Translator: Ritsuko

Editor: Yserieh

Proofreader: royalsincognito

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Ethan came back faster than I thought he would. He was holding a big basket. From the grains and fruits that could be eaten by birds, to the dark chocolate cake, sausage and chicken soup—all that were present in it— some of these weren't even bird food.

"Did I ask you to prepare a picnic basket for it?!"

Ethan stupidly laughed.

"I asked the maid for what the bird used to eat, when suddenly the butler came up and took care of me like this."

When I heard that, I looked inside the basket again, and all it had were Amelie's favourite food. It was not food fit for birds.

"Your former owners care a lot about you."

Former Owners. Amelie was at a loss for words at Serwyn's shamelessness.

'Rene, Father… I'm impressed and moved… but maybe chicken soup is not appropriate for birds.' Amelie was perplexed.

Serwyn pulled out a dagger. Look at that heinous thing! The blade of the dagger was so sleek, it was excellent for cutting a bird's throat.

"Pwee!"

Amelie came down from Serwyn's hand and flew into the cage quickly.

"Are you comfortable in there?"

Serwyn took a red apple out of the basket before proceeding to slice the apple thinly with the small dagger. The sweet scent spread as the nectar ran down his thick hand. The smell of apples proved to be an intolerable temptation for the bird, who had a heightened sense of smell.

'I'm hungry…'

I think I have not eaten anything since the morning. When I was swung by the emperor, my energy was plummeting, and as I thought about it, I suddenly became sad.

You're asking me to eat everything but I can't even eat. I'm hungry. It's terrible.

"Pwee…"

Amelie made a plaintive cry and bowed her head. As soon as she became aware of her hunger, she began to feel even more hungry.

"Come on," said Serwyn.

He put a small piece of apple on the tip of his finger and gently extended it to the steel bar. The pulp had been crushed into small pieces, giving off a strong fragrance.

'No. That's the Emperor's hand. If I take it, he'll snap his fingers and kill me. But the Emperor is going to kill me anyway, right? So, wouldn't it be meaningless to hold back…?'

Amelie was a glutton for food. Her appet.i.te was already unbearable and by transforming into an animal, her primal instincts intensified.

'Yeah, the ghost spirit that starved to death said that it looked good too!'

(t/l & editor note: it's implied witches also can see ghosts!)

Amelie quickly leaped and pecked at the apple in Serwyn's hand with her beak. The sweetness of the apple filled her mouth with tiny crushed pulp.

'Delicious!'

She didn't know if it was because only good apples were picked to be presented to the Emperor but its taste couldn't be compared to apples that she had bought and eaten from the convenience store.

Her reasoning failed her. 'I don't know the previous Amelie's personality anyway.' After her self-justification, she became wrapped up in what Serwyn gave her. The stress caused the sweet fruit to be swallowed.

Serwyn laughed and tickled Amelie's little cheek with his fingertips. When she came to her senses at the touch, she was already eating green grapes on Serwyn's palm. Amelie shrunk her neck and took a step back.

'I'm scared…'

Although she was in a trance when given food, her fears remained. Big hands, fishy smell, and a person's head! It's the worst first encounter a future killer and victim could face.

"Good grief, why are you still afraid?"

Serwyn's voice was filled with regret.

"It's only been an hour since you've met. Small animals take some time to get closer to."

Ethan, standing next to him while quietly cleaning the fruit, replied.

"That's right. Take your time…"

"Your Majesty must like the bird very much."

"Yeah, I can't take me eyes off the little thing."

Amelie was surprised at the words.

'Why do you like me? That's scary…..'

Knock.

Knock.

A knock sounded. Amelie took the opportunity to dive into the cage. She lifted the edge of her tail and buried her neck in her feathers as if she were wary of all sides.

"Your Majesty, Chad has returned."

"Come in."

When the door was opened, Chedra came inside with a man. The man was wearing old clothes that the shepherds would wear. However he drew attention as he walked since his posture was not different from the one next to him.

'What else is it?'

Amelie tilted her head. Chad, the man in the shepherd's clothes, bowed deeply in front of the Emperor.

"While I was carrying out your orders, I heard your Majesty had come and returned straight away." Chad said.

He was sent a few days ago to investigate the Delaheim estate. He returned after hearing that the Emperor had arrived.

"Did you find it?"

Serwyn looked at Chad. He looked up, but his dignity didn't fade. But there was impatience in his voice. Ethan also stared at Chad tensely.

Amelie perked up her ears. What the h.e.l.l are you looking for? Jewelry? An ancient relic? Legendary herbs?

Serwyn asked again.

"Did you find the witch?"

Amelie felt her heart sink for a moment.

