CH 97

“Yul, lif… Gah… !”

Blood was standing in Deltinus’s shaking eyes. The oath was gone? It couldn’t be. Yulif’s oath was not just magic, but his mother’s will. The promise that the brother’s mother received right before her death, who had a foreboding that this day would come one day, was a shackle that Yulif himself could never break.

Deltinus cried out in anguish. The suppressed voice cracked unheard.

“You are bluffing! You, ugh, can’t break the pact… I know better than anyone. Mother, Mother who you loved so dearly, are you going to forsake me, Yulif?”

“It didn’t matter what you did.”

He meant it. Yulif was not impressed with what Deltinus did to him. If Deltinus had a murderous intention every time he tried to kill him, he would have become a body and buried in the ground without being able to ascend the throne.

But Canaren. His violence towards her was intolerable. However, she had to endure such a cruel time just because she was the woman he loved. And… Eventually she collapsed. She swallowed all the poison that should have been directed at him and went cold.

‘I can’t forgive you. And myself too.’

“I will kill you in the most painful and wretched way.”

‘Don’t even bother screaming. I’d rather beg you to kill me with a single knife. To crawl to the bottom of the world and ask for forgiveness to the bone.’

It’s nothing compared to the pain that Canaren went through. This was the best he could have done for her.

Yulif broke Deltinus’ arms and legs. Deltinus, who suffered more than the limit at once, could not overcome it and tried to let go of his mind.

Yulif’s magic made him unable to lose consciousness. Tears flowed from Deltinus’ eyes and saliva flowed from his mouth.

“Ah, gah…!”

“Are you sick? Is it painful?”

“Crazy, crazy bastard… you are a monster… devil…!”

“Only this much. It would be nothing compared to what you did.”

Yulif twisted the corners of his lips, neither smiling nor sarcastic. It was just a dull tone of speaking the truth. That was the most intense fear for Deltinus. He had a strong foreboding that no matter what he said or what he did, Yulif would not forgive him.

He was sure he would die by Yulif’s hand.

Yulif repaired Deltinus’ legs and arms. And he broke it again. Deltinus struggled on the dirt floor.

Yulif just stared at the Deltinus wriggling with his survival instincts with unfeeling eyes.

Deltinus had whipped Canaren, grabbed her hair, ripped her wings off, and finally made her die.

Besides, it wasn’t just Canaren who suffered from Deltinus. Estella, Lucian, Duke Theodore, and countless nobles and men unknown by name, suffered and brutally died at his command and gesture.

He couldn’t believe he was struggling with such a thing. It was a joke.

“Your Majesty.”

Yulif healed the broken limbs and threw a handkerchief on Deltinus’s face, which was soaked with tears, snot and saliva. Deltinus trembled at the blatant contempt. Yulif either said that or moved his feet away from his chest.

“Go to the Imperial Palace. This is not the place where Your Majesty should die.”

—The throne. I will kill you in the very place you tried so hard to grab hold of.

Deltinus read what Yulif didn’t say. Before he could say anything, space-shifting magic engulfed him. The wizards and knights he brought with him also disappeared.

After they disappeared, Yulif, who had been standing there for a while, slowly moved towards Canaren.

「Let Canaren go!」

Muasa exclaimed. Yulif’s steps stopped. Muasa’s wings, bloodstained in his eyes, entered. His wings were an ultramarine, almost black, much darker than his hair.

Yulif approached Muasa, who was lying on the floor, and sat down with his knees bent. And whispered low in his ear.

“Canaren is still my wife.”

There was an endless darkness permeating the soft sound that emanated from the depths of his body. There was no life like when he was dealing with Deltinus, but Muasa felt a physiological fear. The eyes that quietly captured themselves were no different from those of a beast. His fluff and the feathers on his ears stood up.

“I want you to pay the price for stealing my wife.”

The light from Yulif’s hand penetrated Muasa’s wings. The torn wings returned to their original state, and the bones that had been shattered by the sword were attached. As soon as the pain subsided, Muasa opened his eyes wide as if curiously, and looked at the intact wings and Yulif alternately.

He thought there was nothing he could do to see his wings destroyed again, but instead Yulif repaired his wings.

「…What are you up to?」

“You will find out when the time comes. So until then, be quiet. It is the last warning.”

Muasa was the only one who could be entrusted with the task after death, which was approaching every minute. Yulif didn’t like the innocent and dull point of playing with Deltinus’ obvious tricks, but it also meant that he was sincere to Canaren. He will sacrifice his life to protect Canaren. That was it.

Yulif got up. And he quickly walked up to Canaren.

