[SYSTEM] You have failed the quest and will receive a penalty.

I looked at the system notification window with a devastated expression.

“How about spending time with me on the last day of the festival?”

Enzar, who had somehow escaped from the state of arrogance and returned to the state of temptation, asked with a grin.

“I have a prior engagement with Maria that day.”

Unlike in Azester, the power of the temple was stronger than the royal authority in Luenhart.

Instead of telling me to break my promise with the saint, Enzar offered another solution.

“Then let’s spend at least one day together while you stay in Luenhart.”

“……”

I couldn’t answer right away.

It was because the young ladies had been eagerly eavesdropping on my conversation with Enzar.

‘You could have said this when it was just the two of us!’

I cursed Enzar inwardly, but…

“Alright.”

My lips treacherously opened on their own and accepted his proposal.

[SYSTEM] As a penalty for failing the quest, you accept ‘s date request.

[SYSTEM] ‘s Favorability has decreased by -17. (Favorability: -441)

At the same time, a notification rang out that Helena’s favorability had dropped.

I glanced back and saw Helena clenching her fists, unable to intervene in the conversation between me and Enzar.

I had a feeling that I would naturally become exhausted.

[This is the timeline separator]

Even though I failed the quest, I couldn’t admit that Anselot was inferior to Enzar.

Back at the prince’s palace, I grabbed people and interrogated them.

“You are an honest person, so tell me what you think and feel without any lies.”

“Ask me anything, Your Highness.”

Klaus answered in a pious voice. With newfound faith, I asked with my eyes blazing.

“Who is more handsome between Crown Prince Enzar and Prince Anselot?”

“……”

Klaus remained silent for a moment.

Then, he answered in a very upright voice.

“I know it is not proper for a servant to refuse to answer the lord’s command. However, I was taught that not being able to point out what is wrong is also the utmost disloyalty.”

“Uh…?”

“It is not right to rank the external aspects of humans, Your Highness.”

“……”

As a result, it was my mouth that was shut.

“I’m… sorry, Lord Klaus.”

I had to apologize in front of Klaus’s upright beliefs.

The next person I sought out was Ilay.

“Ilay. What do you think?”

“Handsome?”

Ilay tilted his head and asked back.

“I mean, whose face is more pleasant to look at between the two…”

“?”

Ilay had no understanding of the concept of being handsome.

As a last hope, I cautiously brought it up to Pia, but…

“Pia, you…”

Chirp! Chirp chirp! Chirp chirp!

―Bad Anselot! Mean Anselot! Let’s overthrow Anselot!

I gave up on asking Pia.

In the end, I failed to get answers from them.

And sometime later.

On the last day of the festival, which I had promised to spend with Maria.

Even though there was still plenty of time before our appointment, Maria came to the prince’s palace early in the morning. As I served her tea, I casually asked.

“What do you think, Maria?”

“Hmm… So you’re asking who is externally better between Prince Anselot and Crown Prince Enzar?”

Maria put down her teacup and answered in a gentle voice.

“They’re both not great, but if I had to pick the worse one, it would be Prince Anselot.”

As she said that, an extremely benevolent and pious smile lingered on Maria’s face.

“…So you also think Crown Prince Enzar is more handsome than Anselot?”

“If I must answer, yes.”

At Maria’s clear answer, I collapsed on the table, holding my head as if struck by lightning.

“No way.”

Anyone can see that Anselot is much more handsome, so why? Why on earth?

Is it really true, as Enzar said, that I have blinders on when it comes to Anselot?

No, there’s no way I could have blinders in the first place. Anselot and I aren’t even real lovers…

Perhaps the aesthetic standards of the Luenhart Kingdom are a bit strange.

Don’t they say that aesthetic standards differ slightly depending on culture?

But no matter how different the aesthetic standards are… Can they really say Crown Prince Enzar is more handsome than a face like Anselot’s?

It was around the time I was confused.

“Ah, right. I brought a gift for Prince Anselot.”

Maria showed me a box, drawing my attention.

“A gift for Anselot?”

“Yes, as a way to reconcile after the misunderstanding last time.”

That wasn’t a misunderstanding, you were actually kidnapped…

‘Maria is truly an angel.’

I was impressed by Maria’s generous heart.

Inside the box were pretty cookies.

“Did you make them yourself?”

“Hehe. The temple sells cookies infused with holy power during the festival period.”

“Infused with holy power?”

“Yes, these are cookies imbued with the power of Amor, the goddess of love and truth.”

Hearing Maria’s explanation, the ordinary cookies suddenly began to look sacred.

“And here is a gift for lady Luibel as well.”

Maria handed me a gift with a pretty smile.

A cookie box similar to Anselot’s. And…

“A monocle?”

