“Darw, go to Mother’s room.”
“Woof!”
Riding on Darw, with Carro on my shoulder and holding the chicken in my arms, I head to Mother’s room.
“Chirp chirp.”
Carro looks at the chicken with concern.
She’s glancing around more often than usual.
Perhaps she’s keeping watch so she can quickly notice any enemies, since we’re carrying an injured chicken.
“By the way… how did you get to the courtyard?”
“Like this?”
The chicken tilts its head in confusion.
I’ve read a lot of encyclopedias, so I know chickens can fly a little.
But it’s hard to imagine one flying over the mansion and into the courtyard.
“Did the owls bring you here?”
“Bawk bawk?”
The chicken averts its gaze.
Maybe it thought the owls would get in trouble if the secret got out.
“I won’t scold them, you know?”
Saying that, I gently stroke the chicken.
“Bawk~”
The chicken chirped happily.
“Ah! My Lady! What are you planning to do with that chicken?”
A maid walking down the hallway looks at the chicken in surprise.
“It’s okay. I’m taking it to Mother now.”
“Oh, I see.”
The maid seemed relieved.
She probably thought I was planning to keep the chicken without asking for permission.
As if I’d ever do such a thing without asking Mother first.
Reaching Mother’s door, I made sure to knock firmly.
Just the other day, my older sister taught me to always knock before entering someone’s room.
“Mother!”
“What is it? …Wait, Luria? No, it can’t be…?”
Mother wore the same surprised expression as the maid earlier.
“Mother, what’s wrong? You look like you did when I asked if I could eat a beetle.”
That was one or two years ago, wasn’t it?
Darw, Carro , and I discussed it and concluded that beetles might be tasty, so I went to ask Mother.
Even before I could say anything, just seeing the beetle in my hand made her face freeze in shock.
For the record, we ended up releasing the beetle in the courtyard as Mother said not to eat it.
Then an owl ate it.
“N-no, what’s the matter, Luria?”
“This one is injured. I want you to heal it.”
“Injured? Let me see.”
I handed the chicken to Mother.
“I thought you were going to say you wanted it for dinner.”
“Bawk?!”
At the word “dinner,” the chicken flinched.
“I wouldn’t do that. You said the same thing when you built the chicken coop.”
“Did I?”
Mother’s always quick to suggest eating something.
Maybe she’s just very food-oriented.
I’ll share my snacks with her next time.
Mother examined the chicken carefully.
Darw and Carro watched nervously as she held the chicken in her arms.
“Hmm…” Mother murmured, tilting her head.
“…This chicken doesn’t seem to be injured.”
“That can’t be right. Its leg and wing bones were broken.”
“But look, see for yourself.”
Mother stroked the chicken she was holding.
“Cluck cluck.”
The chicken chirped contentedly.
“May I touch you? Bear with it even if it hurts, okay?”
I gently touched the wing and leg that had supposedly been injured.
“Cluck cluck~”
The chicken seemed pleased.
“Huh? It was in pain earlier… Strange.”
“Bawk?”
“Maybe you just imagined it, Luria?”
“Hmm. But I’m sure its bones were broken. The skin wasn’t torn, but…”
“Are you absolutely sure the bones were broken?”
“They were. Right?”
“Bawk.”
The chicken confirmed it as well.
Mother fell silent, deep in thought.
“…Well, if the bones aren’t broken now, that’s good news.”
“True.”
“Bawk.”
“Good for you.”
Saying that, Mother stroked the chicken.
“Woof woof.”
“Chirp chirp.”
Darw wagged his tail as he sniffed the chicken, and Carro happily darted between my right and left shoulders.
“So, Luria, do you want to keep it?”
“Eh? Hmm…”
I hadn’t thought about anything beyond healing it.
But now that it’s fine, releasing it outside feels cruel.
It wouldn’t be able to come play in the courtyard from the chicken coop since it can’t fly.
And if it went outside, it would be an easy target for weasels or foxes.
“The bones weren’t broken, but… since I found it…”
“True. And now it can’t exactly become dinner.”
“Bawk?!”
The chicken reacted again to the word “dinner,” flapping its wings to escape from Mother’s arms.
“Oh my. It got away.”
The chicken flew toward me.
“Hmm? Do you prefer being with me?”
“Cluck cluck.”
“Alright, let’s live together. Mother, is that okay?”
“I suppose I have no choice.”
“Yay!”
“Cluck cluck!”
The chicken seemed happy too.
“So, what should your name be?”
“How about Leonardo?”
“Definitely not. Maybe… Koko, Clucky, Piyo-chan…”
As I thought about it, the chicken looked up at me with hopeful eyes.
I tried saying different names aloud to see what felt right.
“Hmm! It has to be Koruko! You’re Koruko!”
“Cluck cluck!”
Koruko chirped happily.
Darw and Carro also cheered excitedly.
