The Crow Targeting Me - Chapter 5

The boy bowed deeply to Elena, his small frame suggesting he was even younger than she’d initially thought. Up close, it was clear he wasn’t in the best health—his thin frame and pale complexion gave him a frail appearance.

“My name is Phaedo,” he said softly.

Phaedo? The name struck Elena as odd. It was a name more commonly given to dogs, meaning “I am loyal.” She tucked away her curiosity and offered a gentle smile.

“Will you help me?” she asked.

Phaedo glanced up at the raven perched in the tree above them, its beady eyes gleaming as it observed them.

“Donovan!” he called.

“So that’s its name,” Elena murmured.

“Yes. He’s a greedy one. If you take off your bracelet and wave it around, he’ll go for it. He’ll drop what he’s holding to grab the bracelet,” Phaedo suggested.

Following his instructions, Elena removed her bracelet and held it up.

“Donovan, here you go. Look at this!” she said, coaxing the bird.

The raven tilted its head from side to side, as if assessing her offer, before finally spreading its wings and swooping down toward her. Instinctively, Elena squeezed her eyes shut.

When she felt a sudden tug on the bracelet in her hand, she opened her eyes—but the bracelet was still there. Her heart sank as she frantically searched for the raven. My comb!

Sure enough, Donovan was now perched on another branch, the comb dangling mockingly from its claw. He seemed to be taunting her.

“Donovan’s one of the smartest ravens,” Faido said, stepping quietly beside her. “He must’ve realized the comb is more important to you than the bracelet.”

The raven landed on the ground, rolling around playfully as if it were mocking them. The comb lay on the dirt just out of reach. Elena felt the urge to snatch it back but froze when she remembered Faido’s advice.

“You have to pretend you don’t care about it. Don’t even look at it,” Faido whispered. “If you act uninterested, he’ll lose interest too and move on to something else.”

Taking a deep breath, Elena turned her back on the mischievous raven and focused on Faido instead.

“Do you live here?” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

“I’m thirsty. Would you mind inviting me inside for a cup of tea?”

She hoped the tea would give her an excuse to talk with him and uncover his identity.

Faido hesitated, staring at her with his pale eyes—so pale, in fact, that they, like his light brown hair, seemed almost washed out. Though this was her first time meeting him, there was something hauntingly familiar about his gaze.

Could he be an illegitimate child of the Grand Duke? she wondered. The age difference between the boy and the Grand Duke was considerable, but the possibility nagged at her.

“My quarters are too humble for someone like you, my lady,” Faido said, shaking his head.

“You don’t need to be embarrassed. I don’t mind such things,” Elena reassured him.

But Phaedo lowered his head further. “I’m a criminal. I’m not supposed to talk to anyone.”

“A criminal?” Elena tilted her head, confused. Before she could ask more, the distant sound of footsteps interrupted them.

Reacting quickly, Phaedo darted away, hiding inside the building.

“Wait! What about my comb—”

“I’ll send Donovan with it. Please go quickly!” Phaedo whispered from the shadows, his urgency compelling her to leave.

Caught off guard by his mysterious behavior, Elena turned and hurried back toward the hallway.

She had just reached the corridor when she nearly ran into Mary, who looked pale with worry.

“My lady! You said you were looking for me, but why are you here again?”

“I got lost.”

Mary froze for a moment, stunned by Elena’s casual excuse, before regaining her composure and bowing slightly with a carefully neutral expression.

“My lady, wherever you go in the future, please don’t leave me behind,” Mary pleaded earnestly.

It was true that a noblewoman wandering alone without her maid or escort was against etiquette, but there was an undercurrent to Mary’s words that hinted at something more. Elena suppressed her growing suspicions for now.

“What about the task I gave you?” Elena asked.

“I asked the steward, but he said there have been no letters addressed to you from the capital,” Mary reported hesitantly.

“That can’t be right,” Elena muttered, frowning deeply.

