The Heavenly Demon Who Reigns

"..."

Cheon Myeong was lying on the floor, motionless.

An appearance that made one know that something was wrong even at a glance. And something approached the side of such a Cheon Myeong.

Flap-.

What had approached Cheon Myeong was Baekjo.

It had flown over immediately after seeing Cheon Myeong collapse from its cage.

As if it had not yet properly grasped the situation, Baekjo moved its head here and there in front of the collapsed Cheon Myeong as if it were anxious.

"Peep..."

From Baekjo's point of view, this situation was extremely bewildering.

Why was Cheon Myeong, who had been sitting fine until just now, collapsed like this?

As if it had not thought at all that Cheon Myeong had just swallowed poison himself, Baekjo pecked at the collapsed Cheon Myeong's body with its beak.

Peck, peck-.

Baekjo, who was desperately pecking with its beak as if to say 'get up'. However, Cheon Myeong still did not move.

In the end, as there was no reaction even when it pecked with its beak, Baekjo began to cry loudly.

"Peep- peep-!"

Even if it made a sound desperately, the result was the same.

At this point, Baekjo was also able to know that something was wrong with Cheon Myeong's body, and it stopped its crying and flew up from that spot again.

Flap-.

Baekjo flew over Cheon Myeong's head in a flying state.

Although a will to do something was felt from that movement, what could Baekjo do alone in this situation?

In the end, Baekjo flew towards the door with the thought of having to call someone.

"Peep-! Peep-!"

However, the door that could lead outside was firmly closed.

If its body had been bigger than now, it would have tried to break the door and go out, but Baekjo's body was still so small that it could be hidden by a person's palm.

It was too much to break the door with such a body, and in the end, Baekjo gave up and returned to Cheon Myeong's side again.

"Peep, peep-!"

Baekjo, who was flying over Cheon Myeong's head and crying, but Cheon Myeong still showed no sign of getting up.

Flap- flap-.

Since it was still young, it could not fly for a long time.

In the end, as if it had reached its limit, Baekjo landed weakly in front of Cheon Myeong's eyes.

"Peep-! Peep-!"

A sad cry.

As if it were lamenting itself for not being able to do anything in front of its collapsed master, Baekjo began to cry.

Wriggle-.

At that moment, Cheon Myeong's eyelids moved slightly. And his eyelids, which were slightly raised.

In fact, the fact that he had eaten poison and had collapsed was Cheon Myeong's acting until now.

Although the poison of the Black-spotted Python had clearly entered Cheon Myeong's body through his tongue, no abnormality had occurred in Cheon Myeong's body.

It seemed that the Poison Transformation Pill had properly exerted its effect.

With this, he could be sure that he had developed a resistance to poisons weaker than the toxicity of the Black-spotted Python.

'It seems to have been properly deceived.'

Cheon Myeong thought so, looking at Baekjo with half-closed eyes.

In fact, the reason why he was acting like this was to tease Baekjo.

Well, although it could be said to be a rather severe prank, hadn't Baekjo acted awkwardly to him earlier?

So in order to show it what acting was this time, he had been lying down as if he had been poisoned until now.

"Peep-! Peep-!"

It seemed that the result was better than expected.

Because Baekjo had been deceived by his acting and was now crying its heart out like that.

But still, since he was its master, it was crying so sadly because he had collapsed like this.

If Baekjo's crying now was not to deceive him in return after realizing his acting, he thought he would be a little touched.

Drip-.

But there was no way that was acting.

Baekjo was now even shedding tears from its eyes.

Seeing that, Cheon Myeong learned for the first time now that a bird could also shed tears.

Or it could be because Baekjo was a spiritual beast.

What was certain was that Baekjo could not shed tears like that with acting.

'It's cute.'

Did he have a peculiar taste? Cheon Myeong felt that the sight of Baekjo crying for him was cute.

So to be honest, he wanted to lie still like this a little longer, but it seemed that that would be too sorry to Baekjo.

Because Baekjo was crying so sadly that it seemed that its throat would go out if he left it like that.

