Looking for a Husband to Confine Me - Chapter 66.2

Schedule: Tue and Sat

“It’s fine, Ricardo. You have more pressing matters to attend to.” I said, noticing his troubled expression. Still, he continued to look at me with concern. “My apologies, Amelia.”

“Don’t worry about it. See you later.”

I smiled, and his expression softened. He nodded with a faint smile, and I turned to leave. Lingering felt like it would only increase his concern. As I glanced back, I saw the knights moving with a sense of urgency. They seemed to be heading quite far out. “…That’s unusual.” It was rare for the vice-captain, Ricardo Div, to leave the city. I cast one last look at Ricardo before heading back to the manor, hoping to contact Damian.

***

I placed the small, bird-shaped magical tool on my bed, my gaze fixed on it. I’d anticipated Damian might not contact me immediately, given his missed appointment, but I hadn’t expected to be left in the dark for this long.

“I can’t believe he hasn’t contacted me all evening…” I grumbled, settling onto the plush pillows and gently nudging the bird. I didn’t know how to use it, so I’d been tapping it and calling out

“Damian.” I frowned and pouted. “If you’re going to make me worry, the least you could do is get in touch quickly.” I hoped the bird wasn’t a single-use item. Its twitching movements suggested otherwise.

“[Kyoo…]” A soft sound caught my attention. Snowy was stealthily approaching the bird from behind, its white body gliding across the bed like a predator about to strike.

“[Kyoo!]”

Snowy lunged. I quickly reached out, my left hand shielding the bird and my right gently grasping Snowy’s body.

“[Kyoo, Kyoo!]” Snowy closed its mouth as my hand made contact, but not before its sharp fangs grazed my hand, leaving a small puncture wound. It recoiled, its white body coiling around my arm as it stared anxiously at the drop of blood welling up on my hand.

“[Kyoo, Kyooo…]”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry, I should have told you.” The bite wasn’t deep, just a tiny prick. I stroked Snowy’s head reassuringly. “This isn’t food. You can’t hunt it, okay?”

“[Kyooo…]”

Snowy had never shown any predatory behavior or food aggression before. According to my research, some magical creatures didn’t require sustenance, and it seemed Snowy was one of them.

“[Kyukyu, Kyu!]”

“I wonder if this is a magical creature too…” I looked back at the bird. Oblivious to its near-demise, it sat on the pillow, tilting its head. Unlike Snowy, whose appearance was entirely serpentine, the bird only resembled a bird in its general shape, leading me to believe it was a magical tool. But its movements suggested it might be a magical creature…

“What is your owner doing?” I gently stroked the bird’s back. Its short tail twitched, as if tickled.

“…Damian.” I murmured his name without thinking, continuing to stroke the bird. Suddenly, the small beak slowly opened.

“- Amelia?” It was the voice I’d been waiting for. I bolted upright. “Damian! Where are you, what are you doing?”

“- I sent word to the manor when I couldn’t reach you. I see you didn’t get the message.”

“The manor?” He must have tried contacting me through the bird while I was at the exhibition. When I didn’t respond, he sent someone to the manor…

“Damn Hazel…” I muttered the family name. Tepine would have told me. Since she hadn’t, someone must have intercepted the message.

“- I’m sorry. Were you worried?”

“Of course, I was worried!”

“- Something came up. I’m sorry.” His unusually compliant apology eased my frustration. Hearing only his voice, devoid of his usual relaxed demeanor, made him seem different.

“…What happened?”

“- There was a problem at the… Tsk.” He trailed off, clicking his tongue. I could almost picture him running a hand through his hair. “At the orphanage? Are the children alright?”

“- Probably.”

“What kind of problem?”

“- Amelia.” Damian’s use of my name silenced me.

“- I won’t be able to contact you for a while, so…”

“Damian.” His voice was unusually serious. Hearing only his voice, I found myself tense, hanging on his every word. Was the problem serious enough to prevent contact? Damian was always so relaxed, so his serious tone made me worr…

“- Think about me while I’m gone, okay?”

“……”

…My worry evaporated. Serious tone, my foot. I could practically see his usual languid expression. “- See you later.”

“Wait!”

I was about to scold him for feigning seriousness, but the connection cut off. Damian had made light of the situation, but just before the connection broke, I distinctly heard it: the sound of children crying.

“Honestly…!” I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.

“How much money do I have left? Enough for a carriage to the orphanage first thing in the morning…” I muttered, getting to my feet. It was time to raid my emergency funds.