The night was quiet, except for the gentle rustling of leaves in the cool evening breeze. The rented house stood still, bathed in soft moonlight, while flickering lamps inside cast a warm glow against the dark sky.
Javier lay sprawled on the bed, arms and legs stretched out as he waited for Liana to arrive. His amber eyes stared at the ceiling, his mind wandering.
(How did Mrs. Errinette even get here? I didn't see any horses when she arrived… Weird.)
He yawned and rolled onto his side.
Then—
"Cuquawked!!"
A loud, distressed squawk echoed from the courtyard.
Javier's eyes snapped open.
"Hmm? Why is Buddy so noisy tonight?"
His first thought? Probably nothing.
Maybe Buddy and Pikko found sothing on the ground—so leftover food or a bug—and were pecking at it.
If it were an intruder…
They wouldn't even be able to touch the ground.
Not with his invisible puppet knights already surrounding the area.
Still… sothing felt off.
He called out, "Lianaaa? Can you check why Buddy and Pikko are so noisy?"
Silence.
Javier frowned.
"Liana?"
No response.
He sat up, his eyes narrowing.
"Iria? Iziya? Gloria?"
Nothing.
The house was too quiet.
Then—
"Cuquawked!!"
Buddy's squawk rang out again—louder, sharper, almost… angry.
Javier's instincts kicked in.
(Sothing's wrong.)
He swung his legs off the bed and stood up quickly.
Buddy and Pikko were smart birds. They wouldn't make this much noise unless they were trying to warn him.
Ti to check it out.
Javier stretched his arms as he walked toward the door, his voice echoing through the house.
"Buddy! Why are you being so noisy tonight!?"
But as he reached the entrance—
His eyes narrowed.
The front door was open.
That was… odd.
Stepping outside, the moonlit courtyard ca into view, and the first thing he noticed was—
Liana and Gloria struggling to calm down Buddy and Pikko.
Both birds were flapping their wings aggressively, their usually calm deanor completely shattered.
And in front of them—
A massive silver-feathered Pekko.
Javier blinked.
"Hmm? Whoa…" He walked forward, his eyes widening as he got a closer look.
The creature's body was covered in shimring silver feathers, without any patterns or markings. It was huge—easily larger than Buddy and Pikko, standing at least a head taller than them.
Javier turned to Liana, his curiosity piqued.
"Liana! This Pekko is huge! And it's all silver!? Is it a wild Pekko?"
Liana, still struggling to hold Buddy's reins, turned to him, her expression strained. "Young master, this isn't—"
Before she could finish—
"Cuquawked!!!"
Buddy let out a furious cry, fluffing up aggressively.
Pikko followed suit, her usually elegant stance replaced with an alert, defensive posture.
Then, Javier finally noticed who was standing beside the large silver Pekko.
Mrs. Errinette.
She stood calmly, one hand resting on the bird's side as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Javier blinked again.
Then frowned.
"Whoa! Errinette! That's dangerous! If that's a wild Pekko, you shouldn't be standing that close!"
Gloria covered her mouth, clearly amused. Liana let out a quiet sigh.
Errinette, as calm as ever, finally spoke.
"Young master… do you really think I would ride a wild Pekko?"
Javier paused.
His eyes darted between Errinette and the giant silver bird.
…Wait.
His gaze shifted to Buddy and Pikko, who were still acting aggressively.
Then back to the silver Pekko standing beside Errinette.
Then it clicked.
"Wait… don't tell … THAT'S YOURS!?"
"But you told before—'Don't ride Pekkos! Pekkos aren't suitable for nobles! They're impractical! They lack dignity!'" Javier exclaid, waving his hands dramatically to mimic her past lectures. "And NOW you show up riding this giant silver beast!? What happened to all that!?"
Errinette, unfazed, simply smiled, gently caressing the neck of the silver Pekko.
Javier narrowed his eyes.
"And I didn't even see you bring this Pekko before! How co we never saw her!?"
Errinette continued stroking the bird's feathers gracefully before replying, "She was checking around the town."
Javier blinked. "ALONE!?"
Silverwind let out a soft trill, nudging into Errinette's touch, completely ignoring Buddy and Pikko, who were still fluffed up in frustration.
