Of All Things, I Became a Crow

*3^rd person POV

When the Emperor's partner was decided and the two started to dance, everyone else started to flock to the dance hall regardless of who was first.

"...you're good, aren't you, Reinelle?"

The Emperor lowered his head and whispered as he admired Rainelle’s dancing which used gentle steps. Rainelle's cheeks were slightly dyed red as a result and she replied,

"...that's because I practiced a lot."

Karmeut smiled at Rainelle's behavior of muttering while pouting.

"Yes, I know."

"...how do I look?"

"Hm, you’re so cute and lovely, so much that I want to get out of this place with you right away."

Rainelle's face flushed more at those words, Seeing that, Karmeut chuckled and wrapped one hand around her slender waist.

"It's nice to see you after a long time."

"---Why didn't you come to find me?"

She mumbled the “I think you could have come as many times as you could,” part with a somehow weak voice. Karmeut hastily responded to Rainelle's dead look.

“I didn’t because I’m afraid to interrupt your lesson."

"...really?"

"Really. I've been dying to see you."

Karmeut’s whisper which stated that he wanted to meet her made the red hue on Rainelle’s cheeks brighter. Seeing Rainelle like that, the Emperor smiled and whispered again,

"You're so pretty. What do I do when you're this pretty?"

The Emperor's golden eyes as he spoke like that were brimming with affection. Under such a gaze, Rainelle smiled shyly while continuing to dance with him.

Soon the song ended. The dance partners bowed to each other and the others around showed appreciation by clapping.

Karmeut and Rainelle also bowed to each other. Then they backed out of the hall to give way to others.

Many people looked at them and seemed to want to ask them to dance, but they dared not approach.

Karmeut and Rainelle were a well-matched pair, and their gazes when looking at each other were full of affection. No matter who looked at them, they would know that the two seemed to regard each other as special.

"Would you like to have dessert together after a long time, my lady?"

"It would be a great honor if you offer me that, Your Majesty."

After a formal conversation, Karmeut and Rainelle looked at each other. As the golden eyes and the purple eyes met, smiles spread across their lips.

When the Emperor and Rainelle headed to the table where the food was served, the people backed away.

Actually it wasn’t very good to eat food as soon as the banquet started, but as the Emperor himself came to the table, people also began to come around the table.

"Your Majesty, is there anything you would like to eat?"

"Hmm. This looks like a good one."

Rainelle giggled at his chosen cake. It was because it was the same kind that he had given to Rainelle all the time. The kind that Rainelle liked.

*Rainelle’s POV

Ah, really, if you act so sweetly, my heart won't last!

While grumbling inside, I did my best to suppress the corners of my lips that were about to rise.

Uu, if I don't do what I've learned to perfection, Madam Fangxia might come and scold me!

Without realizing it, I reflexively looked around. Then I felt Karmeut's gaze and hurriedly handed the plate of cake to him.

Karmeut accepted it with a gentle smile, which caused my heart to begin racing.

Wow, sir... I haven't seen you in a long time, but now when I see him, he uses such nice formal clothes. Wow...

There’s a reason for the saying ‘clothes make the man’! He looks really handsome!

In order not to make my beating heart go unnoticed, I hurriedly turned my head to the table filled with food.

Come to think of it, I danced with Karmeut earlier.

To be honest, when I saw a dancing scene in a movie, the first thing that came to my mind was, ‘What's so exciting about that? Men and women going round and round, or are they the kind of person who likes to match their steps together?’

But when I danced with Karmeut earlier, I could easily realize that my thoughts before were wrong.

To match each other, the bodies inevitably had to be close and even touched. As a result, the sense of distance and body odor that followed made me feel the heat in the night, and it even made my heart pound as we matched our movements together.

How should I say it? A sense of unity? Should it be that?

---Anyway, I scolded my trembling heart.

When I was receiving the etiquette training, I was sad and angry because he never came to visit me—

I could have used the time when Karmeut came as an excuse to take a break!

But… I remembered his words earlier.

