Seeing the array of desserts coming in, I slightly opened my mouth, and the Birds shrugged their shoulders.

“You said you liked sweets.”

It was a nonchalant tone, but it was enough to scratch my nerves.

I responded with a sunny tone.

“Now you’re watching me too?”

“Watching? It’s not monitoring, but we can’t be neglectful in entertaining guests, so we are carefully observing.”

The nonchalant response turned my insides upside down. I turned away again.

“I want to leave.”

Then, behind me, the Birds spoke in a light tone.

“Should we change the threat? Since you provided false information, we might have to punish the entertainer who failed to properly host an important guest.”
It was a threat from someone who knew me well. When I turned around, the face was smiling, but there was no laughter in the eyes. It was the face of someone who could punish others for absurd reasons.

In the end, I surrendered and sat across from him.

“…Fine. I get it.”

As I sat down, the Birds poured tea into the teacup again, seemingly pleased, and asked.

“Beautiful lady, do you put milk in your tea? Sugar?”

I pulled the chair back, creating distance from the table. Seeing that, the Birds frowned with dissatisfaction.

“What’s wrong? We can’t enjoy tea together like this.”

Then, as if gesturing for me to come closer, they motioned with their hand. I shook my head.

“If you have something to say, say it there.”

“Is that so?”

The Birds shrugged their shoulders again.

“Then let’s move the table.”

“What exactly do you want to do with me?”

“Tea time?”

“…”

Why are you asking me? Anyway, it seemed like this meaningless argument would continue until I sat down across from him. I sighed and pulled the chair, taking a seat. The Birds’ eyebrows raised.

“More.”

“…”

“Come closer.”

“Ugh.”

Why do I have to endure this? I retorted with a strongly irritated tone.

“Don’t want to sit close? I’d rather avoid freezing up like last time.”

“Like last time?”

“It was fun absorbing mana from you. I blew ice mana into you back then.”

“Me?”

The Birds frowned as if saying they had no recollection. Leaning on their chin and searching their memory for a while, they shook their head.

“I’ve never even grabbed a handful of the lady’s hair.”

Right, you probably don’t remember. At that time, I was in the form of a magpie.

“But whether he is someone like Espen or not, I need to know that I am a magpie.”

So, I said again.

“Okay, fine. Thanks to you, I thought my heart had stopped. I don’t cry much, but I cried bitterly at that time.”

“Absorbing mana…”

The eyes of the Birds, who imitated my words, widened. He pointed at me with his index finger and asked.

“…Magpie?”

“Correct.”

It was somewhat fortunate that he didn’t stick out a duckbill and deny it. The Birds wiped their eyes with the back of their hand and muttered several times.

“You’re that magpie? The person in front of me is Marian itself.”

The tone conveyed a thick emotion, making my shoulders involuntarily shiver.

Suddenly, he reached out towards me with a bright smile.

“Marian, it’s you.”

“Don’t touch me.”

I was nervous that he might suddenly blow ice mana into me.
No matter how many soldiers he leads, he cannot easily defeat me. However, ice mana is different. With my heart malfunctioning, I had no means to resist the ice.

Even with my response, the Birds smiled ecstatically without showing any sign of displeasure.

“It’s good to be fierce. You were originally like that. Being kind to everyone, not giving in, and being fierce only to me.”

It was the tone of someone who completely knew me. Even my small efforts to hide were visible, and without realizing it, I responded.

“… Did you decide to give up acting?”

And then, belatedly, I realized.

Just as I was curious about whether the other side was really Espen or not, they were also curious about whether I was really Marian or not.

And that answer just now would have been an answer for them as well.

The Birds spoke with a bright smile.

“Still, it’s satisfying now. I can call you by your name as I please. Marian, Marian.”

“Don’t call me.”

My nerves were on edge, and my voice flowed sharply, like broken glass, involuntarily. But the Birds paid no attention.

“Calling a name and getting a response is truly a wonderful thing.”

Then, with a very satisfied smile, they called me again.

“I missed you, Marian.”

With that, I could no longer ignore the situation.

“…Espen.”

I don’t know what tricks were used, but he was Espen.