CH 70

‘Mom, I can meet you! My friends, too!’

Canaren, flew high, tried to fly straight toward the village but then stopped. She was so happy that she forgot about Yulif. Isn’t he already in town because there’s no place he can’t go by magic? She had that thought for a moment, but she didn’t know.

When she went back to her seat, Yulif was looking up at the sky. She couldn’t see it well because it was far away, but it seemed like there was a smile around his mouth. Oh no. Her heart is going to explode. Canaren gently stepped down to the ground today, pressing down on the overworked heart for many reasons.

Was Yulif’s smile an illusion created by her earnest heart? Yulif’s face, seen up close, was dry as always.

“Why did you come back?”

“Yulif can’t fly. You don’t know the way…”

“I can fly. Don’t worry about me, let’s go.”

“I want to go with you. From now on, I will take the lead. Yulif, just follow me!”

Canaren with her wings folded exclaimed in a cheerful voice. Yulif looked like he wanted to say something more, but soon he became quiet and nodded his head.

“There are only trees and grass near the village. So when I’m bored, I secretly go out to the lake to play… Oh, I wasn’t the only one. My friends too!”

“Yes. I get it.”

“But there’s no sign. If you fly around, you’ll be caught quickly, so it’s weird to walk around unless you’re in a hurry.”

Canaren pondered as she looked at the grass that had grown so thickly, covering her calves and just below her knees, that she found the answer.

What’s the reason? Being captured by the emperor. That’s what her mother and village elders said to watch out for.

But at the same time, she was relieved. It meant that she noticed her misfortune that was beating her in her village. At least after she was captured, there would have been no villagers coming out of here and being captured.

“What did you do on the days you didn’t go out to the lake?”

“Ummm… Sometimes I help out with the village, I just fly around the village… I think I spent a lot of time with my friends.”

Canaren didn’t think that Yulif was asking the question on purpose. Yulif continued to talk while walking in line with Canaren’s slow pace.

“You must have been on good terms with your friends.”

“We grew up together in the village from birth. We’re all close if we’re about the same age. Then they like each other, they get married… I would do that, too. In some cases, adults decide.”

Canaren paused at the word marriage and glanced at Yulif. When their eyes met, Yulif asked, “Why?” She shook her head wildly. It was nothing.

‘I guess I’m the only one who’s shy.’

“You weren’t there?”

“What? Are you talking about friends? Yulif, I have a lot of friends!”

In her exasperation, she screamed loudly. Canaren bit her lip wanting to stop herself but she couldn’t help it because she had already done it.

Yulif’s sullen gaze rested on her face, precisely on her lips, which made a loud noise. As soon as Canaren recognized the gaze, blood rushed to her face and turned red. She turned her head away with her swish.

It’s not her fault. Yulif asked a strange question first.

“Not friends.”

However, Yulif’s words that followed were unexpected. Canaren blinked her eyes. If it’s not a friend, did he ask what wasn’t there? Wasn’t he talking about a friend?

“The person you like or the person you promised to marry.”

The heat that had risen to the top of her head was completely extinguished. Canaren thought her face must have turned white. It turned red and white, and there was no such chaos. It was something that she often experienced when dealing with Yulif these days. A journey between heaven and hell.

When Canaren couldn’t answer, Yulif snorted in an indifferent tone.

“I see there was.”

“No. There was none.”

She took her hand and hid the tremor. There was only one person that came to her mind. He is two years older than her and whom she’s known since childhood.

But to Canaren, that person, Muasa, was like her real brother. The adults often said that they should pair the two later, but Canaren had no intention of doing so. Because the feelings she had for Muasa was never a romantic feeling.

Why was Yulif asking such a question on their wedding day? Canaren was anxious. Even though she did nothing wrong, her heart was pained for nothing. However, the words she didn’t want to hear came out of Yulif’s mouth and lodged in her chest.

“It wouldn’t be bad to ask him to wait three months.”

“What does that mean…”

「Canaren!」

Someone ran out of the grass. It was a familiar face to Yulif too.

「Muasa.」

Muasa was not holding a spear, unlike when Yulif came to town. When Canaren flew up into the sky, he found her and seemed to have come to meet her.

Canaren’s eyes gleamed with joy as she looked at him, but it was only for a moment. Canaren looked at Yulif and grabbed his hand. Yulif made an unusually surprised expression.