Has something happened to my nanny? she wondered. It wasn’t just her nanny—her father, the princess, or someone from the palace should have written to her by now. The complete silence from the capital was baffling.

Mary, clearly uneasy, glanced at Elena’s expression and quickly tried to reassure her.

“Maybe something went wrong along the way. The roads between the capital and Barsian aren’t exactly well-traveled,” Mary suggested.

“That must be it,” Elena replied with a sigh.

The path between the capital and Barsian was difficult, requiring travelers to cross the desert. The harsh terrain made it hard to maintain proper routes, and correspondence delays were common. While Elena gave Mary a plausible explanation, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.

Back in her room, Elena turned the matter over in her mind. The Grand Duke has already taken steps to isolate me. Could he also be intercepting my letters?

Elena resolved to find a way to confirm her suspicions. She pondered the issue late into the night.

The next morning, Elena was startled awake by Mary’s loud shouting.

“For heaven’s sake! How dare you—this isn’t your place!”

Sitting up groggily, Elena saw Mary flailing her arms, trying to shoo away a raven. Her sleepy mind quickly snapped to attention.

“Donovan!” Elena called out.

Mary turned to her, confused. “You know this bird, my lady?”

Realizing how absurd she sounded, Mary laughed awkwardly, and Elena chuckled as well.

“I befriended him during my walk yesterday,” Elena explained lightly. “I named him Donovan. Come here, Donovan.”

The raven, perched on the windowsill, cawed before fluttering over to land on Elena’s bed.

However, to her disappointment, Donovan had returned empty-beaked—contrary to what Phaedo had promised.

“Where’s my comb?” Elena whispered, leaning closer to the bird.

Donovan tilted his head and blinked his beady black eyes at her as if feigning innocence.

This wretched bird…! Elena seethed inwardly, a flicker of betrayal making her grit her teeth.

As she climbed out of bed, Donovan hopped along behind her like an obedient pet.

“This cheeky thief stole my hair comb,” Elena said to Mary, who was pouring warm water for her morning wash.

Mary shook her head sympathetically. “It’ll be hard to find, my lady.”

“Impossible?” Elena asked, a tinge of desperation in her voice.

“He’s probably hidden it in a secret nest somewhere. It’ll be tucked away safe and sound, just for him,” Mary said as she handed Elena a clean cloth to dry her face.

“If it were me, I’d shoo that bird away before he steals anything else shiny,” Mary advised.

But despite her advice, Donovan’s antics were undeniably endearing. As Elena held out her arms for Mary to help her dress, the raven suddenly flapped his wings and perched on her arm.

“You filthy little thing!” Mary shrieked, recoiling in horror. “How dare you land on her like that!”

Elena burst into laughter, clutching her sides at Mary’s reaction. It was the first time she had laughed so loudly since arriving at Barsian.

Mary, now glaring daggers at Donovan, grumbled under her breath but ultimately left the bird alone.

Even after Elena finished dressing, Donovan refused to leave. When she sat down for breakfast, he hopped onto the table, curiously peering at the food.

Elena, catching Mary’s disapproving glare, discreetly broke off a small piece of bread and handed it to the bird. Donovan eagerly snatched it up, his delight evident as he gobbled it down.

Mary eventually caught on to Elena’s covert feeding of Donovan, but she only sighed quietly and pretended not to notice. She likely pitied Elena, who had come alone to the remote north, with neither her husband’s affection nor any companions to rely on. And since it was true, Elena didn’t bother arguing.

Before long, Donovan became Elena’s closest companion. The raven visited every morning to wake her and sometimes even appeared in the afternoons. Whenever Donovan announced his arrival by tapping on the window with his beak, Mary would grumble and complain but still open the window for him.

Over time, Mary’s wariness toward Donovan faded. Where she used to keep a watchful eye on Elena and the bird, she now simply focused on her work while the two played.

“Here you go. Catch it properly,” Elena said, tossing a cherry to Donovan while sneaking a glance at Mary, who was busy with her embroidery. Judging by Mary’s dreamy expression, she must have been thinking about a knight she fancied.

