Chapter 64
My adorable little sparrow, whom I had expected to have so much to say to me, was thoroughly sulking.
“Divine Beast, have you been well?”
I asked with my softest voice and even a gentle smile, but the reply was sharp and pouty.
[Enough! I’m not talking to you anymore. I’m going back beyond the plane of divinity.]
Chirpy shouted from the windowsill, not even bothering to come close to the bed.
He wouldn’t even look at me, his beak jutting out in an offended pout. He must’ve been really upset.
“What’s wrong? I woke up safely, didn’t I?”
[You tend to neglect your own health. Just because you have divine power doesn’t mean you’re invincible. You couldn’t even protect your own body!]
I wished I had some excuse to offer, but unfortunately, I had none.
I killed the monster, yes—but as he said, I failed to protect myself.
[If Layton and I hadn’t found you, you would’ve died right there. You would’ve closed your eyes from blood loss on the spot!]
“You… found me together with Layton?”
[Yes. That guy insisted on looking for you, so I went with him. You were barely breathing. I managed to push some divine power into you just in time. What would you have done without me?!]
His furious scolding hid something odd.
“Hold on. Did you just say you were searching with Layton?”
[Yes. And that bastard grabbed me and demanded I use divine power on you.]
“What—?! Divine Beast, did Layton see you?!”
If he grabbed the Divine Beast and asked it to use divine power…
Then he’d definitely been exposed.
I was so shocked that I bolted upright without even noticing my shoulder pain.
Chirpy paced anxiously, wings twitching, as if he hadn’t expected me to catch on that quickly.
[I didn’t expect to get caught either! Layton’s perception is absurdly sharp.]
“I’ve been working so hard to keep you hidden, and you get discovered just like that?!”
[Maybe a demon told him. Just like we can sense demonic energy, demons can sense divine power.]
There was no use wondering how it happened now.
Grabbing my aching shoulder, I groaned and asked,
“So… how did the Marquis react?”
Chirpy chirped sharply, as if wondering why I’d ask something so pointless.
[He acted like he already knew. I told you, didn’t I? I felt like he knew and simply wasn’t saying anything.]
Layton discovering the Divine Beast…
“Are you okay? Now that your identity is exposed.”
[Of course I’m not pleased. I hate demons more than anything. But what’s done is done.]
“Then what do we do now? Won’t this cause trouble for you?”
I hadn’t told Layton about the Divine Beast earlier because Chirpy didn’t want me to.
Even if Layton now knew, he was unlikely to act rashly.
He had too many other worries, after all.
A man contracted with a demon might find the Divine Beast irritating, yes—but that logic meant he should find me irritating too, since I also used divine power.
Layton wasn’t that kind of person.
But the being contracted with him, the demon itself, definitely wouldn’t welcome the Divine Beast.
As expected, Chirpy found that demon very troublesome.
[It’s a small inconvenience. Because if Layton Zaynes knows about me, the demon he’s contracted with knows too. And if they know of my existence, they may try to kill me whenever they get the chance.]
“K–kill you?”
What in the world—
Chirpy being targeted for assassination was not something I expected. My jaw dropped.
He had called it a small inconvenience, but it was extremely serious.
[Divine power weakens demonic energy. For the sake of their Great Demon, they’d want me gone. If I disappeared, the divine aura protecting the Empire would weaken too. Then monsters would appear in the capital more often, and lands tainted by demonic energy would increase.]
The Empire was protected by sacred power—an unseen barrier to ordinary people.
They didn’t know it, but that sacred power originated from the Divine Beast itself.
This little sparrow, who had been pouting so dramatically moments ago, was actually an irreplaceable presence sustaining the entire Empire.
I fell silent, watching him as he fluttered down into my palm.
[Humans don’t know. Divine power and demonic power are hanging in a delicate balance. Demons target weakened, desire-ridden humans to corrupt the world. Thankfully, good and beautiful humans still outnumber the corrupted ones… for now.]
