CHAPTER 53…………….
The bedroom wasn’t decorated lavishly, but laid out functionally with the flow of movement in mind.
This wasn’t the great plaza barracks, but Leonhart’s palace.
‘How did I end up here? I was originally going to run away right after Owen healed me…’
And it was all because of Leonhart’s sudden kiss.
That completely unexpected attack had made my mind go blank.
After having Owen heal my stiffened, wooden-like body, Leonhart had casually brought me straight to his palace.
I glared through the cage bars toward the bathroom.
‘And now he’s just enjoying a bath all by himself?’
He had even gone so far as to procure a cage in the middle of the night and lock me inside.
‘Calculating bastard.’
Fortunately, there were still a couple of hours until dawn.
‘I have to escape before then.’
Otherwise, a disaster would occur when I transformed back into Adrian inside this cage.
‘Ugh…’
I opened my beak and let out a deep sigh.
That was when the telepathy of the spirits rushed into my head.
[Ugh, boring. Lian, how long are you going to stay there? Isn’t it about time you head back?]
[Were you perhaps thinking about how to open the cage? If so, I should tell you, it opens easily if you just undo the latch.]
[Hah! Do you really think our contractor can’t open a birdcage? She’s just fuming mad and waiting. The moment Leonhart falls asleep, she’s going to peck his mouth shut.]
[Oh my, Lian! Is what the fire lizard said true? Are you really planning to get revenge on Leonhart? Because of the kiss?]
[I agree. An unconsented kiss is no different from violence. Lord Leonhart was far too rude earlier.]
[What nonsense. What crazy human would ever say, ‘Excuse me, may I kiss you?’ to a crow before pressing their lips on its beak? If such a person exists, that’s the real lunatic. Don’t you think so, Gnome?]
[…]
‘For the love of god, stop saying the word “kiss”!’
Unable to send telepathy back, I could only sigh.
Opening the cage was far too easy. I didn’t even need the spirits’ help.
But if I escaped now, Leonhart would just chase after me.
‘He must be exhausted after finally coming back…’
I decided it wasn’t too late to leave once he fell asleep.
I shook my head at the spirits and went to drink some water.
I spread my beak, stuck out my tongue, and lapped up water when suddenly the door creaked.
Step, step—bare feet padded across the carpet.
‘He must be done with his bath…’
I raised my head without thinking and froze on the spot.
The water I hadn’t swallowed dribbled out of my beak.
“Della, were you drinking water?”
‘Y-you-you… Are you out of your mind?! Why are you naked!!!’
Leonhart was stark naked, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.
‘Insane!’
He approached, droplets of water trailing down, releasing a fragrant scent into the air.
“Why did you stop drinking? Go on.”
I swear, I didn’t want to see that scene—water rolling down from his neck, passing his broad chest, and seeping into the lines of his abs.
I had no desire to know how wide and firm his pectorals were, or how beautifully his obliques were shaped.
‘What can I do, my eyesight is too sharp—I can see everything…’
I buried my head under my wings.
From above, Leonhart’s gentle voice fell.
“Sleepy?”
‘Would you be sleepy in this situation?’
“Should I turn off the light?”
‘For heaven’s sake, just put on some clothes…’
He turned his back on the cage and walked off somewhere.
I cautiously peeked up, only to quickly avert my gaze.
Because Leonhart had untied the towel at his waist and tossed it aside as he walked.
‘Gasp!’
I unconsciously gulped.
Click—darkness filled the room as the lights went out, and Leonhart returned wearing a nightgown.
He reached into the cage and softly stroked me.
“Good night, Della.”
Then he locked the cage again and lay down on the bed.
Soon, his breathing grew steady and calm.
I waited in silence for a while before raising my head to check on him.
I even noisily drank water and tapped the bars with my beak, but Leonhart didn’t stir. He must have been deeply asleep from fatigue.
‘Finally, I can get out.’
I slipped my head between the bars and flicked the latch up.
With a click, the ring came loose and the small cage door slid open.
Silently, I flew to the window sill and looked back at Leonhart.
Watching his peacefully sleeping face, I slipped out through the window.
I swore to myself that what happened tonight would remain a secret forever.
