soon followed Caenian out.

“Betty, wake up. Let’s go home.”

As a bonus, he whispered toward the inside of the bedroom before closing the door.

Thump thump.

The two men walked side by side down the corridor.

“The palace is as quiet as a mouse.”

Caenian’s brow furrowed deeply as he surveyed the surroundings. The number of guards standing at regular intervals in the corridor seemed to have decreased significantly.

“They’re probably afraid that if they make even a peep, they’ll incur the wrath of Your Majesty, whose mood hasn’t been good lately.”

“But what good is it if even the guards are gone like this? I have a bad feeling.”

Caenian was in a bad mood but couldn’t get too angry. These days, he knew that the palace people were just watching his moods. Their faces were similar to those who had feared the previous emperor. Having made such expressions himself, his heart felt heavy.

The emperor’s shoulders drooped as he walked down the corridor where darkness had fallen. It was all because of the duck who was wasting away.

“Your Majesty, please go to the garden first. I will bring that child.”

“I can’t quite trust those words of yours either, Chancellor.”

“If you don’t trust me, who will you trust, Your Majesty?”

“Hurry up. I’m very uneasy about leaving Betty alone.”

— Quack? (What was that just now? Why is the room like this?)

At that time, in Caenian’s bedroom, Bestia, who had woken from a light sleep, looked around. The emperor’s bedroom was a mess. It was as if a thief had come and gone while she had dozed off.

— Quack? (Is this Bonobono’s doing?)

Bestia looked at Bonobono.

Click!

— Kihihihihik!

— Quack! Quack! Quack! (Oh my! What! Ahh! Let go! Save the duck!)

Bonobono, who had left his cage, grabbed Bestia and ran out of the room.

Twenty minutes after Bonobono’s duck kidnapping.

— Kahit! Ki!

— Quack! (You want me to ride this?)

— Kihihit!

— Quack? (Are you telling me to leave the imperial palace?)

One primate and one duck were in front of a carriage. Bestia looked back. The imperial palace she had wanted to leave so badly was behind her.

— Quaaa. (This can’t be. I’m leaving so easily.)

— Kihi!

Bonobono laughed, showing his white teeth at Bestia’s words. It was ridiculous. The method to leave the imperial palace was simple.

Bonobono handed one gold coin each to the guards at the door. It seemed he often went out and came back this way. Bestia was hidden in his black chest hair and couldn’t be seen.

And so, very easily and simply, she became free.

— Quack. (I can go home……)

Seeing the carriage before her, overwhelming excitement arose. But she also worried about what would happen after she disappeared.

If I disappear like this, Caenian will be sad…

Bestia pondered. The face of Caenian, who had sincerely worried about her, came to mind. Other images also flashed through her mind.

That day when he lifted her up, saying he would make her the empire’s mascot.

That time when he fought fiercely with a male duck over her.

That moment when he proudly watched her walking on the board in front of people.

But Bestia steeled her heart.

— Quack. (I’m really grateful that you like me, but it’s also a clear fact that there are people waiting and worrying about me.)

Hop! As she boarded the carriage, she reaffirmed her resolve. She also made a plan to transform into a human after passing through the wide garden and the final iron gate.

— Kihihik!

— Quaa! (Thank you!)

Clatter! The carriage began to move for departure. Bestia looked at Bonobono. Bonobono waved his hand toward the carriage that was starting to move away. Bestia also raised her small white wings to respond to the farewell.

Goodbye, everyone.

I’m leaving behind the emperor’s obsession and the constraints of the imperial palace to find my family.

* * *