CH 22

4. The Duke’s Cabin

The carriage carrying the two of them passed through a complicated alleyway, avoiding any possible trailing.

A calm air flowed as they got out of the bustling area where various shops were gathered. There were also fewer and fewer people who were busily walking down the street.

Canaren swallowed the question that was about to pop out several times. Yulif was consistent with his expression that he knew everything, or that he did not know anything.

How long did they sit in the heavy silence? Finally the carriage stopped. As soon as the driver opened the door, Canaren got out of the carriage.

It was a small, cozy hut. The roof had faded to near gray, and the walls were covered with ivy. At first glance, it looked quite old.

「Go in.」

「Where is this? Isn’t this someone else’s house?」

Canaren cast a suspicious look at Yulif. Yulif didn’t care, he took out a key, put it in the hole, and turned it. The door opened gently with a creaking sound.

It was only after seeing his natural movements and the opening of the door that the doubts that it might be someone else’s house disappeared.

「It’s neat and clean. It is wider than it looks from the outside.」

「Sometimes when I come to the capital, I stay here.」

「You didn’t stay in the Imperial Palace?」

「I don’t like it very much. Like someone.」

「Does Yulif have a lot in common with me?」

Yulif’s light joke softened her sadness.

Canaren laughed like she was sighing.

「But do you really live here? Yulif is a Duke.」

「There’s another mansion. But there’s so many eyes that I’ll come here.」

It was obvious that Deltinus’ eyes would try to catch them at the duke’s mansion. It was stupid to go there.

‘I don’t know if it was a wise choice to come here. However, the rooms are divided.’

While Yulif closed the door and drew the curtains, she looked around the room.

Besides a small space that could be used as a living room and hall, there were three rooms and a kitchen and dining room. The rooms seemed to be used as a bedroom, study, and storage room respectively. Among ordinary objects that were neither particularly flashy nor luxurious, there was one thing that stood out.

It was a black piano in the corner of the hall.

Oh my gosh! Canaren’s eyes twinkled. Pianos were so expensive and difficult to maintain, so there was only one in the whole village. But it was old and the pedals did not work properly.

「Do you know how to play the piano?」

「A little.」

「I want to listen.」

「Now?」

「Yes, now!」

「I can only play a little. I quit learning.」

「I also like nursery rhymes. Hurry up, hurry up.」

Canaren tugged at Yulif recklessly. She wanted to hear him play the piano!

Yulif reluctantly sat down in front of the piano.

The piano was clean without any dust. This was because this house was a place where he stayed for a short time, once or twice a year, about a day or two, so he did not hire a separate person and keep it clean by magic.

He opened the lid of the piano and pressed some keys to check the tuning. The clear sound left a long aftertaste and gradually dispersed.

The face of Canaren, who loved singing, became bright.  Looking at her, who liked it, gradually moved his heart.

If only it could help Canaren forget her sadness even a little bit.

Yulif placed both his hands on the keyboard.

「If I play a song, will you sing it to me?」

「Well… I may not be able to sing well because my voice is locked. I will try.」

「You don’t have to overdo it.」

His long fingers moved. Canaren was startled to see his smooth fingers swimming unobtrusively over the keyboard.

He said that he could only play a little, such a blatant liar. Yulif’s skills with the piano were quite considerable.

Canaren sat down next to Yulif. She closed her eyes, and slowly immersed herself in the song Yulif was playing.

A nostalgic feeling emanated from the melodies that consisted of minimal harmonies on a simple scale. She was sure it’s a song she had heard before, but she couldn’t remember what kind of song it was.

Canaren’s body, completely engrossed in singing, swayed from side to side to his rhythm. She couldn’t remember the lyrics, but now she remembered the notes correctly. She hummed as she remembered.

A clear and pure voice like a chirping bird was overlaid on the piano melody, creating a beautiful harmony. A friendly air flowed around the two of them breathing together through song.

Canaren rested her head on the Yulif’s shoulder, soaked in the tone of his piano penetrating deep into her body.

At that moment, Yulif’s finger slipped and he pressed an odd key.

Hearing that, Canaren opened her eyes.

「Ahaha! You just got it wrong there.」

Canaren clapped her hands and burst into laughter. The sunlight shining through the curtains glistened like glass beads on her long lashes.

A gentle heat spread from where she touched him. Yulif glanced at her, and he unconsciously stretched out her hand towards her.

Her body scent that brushed the tip of his nose was heavy and mellow. It was a scent that always put his mind at ease, but it felt different today. The scent was strong and warm.

Maybe it was because she was sitting close to him.

When did she get so close?

He was so engrossed in the song that he didn’t even notice that the distance between them had completely decreased.

Canaren looked at Yulif’s eyes. Normally, when this happened, he would bite himself first. It was the same as in the carriage.

But now, instead of widening their distance, he was reaching out to her.

The long fingers that had been pressing the piano keys came right up to her nose. It felt like a finger could touch the tip of her nose or even her lips at any moment.

‘Uh, uh, what are you doing?’

Canaren shrugged her shoulders and tilted her torso back.

「Ah…….」

A brief sound from Canaren’s mouth awakened his mind.

Yulif glanced alternately between his own hands that were as if they were about to touch her, and Canaren who had her eyes tightly closed. A sigh leaked out of his mouth.

What was he thinking, to frighten her? If so, what was the difference between him and Deltinus?

He didn’t want anything from her, but he didn’t want to remain like Deltinus.

