CH 29

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Canaren was waiting for Yulif in the cabin. He said he would attend a meeting, and it would take at least two hours.

She was bored by herself, and thus she played the piano. Although rather than playing the piano, it was more accurate to say that she was pressing the keys randomly. Even if she couldn’t play as smoothly as Yulif, she wished she could just do a simple song.

‘When he comes back, I’ll have to ask him to teach me to play the piano. There’s nothing to do in the hut anyway. But, how long are we going to stay here?’

Canaren closed the lid of the piano and leaned over it.

She thought the cabin life would be at most two days, but it had already been over a week. Not only passersby, but even the secret guards or the wizard the emperor would have sent did not notice the hut. It must be thanks to Yulif’s magic.

Canaren spread her folded wings. It had improved a lot thanks to her maintaining her feathers while staying here. Not just her wings, but her physique was the best she had ever been in captivity.

If it was now, it would be able to handle long-distance flights with ease.

Moving her wings to and fro, Canaren let out a deep sigh of relief.

‘Is it okay to be so carefree? There’s Yulif’s help, but…’

In this comfortable life, both physically and mentally, Canaren often felt insecure. Even though she had Yulif by her side, it was still running away.

It was the emperor, not an ordinary man, who wanted her. He would do anything he could, and if he decided, it would be difficult for him to be stopped even if it was Yulif.

What if the emperor digs a trap and waits? So what if Yulif never comes back?

‘Let’s not think of anything ominous.’

Because she was alone, she only had strange thoughts. Canaren shook her head. She tried to force her thoughts elsewhere. Then, she remembered the dance Yulif did with her.

‘Come to think of it, that dance… It’s a traditional dance. How does Yulif know it?’

She realized it belatedly because it was a dance that popped up unconsciously.

Could it be that the person from the Hwira tribe that Yulif met knew about it? Who the hell was it, for Yulif to learn the language and dance for that person, and even help her, who he didn’t even know properly?

One by one, the members of the Hwira tribe who did not return to the village or disappear came to mind. Strangely, she only thought of mature and beautiful people.

Canaren wiggled her toes with a dazed face. She then pulled out Yulif’s pocket watch and shook it slowly.

For some reason, her mood subsided a little.

From the moment Yulif left for the Imperial Palace, she was unconsciously filled with thoughts about him.

The gentle air enveloped her like her blanket. Canaren soon fell into a light sleep.

The pocket watch hanging from her fingertips shook like a pendulum and stopped the moment the door opened.

Canaren’s ears perked up. She brought her body up.

「Yulif? You’re back?」

「If you are sleepy, go to bed.」

「The sun was so warm that I fell asleep without realizing it.」

Canaren laughed, “Hehe.” Yulif took off his hood and ruffled his messy hair. His complexion was pale and there was no blood on his lips.

「Are you sick?」

Canaren hurried to him and tried to meet his eyes. But Yulif avoided her and turned his head away. Canaren also moved in the same direction, following him. The persistent tagging ended when Yulif gave up first.

「What happened in the Imperial Palace?」

「Nothing. Nothing happened.」

「It’s not! You’re sweating like this.」

「It’s all right.」

Yulif felt her finger lightly touching his forehead, and he slightly trembled. It was clear that he would not be able to control himself if her skin touched him now.

As Canaren said no and urged him to see the doctor, she noticed that Yulif seemed to have something to say. She silently nodded her head to him.

Judging from the look on his face, it didn’t seem like good news.

Did her emperor threaten him to bring her to her palace right away?

If Yulif was so bothered, it was clear that his abilities had a limit.

Then she might be better off running alone.

She didn’t want to endanger Yulif.

「Did the Emperor find me?」

「Let’s sit down and talk.」

Yulif got Canaren to sit on the sofa, brought a chair and sat opposite her. Canaren looked determined.

「The Emperor is trying to summon you with the pretext of hunting.」

「A hunt…… huh?」

It was a word that made her tired just by hearing it.

Will another person or animal be the target of the emperor this time?

As she thought about it, she frowned.

「If we go, we will go to the lake north of the capital, otherwise the emperor will go to my territory.」

「Why there…….」

Canaren words stopped. She knew the answer herself.

The emperor’s destination was Canaren’s hometown, in Yulif’s territory.

「How, how could he do that……!」

Canaren jumped up and shouted. Her hands and her whole body were trembling. She clasped her shoulders with her shaking hands.

