The Princess in the Chicken Coop - Chapter 2.1 - 2. The First Step of Love Starts with "Darling"?
[…Stop laughing, Diowell.]
Diowell alternated his gaze between the butler and Soria with a stiff expression, facing the first trial of his life. There was no need to ask how things had escalated to this point.
Lenok was rather insensitive to these matters. He must have thoughtlessly ordered to treat Soria as a princess of the Syenn Kingdom.
Being an emperor who never had to be mindful of others, he probably didn’t even think that he was the only one who could communicate with her.
Therefore, this must be the result of the butler’s interpretation, who, thinking he shouldn’t trouble the busy emperor, treated the white chicken exactly like a ‘princess.’
Diowell, who hadn’t laughed even when the empire’s best jester visited, finally raised the white flag when the butler, with an extremely solemn expression, opened his mouth.
“Princess Syenn Brianne V. Soria. Duke Diowell, please show your respect.”
“Pfft…!”
Diowell quickly turned his head away. As he covered his mouth to suppress his laughter, Soria fluttered her wings and jumped up.
[Aaargh! I told you not to laugh!!]
Flutter! Flutter!
In the not-so-distant future, when Lenok heard about this chaos, he too would burst into hearty laughter, forgetting even to curse at the mountain of documents before him. Of course, no one knew that his laughter would lead the servants to treat Soria even more reverently.
***
The situation calmed down about thirty minutes later. Soria used all her strength to throw off the crown on her head.
Diowell watched the toy-like crown roll away into the distance before clearing his throat softly.
Soria, who had been glaring at him fiercely, soon rested her chin on the cushion she had been brought on, with a deflated expression.
[Anyway, this worked out well. I was planning to meet you anyway.]
“You mean me?”
[Yes. I thought about it all night yesterday… the drought, I think we might find another solution.]
“When you say another solution… does it perhaps have to do with the magic books you wrote?”
[That’s right.]
Diowell didn’t hesitate. He walked straight to the bookshelf. The books he had greedily gathered from the Syenn palace came tumbling down in front of Soria.
The reason for not selecting just one book was simple.
“If so, I would be grateful if you could first explain what language these are written in.”
It wasn’t difficult to pick out what appeared to be magic books from those filling the library. It was simply a matter of choosing the ones that couldn’t be read.
Other ordinary books were easily readable, so Syenn’s language couldn’t be particularly special. However, strangely enough, the books presumed to be magical texts were unreadable. Whenever he tried to read them, the letters seemed to crawl across the paper, only causing frustration.
It wasn’t hard to guess how many times Diowell had tried from his irritated expression.
Soria laughed softly and picked up one of the many books with her beak.
[What kind of mage wouldn’t put at least this level of security on their spell books? Watch carefully.]
She tried to manipulate what little mana remained in her body.
No, she tried to. But suddenly, as her entire body’s mana seemed to jump around, her eyes widened.
It was a sensation she couldn’t forget even after a hundred years. How could she forget? This creepy sensation of being manipulated at someone else’s whim.
“What is this…!”
“…That’s what I wanted to say.”
Soria, at Diowell’s words, and at the voice that came from her own mouth.
At the vividness of her knees touching the ground and the roughness of the book cover at her fingertips, she blinked slowly.
“Oh my.”
The curse had been lifted.
***
“Just for a moment?”
Lenok had wasted his entire morning dragging out the screaming Count Dott. As a result, he was listening to Diowell’s report without having eaten lunch.
“Yes, about five minutes.”
Soria’s curse had been lifted. Though brief, she had shed her chicken form and stood on two feet.
Lenok stroked his chin with a serious expression. While the portrait of her he had seen at the Syenn palace had been impressive, he honestly hadn’t thought she could become human again when she was a chicken.
Lenok asked Diowell with an utterly serious expression.
“Was she pretty?”
Diowell looked at Lenok with an exasperated expression. When his close friend and trusted subordinate criticized him with just a look, Lenok laughed boisterously as he sat back down.
“I’m joking. More importantly, what exactly is the problem? I, the curse-breaking hero…”
This time, the advisor standing beside the desk turned his head slightly as if he’d heard something he shouldn’t have.
Lenok, lamenting why none of his subordinates would praise his greatness, continued speaking.
“Ah, fine. Fine. Whatever the case, why did the curse only partially break after the kiss? The Imperial Mage should surely know the reason.”
“Because it wasn’t a kiss of true love.”
The question Lenok had thrown to tease Diowell came back like a boomerang to strike him instead.
The Emperor, who had spent his entire life focused on work and study, having not only never experienced love but also had his first kiss with a chicken, stared at Diowell with a blank expression.
“What? True, love, what?”
However, Diowell, who had successfully married for love three years ago and already had two children, maintained an incredibly calm expression.
He looked at his lord with eyes full of compassion as he continued speaking.
“Perhaps this is a good opportunity to fill the long-vacant position of Empress. Your Majesty, if you were to break the ancient curse and welcome the last remaining royal member of Syenn Kingdom – once a land of prosperity and magic – as your Empress, I’m certain your story would be passed down from person to person for generations. Minstrels would compose songs about it, and history books would record it as an unprecedented destined love.”
“…Owell.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I’m asking just in case, but… you’re not enjoying this, are you?”
Diowell shook his head while smiling with absolute contentment.
“How could I? As your loyal subject, how could I dare? I simply haven’t forgotten how Your Majesty thoughtfully advised and helped me during my courtship with my wife.”
Lenok was certain.
This fellow was definitely enjoying this.
He hadn’t expected him to forget easily, but that was already several years ago. It had been five years, in fact. Back then, Lenok had rolled up his sleeves to help his friend’s unrequited love succeed.
As a result, Diowell fell into the lake in front of the lady he was pining for. Remembering that day, Lenok groaned.
‘Wait. Come to think of it, wasn’t it all thanks to me!’
After that incident, Lady Mabeline, who had never given Diowell a second glance, had burst out laughing at him. He remembered that was how they had started talking to each other. Finishing his reminiscence, Lenok spoke with indignation rather than remorse.
“You have to admit it. Owell, without my help, you would still be unable to speak a single word to Mabeline.”
Diowell nodded with a compassionate expression, acknowledging this.
“Of course, Your Majesty. That’s why this time, I shall help Your Majesty with all my heart and soul.”
Then he made sure to add, “Aren’t you getting tired of constantly worrying about which family’s young lady would be best suited as Empress?”
The way Diowell smiled brightly while saying this…
‘…That fellow is definitely enjoying this. No doubt about it.’
He looked thoroughly entertained.