As I tilted my head at the shiny silver monocle, Maria kindly explained.

“It’s a trendy item in Luenhart recently. I’ve imbued it with my holy power to give it special abilities, so this monocle will protect lady Luibel from danger.”

“Oh my, thank you so much.”

I accepted the gift without refusing.

[SYSTEM] You have obtained the item .

“I didn’t even think of gifts.”

“Just going to the festival with lady Luibel today is the greatest gift for me.”

How can Maria be so kind?

At that moment, I turned my head at the sound of footsteps.

Anselot and Pia were just entering the drawing room.

Pia, whose size had noticeably grown in the past few days, was held by Anselot’s hand.

Chirp!

―Lady Lulu! Bad Anselot is tormenting Pia!

Pia flapped her wings and pecked Anselot with her small beak.

Chirp!

―They say not to disturb even a dog when it’s eating!

I was genuinely worried about Pia as her body size had rapidly increased recently.

‘What if Pia’s stomach bursts from eating too much?’

‘No way. No matter how gluttonous a bird may be, it can’t be that ignorant.’

‘Not long ago, she ate so much that she couldn’t even fly properly.’

So Anselot stepped in and started managing Pia’s weight, which made Pia very upset.

“Oh my.”

Maria covered her mouth with both hands, looking surprised.

“Treating such a small bird so violently…”

Although it was Pia who was violently pecking Anselot’s hand with her beak, to Maria, who didn’t know the circumstances, Anselot seemed violent.

“You came at a good time, Anselot!”

I quickly greeted Anselot and changed the subject.

“Maria brought a gift for you. Cookies infused with holy power…”

It was at this moment.

Chirp!

―Holy cookies for the likes of Anselot!

Pia, who had escaped from Anselot’s hand, couldn’t resist and snatched Anselot’s cookie.

“Ah…!”

A baffled expression flashed across Maria’s face.

Chirp chirp!

―Cookie cookie!

Pia happily pecked at the cookie she had snatched.

Poof!

At the same time, with a loud noise, white smoke enveloped Pia…

“Chirp?”

A bird’s chirping sound came from the mouth of a pretty girl with green hair tied in two braids.

Seeing the girl tilting her head with cookie crumbs on the corner of her mouth, I couldn’t help but scream.

“Pia!”

“Chirp?”

[This is the timeline separator]

“A cookie that turns a bird into a human! I’ve never seen anything like this before!”

Luibel exclaimed in a slightly excited voice.

“Hoho, it’s a magical cookie that transforms you into the form you normally admire.”

“Seeing that she turned into a human, she must have been admiring me all along!”

Not at all.

The cookie Maria brought was meant to turn the eater into an animal.

If Anselot had eaten this cookie and turned into an animal, the plan was to isolate him and enjoy the festival while monopolizing Luibel.

But that pig-like bird ate the cookie instead and turned into a human as a side effect!

Trying to remove the lump attached to Luibel, Maria ended up attaching another lump.

Of course, it’s not permanent and will revert in a few days, but…

“Oh my, you’re so cute, Pia!”

Now that Luibel’s attention had been stolen by that pig bird, Maria erupted in resentment towards the pig bird.

‘Damn pig bird!’

Of course, only inwardly.

“She has truly become an adorable little girl.”

On the outside, she laughed, hoho, with an extremely gentle expression.

“Chirp? Lady Lulu?”

Pia tilted her head a few more times and looked down at her small, chubby palms and body.

Then, realizing the situation, she jumped up and down.

“Waah. Pia has turned into a human.”

Pia cried and hugged Luibel, sobbing.

“Don’t cry, Pia. You’re so cute like this.”

“Pia is supposed to become the great guiding bird king, what should I do now?”

Maria offered comfort to Pia, who was sobbing pitifully.

“Don’t worry too much. You’ll return to your original form soon after some time passes.”

‘So stop crying and get away from Lady Luibel. You pig bird.’

Maria tried to subtly separate Pia from Luibel under the guise of comforting her, but failed as Pia cried even more pitifully and clung to Luibel.

It was then that Anselot, who had seen through Maria’s intention, looked at her with narrowed eyes.

“Ah, right. Anselot. You have something to say to Maria, don’t you?”

Luibel patted Pia’s back and gave Anselot a slight nod.

Then Anselot offered an apology to Maria in a reluctant voice.

“I’m truly sorry about last time.”

Although it sounded more like picking a fight than an apology.

“I’ll accept that apology for Lady Luibel’s sake.”

But at that moment, Pia, who had stopped sobbing, raised her head and opened her eyes wide.

“What’s wrong, Pia?”

When Luibel asked, Pia hesitated and then whispered in her ear.

Instantly.

Luibel’s face turned pale with terror, as if facing a huge disaster.