Episode 9
Just as I finally reached out my hand, the cat swiped at me with its paw.
“Your Highness!”
Beatrice pulled me into her arms while Icarus seized the cat.
He then swiftly snatched the tiny bird from its mouth.
“Do you require this bird, Your Highness?”
By the time he asked, the cat was already sprinting away into the distance.
“O-of course not!”
Beatrice cut in irritably, but I nodded at Icarus.
“Mm. Wanna… take it to the doc-tor.”
If I had run away from the cat like I did when I was little, the bird would have died.
I didn’t want to just leave it to die.
*If Rosa can play with a cat whenever she wants, then I should at least be allowed to save an injured bird.*
But Icarus hesitated.
Unlike Beatrice, he knew our circumstances. He was probably calculating the consequences.
Beatrice, meanwhile, was panicking beside us, trying to persuade me.
“Your Highness, let’s just go back. You’ll have nightmares again…”
She wasn’t afraid of the blood — she was afraid *I* would be.
Finally, Icarus seemed to come to a decision and nodded.
“I will take it to the palace physician. But…”
He bent down so our eyes met.
He hid the bird behind his back so I couldn’t see it.
“The bird is already injured. It may not survive. You must promise not to cry too much if that happens.”
He wasn’t asking me *not* to cry — only not to cry *too much*.
I didn’t like being treated like a child, but Icarus’s rose-colored eyes were serious.
And if he refused, convincing Beatrice would be impossible.
“…Fine.”
With no choice, I answered. Icarus immediately strode out of the greenhouse.
“What kind of cat was that, honestly…! We shouldn’t have let it go!”
Unable to blame me, Beatrice furiously stomped her feet and cursed the cat.
—
Back in my room, Beatrice prepared a damp towel and wiped my hands.
Then her eyes widened.
“Oh my!”
I hadn’t even felt it in the chaos — the wicked cat had managed to scratch me.
The sleeve of my dress was torn, revealing a bit of skin.
“Let me see, Your Highness.”
Pale with worry, Beatrice took off my dress, but fortunately only the dress was torn. My skin was fine.
“Goodness… Your Highness, please never do that again! A gentle person like you, getting into trouble like that…”
She muttered nonstop.
“When His Highness returns tomorrow, I’m going to tell him, and we’ll get that awful cat thrown out immediately. Horrible creature…”
Beatrice’s hands trembled in anger, but my mind was elsewhere.
*Am I really uninjured?*
Maybe I got scratched lightly and healed…?
Wishful thinking — there was no evidence.
“Triss.”
I called softly, and Beatrice paused while dressing me in a clean gown, worry filling her face.
“Your Highness, are you hurt somewhere?”
“No… juz wanna… see if the bird’s okay.”
When I said we should go see the physician, Beatrice practically jumped.
“No, Your Highness. We just brought it there! The doctor should be treating it — I can’t show you something like that!”
With no choice, I waited. And waited.
—
Only right before bedtime did she finally take me to the physician.
“How is the bird, sir?”
Beatrice asked carefully, keeping me behind her.
She must be worried the bird died.
*More accurately… she’s worried **I** will be disappointed.*
The physician sighed with a faint laugh.
“Forgive me, maid, but I am a doctor for humans — not animals.”
“S-so it died?”
I poked my head out. The physician bowed.
“I greet the Princess.”
“…The bird?”
Following his gaze, I saw something small and red lying on a cloth-lined tray.
Of course there was no divine glow or anything like that.
But no matter how hard I stared, I couldn’t see any movement.
*It isn’t chirping like before.*
I held my breath until the physician explained.
“I can’t say if I treated it properly, but… I disinfected the wound and stitched it up, Your Highness.”
“I-it’s a-alive?”
“Yes, Your Highness. It is merely asleep. Look closely.”
I mustered the courage to get closer. The tiny red belly rose and fell faintly.
“…Thank goodness.”
“I was going to inform you before releasing it, so you came at the right time.”
“Re…leasing it?”
“Of course. The bird cannot live inside the palace, and this is a place for treating people.”
“B-but…”
“Life belongs to the god Eah. When it wakes up, I will release it. Please don’t worry yourself.”
I glared at him.
*He wants to dump it outside while it’s barely breathing.*
Beatrice, wanting to support the physician, nodded eagerly.
“Yes—if it gets better and flies away, that would be wonderful, right?”
I stared at the bird.
*When Mother returns… maybe I could ask her to heal it.*
But if the King used divine power on a bird, the ministers would complain.
I slipped my hand into my sleeve, brushing the skin the cat had scratched.
*If I had healing power…*
In twenty-two years, I’d never once had such an ability.
I reached for the tray and picked it up.
“I’ll release it when it wakes.”
Beatrice reacted immediately.
“Your Highness, but—!”
“It stays. With me.”
I said it firmly. Beatrice looked desperately at the physician.
He avoided her gaze.
The bird’s condition was worse than I thought — I understood that clearly.
But I pretended not to notice and thanked him.
“Thank uu… for fixing the baby bird.”
“Your Highness, I should still—”
I shook my head.
“Let’s go, Triss.”
With a sigh, Beatrice took the tray instead.
—
Back in my room, I took the tray from her and set it beside my bed.
The tiny bird slept, breathing faintly on a yellow cloth.
Its small wings were as red as cherries, but limp and lifeless.
*Poor thing…*
Beatrice hovered, reluctant to leave.
She kept glancing at the bird instead of me.
*She’s afraid it will die while I sleep—and that I’ll be hurt.*
“Good night, Triss.”
“…Yes, Your Highness. Good night.”
As she left, I saw her speak to Icarus.
I didn’t need to hear it to know.
She wanted him to remove the bird if it died overnight.
“Little bird.”
Only after I was alone did I speak.
“Hurts a lot, huh? I’ll scold that bad kitty next time. It scratched me, too.”
The stitches on its tiny belly were visible.
*How did Mother use divine power?*
I placed my hand gently over its stomach.
— *peep…*
Startled, the bird let out a faint chirp.
“It’s okay…”
I prayed.
*Eah, if You gave me power… please heal this small life.*
Nothing happened.
I touched the spot where the cat had scratched me earlier.
*Was it really just luck that I wasn’t hurt?*
Even without healing power, I could still pray.
*Eah, please take pity on this tiny life…*
I cupped the fragile bird gently in both hands and prayed for a long, long time.
