For You In The Cage - CH 38

“Keuk…… Ueugh, keugh!”

Yulif was startled by the sound of his own cough. He could still vividly remember drowning in the lake, but now he was lying on the ground and coughing frantically. The sensation of water flowing back into his body and coming out of his mouth was terrifying. His lungs felt like they were about to burst.

「Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?」

“Keuk! Who is it……?”

There was someone next to him. It took him quite a while to realize that fact.

Yulif gasped and turned to his side. His eyes widened silently.

Her hair, as if made by melting sunlight, was soaked in water. She looked at him with big eyes, a small child who looked a lot younger than him. Those eyes full of worry were also as bright golden as her hair.

「You okay?」

It was the first time he heard it. The territory of the empire was vast, and since it was established by conquering several countries, various languages ​​existed. He barely learned a language that many people used, so he was not sure about this.

Yulif had no choice but to ask in the imperial language.

“It’s hard to understand what you’re saying. Do you know how to speak the imperial language?”

“Um…… I-It’s difficult. You it’s okay?”

“I’m okay. Still a little…… It hurts. Ugh. Did you save me?”

“Yes! Canaren did it. Canaren. Me!”

He thinks she meant her name is Canaren.

A smile hung on Yulif’s lips as he faced the child shouting brightly.

“It’s okay?”

“I just said I’m okay……. it’s okay.”

“Thank goodness! What are you?”

What am I……. The question that was cut off in the front and back was disconcerting.

Canaren tilted her head.

“What are you? Hm? I am Canaren!”

Oh, she was just asking for his name.

Yulif turned his body and sat up straight.

“Yulif. My Name.”

“Yu… Lip?”

“Yulif.”

“Yu-p!”

“Yulif.”

“Yu-p, yup!” Canaren grinned.

It was a difficult name for a child to pronounce.

11-year-old Yulif thought so and told Canaren sincerely.

“Thank you for saving me.”

*******

As soon as he opened his eyes, Yulif took a deep breath upon meeting the golden eyes that filled his vision.

It was the same as back then.

‘You saved me again.’

As Yulif was about to raise his upper body, he saw the wings covering his body. As soon as he saw the white wings, his tightly bound heart was released.

He felt relief, rather than blaming himself for falling into the trap that Deltinus dug.

If her wings were torn off as before his return. If nothing had changed from before. If he didn’t protect her from Deltinus’ ferocious grasp.

Then he didn’t deserve to be alive.

He breathed a sincere sigh of relief.

「Does your chest hurt?」

Canaren took his sigh in a different way.

The voice that asked carefully was so lovely that he couldn’t help it.

Maybe it was thanks to reviving the memories he had completely forgotten. He never dreamed that there would be such a sparkling memory behind a past stained with wounds, tears, and regrets.

Yulif bit his lips thoroughly. When he opened his mouth he was overjoyed and he seemed to be about to say something he shouldn’t have said.

—I came to save you, but you saved me. Sorry. Thank you. And…….

「You must have drunk too much water. Does it hurt anywhere else?」

A voice full of worry broke his thoughts. Yulif sat on the ground with his back straight.

Canaren looked like she was about to cry. It felt like she was about to burst into tears right away if she was just slightly touched.

He suddenly remembered something from a few days ago.

“You are the worst.”

Even though he said she could not return to the village after leaving the Imperial Palace, that was all Canaren said to him. If it was not Canaren, but an ordinary person, she would have cursed him to fall into hell and struggle in pain forever.

She didn’t know how to hurt people. He knew her kindness was endless. Didn’t she save the damn man who had the same face as the man who ruined her life and tried to do something like him?

Yulif felt pain in Canaren’s kindness. She was lovely. He couldn’t stand her affection.

Even this wasn’t the first time.

Why had he forgotten the helping hand that lifted him from the bottom of the deep lake?

Even Yulif himself could not understand. He had a very good memory. He never forgot what he wanted to remember. Additionally, it was an important event that changed his life.

It wouldn’t be a natural phenomenon. Someone must have manipulated his memory.

Yulif came to a conclusion without difficulty.

“Canaren.”

A voice that was submerged in water leaked out. Canaren looked at Yulif silently.

He would like to ask, ‘Have you ever saved me before?’

It was a statement based on facts, but he was reluctant. Canaren could think he was doing some sort of trick. Moreover, judging by Canaren’s initial reaction to him, it was highly likely that her memory was also manipulated.

It was better not to ask, as it was difficult to get an accurate answer and would only confuse her.

Then what should one say? How did you know? He hated it because it seemed like he was questioning her.

Yulif managed to pick one out of the many sentences floating in his head and put it on his tongue.

“Are you hurt?”

Canaren bit her lower lip.