This shouldn’t be the case. Contact with her had to be minimized, whether emotional or physical. He held her hands for a while because of the moving magic earlier, so that was the end of the contact allowed today.

Yulif tried to pull out his gripped hand. Canaren’s hands were small and fragile, and with a little force, he could get out of her quickly. For Yulif, it was as simple as moving his finger.

“You can’t.”

But Yulif couldn’t do that simple thing. Canaren reached over to his opposite hand and wrapped him around her other hand. Because of that, it was as if she was hanging on Yulif’s hand, but she didn’t seem to care at all.

The little hands were very soft and warm. As if they were desperate. Hard enough to shake it off twice.

「Canaren, did you come with that person?」

「Don’t call him that. Yulif is a duke. He shouldn’t be called that way.」

「He won’t even understand what we’re talking about, so what does it matter?」

「Yulif knows the language well. And it’s rude to call someone you meet for the first time like that, even if he doesn’t speak the language.」

「Do you know how to speak Hwira? But why last time…」

Muasa bit his mouth. It was intentional, not voluntary. Yulif used magic to forcefully close Muasa’s mouth. Muasa’s ferocious gaze and Yulif’s dry gaze met in the air. The air between the two was taut.

It was Canaren’s voice that broke the tension that seemed to be cut off immediately if touched. She apologized to Yulif in a small whisper.

“I’m sorry, Yulif. My friend Muasa is very vigilant. He’s guarding the town. I will apologize for him.”

When Yulif saw the concerned Canaren, he dispelled the spell cast on Muasa. As soon as his mouth was free, Muasa exclaimed.

「Why are you apologizing to that person? I’m not wrong. It’s that person who made the mistake.」

「Muasa!」

「Canaren, don’t trust that person. He could have sent you back to town, but he didn’t. I love you, how much you…!」

「You are right. Canaren doesn’t need to apologize.」

Yulif cut off Muasa’s words. He was surprisingly fluent in Hwira. He approached Muasa, who seemed to be speechless. Canaren, who was holding his hand with both her hands, desperately tried to hold on, but instead she was being dragged forward.

「Apology is being done by the wrong person.」

Kuung. A tremendous pressure and pain came rushing down his shoulder, as if an invisible rock had fallen on his shoulder. Muasa let out a brief scream and had to kneel in front of Yulif. Yulif’s feet in black shoes looked close. His disgrace took precedence over the heavy pain that crushed his shoulder and back.

Muasa raised his head, barely moving, and glared at Yulif. A smirk lingered in Yulif’s eyes, looking down at the scorching eyes.

「But, it seems that he has no intention of apologizing.」

「I… Keugh! I did nothing wrong.」

It was an overwhelming force. It was an opponent that could not be defeated no matter how hard he tried. Muasa’s jaw trembled because of the innate fear the weak had against the strong. The sound of teeth and teeth clashing was as loud as a heartbeat. Still, Muasa did not bow his head or avert his eyes.

Yulif, who was staring at Muasa quietly, bowed his body.

「Be a little stronger. If you want to protect Canaren.」

「What…?」

Yulif did not answer and withdrew his strength. Freed from the pressure, Muasa slumped to the ground and coughed. Canaren looked at Muasa with worried eyes, while she held Yulif’s hand tightly. Yulif lightly waved his hand away. Then he swung Canaren towards Muassa.

“It will be difficult to get up on your own. You should help him.”

Canaren was bewildered and was at a loss for what to do. Looking at him turning white without being able to do this or that, a corner of her heart was suffocating.

“The child has a fiancé.”

Why did he remember what the Hwira tribesman once said?

Muasa’s statement that he did nothing wrong was not wrong. Yulif didn’t care what Muasa called him. So he wasn’t offended. Even so, he dared to use magic and press him down because of his pitiful jealousy.

He hated him, who had been recognized by the villagers as Canaren’s fiancé. After hearing the news that Canaren was getting married, his direct eyes still did not give up on her.

He didn’t like Muasa because he was the man who would spend time with Canaren, who would be left alone after he died. He wanted to kill him.

“Yul…!”

Yulif turned away from the two of them. Canaren tried to follow him in haste, but couldn’t because Muasa grabbed the hem of her dress.

The sound of Canaren’s small footsteps did not follow. On the other side of his happy mind, there was an unbearable bitterness. Yulif twisted his eyes and moved his steps.

