— Quack! (I don’t have time! Time!)

She had heard the records archive was very large. Excavated horizontally underground, it was said to be the size of an entire palace.

An entire palace!

— Quack? (If I go every day for the next 90 days, can I search it all?)

Shake shake.

Impossible. First, the emperor who had started fondling her would have to hand her over to Duke…

“Betty, I think I made a mistake signing the agreement.”

— Quack!? (Eek!?)

“Setting a date to part ways and continuing our meetings… it feels like waiting for the day of my death.”

It didn’t seem like he would hand her over easily. Bestia felt anxious. Caenian sometimes looked at her with this persistent gaze and dejected voice.

— Quack? (I’m not going to die?)

Rub rub.

“This warmth, this softness. I don’t want to let it go.”

— Quack…… (Get… away……)

As the mood became gloomy, she tried raising her voice, but it was useless. After being rubbed against his cheek, she was tightly embraced, and her voice soon changed to a squeezed sound.

“But… unlike me, you have family and friends, so I should let you go.”

— Quack? (Huh?)

“……”

— ……

Bestia, who had been pecking Caenian’s chest with her bill, suddenly stopped. Something felt strange. She rolled her blue eyeballs around, thinking about the cause of the problem.

— Quack, quack!? (Unlike me, family, friends!?)

The answer came quickly. There was a hint in Caenian’s words. It was a belated response to what she had said when demanding the agreement renewal.

— Quack! (Gasp! I misspoke!)

Her head rang with a ding! and her heart dropped with a thud! simultaneously.

— Quaaack! (I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you!)

Bestia spread her small wings wide. She looked up while embracing Caenian’s chest. His melancholic face came into view. His bitter smile was both beautiful and heartbreaking.

— Quack! (I’m sorry! Your Majesty!)

Her blue eyes quickly moistened. Now she fully understood what thoughtless words she had uttered, despite being parentless herself. Bestia clung to the silent Caenian and quacked apologetically several times.

“Betty, I’m sorry for calling you so suddenly today. But I want to be with you. Please understand.”

Caenian finally spoke after a long while.

Nod nod!

A duck with tears welling in her eyes nodded vigorously.

* * *

Waddle waddle.

— Quack. (This is actually nice.)

Late at night, a white duck trotted down the corridor. It was the tenth day of sticking close to the depressed Caenian. She had discovered some incredible information.

— Quaaack. (There are no guards on the days Bonobono sneaks out.)

Bonobono disappeared late at night every other day. Though she didn’t know where he went, it helped her. Thanks to him, she could move around freely too.

But is it okay to have such lax security? What if people with bad intentions try something?

Waddle waddle.

— Quack. (Whatever. Just hurry to the library!)

Bestia walked as fast as her duck feet could carry her. This was her first time coming this far.

On the first day Bonobono disappeared, she just watched cautiously until morning came. On the second day, she waited to see when he left and when he returned. On the third day, she followed him out without being caught, just surveying the surroundings before returning.

And today, for the first time, she had made up her mind to go all the way to the library.

Creak.

— Quack…… (Careful… careful……)

Upon reaching the library, Bestia carefully placed her foot inside. Fortunately, the door was slightly open, so she could squeeze her body through.

Being a duck is good at times like this.

Being small reduced the chances of being spotted by Famil.

Pitter patter.

Bestia moved while staying as close as possible to the bookshelves and tables.

— Quack? (But how do I get into the records archive?)

She knew the location. The information that the talkative Famil had muttered to himself was definitely helpful. But there was a problem.

— Quack. (It’s tightly closed. Even a lock… huh?)

No, what she thought was a problem had disappeared.

The lock is open?

Her eyes suddenly widened. Bestia looked around in surprise. She even glanced up at Famil who was absorbed in reading at the librarian’s desk. Did he forget to lock it?

— Quaaack. (That can’t be. But whatever.)

She didn’t have time to worry about unnecessary things. Bestia immediately stepped forward. Twenty days had already passed. During that time, she needed to distance herself from the emperor and find information about duck beastmen.

Busy. So busy.

Her steps quickened. She safely passed through the door and descended the cold stone stairs.

— Quack? (Wait, what if someone locks the padlock?)

