I only met Bless the next morning when I returned to my room, after not seeing him all night.

He was sitting on the sofa, looking lethargic. His long hair seemed to have lost its luster today.

‘What happened?’

I sat next to Bless and examined his complexion.

“Are you… crying?”

Tears were moistly gathered in Bless’s transparent eyes.

“Yes. I’m crying.”

Bless, who spoke proudly, sniffled a little.

“Did someone bully you while I was gone?”

“No…”

“Then why are you crying? It breaks my heart.”

“Because my Master… smells only of Demian… it somehow makes me sad, and it feels like I don’t need to remain human anymore… It really hits me that you’ve completely accepted Demian…”

“Huh, what?”

Could Demian’s scent have rubbed off on me after just one night together?

Perhaps Bless could detect it because his true form was a Bird.

“You’re going to live with Demian now, right? Because you love him?”

“I do love Demian and want to live with him, but of course, Bless will be with us too. You’re my eternal friend, family, and companion.”

“I know… I think so too, but somehow I feel sad.”

For a moment, I suspected this intelligent bird might love me in a romantic sense.

“It feels like I’m losing my Master. You’re mine. You cherished me the most!”

“Bless, I’m just asking out of curiosity… do you perhaps love me the way Demian does? Like, romantically… ah, no. Forget I said anything.”

Bless suddenly frowned deeply. As if he understood my request to forget.

“Master. I’m sorry, but I like fluffy-feathered Birds. Your hair is soft, but not my type. If I had to mention hair I like, maybe Marco’s hair?”

“…Sorry for saying something strange.”

“It’s okay. I… guess I was upset that my Master, who’s like family, is accepting someone else as family too.”

“Can’t we all be family together?”

“We’ll have to see. But I don’t think Demian will make you sad. He seems like he’ll protect you better than other humans.”

Bless’s face had softened considerably.

He had the most relaxed expression since becoming human.

Though he always glared at Demian, it seems he secretly considered him reliable.

I gently stroked Bless’s head.

As I did so, Bless’s face became more peaceful, and somehow it seemed like feathers were starting to sprout.

…Wait, feathers?

“Master, I…”

Simultaneously with those words, there was a small “poof!” sound.

When I blinked once, Bless had disappeared.

“Bless?”

The answer to my call was a familiar chirping.

—Kyuuu!

Flutter. That cute wing-flapping sound echoed in my ears.

Bless, who had instantly returned to being a Bird, perched on the back of my hand.

“You’ve returned to being a Bird!”

—Kyuu!

‘Yes!’

Unlike me, who was surprised, Bless seemed unfazed. He clearly expected this transformation all along.

“How did you change back?”

‘It seems to be because I felt completely at ease.’

“At ease?”

‘Yes! While practicing transformation with other Birds, I realized we need two conditions to change our form.’

I listened intently to this interesting fact.

‘First, we must wish to transform, and second, there must be psychological pressure.’

“I see. Then what psychological pressure did you have, Bless?”

‘I thought I needed to protect my Master.’

So it was his desperate desire to protect me that allowed him to transform into a human. I felt newly grateful to Bless.

—Kyuuu…

‘But returning to Bird form is…’

Bless, who had been speaking well, tightly closed his beak.

He looked like he was embarrassed to say something.

“Could it be because you trust Demian? Your psychological pressure decreased because you became confident that Demian would protect me?”

‘Hmm…’

Bless made an ambiguous sound and then fluttered away.

‘I can sense Demian approaching. I’m going to meet with some nearby Birds!’

“You’re embarrassed right now, aren’t you?”

Without answering, Bless perched on the windowsill. Almost simultaneously, Demian’s voice was heard from outside the room.

“Yerena? May I come in?”

“Yes! Please come in!”

As soon as Demian entered, Bless flew out the window.

Demian didn’t miss that brief moment and expressed his question to me.

“Did Bless return to his Bird form?”

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

“Me?”

Demian looked puzzled.

“Come sit here. I’ll tell you everything.”

After hearing my story, Demian burst into laughter.

As if he were very pleased to have received Bless’s approval.