Muasa, in his opinion, was not a bad alternative. Because he was a member of the Hwira tribe like Canaren, because he was strong in his own way, and above all, because he truly loved Canaren. So Yulif couldn’t kill him. He shouldn’t be killed. He was in a situation where he can only say to become stronger.

‘Damn it.’

Yulif swallowed a swear word inside and walked out through the forest path filled with the smell of grass.

It was the first time that his death for Canaren felt unwelcome.

*******

「It’s my fault. I really didn’t know that person helped you.」

「You think you’re wrong, right? You just called him that guy.」

「What else would you call him? The duke? The lord? What did he do to us? You don’t call yourself a duchess either.」

Canaren quickly turned her head. At her sharp gaze, Muasa shrugged his shoulders slightly. Canaren, who had been staring at him for a few seconds, turned her gaze away.

「Whatever it is, what you did was not okay. He will be my husband from today.」

「…Canaren, are you really married to that person? But why are you here? The wedding?」

Muasa’s question struck a chord. Canaren bit her lip slightly. It was the question she wanted to ask Yulif.

As soon as she opened her eyes this morning, she took a bath and changed her clothes, so she thought she was getting ready for the wedding. But Yulif took her and brought her to her village. She didn’t even go out to meet the emperor to attend the wedding.

No matter how much a wedding starts when the sun goes down, maybe it’s just too laid back. Rather, it was Canaren who was impatient. Really, how does a wedding go?

‘Maybe Yulif doesn’t want to marry me… Are you trying to send me back to town because you’re annoyed with me?’

「Why don’t you answer me? Is it difficult to answer?」

Muasa hastened to answer. Canaren shook her head violently. Rather than answering his question, it was closer to her action to erase the thoughts that had crept into her mind.

「I’m getting married. Yulif and I. The wedding will take place at night. I’m also wearing a wedding dress.」

「…I suppose.」

The firm tone sounded more like a promise than an answer. Muasa had a lot to ask, but he just kept his mouth shut. ‘But why did that person leave you to me and go alone?’ For some reason, it seemed that he would be hated by Canaren for the rest of his life if he brought out those words.

Muasa’s deep sigh was heard behind his back. Canaren followed him and exhaled a sigh of relief.

After that, the two walked quietly. Even the gentle breeze that blew occasionally did not relieve the rigid atmosphere.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before a wooden fence appeared. It was a fence around the village. Several Hwira tribesmen stood outside the fence, snooping around.

「Mom!”

Among them, Canaren, who found Anera, spread her wings. A strong wind blew and pushed her back. Canaren was placed in her arms by Anera with her arms wide open as it was.

「Mom… Mom!」

「It’s really Canaren! My darling daughter is back, my darling, Let’s see your pretty face. What is it?」

Canaren slowly raised her head. She didn’t want to cry because her mother would be worried, but her tears flowed nonstop. Anera’s gentle hand wiped away her tears and gently caressed Canaren’s face. ‘Mom, mom… The only thing that came out of her throat was a crushed cry.

「I wanted to see you. Canaren, I missed you. I’m sorry, your mother should have gone looking for you.」

「No. Mom, I was wrong. I was all wrong.」

Her mom said this because she was worried about her, but it was Canaren’s fault that she was caught for nagging her. Canaren’s words quickly turned to tears.

Anera gave Canaren a tight hug as she dug into her arms. While sweeping down her back, sweeping over her hair, and wiping away her pouring tears, she didn’t forget to look at Canaren’s condition everywhere. Fortunately, Canaren looked good. The legs were not yet examined, but she noted the wings were intact without scarring.

「It was hard for me. It was so hard that I wanted to die…」

She didn’t want to say something that would break her mom’s heart. But her mouth moved at will, pouring out the words she had been holding inside. There were so many things she couldn’t say to anyone, not even to Yulif. She has accumulated sorrow, misery, and sadness… All of her negative emotions rushed through her and her heart felt like it was going to explode.

「Yes. I’m sure you did. You held out well. All you have to do is stay alive. That’s all it takes.」

Anera’s voice, soothing Canaren, also was slowly drained of moisture. Canaren, unaware of this, was held by her mother and wept like her little child. Anera hugged Canaren’s skinny body tightly.

「If you’re safe, that’s good enough. You held on well. I’m proud of you.」

It was something she wanted to hear so much. Her sweet, gentle, sincere words hugged Canaren’s weary soul with all her might.

Canaren couldn’t even make a sound and only her tears were dripping down.