Javier ran a hand through his hair, still trying to process everything. "She behaves well, right? Silverwind~"
Silverwind cooed softly, pressing her head against Errinette's shoulder like a loyal companion.
Javier felt personally attacked. Buddy would NEVER act that cute!
Liana and Gloria exchanged knowing glances, already accustod to Errinette's ways.
Then, Errinette turned back to Javier, her expression shifting slightly, becoming just a shade more serious.
"There are many things you still don't know about the Armand Household."
Javier tilted his head. "Huh?"
Errinette's smile remained, but there was sothing deeper behind her words. "When the Blessing Ceremony ends…" Her voice lowered slightly. "You're going to learn about it—personally."
"EH!? WAIT, WAIT—WHAT DOES THAT AN!?"
Javier's alarm bells started ringing.
But Errinette just smiled.
His eyes darted between Errinette and Silverwind, still struggling to process what he had just learned.
Then suspicion kicked in.
He snapped his head toward Liana and Gloria. "Liana!? Gloria!? Did you two know about this!?"
Liana shook her head imdiately, her erald eyes calm. "No, young master. This is the first ti I've seen her Pekko as well."
Javier turned to Gloria, hoping for a different answer.
But Gloria simply smiled gently, adjusting her glasses. "We don't know about this either. We just learned about it now."
She gestured toward Buddy and Pikko, still fluffed up and irritated. "We rushed outside when they started squawking so loudly. At first, we thought it was an enemy… but then we found out the silver Pekko belonged to Mrs. Errinette."
Behind them, Iria and Iziya quietly followed, watching nervously but too afraid to say anything.
anwhile, Errinette remained composed, gently patting Silverwind's side as the large bird stood proudly beside her.
Then she smiled. "Now, now, young master… please try to calm your Pekkos."
Her voice was sweet, but there was undeniable weight behind her words. "You know this won't end well if they try to fight her here."
Javier grimaced, knowing she was right. If Buddy and Pikko really picked a fight with Silverwind, it wouldn't just be a battle of strength—it would be a one-sided massacre. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire
With reluctant defeat, Javier sighed. "Ugh… fine… Buddy, behave."
"Cuquawk!!"
Buddy squawked stubbornly, his feathers still puffed up.
Errinette, of course, expected this. With a calm motion, she reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small golden feather.
The mont Buddy and Pikko saw it—
"Cuquawk…?"
Their entire posture changed. The aggressive flapping stopped, and their sharp eyes flickered with recognition.
Then, without another sound, they turned around and perched themselves in the tree, still looking clearly unsatisfied but no longer causing a fuss.
Javier narrowed his eyes. "Oi, oi… what was that just now?"
Errinette just smiled knowingly, tucking the golden feather away.
"You don't need to know about this, young master." Errinette's voice was as smooth as ever, but the ssage was clear—don't ask.
Then, with a slightly amused tone, she added, "If you have any questions, it's better to ask your father, Lord Garius."
The mont she ntioned Garius's na—
"Eeppp!!"
Javier flinched violently, his body instinctively tensing up.
His curiosity died instantly. "Okay, okay! I won't ask! Ugh…" He grumbled, rubbing his temples.
Liana and Gloria covered their smiles, while Iria and Iziya exchanged confused glances.
Errinette, satisfied, clapped her hands once. "Now, now, since everyone has cald down— All of you, go to bed. Now."
Her tone left no room for debate.
Liana, Gloria, Iria, and Iziya imdiately rushed inside, not hesitating for a second.
Javier let out a dramatic sigh before reluctantly following them.
As the door closed behind them, the courtyard returned to quiet.
The cool night breeze brushed against Errinette's face as she slowly turned back toward Silverwind.
With a soft smile, she gently whispered, "It's nice to walk, right?"
Silverwind let out a soft trill, shifting her large wings slightly.
Errinette chuckled, running a hand along her feathers. "After staying in the sa place for more than… hmm…" She tilted her head thoughtfully. "I forgot."
She gave Silverwind one final gentle pat. "Now, Silverwind, go and sleep. Rest well."
The majestic silver-feathered Pekko let out a low, satisfied hum before turning toward her designated resting spot.
As the night returned to silence, Errinette closed her eyes briefly, inhaling deeply before following the others inside.
( End of Chapter )
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