I never thought that a single sentence can affect my mood like this. It's funny because that sounds so deceitful, but really, how can he say that?

"You’re so cute and lovely, so much that I want to get out of this place with you right away."

My heart tickled when I remembered the words whispered in my ear while we were dancing.

It makes me feel good when he told me that I’m lovely.

It feels worthwhile to repeatedly put on and take off dozens of clothes on the urge of the maids!Just thinking about how long it took to dress up is terrifying!

I looked at the piece of cake on the plate. It was a whipped cream cake with fruit on top. Hehehe~ It looks delicious! But still, according to the etiquette, elegantly...

I cut one small piece with a fork and put it in my mouth. As I ate the cake while being careful not to get it on my lips and not to open my mouth too wide, a voice reached my ear,

"Um, Your Majesty the Emperor. If you don’t mind, would you like to try this too?"

The young lady who shyly offered a dessert on a plate with blushing cheeks looked young.

High school student? Around eighteen? Nineteen? Sigh... such a young age...

I can guess why they use dessert, it’s so heartwarming...

Wait! The situation itself may seem like a shy girl who’s making a clumsy and sweet dash, but the target is wrong!! I don't care if it's someone else, but not so with Karmeut!

She’s cute, but no! No way!

My heart was boiling inside, but I could not express it on the outside.

...this, this cramming education... no, brainwashing of Madam Fangxia is really scary!

This brainwashing training makes me smile gracefully in the blink of an eye even in this situation!

"...Ah, I appreciate it."

The girl's face became even redder at Karmeut's smile, and my heart became more inflamed.

"But I still have this. Besides, I have a beautiful partner. I hope you understand that I don't want to do anything that will make her sad."

Hearing those words, the girl turned her head to me with a red face. Tears welled up in that girl's eyes, and I even felt guilty.

I was feeling very sorry for that child who leaves her spot with her head down...

Still, I can't lose Karmeut to the faceless Extra no. 1! No one’s going to take this handsome guy away from me!

"...I'm sorry, Rainelle. But can you please understand my position?"

I smiled at Karmeut, who whispered in my ear with his head bowed.

“The emperor is so popular?”

"Especially because I don't have a partner yet."

I felt better during the conversation at Karmeut's consideration for thinking of me and explaining it in easier words. As I nodded with a small giggle, he gently curved his eyes.

"By the way, the etiquette training was really hard. I was really scared of Madam Fangxia. If you had come to see me at least once in the middle, I would have been able to take a break for a while."

"Haha... I'm really sorry. If I had known that, I would have gone to meet you without holding back."

"Is that right? Besides, I've been in human form for a month. I've been patient about wanting to go back to being a crow."

"Yes, yes. I'm sorry, and thank you very much."

Karmeut handed me a glass of what appeared to be orange juice. After saying “Thank you, Your Majesty”, I took it and drank it. I loved the sweet and sour taste along with the fresh scent.

"Oh, ho ho. I wondered who this dazzling beautiful woman was – It turned out to be Rainelle-nim."

"...Ah, Myrdin-nim."

The old man swept his beard while wearing a benevolent smile. Seeing his appearance, Karmeut said with a gentle smile.

"Welcome. Are you enjoying the banquet?"

"Heh heh... This old man can't dance like the younger ones. But it's fun to watch. Most of all, it's an honor to be with this beautiful lady."

I let out a “fufu” at Myrdin's playful wink.

"I'm flattered."

"Do you want me to swear by magic that I told the truth, Rainelle-nim?"

I became embarrassed as Myrdin said that, so I unfolded the fan and covered my mouth. Then Myrdin exclaimed “Oh!” as if he remembered something.

"Oh, my. I've been distracted by your beauty and I've forgotten the point. Your Majesty, may this old man give you a surprise gift for Rainelle-nim?"

"...ho, a surprise? What is it?"

"It will be very helpful for you too, Your Majesty."

What? A gift for me? And something that helps Karmeut, too? What's that? No, more than that, at a banquet like this...?