He should stop at this point and get up.

Cheon Myeong thought so and opened his eyes completely and said.

"Baekjo."

"Peep-! Peep..."

Hearing Cheon Myeong's voice, the head that was slowly coming down.

The voice of Baekjo, which had been crying sadly while looking at the sky, also gradually subsided at the same time.

And as his eyes met Baekjo's, Cheon Myeong said.

"W-were you crying?"

Ah, looking at that dazed face, it seemed that a laugh would come out.

But if he were to laugh here, Baekjo, who had cried for him until now, would be very embarrassed.

Although the current situation was also very embarrassing, he could not laugh because of a minimum of apology.

"Peep...?"

"Are you okay? Of course I'm okay."

Cheon Myeong answered and got up and sat up straight.

Then, Baekjo's face, which was even more dazed.

It was an appearance that still did not properly understand what this situation was.

And Cheon Myeong said to such a Baekjo.

"I was acting until now."

"...Peep?"

"So, I was joking."

"..."

"But still, I was genuinely touched this time. I didn't expect you to cry so much for me."

"..."

As if it had finally understood the situation, Baekjo moved its wings and began to shake off the tears that had flowed on its face.

"Don't be embarrassed. A man can also cry. To you, I'm like a parent, so a man can also cry for his parent."

After shaking off its tears, Baekjo glared at Cheon Myeong.

However, as if he had not noticed that fact, Cheon Myeong continued to speak with a proud face.

"They say that one well-raised bird is not envied by ten cows. I did raise you well."

"Peep, peep-!"

"Ah, I'm sorry if the joke was too harsh. But I wanted to show you what acting is. How was my acting? You were completely deceived, right?"

"Peep, peep, peep-!"

"I said I'm sorry. You don't have to be so angry, do you?"

Cheon Myeong said that and held out his right hand as a sign of reconciliation, but Baekjo ignored the right hand that Cheon Myeong had held out and flew into its cage.

"..."

His right hand, which was awkwardly held out alone.

In the end, Cheon Myeong quietly lowered his right hand and walked near the cage where Baekjo had entered.

"Are you angry?"

Cheon Myeong asked, looking at Baekjo, who was turning its back on him.

Although it must have heard that voice, Baekjo just ignored it and continued to be like that without saying anything.

"I'm sorry. As a sign of apology, I'll tell Mihwa to prepare roasted duck for dinner today."

Wriggle-.

Roasted duck was Baekjo's favorite among meats.

Although he didn't usually give it roasted duck, since he was sorry today, he was planning to give Baekjo roasted duck for dinner as a special treat.

'Now its anger must have subsided, right?'

Cheon Myeong thought so and examined Baekjo's appearance.

He had seen Baekjo's body move slightly at the word 'roasted duck' earlier.

So if he tempted it a little more, wouldn't Baekjo's anger subside?

It seemed that it was enduring because of its pride now, but it was just a bird.

In front of food, there would be no pride or anything.

"You like duck, right? Shall I roast a whole one for you so you can eat your fill this time?"

"..."

"If you turn around now, I'll even debone it for you specially."

Wriggle-.

Good, I can see its head slowly moving.

Even just by looking at its back, I can see that it doesn't know what to do because it wants to turn around now.

Perhaps it is already drooling in its beak.

However.

"...Peep-!"

With a strong cry, Baekjo turned its head back to its original position.

In the end, Baekjo, which had not fallen for the temptation.

Seeing this, Cheon Myeong tilted his head.

"Are you really not going to get over your anger? It's roasted duck."

"..."

"Or should I catch a four-legged one for you?"

"Peep-!"

To not fall for it even after saying this much.

It seemed that it was really angry this time.

'To think that Baekjo would refuse meat.'

This was also the first time in his life that such a thing had happened.

Rather, if a cat had refused fish, he would have believed it, but he had never once thought that Baekjo would refuse meat.

'Was I too harsh...?'

As it refused the meat, the thought finally came to him.

In the end, Cheon Myeong stopped his temptation and began to think, fiddling with his chin with his hand.

