Chapter 40 – A Feathered Guest and Unwrapping Joy
The little bird, who hadn’t stirred even when the carriage jolted, only woke up when Lord Roim knocked on the door after they arrived at the orphanage.
Knock knock.
“My lady, we’ve arrived.”
“Peep—!”
As if answering Roim, the bird chirped loudly. Smiling, I gently cradled it in my arms and stepped out of the carriage.
Lord Roim approached, offering to hold the bird for me. But the little creature bristled with such fierce energy that he instinctively stepped back.
Successfully driving Roim away, the bird nestled deeper into my arms and began rubbing its beak against my brooch.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Duchess. I’m Irene, the headmistress of this orphanage,” said a kind-looking woman in glasses who had been waiting at the entrance.
Behind her, about a dozen children stood huddled together. They bowed in unison, mimicking the headmistress’s movements.
“Thank you for visiting our Happy Bayron Home, beautiful… noble… great Duchess!!” they cheered.
Clearly, the kids hadn’t practiced enough—each one used a different adjective before “Duchess,” resulting in an awkward but endearing chorus. Flustered, the headmistress bowed repeatedly, apologizing with embarrassment. I laughed and assured her it was fine, thanking them for the warm welcome.
The children, who had tensed up watching the exchange, loosened up at my kind words and giggled as they clung to their headmistress.
“Let’s unload the gifts,” I said.
The children peeked curiously from behind Irene, their eyes wide as they took in the grand ducal carriage. Noticing this, Bella decided now was the perfect time to reveal the presents.
Soon, Lord Roim, Sir Chester, Sir Kin, and even the coachman began unloading a mix of large and small gift boxes. The children gasped and squealed with delight, their eyes sparkling with wonder.
“The knights are struggling with all these presents. Are there any kind children who can help carry some of the smaller boxes?” I asked.
“Me!!”
“Me too!”
Before I could even finish, eager hands shot up. The children burst from behind the headmistress, eyes still glued to the gifts, each insisting that they be the one to help.
Bella chuckled at their excitement and began handing out the smaller boxes. Only the headmistress remained visibly nervous, eyeing me anxiously as if worried I might be displeased by the children’s boldness.
To put her at ease, I smiled wider and gently patted the children’s heads and cheeks. Seeing this, she visibly relaxed and came forward to help carry the gifts.
“Wow!”
“Look! Coloring supplies and a ton of picture books!”
“Do I look pretty? It’s a princess crown!”
“I’m a hero! This sword is only for heroes who defeat demon kings!”
The children rushed inside, giggling and babbling as they opened the boxes, trying on gifts and showing them off to one another. Despite the chaos, the headmistress glanced at me nervously, worried about their manners.
“Kids! You can’t just open things without permission! I’m terribly sorry, Duchess. It’s just that they’re still young, and they’ve never received so many gifts before…”
“It’s alright. Honestly, their reactions are adorable for their age.”
Compared to the children of House Dylan, they’re angels.
That last thought I kept to myself.
The kids paused for a moment at the headmistress’s scolding, casting wary glances my way. But after I smiled and nodded, they resumed their excited rummaging.
Then, as the knights brought in the larger boxes and set them down, the children slowly approached. They instinctively gravitated toward the friendlier-looking Lords Roim and Chester, keeping their distance from the more stoic Lord Kin.
“Wowww!”
“It’s huge!”
Initially intimidated by the knights, the children became ecstatic when they saw the abundance of gifts inside the large boxes, cheering and even gathering around Lord Kin, who looked overwhelmed and took a step back.
I turned to the headmistress.
“On the way here, I found a bird with an injured wing. Do you have any basic medicine for cleaning wounds?”
“Oh! Of course we do. This way, please.”
“Roim, just you come with me.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Leaving the others behind, I followed the headmistress into a room inside the building. The sharp scent of medicine filled the air.
There were more medical supplies than I expected.
“You’ve got quite a collection.”
“Well, the children are very active, especially the boys. They tend to get into scrapes.”
Her words carried exasperation, but also deep affection.
She carefully took out disinfectant, some cotton, and a roll of thin bandages, placing them on the table.
“Would this be enough?”
“More than enough.”
I gently placed the bird, still nestled in my arms, on the couch beside me.
I expected it to climb back onto me right away, but instead, it sat still, its eyes fixed on the medicine atop the table. Almost as if it understood it was about to be treated.
Touched by the display, I patted its little rump and praised it. The bird perked up proudly, lifting its head with confidence.
I smiled at the sight. As I dabbed disinfectant onto the cotton, the bird extended its injured wing toward me.
“Well aren’t you clever.”
“Remarkable,” Roim chimed in, clearly impressed. “It must be a well-trained bird.”
