Chapter 17
Remembering that Raven was right in front of me, I composed my expression. I also forced the dangerous desire creeping up inside me to quiet down. Then, as if nothing had happened, I shaped my face into something affectionate and opened my mouth again.
“Now, say ah.”
“……”
“Let’s finish all your medicine quickly and sleep deeply, little one.”
At my words, the crow looked back and forth between the medicine in the spoon and me. He was clearly wondering whether he had to put this terrible-tasting thing in his mouth again.
I gave him a deliberately stern look and held out the medicine.
“Tsk, hurry.”
“……”
After glancing at the slight furrow between my brows, Raven eventually opened his mouth with a displeased face. It was clear that he still hated taking the medicine, but he was forcing his mouth open because he seemed worried I might get angry.
Even after noticing that, I pretended not to know and busily poured the medicine into his mouth, coaxing him like a child.
“Oh my, I wonder whose bird takes his medicine this well. Hm?”
“……”
“Look at this, there probably isn’t another bird in the world who takes medicine as well as you do. My goodness, how admirable.”
Each time he took a spoonful of medicine, praise poured down like a storm, and the movement of his beak gradually grew faster. The expression that had seemed displeased just moments ago gradually began to show pride and confidence.
After repeating the spoonfuls for some time, the medicine I had mixed was cleanly emptied before I knew it.
As I cleared away the medicine bowl, I gently stroked his head as a final touch.
“Well done, little one. You even take medicine that tastes bad so well.”
“Caw.”
Raven answered in a slightly stronger voice. Both his mood and condition seemed to have improved quite a bit.
At the sight of him looking far more endearing than I had expected, a small laugh escaped me.
“Since you’ve eaten and taken your medicine, sleep deeply now. As promised, I’ll stay beside you until you fall asleep.”
Soon, I stopped laughing and pulled over a nearby chair, sitting beside him with only a faint smile on my face.
Raven, who had only been staring intently at me for a while, obediently relaxed his body once I sat down and slowly closed his eyes, preparing to sleep.
Perhaps the medicine was taking effect, because his closing eyelids looked quite heavy. But that was all. No sooner had he tried to fall asleep than he suddenly opened his eyes and looked at me.
As if he were afraid I might leave.
Perhaps because I had already grown used to Raven’s movements, I quickly read his unease and soothed him with sweet words.
“It’s alright, I’ll be here even after you wake up. I won’t disappear, and even after you open your eyes, I’ll be somewhere you can see as soon as you turn your gaze. So don’t worry.”
“……”
“Ah! Or should I read you a book? If you hear my voice, you might be able to sleep at ease.”
Then, without even giving Raven time to answer, I rose from my seat and rummaged through my desk.
I wondered which of the books I had read while waiting for spring would be best to read to him.
‘I don’t really have anything suitable to read to Raven Barietsch…’
I had no way of knowing what kind of books he liked either.
‘That wasn’t written in the original, either.’
In the end, after some thought, I chose a collection of essays by a philosopher that seemed the safest.
Since the content was neither too childish nor too boring, I thought he would enjoy listening to it. It was also not a very thick essay collection, so it wouldn’t be burdensome to read.
Praising myself for making a very good choice, I returned to Raven with the book held in my arms. However, when I stood before him, he had already fallen asleep.
“What, you’re already asleep…”
I hadn’t even read a single line of the book, nor had I opened my mouth yet, but he was already in dreamland.
It was a moment that made the effort I had put into choosing a book feel futile. However, I didn’t feel particularly bad. Rather, he seemed terribly dear to me.
“You sleep just fine even without me, goodness.”
Why had he been so anxious that I might disappear if he closed his eyes?
Even as I grumbled softly, I looked at Raven, who was sleeping peacefully, with a warm gaze. If I followed my heart, I wanted to stroke his head to my heart’s content, but I gave up on that in case I woke him.
After gazing for a long time at Raven, who slept without the slightest movement, a thought suddenly crossed my mind. He was lacking something right now.
‘A blanket. He has nothing to cover him.’
More than the cushion that was small compared to his body, the fact that he had fallen asleep without anything covering him was the greater problem.
Although spring was fully in the air, the wind that blew after sunset was still chilly. Even if I slept with the window closed, Raven, who was near the window, might be cold from the draft coming through the crack in the door.
‘He’s already hurt, so it would be terrible if he caught a cold too.’
I had already dismissed all the servants. I also felt sorry to wake people who were sleeping in the middle of the night, saying I needed a blanket to cover a crow.
“Hmm… What to do?”
After some thought, one idea came to mind.
I thought it would be good to cover him with a handkerchief. It would be a little lacking as a blanket, but it would be better than nothing.
I took out a clean handkerchief embroidered with my initials from the dressing table, spread it wide, and gently placed it over Raven’s back.
Fortunately, he didn’t wake despite my presence.
Feeling relieved inside, I watched him sleep a little longer. Then I soon put out the light, lay down on the bed, and closed my eyes.
It was the end of a long day.
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