Killing the Possessor - Chapter 135

Ah, why does it have to be the Crown Prince? He’s not someone I can just ignore.

I hid my frustration and approached him with a respectful greeting, hoping the conversation wouldn’t drag on too long.

“Crown Prince.”

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

“Ah, haha…”

Sitting on his shoulder was a long-tailed, ash-brown bird. The well-trained pet perched calmly, gobbling up bits of fruit he offered without fuss.

“I know Her Majesty has placed some rather burdensome requests on you. I’m sorry you have to go through all this trouble because of it.”

“Oh, not at all. It’s nothing, really. The Princess and Miss Yuli are both very kind to me.”

Who would have thought, after ending up as a noble in another world, I’d still be stuck doing this sort of social maneuvering?

After being the talk of the town so many times for attending to Princess Aveline, telling these kinds of little lies had become second nature to me.

“Dodo, how about showing off a trick for our diligent Miss Camilli?”

Suddenly, Daeon decided to show off his pet’s skills. Honestly, I just wanted to get to the detached palace as quickly as possible, so this was the last thing I needed.

Oblivious to my anxiety, the Crown Prince whistled leisurely, and his bird began to sing, mimicking the melody perfectly.

Chirp-chirp, chirp-chirp.

Even though I was still anxious, I had to admit—the little bird copying its owner’s tune was adorable.

When I smiled, Daeon rewarded Dodo with more fruit and spoke again.

“Did you know? The mockingbird can imitate the songs of nearly 200 other birds just to attract a mate.”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

I couldn’t care less, but since he was the future Emperor, I did my best to sound genuinely impressed. He stroked the bird’s beak and continued,

“Sometimes it even mimics amphibians or insects. But if it messes up and sings the wrong song, it can get into real trouble.”

A cryptic smile tugged at his lips. His red eyes suddenly pierced through me.

“Isn’t that kind of tragic?”

“Sorry?”

“If it makes the wrong sound, it’s in danger. But if it never tries to sing, it gets nothing.”

His words, loaded with meaning, made me furrow my brow. He watched me in silence, then slowly lifted the corners of his mouth.

“But if all it ever does is imitate the same song as the others, it’ll never get the mate it wants.”

“……”

“It’s hard, you know—living life by mimicking everyone around you.”

He shook his head at his bird, then turned back to me as if seeking agreement.

“Don’t you think?”

“……”

Every time I talked with the Crown Prince, I was left with a feeling I couldn’t quite describe. His eyes were the same color as Wyner’s, yet when I looked into his, I felt exposed, like he could see straight through me. No matter how friendly he acted, there was always this creeping sense of unease I couldn’t explain.

Clenching my fist, I realized I couldn’t define my relationship with him—or even the meaning behind his words—beyond a superficial level.

“Yes… I suppose Dodo has it tough.”

Breaking the long silence, I finally managed a response. Daeon smiled, rubbing the bird’s head with his finger, his expression returning to its usual friendly charm.

“Oh, look at me, keeping someone in a hurry from getting on their way. Go on, don’t let me keep you.”

“Not at all. It was a pleasure, Dodo’s performance was delightful, too.”

“Haha, glad to hear it. Let’s catch up again soon.”

I bowed and turned away as he waved. I still knew I needed to hurry, but for some reason, I didn’t feel as rushed as before.

Unlike my very first visit to the palace, I made my way to the detached palace at a leisurely pace. Just as I arrived, a new message appeared in front of me.