“It’s been a while. I thought you would never come back after that.”
Riu gently stroked the fluffy white feathers on its head with his index finger. Looking closely, it was a rare pigeon, a kind that belonged to the Jacobin breed.
Because it was such an uncommon species, it was expensive, and he knew only people of fairly high status kept birds like this.
So who in the world was sending him a carrier pigeon? Riu looked down at it and asked,
“Do you have something to deliver to me again?”
At the warmth in his voice, the pigeon lifted its right leg as if it had been waiting for that. The leg was still cute and slender.
“Coo!”
With a short cry, it pointed at its leg with its beak. Seeing it lift its chin like it was telling him to hurry up and check, Riu let out a quiet laugh.
But this time it was not a note. Was it because he had told it not to bring notes? A tiny red box was tied to its leg with a blue string.
“So it is not a note?”
Worried it might be uncomfortable, Riu quickly untied the string and picked up the box. Thankfully, the box was made from a material even lighter than he expected.
“Is this gift really meant to be delivered to me?”
As if answering yes, the pigeon flapped its wings. The way it urged him on, like it was telling him to hurry and open it, made Riu sigh as if to say fine, and he unfastened the box.
Inside, a teardrop shaped gem hung on a gold chain, so clear and radiant it almost looked transparent.
It was so unnaturally pure that Riu found himself staring blankly for a moment, unable to look away. Then he came back to himself and set the box down.
“Sorry. You must have carried this all the way here. I cannot accept something like this.”
At Riu’s words, the pigeon flapped its wings as if refusing that answer. Looking closely, it even seemed a little angry.
“I get how you feel, but I cannot just take something from someone when I don’t even know them. Just seeing you again is enough for me.”
As if to calm it down, Riu stroked its head. The pigeon lowered its head readily and blinked slowly, like a bird that had been loved and pampered by its owner.
Then, as if it suddenly snapped back to its senses, it went coo! again and shuffled both feet.
“Even so, no.”
When Riu refused firmly, the pigeon drooped, its expression turning downcast. It lowered its head slightly, pitiful enough to tug at his heart, and let out a long, sighing cooo…
But then it quickly grabbed the necklace from the box and flapped up. It looked oddly resolute, like someone determined to complete a mission at all costs.
Just as the pigeon finished hanging the necklace around Riu’s neck and landed again, something unbelievable happened. There was no reason he should be able to understand a pigeon, and yet he felt as if he could hear its voice.
“…What is this?”
“Coo coo! (My master told me to give it to you!)”
It was not his imagination. The voice was painfully clear, and Riu clapped a hand over his mouth. Looking closer, light was spilling from the necklace he was wearing.
It seemed this was not an ordinary necklace at all, but a magical item that translated the language of birds.
“Coo coo! Coo oo! (My master is terrifying! If I had failed to deliver this, I would not have been able to see Dosooni again.)”
“Dosooni?”
“Coo coo! (Yeah. She is my girlfriend.)”
As if embarrassed, the pigeon scratched its belly with the tip of its wing. It was so cute that Riu could not help laughing.
“Then what is your name?”
“Coo! (Domi!)”
“Domi. That is a pretty name.”
Maybe it liked being called pretty, because Domi spun around in a neat little circle on the spot.
“But why send this to me? I cannot accept something so expensive.”
“Coo coo! Coo coo coo! (No! You can take it. My master sent me because he was worried you might be bored.)”
At the very least, the pigeon’s owner seemed to be someone who knew Riu well. The necklace felt like too much, but Riu did not dislike meeting Domi. So he spent time talking with Domi.
After they played for a long while, Domi fluttered up to perch on his shoulder. Like it was reluctant to leave, it rubbed its beak against Riu’s cheek, then flapped its wings again.
“Coo! Coo coo… (I should go now. If I am too late, my master will scold me. He is probably jealous even now.)”
“Jealous?”
Riu looked at it, clearly not understanding what it could be jealous of, but Domi did not explain.
“Wait, then take the necklace…”
Riu spoke urgently and reached up to remove the necklace from his neck. Since it was not his, he meant to return it, but Domi had already flown out the window long ago. In the end, Riu placed the necklace back into the box and neatly tied it shut again with the blue ribbon.
