The Princess in the Chicken Coop - Chapter 1.14
She fluttered her wings in confusion at the sudden attention. Rising from the cushion that was already uncomfortable from too much stuffing, she circled around it while pondering the suddenly posed question.
Lenok had to try hard to suppress his laughter at her tail feathers that twitched with each step she took.
Unaware of this fact, Soria’s contemplation was deadly serious.
‘The t-tip? No, actually, couldn’t the whole thing be considered lips?’
This wasn’t a matter that could be taken lightly. How many lips had she stolen sneaking into the knights’ quarters these past few days? If those weren’t kisses, it meant all her efforts had been for nothing.
Owell, who had stepped back, sighed at the situation that seemed endless.
“How about just kissing anywhere, Your Majesty? It’s getting quite late.”
Soria stopped in her tracks, fluttering at that gloomy voice. Indeed, it was late.
‘Certainly not a time to be awake.’
Soria nodded and turned around.
Chen thought that the eyes of Soria facing him somehow seemed calm. Though he immediately shook his head to dismiss that thought.
A chicken being calm? He thought that perhaps he was dreaming as he took a step toward Soria.
Soria lifted her head toward the approaching knight.
His lips, which gently landed on top of her beak while politely supporting her chin with his hand, were full of warmth. The thumping sensation seemed to pound through her entire body, such was her anticipation.
She waited for some change while standing firmly on her tiptoes. No, she desperately hoped for it.
However.
“…It seems it’s not you, Sir. Well done. You may return now.”
Nothing had changed by the time Lenok made his pronouncement.
Chen felt even more at a loss seeing Soria’s clearly disappointed appearance. Not only had she hung her head low, but her snow-white wings that seemed to touch the floor were beyond mere disappointment.
After sending him out, Lenok sat down on the long sofa right next to the table where Soria stood. His hands were slow in undoing the buttons that had been choking his neck until then.
Lenok tapped the table, trying to draw Soria’s gaze to him.
Of course, since she had lost her spirit and wouldn’t look, he had to lift her face with his hand.
With one hand holding Soria’s face and the other supporting his own chin, Lenok’s eyes stared intently at Soria.
“Princess.”
[What is it? Let’s stop for today. I’m already feeling down, so don’t bother me.]
“Actually. I had no intention of kissing anyone except the woman who would become the future empress, be they chicken or human.”
Soria’s gaze, which had been fixed on the floor, lifted for the first time.
She felt her earlier disappointment being halved at the emperor’s declaration.
What nonsense was this? Though her parents were famous for their marital harmony, they weren’t each other’s first loves. Much less first kisses. Since Syenn’s social circles favored free love at the time, theirs was a love that came after numerous romances for both.
For some reason, she looked at Lenok with a pitying expression and asked.
[…Is the Crotia Empire quite strict with its royal family?]
“Huh?”
[Never having dated until now… Hang in there, Your Majesty. You can always date secretly if needed. You should date for at least four seasons before marriage, right?]
“Huuh?”
[Oh my. Don’t tell me everyone in the Crotia Empire marries without dating. Dating is such a wonderful thing!!]
The fire that had been sleeping inside Soria suddenly flared up. She felt confident she could lecture Lenok about the benefits of dating all night long, using all the knowledge she had.
It was Owell who cut off the conversation that was straying further and further from the point.
Sensing something odd about Lenok’s gradually changing expression and Soria’s sudden excited fluttering, he stepped between them.
“Your Majesty. I trust you’re not actually receiving dating advice from Princess Soria.”
Indeed. He was receiving advice. And not just any advice, but about how good kissing was for the body and what positive mental effects it had.
As the conversation that had been drifting toward medical topics was cut off, Lenok suddenly came to his senses and jumped up from his seat.
“No! Princess, you too, stop! That’s not what I was trying to say. I was just trying to say that I’m going to break that belief!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he reached out and lifted Soria up.
Soria fluttered her wings and poured out complaints at his rough handling. However, Lenok’s ears were already deaf to everything.
“What if that hero or warrior is me! This body must be sacrificed for the empire!”
Owell had to forcefully suppress his desire to object that it was a bit much to talk about sacrifice for just a kiss.
And he applauded, unable to hear Soria crying out in protest.
Clap clap clap clap─.
[Kyaaak! No, I said no! Call the knights back! Let’s start over from the beginning…!!]
“Cluck! Cluck cluck!! Clu─ kyo!!”
Cutting through the noisy chicken cries, Lenok’s lips met Soria’s beak. It was the emperor’s monumental first kiss.
Soria’s mind went completely blank.
‘What just happened?’
Even in the chaos, she tried to grasp the current situation.
Chen had politely kissed her, and nothing happened. Then immediately after, Lenok spouted some unprecedented nonsense and grabbed her. Though she struggled hard, she couldn’t escape. His skill in neatly folding her fluttering wings and holding her up with both hands was considerable – who knows what he had been practicing on during the days she was gone.
‘Did he spend time studying how to handle chickens?!’
This was a thought she could have only because she didn’t know that Lenok had spent the past few days in painful practice with real chickens.
In any case, His Majesty the Emperor skillfully controlled Soria. Her wings were sealed, and no matter how much she tried to attack with her legs, it was no different from kicking at empty air.
Oh, heavens! Her desperate cries that she would rather kiss Owell first, no, before that, to please just call the knights back one more time, were completely ignored.
The sensation of lips briefly touching and leaving the yellow beak was so vivid.
Soria, who had been expounding on the importance of dating until just moments ago, let out a long cry.
“Cluck─ kyooo!!”
‘Is this punishment for stealing the knights’ kisses? I’m sorry, I’ll definitely go apologize!!’
While lamenting internally, Soria stepped back sharply.
Having achieved his goal, Lenok willingly let her go.
A chilly silence followed. Soria nervously opened her eyes slightly. It wasn’t surprising to see Lenok looking at her with a dumbfounded expression.
However, when even Owell was looking at her with an astonished gaze, Soria felt uneasy and distanced herself from both of them.
[Wh-what’s wrong?]
She had only said one thing. Asking what was wrong. When she asked that one question out of unbearable anxiety, Owell’s eyes widened.
His gaze, which had been on Soria, immediately shifted to Lenok.
As a genius born in an age when magic was disappearing, as well as the Grand Magician and Duke of Dalia, he was truly amazed.
Clap clap clap.
On this dark night without even the moon visible. In the dawn beyond that night, the Duke’s applause rang out loudly.
“Your Majesty, congratulations. As Your Majesty has become the hero who broke the hundred-year curse, the people will rejoice and praise Your Majesty.”
Soria was surprised at those words. She stamped her feet with widened eyes. However, what filled her lowered gaze were not human feet but chicken feet.
‘…Huh? Did they say the curse was broken?’
