Chapter 11
11
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Silvia looked at Peep-peep, who was sitting quietly on my shoulder, over and over again.
"I've never seen a bird with such a completely red body. The color of its feathers is the same as Your Highness's eyes."
Gabriella desperately hoped that Peep-peep wouldn't attract attention, but it wasn't easy.
Because it wouldn't fall off me.
"Do you know what kind of bird it is, Teacher?"
I asked while I was at it, but Silvia just shook her head.
"No, I've really never seen a bird this red before. Ah! I've seen it in the Temple murals. The Sun God Shamash has a bird that he takes with him, and it's this red."
"That one's eyes are really big. And its tail is this long."
I chuckled without realizing it, and Silvia dropped her jaw as if surprised.
"Does Your Highness know that bird?"
Haa, I made a mistake.
'There's no way a four-year-old princess would know...!'
I rolled my eyes and made an excuse.
"Ung, that's... I saw the mural."
"At the Temple? Does the Water Temple have a Shamash mural too...?"
No, it doesn't.
The Shamash mural is only in the Temple of the Sun, and the Temple of the Sun is in the Troin territory.
The only time I had been to the Troin territory was once when I was twenty-two years old.
'And that definitely wasn't before I was five.'
I racked my brain to solve the slip of the tongue that was becoming a bigger problem.
"Th, that's not it... Dad showed me a book."
"Ah, I see."
It's a good thing my father is a high priest.
Silvia smiled brightly as if she finally understood.
"You must have looked at the pictures in the book very carefully."
"I, I just saw it..."
The teacher added softly, as if she felt like I was making excuses.
"It's really great that you looked at the pictures carefully and remembered them, Your Highness. I want to praise you."
"Th, thank you..."
Peep-peep sat quietly on my shoulder even while we were having that conversation.
I was going to somehow separate it and leave it to Beatrice if it made a loud noise during class, but it's quite perceptive.
The teacher glanced at Peep-peep one last time and then opened the book.
"I told you in advance that you would practice reading first, and then practice writing from today, right?"
That damn Rosa, she didn't even tell me that.
When I frowned slightly, Silvia seemed to have taken the meaning differently.
"It's okay, Your Highness. It's hard for everyone at first. Let's start with reading first. Now, what is this?"
"R... Ru... elle, la."
I tried my best to pretend that I couldn't read well, and Peep-peep stared intently at the vocabulary book next to me.
"Excellent, Your Highness. Personally, I think it's a name you should know even before your own name. Ruelle, the name of this country that Your Highness will take over."
Oh, I really hope so, Teacher.
* * *
After the lesson, I went to see the Royal physician with Beatrice.
"No, how..."
The Royal physician seemed surprised that Peep-peep had survived.
I glared at him as best as I could.
Beatrice, as if resentful of such a Royal physician, asked more bluntly than before.
"Could you check if the stitched area is healing well, Teacher?"
"Yes, Lady."
Peep-peep was so anxious not to fall off me that I put my palm on the desk and sat Peep-peep on it.
―Peep-peep!
"Quiet."
―Peeep…….
The Royal physician looked at the wound and tried to stroke Peep-peep as if he was impressed.
Then Peep-peep got angry and pecked the Royal physician's finger with a peep.
"You're stupid, he's the teacher who fixed you. Be polite."
―Peep! Peep-peep-peep!
There's no sign of remorse even if I scold it.
However, the Royal physician was not very displeased even though Peep-peep was acting fiercely.
"It's really gotten a lot better. I'm relieved that it seems to be a strong one, Your Highness."
Beatrice interjected again and asked.
"Is it really healing well?"
"Yes, Lady. I'll disinfect the suture area and apply ointment. Ah, I'll give you a tube of ointment so you can apply it on a regular basis."
"So it's okay now..."
Beatrice was more persistent than I thought.
I guess she's wondering if there's still a chance that Peep-peep won't survive.
Fortunately, the Royal physician smiled.
"I think it's okay. I'll remove the stitches when the suture area is completely healed, so come back in about half a month."
"Oh, is it okay that I fed it egg yolk?"
When Beatrice asked again, the Royal physician thought for a moment and then answered.