Caw!

Proud of catching the cherry in midair, Donovan let out a loud cry.

“That blasted bird! It’s driving me mad with all that noise!” Mary shouted, though she didn’t lift her eyes from her embroidery.

Satisfied that Mary was sufficiently distracted, Elena carefully tore a small piece from the bottom of the letter she had been writing to her nanny.

「From Elena, daughter of the Duke of Selum」

The note was brief enough to avoid suspicion if it fell into the wrong hands.

Elena picked up another cherry from the plate but didn’t throw it this time. Instead, she placed it on the table. Tilting his head curiously, Donovan hopped up onto the table. As Elena tied the small piece of paper to his leg, she held her breath, afraid he might struggle or fly away. But Donovan remained remarkably calm, as if accustomed to such tasks.

“Off you go,” Elena whispered, cradling Donovan in her hands as she carried him to the window.

She gently nudged him outside, and the raven took off immediately, as though he understood her instructions. Elena watched him until he disappeared into the distance, her heart filled with hope.

The reply arrived late that night.

The fire in the hearth had died down, and Elena, huddled under blankets to ward off the cold, woke to the persistent sound of something tapping. It continued until she finally got up to investigate.

It didn’t take long to locate the source. A long shadow stretched from her window to her bed—it was Donovan.

Elena opened the window to find the raven waiting patiently, a note tied to one of his legs.

“You’ve done well,” she whispered, untying the small paper and stroking his head in gratitude.

Still half-asleep, she carried the note to the fireplace, intending to relight the fire while reading its contents.

Elena, who had grown up in the mild climate of the South, had only learned how to start a fire after coming to the North. Though she wasn’t as skilled as Mary, she had no choice but to adapt—survival demanded it.

Donovan perched beside her as she worked, his feathers puffed up against the cold. “Even you must be freezing, huh?” Elena said with a soft laugh.

After several attempts, the fire finally caught. Exhausted from the effort, she sighed and sank down in front of the fireplace, letting the warmth seep into her chilled body.

She unfolded the note Donovan had brought, her heart racing in anticipation. However, what she read left her in utter shock.

「Phaedo, the illegitimate child of Karina Barsian」

Karina Barsian. She had been the late Grand Duchess of Barsian, the mother of Theodore Barsian, and a southern woman who had died seven years ago during the war that had ravaged the north.

She had an illegitimate child?

Elena stared at the paper, reading the words over and over again as if they might change. Her hands trembled as she threw the note into the fire, watching it burn until no trace remained.

Even after ensuring the note was gone, she remained seated before the hearth, staring blankly into the flames.

Phaedo calling himself a sinner. The servants’ nervousness whenever his existence was mentioned. The murderous glint in the Grand Duke’s eyes.

Everything made sense now.

Elena spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

“Why are you up so early, my lady?”

The next morning, Mary’s chatter filled the air as Elena washed her pale face. The sleepless night had drained all her energy, leaving her too tired to scold Mary for her informal tone.

“You didn’t show it, but deep down, you must’ve been waiting for the master to return,” Mary teased.

Elena paused, the cloth still pressed against her face. Today marked the seventh day since Theodore Barsian had left for the hunt. He was expected to return today.

Rather than correct Mary’s misunderstanding, Elena let her think what she wanted.

After barely touching her breakfast, Elena suddenly announced, “I need to pray.”

“Pray?” Mary blinked in surprise. “But the master will be back soon. Wouldn’t it be better to prepare yourself? You should dress up—”

“He doesn’t care for dressed-up women,” Elena interrupted, her tone flat. She would never forget the way he had mocked her appearance during their first meeting.

Though Mary pouted in dissatisfaction, she accompanied Elena to the chapel.

At the very back of the chapel, in front of a statue of the divine, Elena knelt and folded her hands. The cool stone beneath her knees grounded her, while her thoughts swirled like a storm.