Bluebird Lady and The White Lion Family Chapter 51

 

Sophina turned directly to Ricardo, who was lying motionless. She hesitated, then timidly lifted the covers.

 

A quick glance revealed a fearsome lion’s front paw that looked like it could tear flesh.

 

She fidgeted nervously and glanced up,  “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to excuse me, Ricardo.”

 

Hesitantly, Sophina flipped the paw over.

 

“…Pink jelly.”

 

The paw was smeared with a bright pink colored jelly that didn’t quite match the white paw.

 

‘So maybe it wasn’t a cat I saved, but a lion?’

 

The puzzle came together. Why had Ricardo been so strangely good to me all this time?

 

“Lions repay favors.”

 

She finished the sentence slowly, as if mulling over each word.

 

Was this some kind of situation that would only happen to the original heroine, the woman who had taken possession?

 

Sophina blinked dumbly. Then she looked up at the white lion, who was purring softly.

 

‘If that’s true, I feel even more guilty.’

 

For now, this question would have to wait until Ricardo came to his senses.

 

She resolved to ask him about what happened four years ago afterward.

 

Picking up a towel from the nightstand, she finished wiping Ricardo’s forehead.

 

She did it with all her heart, urging Ricardo to quickly wake up and get up.

 

It took her a while to put the wipe back down as she worked feverishly on Ricardo’s face, which was still hot from his animalized state but still held together.

 

In doing so, she accidentally knocked over another object.

 

And then…

 

Ding!

 

The lock on the bottom drawer was suddenly unlocked.

 

What the heck, was there some kind of device?

 

Why did it suddenly come off?

 

A feeling of foreboding suddenly came over me. I thought to myself, ‘Whenever I see something like this, it’s always a warning sign.’

 

No point in pretending I didn’t see it. Ricardo’s asleep anyway, so he won’t know, so I’ll just take a peek.

 

Sophina gave in to her curiosity.

 

Picking the lock, she opened the drawer and peered in to see what was inside.

 

‘A woodcarving?’

 

Without thinking, Sophina picked up the wooden figure of a lion.

 

On the back of the figurine, which was scorched but still covered in handprints, was a small inscription.

 

— From your dear friend, your father.

 

Father?

 

‘Could this be the stepfather Ririela mentioned?’

 

I’m sure she said it was her stepfather, so Ricardo would be similar.

 

Anyway, it looks like it’s a precious object to have stored like this, and he must have had a hard time like she did.

 

Sophina pressed her lower lip, which curled slightly into my upper lip, firmly.

 

Suddenly, a question crossed my mind. 

 

I wondered if there was a story behind this, like the trials of being a Ropan male lead.

 

Oh, such silly thoughts.

 

Maybe it was just my mind trying to get to know Ricardo a little better.

 

‘Let’s put this back.’

 

With a more careful touch, Sophina placed the figurine back inside.

 

Then she replaced the lock. The drawer returned to its original state, with no sign of having been opened.

 

Phew, she let out a small sigh of mixed emotions.

 

As she looked down at Ricardo, her eyes filled with confusion.

 

Gratitude, apology, regret.

 

These were the emotions she felt when she looked at Ricardo.

 

And yet, she also felt a little uneasy. She wondered if he would resent her when he woke up.

 

‘I don’t like being hated by my friend.’

 

Even if it had been Ricardo’s choice to jump into the water, he might regret it now.

 

Sophina stroked Ricardo’s front paw with a trembling hand.

 

His fur was soft, white, and fluffy. The cute pink jelly was squishy and soft.

 

It was only after the one-sided jelly therapy that Sophina was able to calm down.

 

And then, in the midst of all this, something amazing happened.

 

Ricardo, who had been sleeping with a glow like the light of the early morning moon, suddenly transformed into a human form.

 

But he wasn’t fully awake. He didn’t turn over or open his eyes.

 

‘You mean he’s recovered enough to humanize in his sleep?’

 

Sophina stared at Ricardo, whose face had become recognizable.

 

Pale skin, bright red lips with a slight upturn at the corners, and a straight nose.

 

He certainly looked better than before. It was a reassuring sign that I could breathe a sigh of relief.

 

The problem was…

 

‘Thank goodness for the blanket.’

 

Ricardo was naked. Sophina shyly covered her eyes with her hands.

 

It wasn’t much use, since she could see through her fingers.

 

“Oh my gosh, I didn’t see it….”

 

She hadn’t seen that Ricardo’s shoulders were still growing, and his collarbones were dented!

 

She cast blindfolded ‘hmm’.

 

‘But why does he have a long scar on his chest, like a beast’s claw?’

