Hey guys! Author here - this is a special chapter with Nero/Specre Swallowtail's point of view
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From the moment Secre reawakened in this strange new time, she had learned to observe, and she constantly followed Asta around and earned the nickname 'Nero'.
As a bird, as a relic of the past, she had perched quietly on shoulders and rafters, taking in everything. Her sharp eyes missed nothing—not the explosive growth of Asta's strength, not Noelle's flustered glances, not even the calculated mischief behind Vanessa's lazy eyes.
And certainly not... that night.
Secre hadn't meant to spy. She simply happened to be in the rafters above the common room, in her tiny swallow form, half-asleep, when Vanessa sauntered in and wrapped Asta around her finger.
She'd seen the teasing. Heard the breathy laughs. The tension. The electricity in the air.
She should have flown away. But she didn't.
Why didn't I?
Secre didn't understand it. Watching had left her feathers ruffled. Something knotted up inside her—not quite jealousy, but something close.
Now, after some time passed since Vanessa and Asta's "private session", she stood perched on the balcony just outside Asta's room, leaning against the wooden wall. The moonlight bathed her small swallow body, and her expression was unreadable.
He's just a boy, she told herself. A loud, reckless idiot.
But that wasn't true anymore, was it? Asta wasn't just the loud kid yelling about becoming the Wizard King. He was growing—fast. In power, in presence... and now, in attention.
She had to admit it—he was attractive. Honest. Unshakably determined. And maybe even... kind of cute when flustered.
Secre sighed. Her thoughts were more tangled than usual, especially after the 'event' she had watched unfold earlier.
Vanessa knew what she was doing. That teasing wasn't just for fun. It had an edge to it. And Asta had let himself get swept up in it. And, Secre secretly wished she was the one to seduce Asta...
Idiot, Secre thought. But a sweet one.
She tilted her head toward the stars, letting the cool night air wash over her.
You're supposed to be watching over him, not wanting him, she reminded herself.
But maybe... just maybe... she could do both.
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The next morning, Asta found her sitting by the window, watching him quietly. He smiled, scratched her head, and muttered, "Thanks for always being around, Nero."
She chirped once—but inside, her heart fluttered just a little faster than usual.
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