CH 48

*******

Yulif and his men moved to Cologne at once by magic.

With eyes colder than the winds of the north on his skin, he glanced over the place that was once a military camp for the Imperial Army.

There was nothing alive there, covered with snow and ashes. The half-buried corpses were badly damaged, making it difficult to identify. It was not something an ordinary human could do. The deeds of things called demons or monsters. Those who obeyed the barbarian’s orders were weapons with only the desire to destroy without reason.

“Ah… I was prepared, but it’s serious.”

“Even if the lord wasn’t there, it wouldn’t have been to the level of being crushed to this extent.”

“I thought I had taken care of everything, but they must have been negligent and ambushed.”

Yulif went down the hill. He took off his gloves and touched the ashes with his bare hands. It was an act to find traces of magical power left in the ashes.

Meanwhile, his men searched for any possible survivors. Of course, it was only a vain hope.

“My Lord.”

“What.”

“Isn’t it too dangerous to release a monster in the Imperial Palace…”

Derek scrutinized Yulif’s eyes and blurred out the end of his words. Without any reaction, Yulif continued to put ashes on his finger and let the wind blow it away.

Derek leaned close to him.

“The rumors are already spreading in Pionia. That the Lord is looking at the throne.”

“Therefore.”

“So, no! His Majesty can’t just get over it, can he? If it’s said you released a monster into the Imperial Palace, you will surely be charged with treason.”

“You keep making weird noises.”

Finally, Yulif stopped his steps and looked at Derek.

His lips twitched and a cold sneer leaked out. Derek knew he wasn’t sneering at him, but he thought his heart was going to burst in an instant. A great sense of intimidation cut through his flesh and seeped into his bones.

“It is not my fault that a monster appeared in the Imperial Palace. The wizards he hired to force me to the north made a mistake.”

—I wouldn’t have tried to kill a brother who shared the same blood and grew up in the same litter.

Yulif countenance that was without a smile seemed to say so. Derek nodded slowly.

“You know it too, don’t you? I can never harm His Majesty.”

“…Yes. No one will know that.”

“He will not die. If he’s unlucky, he might lose a limb. By accident.”

“It is… It didn’t happen.”

“Is it. Return to Robelheim.”

The scattered subordinates came running. Derek trembled silently as he watched Yulif activate magic.

People would never know. The emperor’s cruelty was nothing compared to the great wizard of the empire.

*******

When he returned to Robelheim, it was snowing.

The sky was overcast and it was very cold. Yulif looked at the heavy falling snow with annoyance and moved on.

For him, who traveled all over the empire since his childhood, snow was not something that stimulated his emotions. It was nothing more than cold garbage falling from the sky. The rain was also damp garbage falling from the sky.

Having changed his clothes, he stood crookedly in front of Canaren’s door.

He wanted to see Canaren, but he couldn’t.  He would have no choice but to fill his disappointment by stealing and listening into the voices behind the door.

What would Canaren think if she found out about this? It must be shady and creepy.

It was better to do this.  Better than Canaren finding out he loves her.

But there was no sound from her room. She seemed to be saying nothing if he couldn’t hear it, as his senses were far beyond human.

He wondered what was going on. Usually Orcard would be pacing about and chattering loudly.

After hesitating a few times, Yulif’s hand was on the verge of knocking. Then, the door swung open, and through the gap, Roana’s eyes, narrowed, met his eyes. Yulif reflexively hid his hands behind his back and hid them behind his back.

“What are you doing?”

“…Checking.”

“Aha, that’s right. I thought you came here because I was curious about what Miss Canaren is doing. Well, I shall close the door.”

Yulif grabbed the door that was closing quickly. Roana didn’t give up either. She even used magic to close the door. A vein popped on the back of Yulif’s hand. Still, the gap was too narrow to look into the room.

Finally, Yulif sighed. What the hell was he doing?

“Canaren.”

“I almost lost my arm because of the Lord. It would be better if you asked honestly. Miss Canalen is sleeping.”

“Since when?”

“She hasn’t been in a deep sleep in a while.”

Yulif moved his head to try to find Canaren, but as Roana moved skillfully, she obscured his view.