The emperor must have harbored a grudge for what they had done at the theater. He was a cruel and narrow-minded person. If they didn’t go, he would most likely unleash his wrath on the innocent villagers.

She was terrified of the simple but supremely effective and cruel method.

She couldn’t cause more pain to those who were looking for her and who were worried over her disappearance, especially her mother.

Canaren did not regret standing up to the emperor. She didn’t want to regret it. But she should never allow innocent villagers to suffer because of her.

If that happened, she might regret her decision.

「The villagers did nothing wrong. If I join in the hunt, he won’t go to my hometown?」

「Yes. It’s a trick to get you.」

「I will go. It’s my fault, so I have to take responsibility.」

「You don’t have to go if you don’t like it. I will protect the villagers.」

As always, Yulif made a tempting offer, sweetly and kindly.

Canaren’s heart was greatly shaken. A way to protect the villagers without joining the hunt. What if she just asks Yulif to do that?

If it was anyone other than him, she would have been tempted.

However, Yulif’s words did not add up. If he had enough power to protect the villagers from the cruel emperor, it would be nothing to get her out of the Imperial Palace.

‘So what does it mean to need time? Is that time now?’

Doubts rose one by one in Canaren’s mind.

She didn’t want to suspect Yulif. She didn’t know much, but she wanted to believe that much.

Thus, she opened her mouth. With a sincere heart.

「Then please send me back to my hometown. Just buy enough time until I run away with the villagers. That’s an easier way than for Yulif to keep protecting the people.」

「I can’t do that.」

「……Why? You’re going to help me anyway…….」

「Did I ever say I was sending you back to your hometown?」

What was Yulif talking about now?

Canaren’s eyes were opened wide. Yulif continued speaking with a cold, hardened face.

「All I have agreed to do is help you get out of the Imperial Palace. I didn’t say I’d send you back home.」

「Yulif, don’t say anything strange. There is nowhere for me to go outside the Imperial Palace.」

「You can be with me.」

「What……?」

The sudden suggestion confused Canaren. Her eyes fluttered violently as she lost focus, showing the agitation she felt.

Yulif was a trustworthy person. He was a good man.

She was determined to repay him somehow once she escaped the palace safely with his help. Whether she sings the songs as he asked, or uses her special powers on him.

Yulif was a busy man, so she thought it would be okay for her to go to see him from time to time.

She had to meet him in order to reciprocate anyway.

These thoughts were built on the assumption that Yulif was a good person. And even if he was a really good person, Canaren never imagined she would continue to be with him. There were things that were impossible even in the imagination. The world he lived in was different from hers, he was very different.

He was a duke with many things, while she had to live in hiding, as if she didn’t exist.

However, everything was on the verge of collapsing at Yulif’s cold eyes and voice.

「It’s a joke…… right? Are you kidding me?」

「Canaren.」

He called out her name like a sigh. He seemed to pity her, or find her a bother.

Yulif had never called her in this way. Canaren was hurt by the voice she had never heard before.

「The Emperor will not give up on you. This hunt is only the beginning.」

His hard, intonation-free tone and cruel facts became a blade and cut her heart to pieces. Canaren bit her lower lip.

「It doesn’t change even if you go back to the village. What will you do if the Emperor releases his knights and finds you?」

「…I’d have to run away with my people.」

「How long are you going to run away? How far will you run away? Are you sure you won’t get caught?」

She couldn’t answer. She was confident that she would run away even to the end of the world. She was supposed to answer that, but her mouth didn’t open.

She knew, deep in her heart, that leaving the Imperial Palace and returning to the village would never be the solution. Rather, considering the villagers, it might be a better choice for her to not go back.

She knew the emperor’s gruesome obsession better than anyone. He wouldn’t give up on her unless he lost interest. There was no guarantee that she would be able to escape the emperor even if she went to the ends of the world.

「Then what do I do……?」

Tears fell from Canaren’s eyes. The reality she had been trying to deny crushed her chest. It looked like she was going to die of suffocation.

「Even if I leave the Imperial Palace, I can’t escape from the Emperor, and if I can’t go back to my hometown… What are you telling me to do?」

「You just need to be by my side.」

Yulif said softly, his eyes following the tears that fell to the floor from her eyes.

「You don’t have to do anything. As long as you stay by my side.」