For You In The Cage - Chapter 71

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「Look at this too. Isn’t it pretty?」

「Wow, yes! I’ve never seen such a pretty hairpin. Really pretty.」

「What kind of jewel is it? Is there such a golden jewel? I don’t think it’s gold.」

「Uh, that’s…」

Canaren, who had been pulling the accessories from her hair and showing them to her friends, looked around.  It was the same for her and her friends because they didn’t know what kind of jewelry it was.

She made eye contact with Yulif, who was leaning against the tree and looking their way. Canaren said with the shape of her mouth. He, lp, m, e.

Yulif’s head slowly tilted to one side. He was ignorant of her desperate request.

「Canaren?」

「Yes? Yes?」

「This and this have different colors. Are they the same jewels? What’s the name of the jewel?」

「Um, well. You know…」

‘I, I don’t know! I just sat there and dozed off!’ Canaren wanted to shout at Yulif, but she couldn’t because her friends surrounding her were looking forward to her answer. Her friends gave her infinite trust that she would know anything after returning from her stay in the city dressed in fancy clothes.

‘What should I do? Should I ask Yulif again?’

Canaren glanced at the place where Yulif had been and despair lingered in her eyes. Yulif, who had just been there, was not gone. Maybe she shouldn’t have looked at him. Canaren shrugged her shoulders in regret. She didn’t want to disappoint her friends, but she had no choice.

「Hey, actually…」

「This is Topaz, and this is citrine. Topaz is a bit darker.」

Yulif, who was thought to have gone away because it was bothersome, stood behind Canaren. A brief explanation followed after pointing out the jewels with his long and straight fingers. All eyes of the Hwira on the spot, including Canaren, were focused on Yulif.

There was silence for a moment. The opening of Canaren’s mouth and the opening of her most chatty friend’s mouth happened almost simultaneously.

「Yul…」

「You’re speaking in Hwira right now, right? Right?」

Yulif silently nodded his head. As if waiting, the friends came closer to the two of them and sat down. The round shape seemed to form an encircling network. The eyes of her friends shone with curiosity and interest.

「How did you learn? Who taught you?」

「Fool! Canaren must have taught him!」

「Did you even learn our language to marry Canaren? Are you human?」

「So amazing!」

「Canaren said that you’re a great wizard.… Can’t you just show us one thing?」

Because there were so many people, even talking one word at a time made her ears hurt in no time.

She didn’t teach him. From the first time they met, he knew how to speak Hwira. And he wouldn’t do any magic. Yulif was a very blunt person, so he wouldn’t do that.

Canaren wanted to answer her friends that way. In particular, she wanted to say that he would not use magic. She hated seeing Yulif show magic for anyone other than herself.

「Canaren, please say something. He’s married to you, so he’ll grant your request. Right?」

「Kyaa, you didn’t say you’re married. I’m embarrassed!」

Her friends made a fuss. Some of them blushed. For the friends who had just bee adults, Yulif’s presence was bound to be very stimulating. A man from the world outside the village. The wizard. The emperor’s brother. On top of that, he could speak Hwira language and even had a handsome and beautiful appearance.

To be sure, Yulif’s appearance was different from the Hwira men in the village. A Hwira man had a slender body line, so he felt more delicate than strong. On the other hand, Yulif had a clear and strong line. At the same time, the delicate features were flawlessly harmonized. It looked like a piece of someone’s heart and soul. She understood that her friends kept flirting. Still…

‘…I feel bad.’

「Canaren! Where are you? Come now. The meal is ready.」

Just then, Anera found the two of them. Canaren jumped up and took Yulif’s hand. And she deliberately spoke in her own language, like her friends.

「Come on, Yulif. My Mom is waiting for us.」

「Are you going already? Don’t do that, let’s stay together a little longer.」

「That’s true. It’s been a few months since we saw you… It’s a shame if you go so early.」

「Sorry. I don’t have much time. We have to go now.」

‘See you next time.’ She couldn’t say that. Because she didn’t know when it would be next. Canaren headed home, almost dragging Yulif. She thought he would shake off her hand, but Yulif followed Canaren’s lead calmly.

“Why didn’t you say no?”

“What?”

“When my friends asked you to use magic… You could have refused.”

Canaren regretted her words as soon as she said it. This was because the tone sounded like she was arguing with Yulif. What if he’s offended? She wanted to look sideways at Yulif out of concern, but on the other hand, she wanted to plain that she was the one who was offended.

Fortunately, there was no major change in Yulif’s expression.

“Should I have said no?”

“It’s not like that, but there’s no need to show your abilities… Doesn’t it bother you?”

“Not really.”