I returned home just before dawn and immediately fell asleep.
I was simply too mentally exhausted.
When I finally woke up late in the morning after sleeping deeply—
[Ping!]
[Your third hidden ability in “I Became the Saint Who Saves the World” is revealed!
Phan♥tom♥Beast♥Trans♥formation♥
Now you are invincible! Shall we race unhindered to the ending?]
As expected, the final ability was the power to transform into a phantom beast for half of each month.
The first two abilities could indeed be called “powers.”
Being the most beautiful in the world was useless but still better than nothing, and spirit magic had been undeniably helpful.
‘But being a crow is a downgrade, isn’t it?’
How could transforming into a powerless phantom beast be considered a real ability?
I couldn’t understand the author’s mind at all.
“Invincible, my foot. What kind of ability is this…”
Muttering in disbelief, I was soon surrounded by the spirits.
– You weren’t like this for a while, but now you’re talking to yourself again.
– Yes, since morning too. We’re really worried.
– Come on, what’s the big deal? It’s not like she’s doing crazy things like that little human yesterday. Just muttering to herself, that’s all. Right, Gnome?
– (nods)
Hearing their chatter suddenly sparked a strange thought.
The fact I hadn’t been muttering meant there had been no directives.
And indeed, I had found it strange there hadn’t been any system messages for quite some time.
“Guys, do you know when I stopped talking to myself?”
– Hmm, not sure exactly… Sylph, wasn’t it about half a month ago?
– That sounds right. I thought it was because you began turning into a crow.
– Whoa, so that’s why the self-talk is back? Because from today you’re not turning into a crow! Damn, that’s crazy. Gnome, isn’t that wild?
– (nods)
The period without directives almost exactly matched the time I transformed into a crow.
‘So… while I’m a crow, the author just leaves me alone… Oh?!’
I widened my eyes.
That casual thought suddenly made perfect sense.
Think carefully.
For fifteen days, there hadn’t been a single directive.
Even when I recruited a fiancé on my own, even when I met Bianca, the author had stayed silent.
‘If I assume the author doesn’t intervene while I’m a crow, everything fits.’
All my doubts vanished at once.
In that case, the crow transformation really was a good ability.
No, depending on how I used it, it might even be more useful than spirit magic.
‘Half of each month, I can act entirely on my own.’
But one part still felt off.
Why would the author give me such an ability?
What if I acted completely outside the story during those fifteen days?
‘It’s not like they gave me freedom out of pity… Oh, is it because I’m just a supporting character?’
A side character’s influence on a story was limited.
So perhaps they thought it was fine to reduce interference.
As I tilted my head, uneasy with the thought—
[Chapter 3: The Birth of Evil]
[Step 3: Adrian hurried to finish his morning preparations and called for his butler.]
‘Judging from the title, Bianca really is the final villain, huh?’
So my guess had been right.
After all, she had tried to burn a living crow to death.
Even recalling her smiling face, saying it would burn well, sent chills down my spine.
That meant she had done it before.
I quickly finished my preparations and summoned the butler.
“You called, my lord.”
[Step 2: Did you notify the fiancé candidates about their meeting schedule?]
“How’s the meeting schedule with the fiancé candidates?”
“The first interview is set ten days from now, with meetings every two days after.”
“Forget that, let’s do them all in one day.”
“You mean… all ten candidates in one day?”
“From after lunch, schedule them at thirty-minute intervals.”
“…Very well, my lord.”
[Step 3: (with a weary sigh) And the guilds participating in the Great Plaza construction—when was the decision again?]
“What about the decision for the guilds joining the Great Plaza construction?”
“This afternoon. His Highness the Third Prince has summoned the guild representatives to the palace. It seems the choice will be announced publicly there.”
“Fabius will participate too, won’t he?”
“He is considered the strongest candidate at the moment.”
[Step 2: Confirm the exact time.]
“Find out the exact time.”
“Are you planning to attend, my lord?”
[Step 1: (haughtily) Would it be proper for the advisor to miss such an important decision?]
As if on cue, directives popped up one after another. It was clear: while I was a crow, the author never intervened.
“Of course I’ll attend. Make preparations.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Once the butler left, I called for Sylph.
