Of course, it didn’t hurt at all when Piya pecked me with her small beak.

As I burst into laughter because it tickled, Piya sulked and turned her head away sharply every time I spoke, avoiding my gaze.

Chirp!

―Hmph!

As I observed quietly, Piya kept sneaking glances at me as if pretending not to, almost as if asking to be soothed despite her feigned anger.

‘It doesn’t seem like she’s really mad…’

Apparently, her pride wouldn’t allow her to quickly get over the betrayal she felt about my being a bug.

‘The best way to improve someone’s mood is with something sweet!’

I rang a bell to summon the maids and asked them to bring dessert.

“Piya, want to eat together?”

Chirp!

―Hmph!

Piya, still showing signs of being sulky, pecked at the cake I offered with my fork.

Chirp?

Piya’s sky-blue eyes widened in surprise.

Piya then started flying around the table, her beak covered in cake cream. She pecked at the cookie crumbs on my table, knocked over the syrup container, and ran around the tablecloth, leaving sticky syrup footprints.

After causing various cute troubles, she sang softly on my shoulder.

I couldn’t help but smile at Piya’s slightly bulging belly.

“Are you not sulking anymore?”

Chirp!

―I wasn’t sulking.

“Really? I thought you hated me because you wouldn’t even look me in the eye.”

Chirp! Chirp!

―How could that be! Messengers are created to love players unconditionally! Hmph!

“Unconditional love…?”

I blinked slowly, and Piya proudly explained.

Chirp!

―Another name for messengers is ‘Guide Bird’. We are here to guide players safely to the end of the scenario without getting lost.

Chirp! Chirp!

―If there’s no love, how could we endure the arduous journey? Of course, Piya likes Lulu even without that!

Piya said this while playfully pecking at my fingertips with her beak.

It reminded me of how Hezen’s system windows also unconditionally helped and supported Hezen.

Unconditional love. A type of affection I’ve never experienced before…

‘It feels strange.’

As I gently stroked Piya’s hair with my fingers, I asked.

“Did you get hurt yesterday?”

Chirp?

“Isn’t it true that messengers get hurt just by revealing their existence to bugs?”

Chirp!

Piya lifted her right wing to show me her wingtip.

―I hurt my wingtip a little, but I’m okay!

Despite her brave words, I could see a small wound on Piya’s wingtip.

“That must have hurt.”

―Well, it’s nothing… I usually get bullied by other messengers… Uh!

Piya, who had been chattering, suddenly stopped and covered her beak with her wings.

She then glanced at me cautiously.

“Did other messengers bully you?”

―Pi, Piya is definitely not a pathetic messenger who gets bullied!

Piya’s transparent blue eyes looked uneasy, as if worried I might be disappointed in her.

“Right. You are the bravest and coolest spirit in the world.”

Piya lowered her wings and rolled her eyes around.

“You stood up to the administrator to protect me.”

I smiled warmly at Piya.

Chirp.

―We, well, it’s nothing…

“It’s not nothing. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be safe like this now.”

Chirp…

Piya made a shy, coquettish sound.

As I held out my palm, Piya fluttered onto it.

“Thank you, Piya.”

As I stroked her head, Piya chirped cutely in response.

“And being bullied isn’t something to be ashamed of.”

I took out an ointment from the drawer and gently applied it to Piya’s wound.
Every time the ointment touched the wound, Piya’s small body twitched slightly.

“The real pathetic ones are those who bully others.”

I said in a calm voice, recalling how I was harassed by Orent and Duke Hamilton, knowing that just because I could dismiss their harassment didn’t mean I was pathetic.

“Piya, can you stay like this for a moment?”

I asked as I took out a bandage.

The bandages for humans were too large for Piya’s small body, so I had to cut them down to size with scissors.

After wrapping the cut bandage around Piya’s wingtip, the treatment was complete.

“There, all done.”

Chirp!

Piya fluttered her wings a few times, getting used to the bandage wrapped around her wingtip. Initially unsteady due to the weight of the bandage, she soon found balance and started fluttering around me.

Chirr-chirr!

―Thank you, Lulu! It’s the first time someone has treated Piya!

I smiled at Piya, who chirped with evident emotion.

“Come to me if you get hurt again.”

Chirp!

“And if someone bullies you, tell me that too.”

Chirp! Chirp!

“But Piya, why are you a temporary messenger?”

―Small messengers like Piya can’t serve players. But Piya got to be here temporarily because the previous messenger was badly injured.

“Ah, I see.”

I nodded, remembering when Hezen logged out.

―System said! If Piya completes the scenario brilliantly with Lulu, I can become a regular!

“What’s good about being regular?”

―As a regular, I can stay by Lulu’s side forever! Even after the scenario ends!

Piya proudly added, beak pointed skyward.

―And then Piya will take revenge on those bad messengers who bullied me for being small!