Yulif replied that it was simple enough not to bother him, but Canaren felt worse and worse. Yulif was not stingy in showing magic to others. To him, magic was naturally present like air. So she knew that his attitude was not strange. She knew.

“I’ll stay in my home after lunch.”

“Have you met everyone you wanted to meet?”

“I’ll be with my mom. Yulif also needs to rest at my home. You were busy preparing for the wedding.”

“Very well.”

Canaren’s forehead, which had been very tense, relaxed. She was thinking about what excuse to make when Yulif said he would go out, but this was a relief. Canaren clasped Yulif’s hand tightly. Whatever the reason, whatever the process, she and Yulif were now married. It’s a relationship recognized by law.

‘So this should be okay. No, it should be obvious.’

「Come in. Did you have fun with your friends?」

「Yes, it was just that.」

Anera gave Canaren a questioning look at her reply that was strangely cold. The gaze soon turned to Yulif. Yulif added.

「Yes, she looked happy.」

「…Come in!」

Canaren pushed Yulif forward from the back. As soon as Yulif entered the house, the door slammed shut. Behind Canaren, who huffed and went to the kitchen, Anera looked at Yulif and shrugged.

*******

Through the window, the sky began to turn red. Today’s sunset was exceptionally red and dark. As if foretelling what would soon happen in Pionia’s ducal castle.

The Great Hall, which was opened just before the wedding due to safety concerns, was now crowded with guests from all over the empire. Thanks to Yulif’s magic, the hall, which was much wider than its original size, had plenty of space to acmodate a large number of people.

The white carpet in the center of the hall shone even more white with the light of the chandelier.

At the end of the carpet was a magnificently decorated podium. Deltinus was going to stand there and bless their marriage and wish them happiness as the emperor of the empire and Yulif’s older brother.

Sitting in a special seat reserved exclusively for the emperor, Deltinus looked at the podium and had a smarmy smile.

Blessings or happiness, he didn’t care at all. Judging by Yulif’s first offer of a congratulatory speech, it would seem that he also had a plan of his own. Deltinus wasn’t too worried. Because Yulif could never win this fight.

Lucian, who sat across from Deltinus, had an anxious expression from start to finish. At the order of Deltinus, he noticed that he wanted to go to Estella, who was sitting far away. Deltinus clicked his tongue.

Lucian was intelligent and mature. He was quick-witted. The only weakness was that he was too fragile. He wondered if Lucian could keep the crown prince’s seat only if he stepped back. Well, it could have been an advantage if you think about it. If the situation gets worse, he could put Lucian on the throne so he could rise to the situation and wield Lucian as he pleases.

Yulif seemed to love Lucian in his own way. He seemed to have passion for his nephew, who was raised by a tyrant father. So Deltinus wouldn’t kill Lucian easily. For the Deltinus, Lucian was like one more card in his hand.

“Let the ceremony begin!”

“Your Majesty, I will take you to the podium.”

A servant dressed in robes approached. Deltinus followed his attendant and walked to the podium. As he stood in front of the podium, all the lights went out as if he was waiting.

“Ooh, I think it’s about to start.”

“I can’t wait to see how gorgeous it will be.”

“Would we see the skills of the famous wizard?”

Excited guests whispered. Deltinus sniggered in the dark. Yulif’s wedding will meet their expectations. Of course, in a bad way.

*******

The door to the Great Hall opened. The silhouettes of Yulif and Canaren were seen with their backs against the bright light. Two men dressed in robes as clear and clean as snow walked side by side. Canaren, who walked arm in arm with Yulif, was truly dazzlingly beautiful. It was the fantastic presentation that Deltinus had dreamed of in his imagination and dreams.

Deltinus sharply sharpened his teeth as he watched Canaren getting closer. Seeing her white, straight neck, his stomach swelled up. He wanted to take Canaren to the Imperial Palace right away and wield her to his heart’s content.

“So beautiful.”

Yulif and Canaren, who stood in front of the podium, raised their heads at the same time. Despite having the same face and the same blood, Yulif always easily had the things that Deltinus longed for the most. If he digs out those dry purple eyes. If he breaks the arrogant prick’s back that doesn’t know how to bow down. Then he could have whatever he wanted.

“I am delighted to be in such a meaningful position on such an auspicious day. My heartfelt congratulations on the marriage of my loyal servant and only brother, Duke Rubias.”

Deltinus spoke the truth in a pretentious tone that did not feel any sincerity at all. Canaren’s eyes looking up at him trembled incessantly as if anxious. His mouth watered at the sight of her frightened.

Deltinus quietly rolled his eyes and looked for someone. A man standing in the corner nodded his head and went to the soldier guarding the door.

“A lot has happened in the past. I did some bad things to the two of them. The mistakes of the past…”

“Ahhhhh!”