“I don’t know who its owner is, but losing a bird this sweet must be heartbreaking.”
Despite the sting, the bird calmly endured the treatment, patiently waiting as I applied ointment and wrapped its wing in bandages.
Once I tied the ribbon snugly, I placed a gentle kiss on its head.
“Peep—peep!”
Pleased, the bird chirped softly and climbed onto my thigh, curling up like it was nesting.
Watching from across the room, the headmistress finally spoke, now that I’d gone quiet.
“I was surprised by your letter, Duchess. Truly, thank you for visiting our orphanage. Things got a bit chaotic earlier…”
“No need to apologize. If anything, it showed how well you care for the children.”
“…Duchess, if I may… please don’t speak to me so formally. I’m not a noble—just a humble headmistress.”
“Oh, I simply find this way more comfortable. Is it really that troubling?”
“It’s very kind of you, and I do appreciate it. But… if others see it, they may misunderstand.”
She glanced nervously at Roim standing behind me.
I decided to honor her request. If formality made her uncomfortable, then it defeated the point of showing respect.
“Very well, I’ll speak more casually, as you wish. I only meant to show respect for someone who truly cares for children. But if it makes you uneasy, I’ll stop.”
“Thank you, Duchess. Truly, I’m honored. I’m only doing my job. Ah, would you like some tea?”
“No need. I’ll be heading out now, but thank you.”
“You’re leaving already?”
The headmistress looked surprised. I nodded.
“I’ll visit again. The children are probably still a little uncomfortable around me. Better to leave them with a good first impression.”
“Of course. Thank you again for your generosity. They’re so happy with the gifts—I’m sure they’ll welcome you even more warmly next time.”
“I look forward to it.”
Cradling the bird, I stood up, and the headmistress opened the door for me.
As I stepped out, the children waved their gifts and shouted their goodbyes. I couldn’t take my eyes off their joyful, radiant faces until they disappeared from view.
—
After Bella left the orphanage, the headmistress rushed back inside.
There, sitting on the sofa—where no one had been earlier—was a man cloaked in black.
“…She’s more interesting than I expected. And to think my gift would end up here.”
“I didn’t expect you this early. I’m sorry for making you wait in hiding.”
“No need to apologize. I learned something useful.”
“…Pardon?”
Just as he was about to leave, the headmistress spoke again.
“Also, I pretended not to know, but the Archduke’s bird was injured when she brought it in.”
“I know. And now I know where Rexto is too. That’s enough for today.”
“Yes, understood.”
The man disappeared, leaving the headmistress alone in the room.
—
As we rode through Bayron again, the bird in my arms suddenly grew restless, craning its neck toward the window and tilting its head.
Curious about the view? I brought it closer to the window, and it pressed itself against the glass, eyes darting eagerly.
When we arrived in front of the Parome shop, the bird flapped its wings and jumped onto the carriage floor, waiting by the door.
“You shouldn’t move too much with your wing like that. Come here.”
I scooped it up again. Thankfully, it didn’t resist and quietly nestled into my arms.
It began pecking at my brooch again, so I gave its beak a gentle tap in warning. Then I stepped out of the carriage, the door opened by Roim.
As I approached the shop and reached to knock, I could hear the commotion inside even from outside.
Ding-a-ling.
As Sir Chester opened the door, the bell chimed. A moment later, someone burst out from the back of the seemingly empty shop.
“Re—oh, never mind…”
The man looked visibly disappointed—until he caught sight of me behind Chester.
“Sai?”
“Oh! Duchess Dylan! Thank you so much for visiting our store!”
Relieved and slightly embarrassed, Sai bowed deeply and greeted me.
Then, noticing my curious expression, he scratched his head awkwardly.
“Ah, sorry about the noise. We’ve had a small situation…”
He trailed off, lifting his head—only to spot the bird nestled in my arms. His eyes widened.
“Wait… Rexto?!”
“Peep!”
The bird chirped brightly, as if replying to its name.
Sai immediately frowned and strode over.
“Do you know how worried we were?! You didn’t come back on time—where have you been?!”
“…Rexto? Sai, do you know this bird?”
“The owner was so worried—oh, I mean—Duchess, forgive me! I didn’t mean to rush up and startle you!”
“It’s fine. So you do know this bird?”
“Well… yes, actually. We’ve been looking all over for him. I can’t believe he was with you.”
“So you’re his owner?”
“No, not me. Rexto belongs to my master.”
“Your master…?”
Bella’s eyes widened.
The master… the one who sent me those cakes? The one who gave me the gifts I delivered to the orphanage today?
She looked down at the bird in her arms, stunned.
“Peep.”
The bird looked up at her with innocent, guileless eyes—completely unaware of the turmoil it had just stirred.
