For You In The Cage

Episode 69: Wedding (II)

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It was just after noon when Deltinus got off the carriage. There were a total of two carriages engraved with the designs of the Elemian imperial family. Deltinus and Lucian got off the carriage in the front, and Estella got off the carriage in the back.

Estella had her face covered with a black veil, studded with pearls. It was to hide the wounds since she had been struck by Deltinus. There was enough time to be healed by a wizard, but Deltinus did not allow it.

“It’s a shame that you’re taking such a precious step, Your Majesty the Emperor. I am also deeply grateful to Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince.”

The wedding was supposed to begin after sunset, but the emperor’s scheduled arrival was earlier than that. Yulif, who had come out ahead of time and was waiting in front of the castle gate, prepared politely. Deltinus placed a hand on Yulif’s shoulder, who had bowed his head. He put his mouth close to Yulif’s ear and whispered lowly.

“You have a lot of energy. But it won’t just go your way.”

Yulif didn’t respond, but lowered his head more deeply. Deltinus’s smile soon faded on his face and he patted him on the shoulder encouragingly.

“It’s a nice day, so it’s nice to see the Duke’s face. Brightly groomed but where is the rest? The protagonist is nowhere to be seen.”

“I’m sorry. Canaren is not yet ready for Your Majesty. She asks for your understanding.”

“Well, good. On the wedding day, the bride is the busiest. Instead, I believe that the younger brother will hang out with the bored older brother.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Of course.”

Deltinus narrowed his eyes like a snake. Oddly enough, Yulif was polite and straightforward today. Was it because Canaren was not by his side, or was it that he can make Canaren completely his after their wedding was over?

Enjoy yourself now, Deltinus thought. This wedding won’t end successfully anyway. Deltinus bared his teeth and laughed.

“There are many rumors that Pionia’s castle is amazing. Please guide me, Duke.”

“Yes.”

Someone slightly pulled Yulif’s sleeve, standing a little behind Deltinus. When he turned around, Lucian’s eyes were shining. Yulif greeted him in a low voice.

“Hello, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Thank you for coming.”

“Yes, Uncle! Thank you for inviting me.”

Yulif’s eyes were brief, but filled with joy and folded. As Deltinus began to walk away from him, Yulif looked away from Lucian. Lucian’s face flushed red. It was the first time he had received such a look from his blunt uncle. Excited, Lucian followed Yulif with a brisk walk.

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Deltinus didn’t care how nice and grand Yulif’s castle was. Even if it was grand and splendid, it would not be able to surpass the Imperial Palace where the emperor resided. He wouldn’t dare to do that.

Still, he had a reason to ask for a tour of the castle that he was not interested in. Deltinus planted spies all over Pionia and received information periodically. However, the security was so tight that it was not easy to break in, and he was quickly discovered and had trouble maintaining a certain number of spies.

Anyway, based on that information, they had planned this operation. He had to check with his own eyes whether the information was accurate and, if any, what kind of error it contained.

“This is a magic library. It has a lot of space-expanding magic on it, so it’s a lot more spacious than it looks from the outside.”

“Wow… Was the space expansion magic done by the Duke?”

“Most of the work was done by me, but I wouldn’t have been able to finish it so perfectly without the help of my subordinate wizards.”

“Are the subordinate wizards as great as the Duke?”

“They are the most talented wizards on the continent.”

Deltinus snorted. His cynical expression showed his displeasure. As the saying goes, all of the wizards with excellent skills went under Yulif, so there was no choice but to place insignificant things in the Imperial Palace.

Even if they offered a huge reward, the wizards didn’t even blink. To them, Yulif was almost like a god. He was the ultimate wizard who had transcended human limits and accomplished everything that can be accomplished with magic. Therefore, it was only natural that Yulif’s proposal took precedence over the emperor’s proposal.

“Let’s go somewhere else.”

A long procession moved at the words of Deltinus.

The next place we headed was the space of the wizards in the basement. Pionia’s ducal castle was drilled down to the 3rd basement floor, and the wizards were using the entire 3rd basement floor. From private labs to labs where all kinds of dangerous magic were tested, there was nothing lacking.

Many people, including Estella and Lucian, were amazed at the sheer size and level of facilities. The person with a bad expression was Deltinus alone.

“Duke Rubius.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Yulif, explaining things to Lucian, who was interested in new culture, seemed to have some fun. That again offended Deltinus. He also had doubts.

‘Was Yulif such a talkative guy in the first place?’

“I understand that the Duke is crazy about magic. But don’t you think there’s no place in this castle that’s worth showing to guests other than magic?”

“My apologies, Your Majesty. I wanted to show the efforts of my men and I to further develop the magic. Otherwise, there is no chance.”

“The development of magic is up to the Duke to do. Where is the wedding held? I want to visit the dining hall.”

Deltinus induced the next destination to be the wedding venue. He had to make sure he knew the geography of the dining hall, aside from other places.

“The ceremony is held in the Great Hall, but it is difficult to enter because the decorations are being finalized. Instead, I will guide you elsewhere.”

“I hope it has nothing to do with magic.”

Yulif lowered his head as if he knew.

Moments later, Deltinus stopped him and raised an eyebrow. Even Estella, who always maintains a calm attitude no matter what, had a clouded expression.

Yulif forgot what he was going to say and spoke calmly, looking around the people who were busy paying attention to Deltinus.

“We are planting rare seeds in this garden.”

“Garden? So it wasn’t a wasteland.”

Deltinus smirked. This time, others agreed with him. The soil-covered fields or flower beds were dug up here and there and looked unsightly, and instead of flowers, weeds were sparsely growing. Even after washing the eyes, it was difficult to see it as a garden.

“It is a garden. It is still under cultivation, so you may see it empty-handed.”

‘I think Yulif smelled it.’

Deltinus looked at Yulif with eyes that were narrow like snakes. Maybe he’s deliberately choosing to show only such insignificant places. Detlinus didn’t know what he’s thinking when he saw Yulif’s indifferent and dry face. It would be better to move a little more carefully, Deltinus concluded. Anyway, Pionia was Yulif’s territory, so there was nothing wrong with being careful.

Actually, Roana, pretending to be Yulif, was praying to all kinds of gods inside, wanting to get away from Deltinus’ gaze.

‘I thought it was just a wedding, but what is this? It’s so scary! If I had known it would be like this, I would have requested to be paid 100 times more!’

*******

At the same time Roana was trembling in fear, Yulif and Canaren were not in the Duke’s Castle.

Canaren was holding on to Yulif’s hem with all her might, but she couldn’t stop him from moving away. To hide her embarrassment, she clasped her hands behind her back.

‘Don’t be disappointed. It’s all what I expected. You have to be dull to be around Yulif.’

Canaren lifted her broken heart and asked in a bright voice.

“Where are we going?”

“Don’t you know?”

Canaren’s eyes, tilted, opened wide. She didn’t notice at all because she was only looking at Yulif’s hand moving away. The familiar smell of grass, all around a gentle and benevolent wind that enveloped the body, a clear sky without a cloud The sound of water like a little song.

Her body moved before her head. As soon as the two pairs of wings from the back unfolded, they flapped vigorously. Some white feathers fell down.

Now, even in her dream, the hidden village was not far away. It was within a few flaps of reach.

Her heart beat uncontrollably. The hot blood spread to the fingertips and toes. It was a different excitement than when she faced Yulif.