Chapter 17

Episode 17 — Experiment (2)

"C-Cute!!"

"What?"

Unless she had grown an absurd amount of courage, there was no way she would say such irreverent words to the 7th Prince, so I frowned and asked back.

Although I had asked in an unusually dazed manner, she was looking at my feet as if her gaze had been completely stolen by something.

I followed that gaze and turned my head.

And there.

"Squeak?"

The owner of a familiar face was shamelessly looking at me while swishing its fluffy, striped tail.

Only then did I remember the strangely heavy bag.

So the owner of the sense of déjà vu I had not thought deeply about because I had come in a bit of a hurry was this thing.

This squirrel looked up at me with its cheeks bulging, as if it had carefully packed the acorns and hazelnuts inside the bag.

So, you were an ambitious squirrel after all?

"Ah! Y-Your Highness, t-there is a forest nearby, so it must be a squirrel that wandered in by mistake. I-I will quickly chase it outside!"

As I glared at the squirrel, Anna seemed to misunderstand something and stammered while watching my reaction, defending the squirrel.

The child’s voice trembled so much that it was obvious she was worried I might be thinking about how to skin the squirrel.

Then she hurriedly reached out toward the creature standing on the floor with its front paws raised.

“Eek!"

Unfortunately, based on my experience, that tiny thing was not a very gentle animal.

The squirrel instantly avoided Anna’s hand and began running around here and there.

"W-Wait! Hold on!"

Anna could not collect herself at the squirrel’s quick movements as it began circling around her.

"Aaah! Don’t!"

The squirrel, which had a reckless personality that did not match its adorable black eyes, finally climbed up Anna and stuck itself onto the child’s face.

Anna was almost on the verge of tears.

"How do you work in the kitchen when you cannot even catch one little rat?"

I sighed and grabbed the small creature stuck to Anna’s face.

"I-I am sorry, Your Highness."

Perhaps embarrassed that she had confidently stepped forward only to scream, Anna lowered her head and answered.

Now, what should I do with this thing?

If I simply put it outside, I could not know whether it would find its way back to the forest on its own.

It would be lucky if it did not get eaten by some stray cat nearby on the way.

While I was thinking various things, the creature, completely restrained in my hand with only its face sticking out, began making kkwek-kkwek sounds, as if dissatisfied with its posture.

"Ah."

It happened in an instant.

Before I could avoid it, the creature bit my hand quite hard, then took advantage of the loosened strength in my grip and slipped out, scurrying up the bookshelf.

Seeing it like this, squirrels were stronger creatures than I had thought, so it seemed like it might be able to repel something like a stray cat with just its teeth.

Even if I threw it outside, it seemed like it would survive just fine on its own.

"Gasp! Your Highness! B-Blood!"

At Anna’s shock, I looked at my hand and saw that blood was dripping in drops, perhaps because it had bitten quite deeply.

"I will!!! Go get medicine!!"

I tried to say that this much was nothing and that she should not make a fuss, but before I could even open my mouth, Anna caused all kinds of commotion and ran out of the room.

Well, from the child’s perspective, she had seen a member of the imperial family get wounded right before her eyes, so it was understandable that she would nearly faint.

Moreover, the fact that the wound had been caused by a squirrel that had been stuck to her face probably contributed to her panic.

Accepting that, I looked at the cause of all this commotion.

The adorable creature perched on the top shelf of the bookshelf had been grooming its head with its hands when its eyes met mine.

Why not come down now?

Even at my words, the creature twitched its nostrils a few times, then turned around and began taking out the tree nuts it had stored in its cheek pouches between the books.

If only I could climb up, I would catch it immediately and send it outside.

That thought occurred to me for just a brief moment.

"Haha, unbelievable.."

Absurdly enough, the sensation I had waited for all afternoon covered my entire body.

A familiar heat began wrapping around me from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

And when I opened my eyes again, I had become a palm-sized squirrel.

When I looked down at my tiny hands, a hollow laugh escaped me.

Betrayal, my foot. It was nothing that complicated.

So, all I had to do was touch the neck?

"Squeak?! Squeak squeak! Kkwek!!"

I smiled a little as I looked at the squirrel that had witnessed a person turn into a squirrel right in front of it and was about to faint.

My body felt light as I climbed the bookshelf.

* * *

Small things changed that day.

First of all, Anna seemed to come to respect me a little.

Anna, who had made a fuss and brought emergency medicine, was surprised to see that I had not only caught the squirrel but also made it obedient, and she muttered softly, “As expected, his gaze is….”

