Chapter 18
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Raven grew healthier with each passing day.
It was thanks to the fact that he never skipped a meal, and although he clearly disliked the medicine veterinarian James had prescribed for him, he took it quite well.
The place where the bullet had been lodged had already healed and new flesh was growing over it, and the diagnosis was that his broken left leg was also knitting together well without issue.
“It seems there’s no need to prescribe any more medicine now, and he only needs to be careful until his leg fully heals.”
James, who had come and gone from the mansion every day for a week without fail to check Raven’s condition, said that.
“Ah, is that so? That’s very good news. I was already worried about how long I would have to keep feeding him that medicine, since he doesn’t really like taking it.”
I answered quietly and glanced toward Raven behind him.
Raven was sitting primly on the thick, soft red cushion specially made to fit his body. The handkerchief he had been using as a blanket was wrapped around his neck like a bandana.
While James and I were talking, he had been staring intently this way, and perhaps because he had heard that he no longer had to take the terrible-tasting medicine, Raven’s delight was plainly visible.
Following my gaze to Raven on the cushion, James laughed softly.
“Children around that age usually dislike medicine.”
“How long will it take until his leg is completely healed?”
“It will take about two more weeks. Until then, please be careful so he doesn’t use his leg, and pay attention to his feed so he can take in nutrients evenly.”
“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.”
With my answer, the conversation came to an end.
Now that the examination was finished, James would probably pack his bag as he was and leave with his farewell. However, for some reason, James showed no sign of leaving. It seemed like he was trying to gauge my mood.
‘Does he still have something to say?’
We had already discussed everything about Raven’s health, and I had sufficiently noted the precautions he had told me.
There should have been nothing more he needed to say to me. Just as I was thinking that, James belatedly opened his mouth.
“Miss Giselle, by any chance, do you perhaps intend to raise this bird?”
“……”
At the unexpected question, I slowly blinked. I was flustered, having never thought I would receive such a question from him.
“Why do you suddenly ask…?”
“Ah, it’s nothing else. If you plan to raise him in the mansion, I thought it would be best to start training him now. Crows are quite intelligent, so as long as he is trained well, raising him shouldn’t be difficult.”
“……”
“Besides, you personally saved this child, Miss. This child also seems to follow you very well, so I wanted to tell you at least once that perhaps you might raise him yourself.”
Listening to him, I remained silent for a moment with complicated feelings.
The fact that, in James the veterinarian’s eyes, Raven appeared to follow me well was a happy thing. It was no different from saying I had succeeded in opening Raven’s heart.
However, I hadn’t the slightest intention of raising him.
‘I can’t romance a crow, and a crow can’t have me.’
I liked Raven as a crow, but I didn’t like crows themselves.
If an ordinary crow rather than Raven was found collapsed behind the storage shed, I would have chosen to scream and faint instead of saving him.
However, I hid such thoughts beneath the elegant expression unique to nobles and revealed a little bewilderment.
“Thank you for your words, but unfortunately, I have no intention of raising this child in the mansion.”
“Ah, is that so? You cared for this child so much, Miss, that I thought you might personally take him in, but I suppose that wasn’t the case.”
James answered with a regretful sigh.
Pretending to feel sorry, I added with a smile on my lips.
“Truthfully, if I follow my heart, I would love to. But… I think it’s right to send him back to the place where he originally lived. That would be a good thing for this child too. Besides… the people of the mansion are a little uncomfortable with him, you see.”
It was something I had no choice but to bring up in order to refuse the suggestion, but it was true. Aside from me, everyone in the mansion was uncomfortable with Raven.
It wasn’t as though Raven had done anything to them. He hadn’t suddenly spread his wings for no reason and flown into the air to peck someone’s head or bite someone’s finger.
Even though he was merely sitting quietly on the large cushion I had made for him, people’s reactions weren’t very good.
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