Chapter – 29
I tilted my head while looking at him and asked.
“…If you’re that worried about my injury, wouldn’t it be better to just give me medicine and a bandage?”
“Well, medicine and bandages can’t be returned.”
Cesare smiled gently. Ppiyak whispered loudly, flapping its wings.
< Kiana, I think that man is kind of suspicious! >
But there was something Cesare didn’t know. I didn’t bother returning things other people gave me anyway.
Meeting Cesare at the clubhouse was unexpected, but everything ended well in any case.
Before getting into the carriage, I handed a gold coin to the spy maid. It was one of the coins I had taken from the pouch I gave Cesare.
“This is yours, spy.”
“…Huh?”
The value of a gold coin was enormous. The spy maid’s eyes went wide.
“I quickly exchanged your chips for money, so of course there should be an incentive.”
“I-I only followed orders…”
“You followed them well, so this is your reward. Keep improving your stamina and handle jobs like this well in the future. My stamina is kind of terrible.”
“P-Princessssss…”
The maid looked deeply moved. As expected, where there is money, there is emotion. I nodded proudly once and boarded the carriage with Ppiyak.
Inside the carriage on the way home, Ppiyak flapped its wings.
< That was so fun, Kiana! >
“Really? What was the most fun part?”
< That gloomy man’s ridiculously handsome face! Just looking at it was entertaining. >
“Right? He really is something.”
As expected, summon beasts and humans had the same taste. For a while, we seriously reviewed Cesare’s face in our minds.
Then I patted Ppiyak’s head and whispered,
“Since we had fun, it’s time to work, Ppiyak.”
< Huh? >
“Maybe a reply came.”
Ppiyak looked at me in disbelief.
< It hasn’t even been long since I got back… and now work again… >
“Normally you should still be working right now. But you came back earlier than expected, so don’t complain.”
< T-That’s just unfair logic! >
“It’s unfair, but very logical. Go on.”
< Kiana! >
Ppiyak hurriedly said,
< There’s something you don’t know yet. Delivering something from you to someone and bringing something back to you takes different amounts of time. >
“Oh. So sending and receiving take different time?”
< Yes! We use another dimension for transport. Taking things in and out has a time difference… >
“So the point is?”
< It takes much longer to bring things back to you! When I was near Melissa, I estimated it would take about a month! >
So it meant replies take longer to retrieve. I commented immediately.
“But what does that have to do with me? Whether it’s a month or a week, just do your best and bring it back.”
< But Kiana, there are so many fun things happening now… >
Ppiyak looked very reluctant.
< Starting tomorrow, your contract dating with that gloomy man begins! What if I’m gone and you two suddenly fall for each other!? >
“Then it can’t be helped. I’ll just have all the fun myself.”
< Wow… personality… >
“So go on, Ppiyak. If there’s a reply in my mailbox, bring it.”
I added seriously, recalling my professor days.
“And as I said, try to be faster.”
< I-it’s not something I can just control… >
“Try. Tell me after trying. Once you try enough, you get used to it and end up living like that.”
< That makes no sense… is there proof? >
“Yes.”
I answered calmly.
“The law of inertia.”
< …… >
Ppiyak pouted and turned around.
< Magic engineering is doomed. >
Cesare’s estate after Kiana left.
Cesare immediately stood up, washed, and changed clothes. Then he gave a casual order to the servant.
“Throw away everything I wore today. The smell on them is disgusting.”
Being extremely sensitive to all senses, the smell of the clubhouse lingering on his clothes was unbearable. And due to his cleanliness obsession, even washed clothes were unacceptable to wear again.
His gaze then shifted to the reception table. Avian’s handkerchief was lying there.
Cesare looked at it and said calmly to the servant,
“Send it to Duke Licinis’ house to Avian tomorrow morning.”
A satisfied smile appeared on his face, like a well-fed predator.
“And make sure to add that it is being returned from the House of Marquis Levin.”
‘Please don’t be there, please don’t be there…’
In the dimensional space, Ppiyak quietly prayed.
‘Please let there be nothing…’
It wanted to return to the human world quickly. More precisely, it wanted to be by Kiana’s side.
The clubhouse visit, and meeting Cesare—it had all been fun. It didn’t say it out loud in case Kiana would be annoyed, but Ppiyak had its own sense of judgment, and comparing Melissa and Kiana was unavoidable. Gentle Melissa and sharp Kiana were completely different.
‘Strange. Even though the time I spent with Kiana isn’t that long…’
Ppiyak shook slightly as it recalled Kiana’s calm face.
‘Yet I end up obeying her more like a master.’
When it was with Melissa, it used to laze around and slack off. But Kiana had a strange charisma that made it impossible to disobey her.
‘And it’s really weird.’
Ppiyak tilted its head.
‘I feel more energetic than when I was with Melissa.’
Originally, Ppiyak was not a powerful summon beast. It could only carry small objects that could fit in its beak. It also took too long, so it wasn’t very useful.
It had assumed that limitation was natural because Melissa was from a collateral branch. Very few collateral branch members could even summon beasts, and their summons were usually restricted. Time limits were common. That was why the direct line of Prelay was respected.
So Ppiyak had just lazed around giving advice beside Melissa. That’s why it wasn’t used to working when Kiana gave orders.
It was definitely Melissa who summoned it. But when it stayed beside Kiana, it felt like its abilities were enhanced.
‘Can that even happen?’
It had assumed it was just a weak summon beast from a collateral branch…
‘Look at this.’
Ppiyak swallowed nervously as it looked at a note already in its beak.
‘It’s already moved it…’
There was a note inside Kiana’s personal mailbox. It seemed to have arrived today. Ppiyak had used the other dimension to transport it secretly.
Now it just had to return the letter to Kiana.
It had taken a long time to bring things from the other dimension when it was with Melissa… but now it was instant. And originally, returning to the human world took longer than entering the other dimension.
‘At this speed, I can get back to Kiana quickly. It won’t take a month.’
Ppiyak tilted its head.
‘Did I… actually try harder without realizing it? Is that why I’m faster?’
The note in its beak contained simple words.
Light and playful, yet with a faint warmth of affection.
Even while hiding its identity, the handwriting was neat.
And the relaxed writing carried absolute confidence.
