Around midday, bathed in warm, gentle sunlight, I was enjoying a peaceful walk through the garden with Gold when it happened.
“Woof! Woof woof!”
“Whoa—what the heck?!”
Gold, who had been trotting obediently beside me, suddenly let out a loud bark and bolted forward at full speed.
“Gold! Not that way!”
I yanked on his leash to pull him back, but it was useless. He was way too strong—and more stubborn than ever today. I had no choice but to stumble along as he dragged me across the garden.
He finally stopped under a large tree tucked in a corner of the yard. I bent over, panting from the surprise sprint.
“Huff… What is it, Gold?”
“Woof!”
Something was clamped in his mouth. That slick, shiny black thing—
“AH?!”
Did he catch something? Wait, Gold’s a hunting dog now?!
“No, Gold! Bad! Let go!”
“Woof.”
At my panicked shout, Gold obediently dropped what he was holding. I rushed to pick it up—a small, limp bird.
Please don’t be dead.
Thankfully, it wasn’t. The poor thing was just a bit soggy from Gold’s drool, but its heart was still beating. I let out a relieved sigh and gently set it back on the ground.
“Sorry about my pup. Go on, you’re free to fly now.”
But even after a long pause, the bird made no move to leave. It just plopped down on its butt and tilted its head from side to side, looking around.
That’s odd. I picked it up again, but it didn’t resist at all. Now that I got a better look, I realized I recognized this little guy—it was a young magpie. I carefully checked it over.
“Huh… This leg looks a bit off. Is it broken?”
Could Gold’s teeth have done that? …No, didn’t seem like it. I glanced up and spotted other fledgling magpies hopping in and out of a nest high in the tree, clearly in the middle of flight training. This one must’ve fallen mid-attempt and hurt itself.
Maybe if I put it back in the nest, its mom would come take care of it. Just as I thought that—
Flap!
One magpie launched from the nest, did a graceful circle midair, and—
Flap! Flap, flap!
The others followed, one by one, all successfully taking flight. In seconds, they vanished into the sky, leaving the injured chick behind.
…They left it?
There’s no way it’ll survive out here on its own.
I looked down at the little magpie cradled in my hands. It blinked its wide, glossy black eyes up at me, completely unaware of my growing worry, then tilted its head again.
Cawrr?
Oh no. That sound was too cute.
I gently scratched the top of its head with my index finger. The chick tilted the other way and let out another soft chirp—Cawrr! Great. Now I was totally hooked.
Guess I have no choice. I’ll take it to Butler Squawk.
“Gold, sorry, but we’re cutting the walk short today.”
“Woof!”
As if he knew this would happen, Gold immediately turned and headed back toward the mansion. He was so calm and composed now, it made me wonder if he’d chased after the chick to save it from the beginning. …Was I being ridiculous?
Thankfully, Butler Squawk gave us good news after checking over the bird.
“Its left leg has a small fracture, but nothing serious. It should heal completely in about a week.”
“Really? That’s a relief. Right, little one?”
Cawrrr.
“But this assumes it stays in a safe environment. Right now, it can’t walk properly, let alone fly. If we release it now, it’ll either starve or end up as someone’s dinner.”
The moment he said that, my mind was made up.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it until it’s fully healed.”
“I see. Very well. If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you. I really mean it.”
Cawrrr!
“Looks like the little one’s happy to hear you’ll be taking care of him, Briel.”
“How can you tell? Can you actually talk to magpies?”
Was it because he was a bird too? If that were the case, maybe he could act as a translator for a while. My eyes lit up with hope, but Butler Squawk burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Of course not! It just felt that way, is all.”
“Oh…”
Well, now I feel silly for getting excited.
***
“Looks like there’s an uninvited guest at the dinner table.”
At the sight of the magpie for the first time, Kalz arched one brow in obvious disapproval.
“I invited him. He’s injured, and I didn’t want to leave him alone. He’ll be eating with us for the time being, so you might as well say hello.”
“Says who?”
“Kkamang, say hi. That scary-looking lion over there is the master of this castle.”