"Hmm..."

Cheon Myeong looked at Baekjo's back for a long time in that state and then left the room.

Thump-.

The closed door. Only then did Baekjo turn its head to the door where Cheon Myeong had left.

"...Peep!"

Although there had been a bit of a crisis earlier, it seemed that he had endured it really well, even thinking about it himself.

Since he kept falling for the meat, did he look like a pig, not a bird?

This time, he would not easily forgive Cheon Myeong's mistake.

Baekjo thought so and turned its head back to its original position.

* * *

Cheon Myeong, who had gone out, returned to the room.

Thump-.

Something he put down as soon as he came in. At the same time, a fragrant smell began to waft in the room.

"..."

As the smell began to waft, Baekjo was able to know what it was right away without even having to look.

This is the smell of meat. And that too, the smell that is created when a duck is deliciously roasted.

Baekjo was drawn by the smell and was about to turn its head without realizing it, but it maintained its reason and was barely able to endure it before that.

"Mihwa showed off her skills today, didn't she?"

"..."

"Ah, I'm hungry. I should eat quickly before it gets cold."

Saying that, Cheon Myeong sat down in front of the table he had put down. And he tore off a large leg with his hand and held it in one hand.

"What is this leg! It's thicker than my forearm."

"..."

"I thought it was just roasted, but there's even sauce on the outside! Mihwa makes one sauce amazingly well."

Drip-.

"It seems like it will get cold if I don't eat it quickly. And when meat gets cold, it gets hard and doesn't taste as good as at first."

"..."

"If it were me, I would throw away my pride that doesn't even feed me and sit here and take a bite of hot meat and be happy."

Saying that, Cheon Myeong glanced at the side where Baekjo was.

It seemed that it was about to come over soon.

If so, shouldn't he ride this momentum and deliver the final blow?

Gulp-.

Cheon Myeong took a bite of the duck leg he was holding.

At the same time, the sound of chewing echoed in the room.

Although he usually made a sound when he ate, it was not this loud.

But as if he were intentionally making it so that it could be heard, Cheon Myeong was making a louder sound than usual, and as Cheon Myeong had intended, the effect was tremendous.

Drip-.

As Cheon Myeong chewed the meat, he glanced to the side.

Then, there, Baekjo was drooling with a face as if it had been possessed by something.

'Of course.'

As expected, it was just a bird.

Although it seemed to have endured with patience when he had just been talking, now that its favorite meat was actually in front of it, it seemed that its instinct had overcome its reason.

But still, the fact that it was not rushing straight to the meat seemed to mean that it still had a little patience left.

"Want some?"

"..."

As Cheon Myeong asked, Baekjo came to its senses and swallowed the drool it had been drooling.

And seeing its flustered appearance, it seemed that it had no memory of having come here from its cage. It was just a strong instinct for meat that had led Baekjo here.

Thump-.

In front of such a Baekjo, Cheon Myeong placed a plate with meat on it as if he were indifferent.

A deliciously roasted duck on the plate.

If one were to see the brown and golden roasted appearance in front of them, it seemed that it would be difficult to endure, even if it wasn't Baekjo.

"Peep..."

Especially for an animal with a stronger instinct, it would be more difficult to endure.

No matter how much Baekjo was a spiritual beast and a smart guy, in the end, it was an animal.

Unable to overcome its reason, Baekjo's beak slowly approached the meat.

"Wait."

At that moment, Cheon Myeong said to Baekjo.

Then, Baekjo's beak, which had been moving according to its instinct, also stopped.

"If you eat even one piece of that, you're making up with me, okay?"

"..."

"Promise me as a man to a male."

There was no need... to think.

"Peep-!"

In the end, like a colt whose reins had been released, Baekjo rushed to the plate with the meat. And it began to peck at the meat frantically.

"Peep-!"

To think that it had succumbed to meat like this again. It was a humiliating defeat.

However.

The meat in its mouth was so delicious that Baekjo was happy at this moment.

(End of Chapter)