I blinked my eyes curiously. Perhaps it was the same for Karmeut as his golden eyes gleamed with curiosity.

Seeing our gazes, Myrdin smiled and turned his head to one side, then he opened his mouth,

"Come, come. Come here. You have to say your greetings."

---Huh? Greetings? Huh? ...Uh- huh?!

Water-colored hair and bright pink eyes. Most men here didn’t use white clothes that were difficult to bring out their charm. However, the white clothes rather highlighted this man's pure beauty and attracted the attention of others.

Now, wait! I feel like I'm reminded of something!Oh my brain that has been tormented by Madam Fangxia for a month! Work after a long time!!

---aaaah!! I remembered!!

"The one in the market---!!"

"Yes, that's right."

Myrdin nodded and looked at him. The man stepped in front of us, then he knelt down on one knee and spoke politely,

"It is an honor to meet you. Your Majesty, Rainelle-nim. My name is Miel."

...Miel? Miel?! Mi-el?!

"...Hmm. Can you explain why this guy is helpful to me and Lady Rainelle, Myrdin?"

Karmeut asked a question as he frowned slightly as if he was displeased.

I could see his golden eyes that are looking at Miel getting sharper, but that's not the point right now!

"Show them the reason, Miel."

Miel nodded his head at those words. Then, a wind that used spirit power blew at my cheeks.

"Oh, wow!"

My mouth opened by itself at the overwhelming spirit power. A gray-colored bird with two pairs of wings and two pairs of eyes, with the power of the wind.

"A, a high-level wind spirit...?"

I mumbled that without realizing it.

I only signed a contract with a low-level wind spirit, but with this amount of power, I can feel that this one is a high-level spirit!

But that wasn't the end. People’s murmuring continued to grow louder as a whale made of water and a snake made of fire with similar powers appeared from thin air one after another.

"Since it is inside the banquet hall, I did not call the high-level spirit of the earth."

"...what?"

"Let me introduce you, Your Majesty. His name is Miel. He’s an Elementalist who signed a contract with four major spirits."

The words created exclamations of astonishment from all over the hall.

I understood! The crazy talent of signing contracts with four major spirits at once is at the level of picking stars in the sky, and now, on top of that, there is a person with a crazy enough talent to sign contracts with high-level spirits! This will be recorded in human history itself!

...and most importantly! That man, Miel, was really a target character in the game!

Now that I think of it, I'm really out of my head, but there's no excuse for this!! I had completely forgotten the setting that Miel was a slave in the past!! Besides, who would have been completely sure that a slave who was beaten with a whip like that would be a target character?!

I barely, really barely, managed to cover my mouth with a fan and kept my composure. However, the overwhelming spirit's energy was enough to make my body tremble.

Was it a coincidence? Miel's eyes turned in my direction. Then the summoned spirits disappeared in an instant.

"--A man of rare talent even if we look through the entire history. Did you say your name is Miel?"

"Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor."

"Since the time is not suitable, the formal procedure will be done later, but I will give you the title of marquis, a surname, and a territory."

"I'm so grateful to Your Majesty that I don't know how to express it."

Perhaps Karmeut was also aware of the importance of Miel, so he gave him the second-highest position after ‘duke’. There were murmurs of disappointment from the foreign people around, but in the original story, Miel was a figure that stood on the Empire’s side.

I was very surprised, but since it was the same as the original story, I sighed in secret.

This is still in line with the original story.

"Rainelle-nim."

"...? What's the matter, Marquis Miel?"

I responded softly, barely showing my surprise at Miel's sudden action of addressing me. He reached out and took my hand carefully. Then he lowered his head and opened his mouth,

"It was thanks to Rainelle-nim that I was able to be here. ...I swear to serve you all my life, with all that I have."

Miel's act of kissing the tip of my fingers while saying that was even reverent, but to me, it was just an act of pulverizing my mind.

What are you talking about?! Is that a smashing sound of the original story?!

Oh, God!! I'm sorry I keep calling you, but I have no choice but to call you! Oh, God!!

***