There was annoyance on Yulif’s expression. Since leaving Canaren with Roana, Roana seemed to have renewed her daily highs.

‘Get out of the way, or I’ll blow you away.’ Yulif meant to say that, but Roana was a little quicker.

“Right. There was something urgent, but I forgot. Lord, please look after Miss Canaren.”

“You are Canaren’s escort.”

“Before I’m her escort, I’m a wizard, wizard! I have work to do. Oh, it’s really urgent. I’m in a hurry?”

Roana was reckless. She shoved Yulif into the room and locked the door with a key from outside.

Yulif turned the handle. There was only a rattling sound as if she had even used magic, but it didn’t turn back.

“Hey, this is urgent. Please, my lord!”

Rather than being urgent, it was an excited voice.

‘She must have thought of this from the beginning.’ Yulif brought a hand to his forehead and looked back at her.

An armchair was placed a little away from the fireplace, and in there, sat Canaren.

Yulif walked up to her, cautiously, so as not to make a sound.

The hand that pulled up her slipped-down blanket and tidied up her messy hair was sweet. And the way he looked at her was sweeter and more affectionate than that.

“Finally.”

He brought her out. From that terrible place.

It was this easy. One gesture could do it, but she was locked up there for years.

“Sorry.”

Yulif knelt at Canaren’s feet. He gently covered her little hand with his own.

Before turning back time, he only took from her. Even though she had lost everything and could not afford to give something to others, Canaren had always given him what she had. A gentle smile, a sincere concern, a comforting heart, and an unwavering affection. Even at the last moment, she risked her own life for him.

She didn’t have to do this again this time. She didn’t have to do anything anymore. If only she was alive, if only she was alive.

Despite his earnest wish, Canaren chose Yulif this time as well. She took Yulif’s hand, she said clearly, it was her ‘choice’.

‘Yu, lif.’

As Canaren picked him, calling his name clumsily, Yulif saw a brief flashback.

The place where the young Canaren arrived was a small hole made by tangled branches. He was reluctant to think that the black hole that a child could barely fit into was like a monster with its mouth open.

But Canaren leaned against the floor and shoved her body into the hole. Surprised, Yulif grabbed her.

“Do not go. Dangerous.”

“Danger? No. It’s safe here. It’s a secret base.”

“Secret base?”

“Yes. It’s Canaren’s. Yu, lip, also can come in.”

(PR/N: reminder that Canaren’s imperial language is broken and some words like Yulif’s name are mispronounced.)

It was impossible to let Canaren go in by herself, so Yulif had no choice but to crawl on the floor. He didn’t like the feeling of clothes being tugged by branches and leaves and dirt sticking to his face.

“It’s here!”

Canaren, who had passed through the hole first, held out her hand. Yulif got up while holding her hand and looked up over his head and his eyes widened.

It was in a huge tree. The bark of the tree was covered with blue vines, and unidentified beads of various colors, like jewels, shimmered and hung from the vines. Little birds flutter their wings in the trees. The smell of the forest mixed with the smell of grass and trees was refreshing.

“Nice to meet, you! Yu-lip is the first, come here.”

“Really? Am I the first?”

“Yes! Canaren likes Yulip. So I brough you. No one knows here. It’s pretty? Isn’t it?”

‘Please tell me yes it’s pretty’ said Canaren’s eyes twinkling with anticipation, her cheeks burning red.

But when Yulif didn’t say anything, Canaren muttered with an anguished face.

“Yulip was chosen by me. Why do you hate it?”

“There’s no way that I don’t like it.”

Then and now, he was glad that Canaren had chosen him. Even if the choice she made then and the choice she made now had different meanings to her, it was the ultimate happiness for Yulif.

Yulif brought Canaren’s hand to his cheek. And closed his eyes.

‘I wish time would stop like this. I wish there was only you and me left in this world.’

The desperate and useless wish lingered only within him and then disappeared.

There was no time for weak thoughts. Coming out of the Imperial Palace was the beginning. To give Canaren her true freedom and her happiness back, he had to move quickly.

Yulif captured the rising emotions and returned Canaren’s hand to its original state.

When Canaren awoke from a deep nap in which she hadn’t even dreamt, Yulif was looking out her window with his usual expressionless face.