“Oh my. I told you to watch carefully. Why are you teasing your friend?”
[Puhaha!] Finally, Darren, who had extended his neck out of the water, scolded the duck as if he had expected it. Thank goodness! Haniel spread her wings with a happy face, and Darren fluffed his gray wings.
“Reina must have been very worried. There’s no need for that. The teacher will be here soon.”
“Yes.”
“Everyone, look at this. The teacher caught a fish like this——-”
Darren smirked and skimmed the bottom of the lake again, showing off to Reina and the children. However, what the teacher had caught was not a delicious fish, but a pale and large one, causing the children to scream in horror.
“Wow! Teacher Darren caught Reina’s nanny!”
“Now is not the time for that! Everyone, gather around!”
[Pay attention!] At Selene’s urgent call, all the students and parents at the lake gathered. At first, they came out of curiosity, wondering what was going on, but as her story continued, their expressions turned pale and tired. Some sensitive birds covered their mouths, let out a dumbfounded sigh, and were even swept away by the currents.
“We don’t have much time! We need to find the Queen’s ring quickly!”
“But how can we search this vast lake——-”
“I roughly know the location! So let’s hurry! Madam has already set off!”
Selene pointed her wing towards the lake just below the Winter Palace. However, those who had already suffered at the hands of the Queen trembled with fear. No matter how tempting the handmade nets were, their lives were more important.
“But if the Queen finds out that we found the ring for her, what will she do———”
“So, do you all plan to hide like this for the rest of your lives, living as animals?”
“Teacher Darren!”
Darren, who was always affectionate, spoke solemnly for once. Even the mothers who were being swept away started swimming back properly.
“What a disappointment. Are you more worried about what the Queen will do than the fact that our children will have to live like this for the rest of their lives?”
“Teacher, it’s not like that——-”
“As adults and parents, we should set an example. If Selene’s words are true, as soon as the Queen arrives at the Duke’s residence and finds out that the ring is missing, the Duchess will surely be furious!”
“… ”
His words made the tension even higher.
The Duchess, who was the Queen of the lake, faced such a predicament! Recently, despite the close relationship with Teacher Darren and being wounded as a public enemy among the parents, the Duchess had been responsible for the troublesome tasks of the lake. Noblesse obliges. In terms of rank, she could have taken advantage of them and still had something left, but during the day when she turned into a human, she took care of various tasks that couldn’t be done with a bird’s body. Stacking hay to create shelters. Preparing food for the young children. Although she didn’t willingly do it, and even grumbled or complained, she did it.
“Do you think Lake Ferdium will remain peaceful as it is now if the Duchess faces such a predicament? I don’t know what value a lake without the Duchess, the Queen’s sister, would have. It’s not just one person’s business.”
“I-I’ll find it! I’ll go and search!”
“We must protect the Duchess!”
As more people echoed his words, Darren took the lead. But his leadership didn’t end there.
“We mustn’t rush blindly. If we do, it will surely somehow reach the Queen if someone notices us.”
“Oh?”
“We will divide into three teams. One team will search, trying to stay submerged for as long as possible. Another team will take the ring to the Duke’s residence. And the remaining team will go to the Queen’s room and open the window in advance.”
“I’ll call the sparrows right away!”
Selene, who was guiding him to the lake, suddenly turned toward the direction of the forest. In that way, they confirmed their positions confidently and dispersed. Someone stayed behind and comforted the young babies.
“You come here. You’re too young, and even if you go, you won’t be much help. Crouch down and hide in the bushes!”
“…”
“Reina, what are you doing? Come out quickly!”
Haniel, who was watching the adults and older siblings heading toward the center of the lake, flinched at the sound of someone calling her. Darren, who turned back, had a momentarily complicated countenance and approached Haniel.
“Don’t worry and quickly go over there. Nothing will happen to Mom——-”
“Ah, no!”
“… ”
“There’s nothing I can do. Even if I say that nobody does anything.”
As Haniel shook her head randomly, tears welled up in her red eyes. She endured her friend’s teasing, but she couldn’t even imagine her mother disappearing again.
“Last time, it was like that. My mom…”
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