In the middle of her descent, extreme fear washed over her. Looking up, the door was already far away. Looking ahead, a double door. And the enormous amount of materials that would be inside.

— …Quack. (…If I get locked in, I’ll just have to quack loudly.)

Bestia started moving again. Now she could change her form freely without the transparent orb Duke had given her. It was thanks to the freshwater pearl necklace, her duck beastman family heirloom.

Creak… Creeeak.

The double door opened with a very faint sound. At the same time, the duck transformed into a human.

“I can’t open books with duck wings, can I?”

Bestia gently stroked the pearl necklace and stepped inside. The acrid smell of old books filled her lungs.

“It’s so… vast……”

The records archive was truly impressive in size. The rows of bookshelves stretched endlessly, their ends not visible.

“I don’t know when the lock will be open again.”

Since I’ve come in, I should look around as much as possible, right?

With determination, Bestia began to venture deeper inside.

Riiip.

“……?”

But she didn’t get more than a few steps. A strange sound stopped her.

Rip.

…The sound of tearing pages?

“Someone must be here. Maybe that’s why the lock was open?”

Bestia hesitated. The sound of tearing paper came from just across from her. If she took five steps forward and turned her head, she would likely face whoever it was.

If she didn’t go forward, the materials in the back were limited, but if she went, she feared being caught sneaking in.

Rip, riiip.

“……”

Gulp.

Let’s quietly pass by!

Bestia swallowed dry and raised her heels. She hoped that if she walked very carefully, she wouldn’t be noticed. The person was so busy tearing books that they probably wouldn’t look to the side.

One step, two steps… five…….

Slip!

“Aaah!”

Crash!

I’m doomed.

I was so nervous I forgot to hold up my skirt while walking!

Now I see this is a trap?!

After I said I wanted to enter the records archive, the door just happens to be open!

Fool! I fell right into the trap!

Bestia squeezed her eyes shut at the terrible thought. Since she had defied the emperor’s words, this time for sure—

I’m, I’m going to prison!

“…Huh?”

She pulled at her hair at the thought of being dragged away soon. It was pitch black in front of her eyes… but quiet?

What’s going on? Why isn’t anyone saying ‘Caught you! You rascal!’?

“…Ah?”

Bestia made a stupid sound. By now, the guards who had been waiting for her should have restrained her.

But is no one here? What was that sound I heard earlier?

“…Wh-what?”

Puzzled, she slightly opened one eye and saw something unexpected. Cold stone floor, rolling dust, and nothing else.

“Did I just fall on my face and pull my hair?”

She seemed to have completely lost her mind at the thought of going to prison.

“…Aish.”

Bestia opened her other eye too. The heat that had suddenly risen now subsided.

Tap tap.

In the face of extreme shame, even getting heated was a luxury. She got up pretending nothing happened and dusted herself off.

Rip.

“What on earth is making that sound…!”

Just then, she heard that sound again. And as she tried to quickly assess the situation, her body froze.

“Oh?”

Rip.

“……”

Her hand, raised to point accusingly, stayed in place. Her eyes met those of a man holding a book. Something felt strange. His hair was black, his eyes were black. Even his well-tailored clothes were black.

But why is his face so white?

His fair skin looked like it had never seen sunlight. Overall, would you call it a cold impression?

But not entirely cold, as gold ornaments hung all over him.

Why does that atmosphere feel so familiar?

“Ohh?”

Bestia’s eyes widened as she soon realized why. The impact felt like being hit hard on the head.

Those earrings! I’ve seen them!

That necklace too!

Her sharp fingertips pointed at accessories she had seen before. Some familiar ones were originally hers. Caenian had given them to her when she was a duck, but…

Are you trying to mess with me!

How could a duck have fingers!

When she became human, she carefully put them away, knowing she would be accused of stealing the duck’s gifts if she wore them.

But you took them?!

“Hey! Bono—”

“Shut up.”

“You! You pretended to be an animal but you were a beastman! Take this fraud away immediately!”

“…Are you the emperor or something?”

“Ah! Your manner of speaking is just like his.”

That’s right. The man before her was Bonobono. Her suspicion was true. Bestia jumped up and down. She screamed regardless of whether the commotion would get her caught.

It was like a festival of shock and horror. Amidst the confusion, the man whose identity had been revealed, or rather, the beastman, shook his head.