“Haha. After pecking my head so much, he finally acknowledged me.”

“Indeed. He must have felt safe enough to return to being a Bird…”

I found that fact touching.

“Now that I have Bless’s permission, all that’s left is to spend a hundred years together with you, Yerena.”

“Are you subtly proposing to me?”

“Soon I plan to do it not subtly, but grandly.”

“I look forward to it, really.”

I didn’t feel any resistance to spending a lifetime with Demian, so I answered without any hesitation.

Rather, I only looked forward to the future with this man.

“By the way, Demian, what brings you here?”

“Do I need a reason? I just wanted to see you.”

“Ah.”

“Yerena, did you not want to see me?”

“I did want to see you.”

“Your answer seems to lack emotion…”

Demian clearly showed his disappointment.

I lightly kissed his cheek, filling it with my genuine feelings of missing him.

“I truly wanted to see you.”

“Now I can feel your sincerity.”

This smooth-talking man, really.

“Oh, Yerena. Since we’ve met, there is something I need to discuss.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t really want to bring it up, but I think I should tell you.”

Is it about the three troublemakers?

I was certain.

“After ignoring Baron and Lambert’s messages, they’ve sent various gifts to the imperial palace, which is troublesome. I’d like to throw them away immediately and order them not to send anything again, but the gifts rightfully belong to Yerena. So I came to get your permission.”

“….”

“Yerena. May I discard those gifts like trash?”

“My, how extreme. You can throw away the gifts if you want. I’m neither curious about them nor do I want them.”

“That’s the answer I was hoping for.”

“But for valuable items, perhaps we could sell them and use the funds for Jinjijo Transportation.”

“Hmm… I’m not thrilled about it, but there are some quite valuable jewels, and since they’re gifts for you, I should follow your opinion.”

“Wealth is just wealth. No matter how expensive their gifts are, I won’t turn back to them.”

Of course, despite saying this, I wasn’t happy about the situation either.

Whether they showered me with gifts out of genuine affection or not, I didn’t like their one-sided gift offensive.

It wasn’t different from my time at the Center. Just like then, when they never listened to what I said.

Of course, the premise had changed from oppression to receiving… love, but still.

“Rather, shall we try to use this situation?”

“Pardon?”

“I want to make them feel disgusted with me, so they’ll stay away from me.”

“You’re not planning anything dangerous, are you?”

“Of course not. It’s for Jinjijo Transportation.”

“Transportation…?”

I nodded.

Recalling the slogan for Jinjijo Transportation that I had planned long ago.

***

That evening, Demian and I left the imperial palace not as a prince and a noble lady, but as a guildmaster and the master of Jinjijo Transportation.

We first visited my office in the capital, which we hadn’t been to in a while.

The place was neat, as if someone had cleaned it regularly.

Probably, Demian had organized it. Even though he knew I wouldn’t come.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been here.”

“Indeed. I even cut your hair here.”

Demian’s fingertips played with the ends of my hair that now reached my shoulders.

“Are you going to grow it out again?”

“Which style looks prettier?”

After careful consideration, Demian answered.

“When your hair was long, you had a pure yet enchanting aura. When it was short, you had a cute and lovable aura. I can’t choose between the two.”

Goodness. What a perfect answer.

“Are you sure this is your first relationship?”

Demian kissed my forehead and whispered softly.

“You’ll be my first and last.”

“I don’t think this is your first. You’re too skilled.”

Demian looked at my blushing face with an expression that said he found me utterly adorable.

Ziiing—

That familiar vibration sound was heard then.

Demian raised his wrist to show the object making the vibration.

「Code One situation occurring!

Two B-class monsters have appeared!

Location: Pandora Forest, N-1 sector!

Espers and guides who receive this message, please respond!」

“Wow, it’s been a really long time since I’ve seen this, too.”

It was the watch given to guides and espers at the Chelsea Center.

“By the way, Demian. You don’t seem to go to the Chelsea Center these days. Who’s handling the director’s duties?”

At my question, a slanted smile appeared on Demian’s lips. His expression revealed he knew exactly who was entrusted with that job.