3 bar menu

Azur Lane: Episode of Belfast Volume 2 Chapter 3 Part 9

The redstart started to flicker wildly at the same time as it started to chirp without stopping.

However, in reality, it would be boring just to stay inside of the room like this all the time and do nothing besides sitting in a chair.

[Oh yes, that’s right! How about I show you around the dormitory? That should be more than enough to cheer you up, right?]

Bel-chan said so and put the redstart back into its cage, and then she took the cage with her as she immediately left the room and walked down the corridor.

***

And so, Bell-chan took a walk around the dormitory while taking care of the redstart every day from now on, and talked to it about various maid manners, duties and casual daily events. As she continued to take care of the small bird, she gradually felt like she just managed to get herself a junior maid all of a sudden.

[I can see it now that you are indeed very smart.]

When Bel-chan would praise the bird and gently pat it on its head, the redstart would wriggle in a very pleasant way, as if it was satisfied by that action.

And seeing it acting in such an adorable way was more than enough for Bel-chan to fall head over heels with the bird all over again.

–––––– Even if it turns out that you will no longer be able to fly, I will keep on taking care of you, until the very end.

It had only been a couple of days since they had met, but before long, this small redstart bird that Bel-chan decided to call Durian had become such a big part of her heart that she no longer even knew how she would go on without it.

And before anyone was able to even notice, February slowly started to approach its end.

[I do believe that its bones must have joined back by now, given how well-rested and well-fed it is.]

Bel-chan was just on her way back to bed when she heard Belfast addressing her in such a way.

[Tomorrow, how about we shall remove the splint and see how its wing is doing?]

[…… B-But, will it really be alright?]

Bel-chan furrowed her eyebrows in a clear display of uneasiness.

[Of course, we won’t be throwing it into any deep water or forcing it needlessly. We will see if it will be able to fly off from the table, and if it will start to fall down, we will be able to catch it before it is going to hurt itself again.]

Listening to Belfast’s words, Bel-chan still could not help it but to worry about the little bird.

[Alright then, it’s decided. We are going to see how the little bird is doing tomorrow, as soon as we finish cleaning up after breakfast.]

[Understood, Nee-sama!]

After covering the birdcage with a warm blanket, Bel-chan crawled inside of her futon again.

–––––– Huh? What’s this?

For some reason, Bel-chan could feel that the inside of her chest felt strangely fuzzy for some reason.

She did not know why that would even be in the first place, and even after that, Bel-chan could not fall asleep no matter how hard she tried, and she continued to toss and turn several times under her blankets in a vain attempt.

The next day, right after breakfast, Bel-chan removed the matchstick that had been used as a splint for the small bird’s broken bone, and wondered if its wing had grown back to normal after all this time. Then it was finally the time to see if the little bird would be able to fly on its own.

Bel-chan sat by the table while holding a redstart and taking it out of its birdcage, and then gently holding it in her own small hands.

[Well then, let’s go.]

Kneeling on the floor, Edinburgh and Belfast were standing by at the ready. They both held out their hands to catch the redstart if it was actually about to fall down after taking that risky test flight.

[There we go!]

Bell-chan then released the redstart from her hands at the height of the table.

If its wings were not fully healed it would –––––– for a moment out there Bel-chan watched with her heart stopped frozen and still, as the redstart was falling towards the ground, only for it to start fluttering its wings all of a sudden and be on its way up.

[…… It flew.]

Durian the redstart certainly flew, moving its left and right wings neatly, and landed on top of the dresser in the corner of the room, where it eventually came to a halt and started chirping away.

[Wow, that was amazing……]

Excited beyond all belief, Bell-chan unintentionally shouted in a loud voice at the top of her lungs.

[So, it was able to make a full recovery…… Even though you were so weak the moment you were brought in here!]

The redstart fluttered its wings from the closet and flew around the room, finally landing with grace right on top of Bel-chan’s head.

[Nee-sama! Nee-sama! Look! Please look, Nee-sama!]

[Yes, I’m watching. I’m watching closely, Bel-chan.]

The only thing that Belfast could do in that situation was to smile brightly.

[I am so happy for you, Bel-chan. I really am.]

Even Edinburgh, who was watching all the time from the side, also put her hands together in front of her face and smiled in delight, happy for the happiness that the small maid was feeling.

[It also looks like its bones are sticking correctly to one another. There are no defects as far as the eye can see.]

After Belfast said that, all three of them let out a long and deep sigh of relief.

It was none other than Bel-chan who managed to fix the little bird’s broken wing. And right now she was extremely happy, even though all this time she was being struck with a heavy doubt all this time. She was always thinking that she might have made a mistake somewhere along the way.

But right now all of that doubt and anxiety was gone, seeing just how well the small bird was able to fly.

She did it. She did a good job at nursing this small creature back to health. And she was irresistibly happy to think so.

Bel-chan caught the redstart that was still sitting atop of her head with both of her hands and she gently put it back into its birdcage.

[Let it rest for a while. It made so much progress today that it clearly deserves it.]

Belfast said so while looking at the redstart sitting obediently inside of its birdcage.

[For the time being, let’s be grateful that nothing went wrong and that the bird made full recovery.]

[Understood, Belfast-nee-sama.]

Durian the redstart was moving around inside of the cage energetically. It seems like it was okay now, but it was still too early to judge wheatear or not it was healed properly all the way through. So for the time being the three maids decided to observe it a little bit more and see how its situation would develop.

Just then, when Durian the redstart met Bel-chan’s eyes, it bowed its head politely once more.

And the way in which it was wagging its tail was just so downright adorable.

[…… Huh? Oh my?]

Again, Bel-chan could feel that strange, fuzzy and restless feeling inside of her chest.

As Bel-chan held her hand clutched at her chest tightly, she tilted her head in apparent puzzlement.

[Bel-chan? What happened……?]

Somehow, Bel-chan felt as though there was something deep inside of her that was making it unable for her to enjoy that feeling of happiness she was feeling just now.

***

And just like that, yet another week has passed.

[Alright then, we are going to talk again sometime later. See you!]

When Bel-chan smiled at the redstart, it bowed its head politely.

It was that time of the day for the sky to gradually lighten up. Belfast has already started preparing breakfast in the kitchen as per usual.

Belle quickly opened the curtains in the room and called out to Edinburgh, who was still fast asleep in her bed.

[Edinburgh-nee-sama, hurry up and wake up already!]

[Uuu, uuuhhh~…… Okay, alright…… just five more minutes……]

Edenburgh was still as weak as ever in the morning, and she was the only one who was still in her pajamas when she finally pulled herself together and crawled out of her futon.

Reluctantly, Bel-chan stared out the window while waiting for Edinburgh to get changed into her maid uniform.

The weather has been sunny all the time for a while now.

The snow that had been falling intermittently since the day she rescued the redstart has now almost melted to the point of being hardened as a blackened remains in the corners of the roads.

Before anyone was able to realize it, the month was already about to change from February to March.