Yulif quickly removed his hand and got up from his chair.

「You must be tired, so rest. I have a place to go to for a while.」

He panicked, saying so out of embarrassment, realizing he was going to make a mistake. The result of which he shouldn’t be alone with Canaren.

「What? Am I going to be alone? What if someone chases after me?」

「There is magic. No one but me will ever find this house.」

The situation was strange for him to stay now. Above all, Yulif was not confident enough to stay sane in this small house with Canaren. He needed fresh air to calm his mind, not the air with a strangely sweet scent.

He shouldn’t have come here in the first place. He wanted to do something for her who was in pain, but he thought he made the wrong choice for her.

「……Being alone is scary.」

Canaren’s shoulders and her pointed ears drooped.

She held onto the hem of his robe, feeling as if it was the last time. Even if Yulif thought she was immature and ignorant, she couldn’t do it. She really didn’t want to be alone right now.

「Very well.」

The answer she wanted came with a deep sigh.

「I’ll go to the front of the door to get some air. Are you okay with that arrangement?」

「Shall we go together?」

「No. It’ll be a while. You can roll up the curtains, but don’t open the windows.」

Yulif, wearing the hood that was hanging from the wall, went outside. It was a hood with a spell similar to the one hung in the house. One would never be able to recognize his identity unless he was a magician with skills equal to his.

As soon as he took in the cool outside air, he realized how hot his body was.

‘I’m not even a teenage boy. Getting excited about nothing.’

He messed up. How would he survive the rest of the time in the cabin? Another long sigh escaped his mouth.

Meanwhile, Canaren looked for Yulif through the window. She saw him leaning against the wall and resting his forehead.

She was sorry to hold him back, and she thanked him inwardly for granting her request again.

She rested her arms on her window sill and leaned her face against it.

‘Where would you like to go?’

She planned to ask him when he came in. She wished she could go there too.

Was it because the tension was released all at once? Her eyelids were getting heavier. She gave strength to her eyes, but the rebellion did not last long.

Amidst her last thoughts, the bright sunlight fell on her as she fell asleep.

*******

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Please… Please let go of your anger and calm down!”

“Argh!! Ah, hah… !”

The man beaten by Deltinus with his hands tied and hanging was the servant who had served him carefully until just a few hours ago. The servant’s screams, from a mouth which was covered in blood from the beating that had lasted for 30 minutes, was indescribably terrifying.

In the end, the servant could not bear his pain and passed out.

Deltinus spit on the floor and wiped the drops of blood from his face.

“It’s not like anyone else. When Duke Rubius was sent away, he must have been prepared to be like this.”

Count Enderk, who desperately avoided being beaten to death by the emperor,  did not say anything.

Hearing the news that Deltinus was half crazy and running rampant in the theater, he ran right away. Yulif and Canaren had already left, and the knights simply watched the emperor smashing the seats.

The news that Yulif had thrown a sword at the emperor was told by a knight after he left the theater.

But this was not the servant’s fault. Who would have imagined that Duke Rubius would throw a sword at the emperor? The servant was just a pitiful scapegoat.

“Leave this useless bastard outside the Imperial Palace. If you give him treatment, you will not be able to avoid the same thing.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Did Duke Rubius return to his mansion?”

“The first thing we did was search the Duke’s residence, but they didn’t go there. Once he does, he will be delivered to the guards, so the news will come as soon as he returns.”

“Does that mean that you haven’t been searching? Do I look like I’m joking?”

Deltinus’ face twisted with absurdity. If he didn’t get rid of the humiliation suffered by Yulif, he thought he’d go crazy with anger.

Not only did he lose Canaren to Yulif, but he was even threatened with a sword, yet nothing was done. Nothing yet!

The veins ruptured and his eyes burned red. Deltinus threw away the whip he was holding.

It took less than 20 minutes by carriage to go from Garde Theater to the Imperial Palace. If he had the will to return, he would come back sooner or later.

‘Yulif, if you dare come out like this, I have an idea too.’

“Tell the guards. Search the capital, find Duke Rubius, and bring him to me.”

“Your Majesty, recently, the number of nobles supporting the Duke of Rubius is rapidly increasing.”

Count Enderk was one who skillfully coped with Deltinus’ whims. Although Deltinus was wild and selfish, he was not a tyrant whose head was completely turned around as the rumors circulated. Rather, he was a man with a great sense for defending his position and power.

“Keep talking.”

“The nobles who have supported the Duke for a long time are making secret movements to recruit the neutral class. There are still a lot of people who are observing, but they will be shaken when they see the power of the Duke.”

Yulif had a special position in the empire, and the tyranny of Deltinus did not have a good reputation. In comparison, Yulif’s reputation did not decline. An archmage that transcended the human level was recognized for its value just by being there.

He couldn’t provoke Yulif any more. If done wrong, the base supporting Deltinus could be shaken by a headwind.

If Deltinus crossed the line, Yulif would use it as an excuse to show off his power.

If it was the Yulif in the past, it wouldn’t have been the case, but the Yulif of today had changed due to something. And the moment he used his force, the scales would tilt sharply toward him.

Deltinus understood the meaning of Count Enderk’s words.

The count was right. As the emperor, he must accept his advice. The things that were on the other side of the Hwira family were too heavy. It wasn’t a good thing to throw away just to get his hands on the woman. 

However, as soon as the sword thrown by Yulif came to mind, Deltinus’ eyes burned with anger.