Chapter 6. A New Secret

“This is too much.”

“What do you mean?”

“The academy starts in ten days!”

Bestia grumbled while waiting for the door to open in front of the emperor’s audience hall.

“Didn’t you decide to take a leave of absence?”

“That’s what you pushed for, Grandpa Chancellor!”

“Was it?”

“Totally! You gave Grandpa Aesop thirty gold coins and dragged me all the way here!”

As Bestia said, Duke had handed gold coins to Aesop. It wasn’t a negative exchange of money. It could be considered a cost for inviting an important guest.

“Hmph. My worried grandma and grandpa who were concerned because I’m a beastman, pushed me out the door at the sight of gold coins… I won’t forget that!”

“Ho ho. It’s not like you’re going to prison, so what’s the problem? Just enjoy the luxurious palace life a bit longer.”

At first, Aesop and Garnet didn’t want to send Bestia away. But after hearing about the situation from Duke, they changed their minds. It absolutely wasn’t because of the thirty gold coins they received.

“That’s not what’s important. I want to graduate with my friends… if I take a leave, I’ll be the only one who’s delayed.”

“Ho ho. But you still got on the carriage in the end.”

“Th-that’s because I had no choice. They said His Majesty had fallen ill because I disappeared……”

Bestia, who had been angrily shouting, quickly lowered her voice. She had nothing to say even with ten mouths. They said government affairs had come to a standstill. All because one duck had disappeared. Bestia clutched the hem of her dress. The abundant lace crumpled in her sweaty hands.

“Ahem. I also didn’t know His Majesty would be so sincere about a duck.”

“Me neither. Just play with Bonobono.”

“Bonobono fights with him every day… ahem. Never mind.”

“What?”

“Anyway, let’s go in. His Majesty seemed like he would die soon without you.”

“……”

“Please, Bestia.”

The door opened at the perfect timing. Bestia entered carefully. The emperor was there in front.

Seeing him after a long time, even at a glance…

“You dare to stand me up and now you show your face?”

What? I heard he lost weight, but he looks even more handsome? To remain so striking despite hardship!

“Ah. Um… well……”

Bestia was flustered. She couldn’t even hear Caenian’s words. She forgot to bow her head. The man who had lost weight from emotional distress captured her gaze with his even more handsome face.

“Betty, hurry.”

Poke. Duke jabbed Bestia, who couldn’t collect herself, in the side. Bestia hurriedly showed her manners.

“Your Majesty, I am Betty. I greet you after a long time.”

“No need for greetings. Is it true that you know Betty’s whereabouts?”

The reason Caenian, who had been refusing all audiences, was present at the reception was simple. He had heard from Duke that his duck had been found.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Not only do I know, but she is in my room.”

“What? And you came alone instead of bringing her right away?”

That’s why he had come to the audience hall after so long. At the thought of meeting his lost duck again, he had put on his best clothes and sat down.

As soon as the audience hall door opened, he expected the duck to waddle in!

Waddle my foot!

The duck he had naturally expected to meet right away wasn’t in front of him. The Betty who appeared before him wasn’t a duck but a human.

“Are you testing the emperor now!”

Caenian immediately became angry. His face changed frighteningly.

“No, Your Majesty. I wouldn’t dare. Your small duck is also looking forward to meeting you.”

“Then why not bring her right away!”

“But before that, I would like you to make a promise with me, Your Majesty.”

“I should make a promise with you? What, and why should I do that?”

Bestia spoke her prepared words to Caenian, who was glaring at her. Then she took out two sheets of paper that she had prepared with Duke.

“This is it, Your Majesty.”

The document was passed to Caenian through a servant’s hands. Tension filled the quiet atmosphere.

『Duck Meeting Agreement』

“Ha!? Are you mocking me now?”

Caenian let out a gasp. Bestia calmly opened her mouth.

“No, Your Majesty. That agreement was created at Betty’s request.”

“What? How can I believe your words?”

“It may be hard to believe, but you must believe it.”

“Why?”

“Because, as I told you before, I can understand the thoughts of animals.”

Amid the sharp exchange of words, silence fell after Bestia’s final statement. Caenian scrutinized the woman in front of him with sharp eyes. He didn’t even glance at the paper in his hand.

“…So the contents written in this agreement are what Betty wants?”

He finally spoke after a while, but his gaze remained the same. Everyone present looked at Bestia with tense faces.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I am merely conveying Betty’s words as an animal communicator.”