Who was caring about who? It was he who fell into the water, not her. Come on now, don’t pretend that you care. She desperately wanted to leave, but she resisted it.

No, she couldn’t. Her Yulif’s eyes looking at her are so, so… sad that Canaren clenched her fist and hid her wounded finger.

「I’m not hurt.」

“You have a bad complexion.”

「You’re worse than me.」

“Are you really not hurt? You didn’t meet the Emperor while running away?”

Yulif asked again. Canaren really has become unable to figure him out.

Knowing that she ran away, why was he asking so sweetly? Was he trying to make her feel guilty? Or maybe he wanted to laugh at her, who escaped and returned to save him.

It was confusing. It wasn’t just because of Yulif’s attitude. Her biggest problem was herself, not getting along with him.

The moment Yulif opened his eyes, she was insanely happy and terribly sad. She was madly tormented, and extremely delighted. Her mind was a mess, mixed with polarizing emotions.

She had already used her stamina to rescue Yuliff from the lake, even using her powers, but she was exhausted to bear those emotions.

After all, Yulif lived. Contrary to the expectation that she would be at peace after saving him, she only felt relief. She was glad he was alive and she was glad he woke up fine. His eyes looking at her were so kind… that’s a relief.

It seemed that it was difficult to meet the indifferent eyes he had shown for several days.

「With this, I paid off the debt I owed you. So don’t follow me.」

Canaren deliberately spoke more sternly and stood up. Yulif said nothing. Did this mean he would let her go? She felt she did a good job saving Yulif.

She hurriedly tried to stand to leave, but her legs became weak. His lean arms supported her, who staggered suddenly.

“You feel cold.”

「It’s none of your business anymore. If you keep going like this..,」

“The Emperor released his soldiers into the forest. Don’t even think about flying in the sky. Your body temperature will drop quickly like this.”

「……I need to go.」

“Yes. But not now. First of all, warm your body.”

It was a soft tone. It was a gentle voice, as if trying to appease an angry person.

In fact, Canaren’s physical condition was not in a state where she could escape. Her body was completely soaked, and her stamina ran out. She knew, but she couldn’t sit still, so she insisted.

Once she sat down, she thought she would never get up again. She could not leave Yulif, and she thought she would wish for something from him again.

When she didn’t say anything, Yulif supported her and took his place a reasonable distance from the lake. With one simple gesture, dry branches flew from all directions and piled up at their feet. When he snapped his fingers, flames rose. A small bonfire was completed in an instant.

“It’s warm.”

She realized how cold her body was when she was exposed to the warmth. Canaren reached out her arms and brought her closer to the bonfire.

As she stared blankly at the creaking, blazing fire, a gentle breeze blew past her, caressing every curve of her body. In the blink of an eye, she escaped being a drowning mouse. Her skin was soft as if she had changed into new clothes after coming out of a bath.

It was Yulif’s magic.

Canaren glanced at him discreetly. He, too, became clean.

Once on the ground, her bottom was heavy. As the cold numbness in her bones subsided, drowsiness came. Canaren squatted down with her knees up.

She decided to leave. She was supposed to run away.

Yet before she knew it, she ended up sitting in front of the bonfire with Yulif.

Why was it so hard for her to get away from Yuliff?

Yulif was more difficult to deal with than the emperor. For the emperor, she could hate and detest him to her heart’s content, but she couldn’t for Yulif.

She stayed still, and she started to fall asleep. She pinched her forearm. The pain that woke her from sleep was only momentary, it barely helped at all. ‘I have to do something,’ Canaren mumbled, vaguely moving her mouth.

「Why did you fall into the lake? You’re a wizard.」

If he hadn’t fallen in, she would have already left the forest.

It was a question with a bit of resentment.

「Can’t you swim?」

She could feel Yulif’s gaze staring at her. Canaren did not avert her gaze. Complex emotions permeated his face, shimmering in yellow, red, and orange shadows.

A face thinking of something. A face contemplating something. A face expecting something. A face disappointed at something.

What was the reason for making such an expression when asked if he couldn’t swim?

Canaren thought he was a very difficult person to understand.

“I know how to do it.”

「It didn’t look like that at all.」

“At the age of 11, I almost drowned in a lake. From then on, I started to avoid lakes.”

「……What about magic? Were you too young to use it?」

“I have been using magic since I started walking.”

What’s with the self praise that doesn’t fit the mood? Canaren narrowed her eyes. And actually, Yulif continued the story in a clear way as if he had no intention of doing so.

“I fell with shackles on my ankles. I cut it off with magic, but it was too late.”

Canaren paused, she was about to ask who the hell did that. There was only one person who would do that. She shook her head to remove the image of Deltinus’s face, smiling wildly.

「Then…… How did you live? Who saved you?」