8.

The little bird had short wings with a touch of black at the tips, making it adorably awkward. Ateira couldn’t help but chuckle softly. In response, the bird seemed to peck her thumb with its tiny, not-so-sharp beak as if to admonish her, though it didn’t hurt at all.

“Sorry.”

She apologized for laughing, even though the bird couldn’t understand her and likely hadn’t pecked her for that reason.

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The small bird continued to tilt its head, watching her with a curious look. The gentle warmth of this harmless creature brought her a quiet comfort she hadn’t felt in a long time. She tilted her head slightly to mimic the bird’s gestures.

“Tweet, tweet!”

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Suddenly, a sharper call sounded from the trees in the garden. The little bird twisted its nearly nonexistent neck to look.

“Is that your mother calling you?”

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The bird glanced back at Ateira with a huff, as if scoffing, before taking flight.

“Oh…”

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She felt a pang of sadness as it left.

The warmth and softness of its feathers lingered in her palm, leaving a ticklish sensation.

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Ateira sighed softly, then returned inside and closed the door.

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of eyes had been watching from the garden’s shadows.

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It was Leo Fric, concealed behind the trees like a mother bird.

He found it amusing that the bird seemed to take to Ateira so easily. Even those who’d trained with it or knights who’d spent years together often got pecked.

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Usually, the bird only acted friendly with people when it wanted food or something it could snatch away.

He quietly observed the scene—the bird nestled in her small palm, her soft smile as she looked down at it. Watching her gentle interaction, Leo crossed his arms and chuckled softly.

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“So, it has a human side to it, does it? Even talks, apparently.”

As he continued to observe the bird, his gaze shifted to Ateira.

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Leo lifted a finger to his lips and let out a sharp, short whistle, a well-practiced call.

The little red bird immediately flew over to him and perched on his hand, ready for a lecture.

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“You, here I thought you were slacking off when you didn’t come right away, and instead, you were goofing off in the wrong spot. You’ve got some nerve.”

The bird narrowed its round, black eyes and chirped insistently, as if defending itself, insisting that it had arrived promptly but somehow ended up where it did.

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“Alright, alright. Everyone has those days.”

Leo reached out and gently stroked the bird’s beak, knowing that any mention of its mistake might cause this proud creature to chirp in protest for hours.

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The harsh beauty in his face softened, his smile warm enough to be captivating.

“Nepi. What about the others?”

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The bird shrugged its tiny wings, flapping them forward as if to indicate they were on their way.

“Good. Then I need a favor.”

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He held out a small letter. The bird puffed out its chest, drew in a deep breath, and suddenly breathed golden flames onto the letter.

The paper disintegrated in moments, turning into glittering golden ash, which Nepi then inhaled, absorbing it into its small, red body that now glowed faintly with a golden hue.

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“To the capital.”

The enchanted bird gave a nod.

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“Thank you.”

Nepi tapped his finger lightly with its wing before taking off, soaring high before accelerating, vanishing like a golden comet.

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Leo Fric hoped his smallest messenger would bring back reliable news.

* * *

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Everyone, every single one of them!

Count Zellered’s face was flushed with rage. The elegant, smooth tone he usually affected was nowhere to be heard.

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When one intends to attack, it’s essential to strike elegantly and crush the opponent’s pride without a hint of vulgarity.

He was, after all, more accustomed to the subtle wars of high society and often scoffed at those who raised their voices, considering it the height of crudeness.

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“You!”

Now, however, he was thoroughly disheveled. His meticulously groomed hair had fallen in disarray, and his usually pale face—like a model of noble dignity—was flushed red, as if he’d never seen the sun.

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“Ahh!”

At the count’s furious outburst, the maids trembled.

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“What were you doing while that girl caused such a commotion? Useless, every one of you!”

What could they have done, when even the knights couldn’t stop her? Though they felt it was unjust, none dared to speak up. One maid quickly knelt, prompting the others to follow suit.

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“We are terribly sorry, my lord!”

“It’s entirely our fault!”

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“You didn’t just sit there watching, did you? Let her do whatever she pleased?”

“Never, my lord!”

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“We had no idea!”

“Silence!”

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The maids, now tearfully pleading with hands clasped, bore the weight of this baseless accusation. Zellered, unable to contain his anger, raised his hand sharply.

Seeing his hand poised to strike, the maids squeezed their eyes shut, bracing for the blow.

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But Count Zellered, trembling with rage, managed to lower his hand.

It wasn’t out of sympathy or even a hint of mercy.

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He simply didn’t want to let these lowly maids ruin his noble composure.

“Get out of my sight!”

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The maids, faces streaked with tears, bowed repeatedly and fled the room without looking back.

Still unsatisfied, he turned his glare to the knights.

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“And what were you all doing?”

Zellered’s knights stood at attention, heads lowered in silence. It was indeed a disgraceful situation.

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When Leo Fric and his lieutenant, claiming they were merely out for a walk, had stubbornly waited at the entrance, the Black Wolf’s vice-commander had been unarmed, just an ordinary knight. If Leo was seen as inhumanly strong, his lieutenant was a formidable yet human knight.

However, as soon as a maid’s scream echoed through the manor, Vice-Commander Jinpetsu had effortlessly disabled the nearest knight, twisting his wrist as if handling a child, and seized his sword.

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By the time he’d taken down a third knight, he had armed himself with another sheathed sword and mercilessly pummeled the guards blocking his way, knocking them unconscious. Before the others could respond, he had already stormed into the room where Zellered and Leo were.

There hadn’t even been time to alert the count of Jinpetsu’s intrusion.

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“There’s no humiliation like this.”

Zellered wasn’t wrong.

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None of the knights could lift their heads, though the fact that even royal knights had been beaten made it slightly less shameful.

“You, and you. The rest of you, leave. Report any unusual activity immediately.”

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Despite his fury, Zellered didn’t dare lash out at the armed knights. He merely clicked his tongue in displeasure and dismissed them.

He stalked over to his desk, pulled out a chair, and sat down irritably. Gnawing on his nails anxiously, he pulled out two sheets of paper and began writing rapidly, pen loaded with ink.

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*…Perhaps the failure in reeducation led to this incident. Consequently, due to the absurd and uncivilized actions of the princess, Sir Leo Fric Helton has shown considerable reluctance to carry out His Majesty’s orders, even accusing the princess of being an assassin. He appears to be using this claim as a pretext to delay the command, as if His Majesty’s orders are somehow unwelcome to him. I am doing everything in my power to resolve this matter swiftly, and I request any verification of the princess’s status…*

Focused on his own innocence, Zellered quickly wrote two reports, sealed them securely, and handed one to a knight.

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“Take this to the royal palace. Don’t forget to specify that it must be opened by His Majesty himself.”

“Yes, sir.”

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The knight nodded solemnly, tucked the letter carefully into his cloak, and exited. After the door closed, Zellered peeled back a corner of the still-soft red wax seal on the second letter, pressing his fingerprint into it.

Then he handed it to the remaining knight.

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“You know where to take this, don’t you?”

The knight nodded silently, familiar with his duty of delivering confidential messages.

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Unlike the first knight, this one slipped out of the estate unnoticed, disappearing discreetly into the shadows.

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