I’m a Wren, but I’m Going to Charm a Human!

“What sound… do you mean?”

“I could’ve sworn I heard someone desperately calling for me.”

“I didn’t hear anything. Besides, I doubt anyone would be bold enough to trespass on private property.”

“Is that so?”

The voices that had drawn so close began to fade into the distance.

No. I couldn’t let them leave.

I had to stop them. They might be my last hope.

The shoulder the eagle had injured was completely useless now. Bracing my one good wing against the ground, I dragged myself forward.

In the process, my smooth, dainty yellow beak—one of my greatest sources of pride—scraped painfully against a rock. But I couldn’t bring myself to care. There was only one thought left in my mind.

I want to live. After one final, desperate struggle, I finally crawled back out into the world. Instead of the dark, cramped hole, a clear blue sky stretched before my eyes.

‘Ah. It’s beautiful.’

I stared at it for a brief moment before summoning the last of my strength and calling after the people walking away.

“I’m… right here!”

My faint voice echoed weakly through the air.

If the eagle was still nearby, it would surely hear me and come to devour me.

But even if I stayed hidden in that hole, I would die anyway. Unfortunately, I had spent every last ounce of strength getting this far and no longer had enough energy to crawl back inside.

This was my final gamble. I had poured everything I had into it.

Still, perhaps I should be grateful that I had gotten to see such a beautiful sky at the very end of my life.

Before long, my eyelids slowly began to fall.

‘Ah… I suppose this is as far as I go.’

A large shadow fell across the edges of my fading vision. Before I could see what it belonged to, my eyes slipped shut.

* * *

Several days had already passed.

Fortunately, I was still alive.

A human had discovered me lying on the ground and brought me back to his home. Thanks to him, I had narrowly escaped becoming an eagle’s meal.

For the time being, I pretended to be an ordinary wren and quietly observed my surroundings. It soon became clear that I was neither in the Wren Kingdom nor in any other beastfolk nation.

I was in the world of humans!

‘Humans….’

Unlike us beastfolk, humans were incapable of transforming into animals. To us, they were ancient beings one might expect to encounter only in history books.

How in the world had I ended up in a place inhabited by them?

‘Was it because of those storm clouds after all?’

I had thought it strange that those pitch-black clouds had gathered directly over my head and nowhere else.

If my suspicions were correct, then no matter how desperately I struggled, there was no way I could return to the Wren Kingdom by myself.

I worried about my family, who were undoubtedly still searching for me, but my current life wasn’t all that bad either. The humans had treated my injuries, fed me, and provided me with the finest care imaginable.

And of all of them, this one was my favorite.

“Chirpy, today I’ve prepared freshly harvested grains, five-grain bread fermented with the finest blend, and some fresh fruit.”

His gentle voice flowed pleasantly through the room. He was a beautiful human, with gleaming golden hair that seemed to hold a handful of sunlight and clear blue eyes the color of the sky.

‘His name was Schwein, wasn’t it?’

He seemed to hold a fairly high position here. Whenever he gave an instruction, the other humans bowed their heads and immediately carried it out.

‘Today’s meal is quite satisfactory as well.’

I stirred through the grains with my beak, carefully picking out only the ones that suited my tastes.

“You shouldn’t be such a picky eater.”

At the sound of his concerned voice, I did what I always did. I tilted my head to the side and put on my most innocent, clueless expression.

“Peep?”

“No, never mind. That’s right, eat whatever you want. Have some of this and some of that too. You need to eat plenty if you want to recover quickly.”

What a foolish human.

He had fallen completely for my flawless performance.

He could never have imagined that the little bird sitting before him was none other than Princess Meishutanacompattineoraro, the thirty-second princess of the Wren Kingdom.

‘Hehehe….’

My body had yet to recover completely, so I intended to remain here only until I was well again. Besides, I had no idea what might happen if they discovered that I was actually a beastwoman.

Still, every now and then, a troubling thought crept into my mind. What if I can never return to the Wren Kingdom?

But I trusted Father and Mother. I had my brothers and sisters, who had always been on my side, and my loyal personal guard, Sir Welting, as well.

‘I just have to hold out until they find me!’

Yet as more time passed, I found myself growing increasingly accustomed to this life.

The human named Schwein, who had brought me here, possessed all the qualities one could possibly ask for in a servant.

Most of the time, a single glance or gesture from me was enough for him to understand exactly what I wanted. On the rare occasion that he failed to notice, one stern command from me would have him rushing over as though summoned by magic.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!”
(Human! That wicked cat is trying to torment me!)

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!”
(Human! There is no food in my bowl!)

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!”
(Human! It’s raining, and my shoulder is aching!)

Eventually, the day came when the shoulder injured by the eagle had completely healed.

And yet, I didn’t leave.

Was it because I was frightened of encountering another enormous eagle? Or because the thought of facing this unfamiliar world alone was too daunting?

Neither.

“If you want to live freely, you’re welcome to go. But if things ever become difficult, come back here whenever you want. I won’t forget you. I’ll be waiting for you.”