“I do not know who you are, but next time I will return it for sure.”
With that promise, Riu put the box into a drawer.
(T/N: You know, Riu… You could’ve asked “Who is your master?”)
Because Albert had come by around lunchtime, Riu hurried to finish getting ready. The tube of art supplies strapped to Albert’s back made it clear he wanted to go draw.
There was no real reason to refuse, so Riu gathered his tools and walked over to Albert, who was waiting.
“I am ready. Where are we going?”
“There is a scenic spot near here. Want to go check it out?”
Since Riu did not have anywhere he had to be, he nodded. But if he had known it was far enough to require a carriage, he might have hesitated longer before answering.
“We have to take a carriage?”
“It is a bit far to walk. If we go on foot, we might arrive after the sun sets. Is that still fine?”
Albert spoke in a tone that mixed teasing and sincerity and held out his hand. He was acting like the decision had already been made, and Riu had no choice but to accept the escort and climb into the carriage.
Even the interior was different from the carriage Riu usually used. It looked much more luxurious and sturdier, too. Riu pressed himself toward the side with the window.
“What is it? Why are you so tense?”
“Hm? Me?”
At Riu’s shameless act of playing dumb, Albert sat in the center of the seat and turned toward him. Their knees were close enough to almost touch, and Riu tensed his thigh and pressed himself even more against the wall.
“Am I making you uncomfortable?”
“…No.”
“Then why are you sitting so far away? Come a little closer.”
He tapped the empty space with his finger, a space big enough for someone to sit. His gaze was so obvious it felt almost too much, and Riu smiled awkwardly.
“I just like sitting by the window.”
“Do you? Then I guess I cannot help it. I thought you were uncomfortable, so I was telling you to sit more easily.”
Albert looked at him with disappointment in his eyes, but Riu did not notice, keeping his attention fixed on the window. Maybe he was trying to avoid this awkward atmosphere because he hated it.
“Riu. Do you know this? You are the first person I have ever brought into this carriage.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. I have never felt like I wanted to give anyone a ride before.”
It felt like the unspoken words, But you are different, were hanging in the air. Unsettled, Riu quickly changed the subject to reset the mood.
“Then I am honored. But where is the place you mentioned?”
“That is a secret. You will definitely like it, so be excited.”
That strange, slightly alien mood drifted through the carriage again. Riu tried to tell himself he only had to endure it for a little while, but then realized he would have to ride back in the same carriage, too.
How long had they been traveling? At some point, Riu realized more than an hour had passed. Albert had said it was nearby, but there was still no sign of arriving. Riu asked carefully,
“When do you think we will get there?”
“We are almost there. Five more minutes.”
At the words five minutes, Riu patted his shoulders lightly. Maybe because he had been tense the whole way, his shoulders felt stiff.
“If you are really sore, do you want me to rub your shoulders a bit?”
Albert probably asked without any deeper meaning, but Riu waved him off.
“It is not that bad. I will take the thought.”
Riu forced a smile, trying not to make it awkward. Between friends, a shoulder rub was not strange, but thinking of Matthew’s massage made his feelings twist in an odd way.
“Looks like we are here. Shall we get out?”
“Yeah.”
Riu answered the instant Albert spoke, and Albert gave a faint, bitter smile. Still, as soon as the door opened, he stepped down first and offered his hand again.
“You know… you do not have to escort me this much. It is honestly more comfortable for me to get down by myself…”
As if he understood, Albert pulled his hand back. The smile stayed on his lips as he simply watched Riu climb down.
“This is the place you meant?”
Riu asked after stepping out. It did not look especially remarkable as a place to draw, so he asked again in a quiet voice.
“No. From here, we have to walk in.”
Albert started ahead like he wanted Riu to follow. Two escort knights followed behind him, but Albert sent them farther back and kept walking in front.
After passing through stretches of tall, thick grass again and again, Riu heard the sound of running water in the distance. There seemed to be a valley nearby.
“We are almost there. Come here for a second.”
Albert called out like someone who had something to show. Riu hurried to catch up to him, and when the view opened up, he could not hide his surprise.
Leave a Reply