She doubted her ears. Serwyn was looking for a witch? She couldn't blink and waited for Chad's answer. Her mouth was dry from trepidation.

"I'm sorry, I failed… ugh!"

Even before Chad's could finish his words, Serwyn had thrown a vase. The vase flew in the air and hit Chad's head.

Clang!

The vase shattered into pieces. Chad staggered. Blood splashed onto the floor.

'To throw a vase at a person…'

But it was only Amelie who was taken by surprise. Chad, Ethan and the Emperor, who threw the vase, were calm as if nothing had happened. As if this was all a matter of course.

Chad fell on one knee and knelt down. He could not open his eyes because of the blood pouring, but his posture was not affected in the slightest.

"I'm sorry, sir. I've failed to fulfill my duty. Please punish me."

"Punishment."

Serwyn's eyes flicked to the sword on Ethan's waist.

'You're going to kill him? Really? Simply because he didn't find me?'

"Pwee!"

Amelie screeched involuntarily. No matter how badly he did, you flung a vase onto a person's head. He was too harsh on his own men! She recounted the nickname "tyrant."

Serwyn's eyes trained on Amelie. He frowned at the bird that clung against the bars of the cage.

Then Ethan intervened.

"Sir Chad, explain the situation first. You can get punished later. Didn't you report that you had found a witch in the Manor of Count?"

"On my first day here, as I reported, I heard about a witch in the Manor."

Chad, disguised as a shepherd, had came to Delaheim. He had arrived at the Count's land, before the Emperor, to find out where the witch lived. Until then, his goal was the Fidelia Forest. He had stopped by the village to buy things he needed and listen to people talk.

The first day he arrived in Delaheim, he overheard about the witch in the restaurant. It wasn't much of a story, really.

'I saw a witch on the way.'

'I'd like to get some medicine for arthritis. If I go now, can I meet her?'

The next day and the day after that, Chad heard this joke that they saw the witch pa.s.sing by from local people. Unlike the capital city, Delaheim was very fond of this witch. Then there was a possibility that the witch could live in the Manor in the village, not in the forest of Fidelia.

Chad reported to Serwyn that he had been searching the Manor to find out the witch's home while Serwyn and his men turned their direction from the Fidelia forest and came to the Count's manor.

'Uhhh… I did not know the Emperor's knight was here! I never thought they'd be looking for me. Why are you looking for a witch, huh?'

Amelie screamed internally. She was very shocked.

For the past two weeks, she had been in and out of the Manor preparing to flee. There were people who often recognized her but she wasn't worried. There wasn't anyone who never had Grandma witch's medicine in Delaheim! The people of the land here were therefore friendly to the local witches and Amelie didn't worry too much about her face being seen.

'I didn't think it was a big deal…'

From Chad's words, Amelie realized another fact.

'In the original, Rene never met the Emperor until she went to the palace. As in the original story, Amelia wouldn't have walked in and out of the village preparing to escape…'

In the end, her efforts to safely escape only brought about misfortune.

'If I had prepared less thoroughly… .'

If she had run off without looking back for her family…

Then she would have never become a pet bird for Serwyn!

'As soon as I knew what was happening, I should have just bolted…'

But then Count and Rene would have felt worried.

'No. Well, it's good that I came to meet Count and Rene and I can't regret it.'

Amelie sniffed and rubbed the corners of her eyes with her wings. Chad went on while she was lost in her own sad thoughts.

The people of Delahaim didn't open their mouths easily. There were still many people who remembered the [Witch Hunt] that swept across the entire continent more than twenty years ago. They couldn't trust strangers.

"I was refused because they wouldn't tell an outsider where she lived."

"In the end, you didn't figure it out?"

Serwyn's voice sounded terrible akin to a death sentence. Chad lifted his head.

"I'll accept any punishment."

Punishment again. It was not something to be said at a time when the blood flowing from your head was wetting your face. Amelie looked at Serwyn anxiously.

Serwyn gazed at Chad frostily.

"Go back to town. If you walk around like that, they'll sooner or later tell you the location of the witch, even I don't want to get rid of a corpse."

Oh my G.o.d. You can't be so mean when you talk!

Amelie, who was listening, was incensed at such a heartless and cruel order. However, on the other hand, Chad seemed to have appreciated such an order.

"This time, I'll make it up to you. Thank you, Your Majesty."

Chad bowed deeply, then raised himself to his feet. It was a knightly gesture, but he stumbled due to vertigo. Ethan supported his back discreetly.

"Then I'd like to ask you to excuse me to help Sir Chad."

After giving farewells, Ethan and Chad went out of the room.

Amelie looked at their backs. As the door closed, Amelie saw Chad's body collapse. Glancing at his bloodied face, all the evils of Serwyn leapt to her mind.