It was loud for a mutter, but I pretended not to hear it.

Yes, it would be good if she thought I was frightening.

And I began coming to the forest a little more often.

On days when there were many, I secured three animals I could transform into, and on days when there were few, none.

Since there might be a limit on the number, I focused on animals with useful abilities.

Through this, the characteristics of my ability that I learned were as follows.

First, it is true that animals have quite a lot of goodwill toward me.

As could be seen in Anna’s case, the wild animals of this world are not particularly friendly or affectionate toward humans.

Perhaps because of the influence of my ability, when I first met them and approached first, they did not show much wariness and did not reject my touch.

This was a great help in stroking the napes of their necks.

Second, however, the more intelligent the animal is, the harder it is to touch the nape of its neck with only the goodwill it initially has toward me.

Third, before, when I wanted something, I only knew how to transform into an animal suited to that desire, but in truth, I can also transform into a specific animal simply by thinking that I want to become it.

When there were only two, if I thought I wanted to fly or wanted to run, I could automatically transform into the most suitable animal.

But as the variety of animals I could transform into increased, I learned that if I wished to become a specific animal, I could simply change into it.

For example, like this.

'I want to transform into a weasel.'

When I opened my eyes, I had become a long-bodied weasel with glossy fur.

"Squeak!! Squeak squeak squeak!!!”

And the squirrel riding on my back began crying in fright.

This, too, was one of the small changes.

The fact that this squirrel began following me wherever I went.

After that day, even though I transformed into a person and sometimes briefly transformed into other things, it seemed to firmly believe that, fundamentally, I was one of its own kind.

And perhaps because it found me fascinating, it absolutely refused to return to the burrow in the forest where it had lived before.

The very next day, to return the squirrel to where it had originally been, I set it down near the place where it had appeared and tried to leave, but the creature followed closely behind me.

I tried avoiding it and hiding from it in various ways, but the creature was stubborn.

There were several clashes, but I ultimately lost.

Because I could not beat a creature that, while chasing me after I transformed into a crow and flew into the sky, slammed its head into a tree and fainted.

Thanks to that, the creature ended up completely following me.

On days when I went to the forest, the creature would climb onto my back after I transformed into a crow and stroll through the forest with me.

"Squeak!! Squeak squeak!"

Though for now, when I suddenly transform into a different animal, it gets angry and hits me.

* * *

Today, I had to leave the forest without any particular gain.

Among small animals, it seemed there were no longer any abilities I especially needed, and as I said earlier, if there was a fixed number of animal types I could transform into, it seemed better to secure medium or large animals.

Should I go to the medium-animal section starting tomorrow?

I left the forest in the form of a crow, checked the surroundings, and flew through the window of my room.

The room was quiet, no different from a few hours ago when I had left.

Thanks to the employees who truly followed my order not to let anyone in as sharply as a blade, I was able to spend several hours a day in the forest.

It seems no one came this time either.

Reassured, I took off the bag I had been carrying.

Perhaps because I had spent the last several days flying and running around the forest, fatigue slowly began to come over me.

To rest, I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes.

I should get a little sleep.

—Hurry and call the 7th Prince??!!!

Though that plan was completely ruined by a hysterical voice.

When I heard the sound of someone using force to knock down a knight who was only repeating that, regrettably, he could not open the door by order of the 7th Prince, I had no choice but to sigh and get up.

Imagining the noisy situation in front of the door, I abruptly opened it.

The gaze of a red-haired young man gripping the knight by the neck clung to me.

It was my damn younger brother with red blonde hair and red eyes, the 8th Prince.

* * *

"You really do live in a place as beggarly as yourself."

The 8th Prince, Celos Abiran, looked around my office and clicked his tongue as he muttered.

Well, compared to where the 1st Prince lived, this place was a bit old and shabby.

Still, compared to the old villa where I used to live, it was luxurious.

While I was thinking about the relativity of wealth, I looked at the 8th Prince, who was sitting unstably like a dog that needed to relieve itself, and opened my mouth.

"Then I suppose I should personally visit every day to see how my younger brother, who lives like a prince, is doing."

"What?! There is no need for that. Do not come. Do not come even if you die."

When I shrugged and spoke, the guy flinched and tried to stop me.

"Because I live so beggarly, and because I do not know what a place where one lives like a prince looks like, my younger brother should teach his uneducated older brother."

"Damn it! You are also living without being beggarly, so do not come!"

The guy glared at me and eventually corrected his words.

Only then did I nod.