「Ah…」

He hugged Canaren, who collapsed due to the weakness in her legs. She became so light and fragile in the long time he hadn’t hugged her. If he let go of her hand, it seemed as if she would fly away immediately. Everywhere, her bones were dry to the touch. She couldn’t eat or sleep properly after Rena showed up. Unable to face her in such pain, Yulif closed his eyes.

‘My love, I am ruining you.’

「……Yulif, are you crying?」

Her little hand caressed his cheek. It was very strange. His sense of touch must be fading away as his remaining time dwindled, but Canaren’s touch felt more distinct than ever. He patted her hand that was gently caressing his cheek.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he could hold her hand and kiss each of her fingers. How happy he would be if he could tell her that ‘I love you, that I want you, that I only need you with every kiss.’

“You must have been surprised, so go to sleep.”

「Wait! No…!」

Yulif didn’t wait for Canaren to finish her words. His gentle power engulfed her and took her to the dream world in one breath.

Then he placed a light kiss on her drooping forehead.

*******

Thick raindrops fell nonstop from the overcast sky. The lake that stretched out in front of her was also as dark gray as the sky. That lake… It’s the lake near the village.

What? Did Muasa take her out?

‘Canaren.’

Hearing a clear male’s voice, her vision suddenly changed. Canaren was sitting next to someone, whose face was as black as a shadow.

Ah. It’s a dream. It’s her childhood dream

‘It’s raining a lot… where is your house? I’ll take you.’

‘No. Don’t go home. It came out hard.’

‘I don’t know when it will end. It will be cold if I stay here. I’m going to catch a cold.’

‘Cold? Yup, are you cold? Are you shivering?’

(TL/N: Canaren mispronounces Yulif’s name when she’s little.)

Yup?

It seemed to be the name of the boy sitting next to her. Canaren tilted her head. Strange… But her question did not last long. Because the dream swallowed her consciousness.

‘Canaren will warm you up!’

Young Canaren spread her wings. Even when she was a child, Canaren’s wings were large compared to her body. Her two pairs of wings wrapped around the boy. The boy stuttered his words in a startled voice.

‘Oh, no. T-Too close. You’re too close, too close.’

‘This is how you get warm! Is Yup stupid?’

‘I’m not stupid… The fool is Canaren…’

‘What? Did you just call Canaren a fool?’

Young Canaren swung her fists wildly. Although the boy said he was sick, he took all of Canaren’s punches.

After a while, Canaren, who was relieved, huffed and stopped punching him. The boy stroked Canaren’s head and picked up a small feather that rested on his head.

‘Canaren, can I have this?’

‘It’s Canaren’s feather.’

‘Yes. So I’m asking. May I have it?’

‘Do whatever you like. Canaren has a lot of her feathers. See? These are all Canaren’s feathers!’

‘Amazing. Thanks. I will cherish it.’

The boy smiled affectionately. She couldn’t see his face, but she thought he probably did.

*******

「……Dream……?」

Her last memory was the boy carefully tucking her feather into his bosom. Canaren blinked her eyes slowly. A familiar ceiling was the first thing she saw. 

“Are you awake?”

Beautiful but painful to look at purple eyes filled her vision. Canaren jumped to her feet.

There were only two people in her room, Yulif and herself. Her body was dressed in clean pajamas instead of a crumpled and dirty dress from running around all day.

Canaren grabbed the quilt. In the end, she was caught again like this.

「……What happened to Muasa?」

“He is taking a break. I’ve treated all his wounds, so don’t worry.”

「……Why didn’t you tell me?」

“What?”

A hot lump soared at the dry question. Canaren glared at Yulif with all her might.

「About the barrier. He said you put a barrier on the castle!」

“Ah. The barrier.”

Yulif put on a faint smile. It couldn’t be a friendly smile. It was a cynical one.

Unsurprisingly, sharp words that commensurate with that smile came out.

“It’s a barrier that prevents you from escaping, so I didn’t need to tell you.”

All the questions were answered by Yulif’s cold words. Just in case, the last expectation that she had held on to with the thought of ‘no way’ collapsed.

At that moment, Yulif leaned on the bed and leaned over to Canaren. His anger-bearing eyes were hot, but his cynical lips were twisted coldly. The face of the beast that swallowed fire and ice at the same time came closer.

Finally, the tip of his nose was enough to rub against Canaren’s. A warm breath spread as if caressing Canaren’s face. Canaren swallowed her breath in surprise. The air, thickly mixed with Yulif’s body scent, filled her lungs.

There were so many things she wanted to ask. Why was he so mad? Wasn’t it she who should be angry, not him? Did he ever think of her as his wife?