“This is absurd. Do you think I would be fooled by your flimsy self-made term and unverified profession!”

Bang!

No sooner had Caenian finished speaking than he slammed his fist down. The solid armrest of the imperial throne was dented.

“Betty said that she has a family too. She appreciates Your Majesty’s love, but she had to return home.”

“She has a family? Then why was she alone in that alley?”

“She says she was attracted by the sweet smell of strawberries and got lost while moving around.”

Bestia didn’t lose her nerve. The lies flowed smoothly. Practicing during the carriage ride had paid off. The only question was whether Caenian would believe it…

“I see… No wonder she ate strawberries so hastily.”

Easy success!

“Yes. And she says that no matter how hungry she gets, she absolutely hates worms.”

“Sigh… I see. If I had known a little earlier, I wouldn’t have built a worm farm of a hundred pyeong¹100 평 (pyeong) ≈ 330.58 square meters ≈ 3,558.4 square feet.”

Caenian gradually seemed to believe the smooth lies. His expression was as if he were being entranced. By now, his gaze toward the agreement was also serious.

“Your Majesty, Betty said she would visit you once a week.”

Bestia began negotiations in earnest. Of course, it was closer to a one-sided demand than a negotiation. She recited the clauses written in the agreement herself. Only then did Caenian place his gaze on the paper.

“…It’s written here. But what is this condition?”

Soon his brow furrowed deeply.

“Do you mean the condition that she won’t come if she hears news that Your Majesty is neglecting state affairs?”

“Ha! Betty… how could you… not understand my heart!”

“Betty is deeply distressed at the thought that the empire’s foundational stability might be shaken because of her.”

“Ha! And she disappeared without a word…!”

Caenian’s laments continued. The unexpected condition brought him back to his senses. With feelings of both injustice and shame, he couldn’t raise his head.

Even a mere duck worries about the prosperity of the empire, yet the emperor—!

Yes. I was the only trash here!

How truly disappointing!

Slap slap. The man, reflecting on himself, hit his own cheeks. The sight was strange. Bestia flinched and took a step back. She turned around and met Duke’s eyes.

Grandpa Duke. Has His Majesty finally gone mad?

She asked with her eyes, not daring to open her mouth.

Shake shake. Duke answered with a head gesture. He also added a hand motion as if telling her to continue what she was saying. Bestia narrowed her eyes.

He doesn’t do anything himself. He’s making me do everything.

She pouted before looking forward again. Fortunately, Caenian’s self-flagellation had stopped. He seemed to have returned to normal. She felt somewhat relieved seeing him seriously looking at the agreement.

“Hmm……”

The man who had regained his imperial dignity exhaled heavily. Bestia gulped. Caenian’s reaction was unusual. She feared he might say he didn’t need such an agreement and demand the duck be brought immediately.

Believing my words and putting the emperor’s signature down are different matters.

If he simply orders me to bring the duck without asking questions… I’ll have to obey.

Bestia precisely understood the difficulty of this problem. Duke had worried about this too. No matter how much he liked ducks, expecting the emperor to sign willingly was risky. Yet they had proceeded for one reason.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

“Um, Your Majesty… if you look at the next clause……”

“Hup…!”

“……?”

So Bestia gathered her courage again. She spoke through the suffocating silence. But Caenian’s response was somehow strange.

“Excuse me… Your Majesty…?”

He suddenly covered his mouth with his hand and couldn’t continue speaking. A light flush rose on his face, contrasting with his pale skin.

What’s wrong with him?

It was a puzzling situation. Bestia blinked.

“Kup… Could this be… our Betty’s footprint?”

“Ah… yes. That’s right, Your Majesty. You just need to sign next to it. We’ll each keep one copy—”

“Khup… so… cute.”

“…You will sign it, won’t you, Your Majesty?”

As the conversation somehow continued, Caenian breathed heavily with his face covered by his palm. His last words made the whole situation clear. Bestia looked at him as if he were crazy. She secretly let out a deep sigh.

He really has gone mad…

“Ha… my Betty. Your playing hard to get is remarkable. How could I not be heartbroken?”

“……”

The man who had momentarily gone crazy laughed and cried. He couldn’t take his eyes off the agreement in his hand. More precisely, the duck footprints on the agreement captured his gaze.

There were two adorable duck footprints right before his eyes. With the agreement on his knee, it felt as if the duck were standing on it.