"I don't know much about it because it's a bird I've never seen before... but I think it's okay for a while. When it's fully recovered and can fly, it will fly away and eat what it wants."
As the Royal physician disinfected the suture area while giving that explanation, Peep-peep flapped its wings and made a fuss.
―Peep, peep-peep-peep!
The crying sounded louder than when it was bitten by a cat, so I was dumbfounded and pitiful, but I had to do what I had to do.
As I held on to Peep-peep with my small hands, the Royal physician was impressed.
"I didn't realize that Your Highness was such a brave person."
Well, if I were the real four-year-old, I wouldn't have been able to do this.
I was born a coward.
'I also learned that the virtue of a secret twin princess is to stay quiet.'
I looked down sadly at Peep-peep, who was struggling.
My friend, who is really small, but fighting bravely.
I praised it as if to praise it.
"Squeaky is more amazing. Even though it's this small, it beat the kitty."
If you survive, you win.
In that sense, I lost once, and I will never lose again.
But as soon as I said that, the noisy Peep-peep became surprisingly quiet.
'Pfft, it's acting like it understood.'
* * *
As the sky turned reddish, the palace became noisy.
"His Majesty the King is returning!"
At that point, it became a problem that Peep-peep didn't want to leave me.
'I promised Gabriella that I would keep the bird out of sight...'
If Peep-peep only follows me like this, wouldn't the bird that appears every other day look strange?
While I was worrying, it suddenly occurred to me.
'Peep-peep is a bird anyway.'
If it gets better and flies around, it won't matter where it is.
'Yeah, who would say anything if a bird flew away somewhere?'
I made such a rationalization for the baby bird that wouldn't leave me.
Then, with Peep-peep sitting on my shoulder, I went out with the palace people to greet my parents.
When I was waiting at the front of the welcoming line holding Beatrice's hand, a rider came running.
"His Majesty the King and his wife are returning from their autumn hunting trip!"
Behind the rider, my parents were running in side by side.
"Mom!"
It was still a little awkward to call Dad confidently.
My mother heard my voice and jumped off her horse.
"Baby, how have you been? What's that bird?"
Just as I was about to answer, my father also got off his horse.
I put off the answer I was going to give my mother for a moment and looked up at my father.
"...Dad."
When I looked up, my father's purple eyes were so bright.
He bent down for a long time and looked down at me.
"How have you been, my daughter? It looks like you've made a new bird friend."
"Ung, Peep-peep."
My mother glanced at Beatrice as if embarrassed, but for now, she came over and picked me up.
As a result, Peep-peep on my shoulder flapped its wings, barely managing to balance and hold on.
"What a cute friend? I'm sure you have a lot to tell Mom."
"Ung, a kitty bit Peep-peep. And it scratched me too."
As if waiting for it, I immediately tattled, and Peep-peep peeped as if agreeing.
My mother glanced at Beatrice with a cold face.
But the gaze that returned to me was always so affectionate.
"What? A kitty, our daughter?"
"Ung. My dress was torn. It's not Tritz's fault, the kitty did it."
I'm sorry for making Beatrice uncomfortable, but I resented that cat.
'I knew it wasn't good from the beginning?'
You're done now, you bad cat.
* * *
King Oblin does not tolerate it.
My mother gave the order before even entering the Main Palace.
"Have the guards catch all the cats in the Royal Palace garden and kick them out. Also, tell the garden manager to make sure that no cats are seen in the palace again."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Peep-peep on my shoulder sang softly, peep-peep-peep.
This time, it sounded more like a song than a cry.
'Of course, it's just my imagination.'
While my mother was carrying me up the stairs, Beatrice explained, at a loss.
"Your Majesty. It is true that the cat scratched Your Highness's sleeve, but she was not injured..."
But my mother's anger could not be avoided.
"You're saying it scratched her so badly that her dress was torn! What were you doing by her side?"
"I am sorry, Your Majesty. Because the cat bit and harassed this bird, Your Highness tried to save the bird..."
My mother's steps stopped abruptly as she climbed the stairs.
"So, you're saying that a four-year-old princess saved a bird from a cat."
Our Majesty's voice trembled slightly with anger.
I had no choice but to intervene to calm my mother down.
"No, Mom. Icarus saved it."