Chirpy sighed deeply, the tiny breath tickling my palm.
[If I disappear, demons will run rampant. What happened recently would become commonplace.]
“Then we definitely need to be careful. About Layton’s demon.”
[You also need to be careful of Layton himself. He and that demon are on the same side. Just like you and I are.]
Chirpy flew close to my face, staring at me with his deep, unreadable eyes as if urging me to respond.
‘I should be careful.’
Since his existence was exposed, Layton’s demon could target him at any time.
Better safe than sorry.
Layton wasn’t a demon—but something around him was, and it was worth caution.
Even if Layton himself wouldn’t harm us…
The demon might.
And since the Divine Beast didn’t exist in the original story, I had even more reason to be vigilant.
Just like me, an extra who could vanish without affecting the plot, Chirpy was also outside the story.
“Alright. Since we’re living in the same place, I’ll stay alert.”
A Divine Beast with sacred power and a demon with dark power living under the same roof—
what an unusual household.
I firmly resolved not to cause trouble.
But Chirpy blinked in confusion.
[Living in the same place? Who? Me and Layton?]
“Yes. You’re both staying in our mansion.”
Chirpy tilted his head meaningfully, as if debating whether he should say something.
Before I could wonder what he meant, he muttered to himself,
[You’ll find out later. It’s not certain yet…]
“What?”
[Never mind. You should rest. I healed your internal injuries with divine power, but external ones are harder to treat that way.]
He urged me to lie down, and I leaned back against the headboard.
Even talking was tiring now.
I thought I healed fast, but maybe this wound would take some time.
When I winced at the faint pain, Chirpy noticed instantly and flapped his wings in concern.
Then, perhaps to cheer me up, he flopped onto his back in my palm and rubbed his soft feathers against my skin.
‘Goodness, how cute.’
At times like these, he really was like a spoiled pet sparrow.
Thanks to my intelligent, capable little pet, the confusion I felt upon waking cleared up.
Knock, knock.
Chirpy fluttered to the ceiling at the sound.
I didn’t even need to see to know who it was.
“Big sister!”
Ailey burst in, having apparently run straight from class, with Aaron following behind her.
His arms were full of books, and he was pushing his glasses back up with his elbow as he ran.
“Big sister! I came the moment Daisy told me you woke up!”
Ailey made to leap straight onto the bed, but Aaron hurriedly stopped her.
“If you jump like that, you’ll hurt Lady Selena!”
Surprisingly, Ailey instantly calmed down.
Aaron gave her an approving thumbs-up, like a proud guardian.
Ailey shot him a look clearly saying See? I’m good, right? then clung to my side.
“Big sister, are you really okay now?”
I still had bandages on my shoulder, but I didn’t feel too bad.
I could move a bit, at least, so I flashed Ailey a reassuring grin.
“Yep! I’m fine now. More importantly—where were you that day?”
A monster had been imitating her.
I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
The way it had mimicked her voice so perfectly was horrifying even in hindsight.
‘Why did it imitate Ailey?’
Was it trying to lure me?
I’d never heard of monsters choosing specific targets.
In fact, monsters weren’t supposed to be common in the Empire at all.
They were usually animals warped by demonic energy, but that monster had spoken.
‘Right. It talked. In Ailey’s voice.’
It had spoken to me naturally, as if to deceive me.
Seeing my expression grow grave, Ailey must have thought I was upset because she disappeared that day. She drooped her head sadly.
“I’m sorry. The Marquis told me… that you got hurt while looking for me. It’s all my fault. I’m always a burden to you.”
“That’s not true. Even if I were missing, you would’ve searched for me too, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course. You’re the most precious person in the world to me.”
Her golden eyes shone with warmth as she held my hand tightly.
Then she spoke, slower this time—
and what she told me about that day was far more complicated than I imagined.
“Big sister… the truth is, I was looking for you that day too. With Aaron. And in the forest, I heard your voice.”