"Fine. I doubt you came to look at your older brother living like a prince."

When I brought up the subject, he hesitantly watched my reaction.

It had not been very visible when he was grabbing someone else by the collar at the door a little while ago, but seeing him sitting on the sofa, I could tell how hard of a time he had been having.

The area under his eyes was dark, his face was rough, and he had lost weight, making his cheekbones stand out a little.

Because he did not open his mouth, I simply looked at him as well.

"Y-You’re going to reveal everything today, right?"

After hesitating for a long time, the guy shut his eyes tightly once and asked me.

I know what he is talking about.

Because today is the first imperial family ritual held after the hunting competition.

All the siblings will gather and sit around that long table again.

He must be worried about how I will run my mouth there.

The 8th Prince making a move was within my expectations.

Rather, I was surprised that he had not come looking for me until today.

I had thought he would come running on the day of the hunting competition, or at the latest the next day.

Because it was too quiet, I even wondered whether, like Rasia, he had hired an assassin and was sharpening a blade.

But to think he had simply worried and worried before finally coming.

At his uncharacteristic timidity, I let out a faint laugh and answered.

"Well."

"What does that......!!!"

Celos, apparently irritated by my lukewarm attitude, struck the desk and was about to shout, but when I stared at him intently, he lowered his voice again.

"What does that mean? If yes, say yes. If no, say no. You should say it clearly."

"It means whether I say it or not is up to me."

"Damn it, if there is something you want…."

You will do anything?

With what means?

"......."

Celos did not answer.

Well, I suppose he could grant most things.

He could give me money, buy me people, or perhaps even change this castle he had called beggarly.

Because there is a person like the genie of the lamp protecting him from behind.

Though it seemed he had not told that person about me yet.

If he had spoken about me, that person might give me what I wanted at first, but not long after, they would probably try to kill me without anyone knowing.

"I cannot say I will keep my mouth shut for the rest of my life, but at least not today. Perhaps not this year either."

Since I did not know what would happen if I pressured him too much, I reassured him.

The other party looked at me with eyes that were instead puzzled and uneasy, so I failed to achieve my purpose.

As expected of a hot-blooded teenager, he had a lot of complaints and a lot of anxiety.

"What is it? Were you expecting something? If you want, I can climb onto the table as soon as we enter the banquet hall today and shout. That the 8th Prince’s Manis can actually barely light a candle."

"You, just because I am like this, you seem to be mistaken and think you have become something. You are forever a cripple and a half-wit."

At my sarcasm, his eyes shone quite sharply.

How rare of him to say something correct.

I nodded as if agreeing with his words.

"That is exactly right."

"What?"

The guy, who had been glaring at me fiercely, asked back, as if he had not expected me to agree instead.

"I said that is right. It means you said something correct, which is truly rare. Since it is not a common opportunity, savor it."

"Are you mocking me right now?!"

Even when I told him he was right, Celos quickly grew heated again and raised his voice.

I examined him carefully.

My half-brother, who was half a head taller than me.

A guy who was only large in body, no different from a child.

"Since you said something correct for once, you should keep it in mind. Just because the other party becomes a cripple does not mean anything about you gets better. You just said it with your own mouth, didn’t you?"

“....”

"Remember that well."

The guy looked at me with an expression that said he did not understand, and since I did not have the kindness to explain it to him one by one, I chased him out, telling him to get lost if he was done.

The 8th Prince looked dissatisfied, but perhaps thinking that if he stayed any longer, I might change my mind, he turned toward the door relatively obediently.

"Ah."

The moment he grabbed the doorknob, I remembered something I had forgotten and called him to stop.

"You said you would do anything, right?"

"You said you did not need anything."

"I never said that, did I?"

"......"

The 8th Prince glared at me with an annoyed expression.

"What do you want?"

Cutting off the guy’s attempt to continue by saying that he could give me as much money as I wanted, I casually spat out,

"Use honorifics."

"What?!"

Celos looked at me with an expression like he had just seen the emperor tap-dancing with a full smile on his face.

Why is he so surprised?

"I am your older brother."

"Why are you my older brother!"

"Because I am the seventh prince and you are the eighth?"

"That is…."

"I am two years older."

In truth, I am eleven years older, but there was no way he would know that.

"If you do not want to, then it cannot be helped. As promised, I will…."

"Who said I do not want to! Fine!"

"......"

"Fine….sir."

As if his pride was so wounded that he was about to go mad, the guy hurriedly closed the door and left.

I had been about to tell him to rest assured because I would keep his secret as promised.