“Who are you calling scary? And Kkamang? That’s the bird’s name?”
“Yup. I picked it. It’s easier to call him something than just ‘hey bird.’ Now it’s your turn—say hello.”
“Hold on—don’t just stick him on my head.”
“Oh come on, can’t you lend your glorious mane to a poor baby bird who lost his nest?”
“If you’re feeling that generous, why not lend him your hair instead?”
Kalz grumbled but didn’t remove the bird. He left Kkamang perched on his head while I explained the situation. His brow knit tighter as he listened.
“So what—you’re going to care for a chick even its own mother abandoned? You make a habit out of pointless gestures?”
Seriously?
“It’s not pointless. Butler Squawk said he’ll be fine.”
“That’s exactly why it’s pointless. The injury wasn’t even your fault. There’s no reason to go saving every creature that nature weeds out. You just can’t help yourself, can you?”
“That’s right. I’m the king of sticking my nose into things. Glad you finally caught on.”
And that’s exactly why I’m still trying to save you, too. He must’ve picked up on what I was really saying, because he cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Anyway, what I meant was—”
Tug-tug.
“…What’s that noise?”
Apparently bored of the conversation, Kkamang had started preening Kalz’s mane. Yes! Keep going, pluck it all out. I cheered him on silently as the little beak dug in without hesitation.
After a moment, Kalz figured out what was happening and reluctantly lifted Kkamang off his head, setting him on the table. The magpie looked up at him with those innocent black eyes.
Cawrr?
“…Well, he’s already here. I guess there’s no helping it.”
“So that’s a yes?”
“As if my permission ever mattered. Do what you want.”
Even as he said it, Kalz’s eyes stayed locked on Kkamang. I thought he’d be fine with the bird since Butler Squawk was around—but maybe he wasn’t comfortable after all?
Turns out, that assumption couldn’t have been more wrong.
“Hey, where’s Kkamang?”
“The master took him a little while ago.”
“Again?”
This wasn’t the first time. Whenever I had to do something risky—like scrubbing windows or dealing with the kitchen—I’d leave Kkamang with Butler Squawk. And every time I got back, I heard the same thing.
What exactly were those two doing while I was gone? Judging by the growing number of bird toys and accessories showing up in Kalz’s space, it was starting to look downright ridiculous.
“He’s probably in the study by now. Got it.”
“Briel, are you heading to see the master? I have business with him too—let’s go together.”
Butler Squawk and I made our way to Kalz’s study. Just as he lifted a wing to knock, I gently reached out to stop him.
“Wait, Butler. Just a moment.”
“Something wrong?”
“Aren’t you just a little curious about what Kalz is doing with Kkamang right now?”
“Now that does sound like an entertaining topic.”
“Right?!”
With Butler Squawk’s help, I carefully turned the doorknob. The door cracked open just a sliver, and Kalz’s voice filtered through.
“Heh, that tickles.”
Cawrr?
“There we go, good boy. Looks like you really like this, huh?”
Cawrrrr!
Heh? Good boy?
The moment I heard Kalz speaking in that soft, affectionate tone—so unlike him—I felt goosebumps ripple down my arms. Butler Squawk didn’t look much better; his beak was hanging wide open in disbelief.
Without a word, we quietly shut the door again.
“Feels like we just saw something we weren’t meant to.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“…Should we still go in?”
“Yes.”
Knock knock.
“…Come in.”
We stepped inside to find Kalz seated at his desk—on the opposite end from where Kkamang was perched. His face was completely neutral, as if he hadn’t just been baby-talking a bird.
“What is it?”
“I came to pick up Kkamang… Were you reading?”
“I was.”
“Really? You weren’t, say, playing with him?”
“Playing? With a bird? Why would I do that?”
“Why? You tell me! You were just grinning from ear to ear, cooing at him like a doting parent!”
I couldn’t take it anymore. He was being so ridiculously obvious, I had to call him out myself.
Kalz, realizing he’d been caught red-handed, flushed all the way to the tips of his ears. His tail gave a few embarrassed flicks behind him.
