Angelica

Angelica Winston is the first named customer of Count D's Pet Shop, a rich young woman who purchases an exotic bird, P-chan.

Appearance
Angelica has curly hair which brushes her shoulders and light coloured eyes. She is always seen wearing fashionable clothes.

Plot
Angelica barges into the pet shop minutes after it closes, declaring that she wants a rare bird. She lists the attributes she's looking for in a rare bird, the most important of these perhaps being 'something more expensive than Janet's cheeky parrot!' She declares that money is no object and follows D further into the shop. She briefly worries that she'll be kidnapped but, when the Count asks about her nerves, Angelica says that she's simply wondering why she can't smell any of the animals.

The animal which Count D introduces Angelica to is a sterlizia, a bird from a small island in the South Pacific Ocean. At first, Angelica is worried that the sterlizia is actually a human, though her concern is quickly mitigated between the sterlizia's wings and D's own words. She quickly attempts to purchase the bird but D cautions her to listen to the bird's song first. As the sterlizia only sign at night, they decide to deliver the bird to Angelica's house in order for her to hear him sing.

That night, Angelica waits impatiently for the humanoid bird to sing. Once he does, Angelica is mesmerised. D informs her that the sterlizia must like her, for he would not have sung otherwise. With confirmation that the sterlizia will accept Angelica as his owner, Count D produces a contract for Angelica to sign. The terms of the contract are as follows:


 * 1) Feed him fresh fruit for every meal.
 * 2) Do not show him to anyone.
 * 3) You must be by his side when he sings. He will not stop singing until he sees his owners face. He will keep singing even if his throat starts bleeding.

Despite the original reason for Angelica seeing out an exotic pet being solely so show off to her own friends, she does not break the terms of the contract. She appears pleased that his voice will belong solely to her and, quietly, thinks that buying the sterlizia was likely illegal anyway. She names him P-chan, as all birds in her family are given the same name.

Angelica visits P-chan nightly, consistently moved by his singing despite not understanding the words or the meaning of the song. Visiting Count D's shop once more, D informs her that this is because it is a love song. Angelica is confused as to why P-chan would be singing a love song. D reveals that he was raised in captivity by humans and has never met another of his species before, so it is quite likely that P-chan views himself as human.

Returning home from the pet shop, Angelica appears delighted to find her father home. A staff member reveals that Angelica's behaviour has changed recently, eschewing previous interests in favour of spending time with her new pet. Mr. Winston expresses interest in seeing this new pet and is firmly turned down by Angelica. Mr. Winston then presents Angelica with photographs of a man. He tells her that she'll meet the man for dinner next week, with the intention of her marrying him. The man is older, the son of Mr. Winston's business competitor, and their marriage will benefit Mr. Winston's company. Angelica's protest is ignored by Mr. Winston.

In the green house, Angelica cries over having to marry for her parents convenience. She thinks that even death would be better. As P-chan comforts Angelica, she remembers that his song is a love song and decides that P-chan must still be waiting for his true love. The next day, she calls Count D's pet shop in pursuit of finding P-chan a mate. D attempts to protest the idea of breeding P-chan but Angelica talks over him, quickly winning his assistance with a hefty bribe of sweets.

Angelica is surprised to find that the female sterlizia has plain features. D and Angelica watch the introduction between the two sterlizia and, when first impressions go well, Angelica signs another contract with D, despite being both hesitant and upset at the prospect. The terms of the contract are:


 * 1) From today, she cannot enter the greenhouse for a week.
 * 2) She cannot give either sterlizia food

Q-chan accompanies Angelica through the following week. For days, Angelica listens to P-chan sing, despondent at the thought that the sterlizia is now singing for his mate instead of her. On the sixth day, Angelica makes the decision to sneak some food into the greenhouse for both birds. Shortly after entering, Angelica sees P-chan's face - and then the rest of his body, which has been eaten alive by his mate. She is horrified and furious at this discovery, slapping the bloodied female sterlizia. Before she can inflict further injury to the bird, D catches her arm and explains that cannibalism is a species trait. For reproduction to be successful, the female must devour the male.

Angelica is distraught by this revelation, and the realisation that P-chan had still been alive the day before as she had heard him singing. D appears shocked or concerned at hearing that P-chan had still been singing and informs Angelica that he must have been singing for his owner.

P-chan
He is a sterlizia, a bird from a small island in the South Pacific Ocean. He accepts Angelica as his owner and sings for her, as he would sing to entice a mate. P-chan appears to show great care for Angelica, happily singing for her and comforting her when she is sad. Even as he is eaten alive, he sings for his owner.

Mr. Winston
Angelica's relationship with her father appears to be a rocky one. The first mention of him is Angelica declaring that he doesn't care what she does, between his work and his new mistress. Later in the chapter, the man tells Angelica he has arranged for her marriage to a business associate of his and dismisses her protest as selfishness.