 

As she puzzled over the question, Ricardo’s fingertips twitched.

 

The tiny movement soon grew more pronounced.

 

A pair of blank blue eyes peeked out from beneath thin white lashes.

 

“Huh?”

 

Sophina stuttered, then looked up to meet Ricardo’s gaze.

 

“Are you awake? Do you recognize how many of these are there?”

 

She folded her fingers together, trying to communicate with him.

 

Unfortunately, Ricardo didn’t have the strength to do so, so he didn’t even move his lips.

 

Instead, he turned his gaze to the side and stared off into space.

 

Sophina followed suit, her eyes groping for the object of his gaze.

 

A calendar?

 

She flipped through the calendar, which had stopped at September, before the fall tour.

 

It was already the first week of October.

 

‘And Ricardo’s birthday is already past.’

 

In the absence of any excitement, the Chad household decided to keep this birthday quiet

 

On the third day, just a few days ago, Sophina received a simple gift.

 

This, too, was thanks to her mother’s quiet care.

 

On Ririela’s sister’s birthday, her mother had overheard some conversation about Ricardo and her befriending him.

 

— ‘Thank you, but I feel sorry about Ricardo.’

 

Sophina turned her gaze to Ricardo, trying to control her emotions.

 

Out of nowhere, Ricardo wrapped his arms around her hand and squeezed it.

 

He spoke slowly, word by word, in a less-than-ideal voice.

 

“…It’s late, but—”

 

“What?”

 

Sophina repeated, leaning toward Ricardo.

 

“…Happy birthday, Sophina.”

 

Ricardo whispered in her ear. Then he drifted off to sleep.

 

‘Hey, what did he just say?’

 

I remembered Ricardo’s words when we became friends.

 

— ‘Will you let me celebrate it every year? Thank you for being born.’

 

‘Did you wake up to fulfill that promise?’

 

Sophina’s hazel eyes lit up like a shower of stars.

 

‘I didn’t even get to properly celebrate with Ricardo…’

 

She couldn’t let go of Ricardo’s hand. And she had a feeling she never would.

 

‘Ricardo must have become really important to me.’

 

Her heart warmed like a tangerine by the fire.

 

A week later, Ricardo was able to hold himself up without any problems.

 

It would be a while before he was fully recovered, but it was progress.

 

Sophina and Ricardo were living in peace.

 

Or, more accurately, she was clinging to him like a stick of gum, looking out for him.

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

Sophina asked, deliberately putting her arm around Ricardo. He shook his head nervously and replied without removing her arm.

 

“You’re overprotective, you know that.”

 

“Dude, do you think I’m used to this kind of nursing? Just stay still.”

 

Sophina didn’t back down.

 

Sophina led Ricardo under a large zelkova tree that smelled invigoratingly of citrus vitamins and minerals. She made a special lunch for him with ingredients that were said to be especially restorative.

 

“Now, patient, come here!”

 

“Doctor.”

 

Ricardo’s eyes twitched innocently at the corner of his mouth at Sophina’s playful comment.

 

She responded with a mildly puzzled look.

 

“Eh?”

 

“Don’t be surprised. You said I was a patient. Aren’t you the doctor?”

 

His logic came naturally, without changing his expression.

 

The demanding white lion frowned, one eyebrow raised in a gesture of impatience.

 

“Doctor, it hurts here.”

 

The whimpering was more genuine than she’d expected.

 

“What can I do?”

 

There was an unmistakable playfulness within Ricardo’s words.

 

Sophina’s eyes widened in disbelief at the behavior of the man who had been so troubled just days ago.

 

“You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”

 

“I’m a patient, and it hurts.”

 

He pointed to his bruised ankle and frowned skillfully.

 

“Look at it. It’s swollen.”

 

The obvious wound fooled her.

 

“Does it hurt much?”

 

“Ugh, please.”

 

Ricardo smiled with the satisfied grin of a lion who had been fed by her concern. Maybe he would bite her.

 

“Are you a child?”

 

Sophina, who had just given him the goblet, huffed and moved away from him.

 

“See?”

 

Ricardo tugged at the corners of his mouth, stroking the wound in places she’d never even touched.

 

“You really do what you’re told.”

 

“You’re such a little-”

 

“Good girl.”

 

He closed the distance between him and Sophina in a flash and stroked her light blue hair.

 

“What do you mean.”

 

Startled by the sudden touch, she hastily changed the subject.

 

“Never mind that…”

 

She pursed her lips in a determined expression, unsure of what to say.

 

The question she’d been meaning to ask all along was about to be uttered.

 

“Ricardo, did you ever meet me four years ago?”

 

The words flew out of her lips.