There is No Key to His Cage - Chapter 14
The sunlight tickling her eyes refuses to fade.
Elena instinctively raised one hand to block the warm light waking her up.
But at that moment, she opened her eyes to a feeling of something obstructing her.
“Ah….”
She hadn’t realized her wrists were tied.
She couldn’t stretch or turn her body.
Her hands tied to the post were bound so tightly they couldn’t be undone.
“Hah….”
Elena let out a dejected sigh and immediately lowered her hand.
This morning, repeating itself every day, was so dreadful.
“How long do I have to endure this….”
“Did you sleep well?”
A familiar voice whispered in her ear.
But Elena turned her body again without even looking to the side.
She didn’t need to see to know.
It must be Decarus.
“Your wrists must be very uncomfortable.”
Long arms approaching from behind embraced her tightly.
He reached out to touch the knotted area and kissed her nape.
“Does it hurt?”
“……”
When there was no answer, he bit her earlobe lightly, as if annoyed.
At the strange sensation, her body shuddered, and she heard a chuckle.
“Shall I do more?”
“No.”
He kissed the back of her head once more and whispered softly.
“Then why don’t you answer? Hm?”
Because I don’t want to talk to you.
The words rose to her throat, but she held them back.
“I want to hear your voice.”
He moved up her neck, kissing her ear and cheek in turn.
“Don’t.”
“You’re making me do it.”
He slowly rubbed his forehead against her soft hair.
A humming voice spread from the back of her head.
“Shall we have breakfast? You must be hungry.”
“I’m not eating.”
At her cold response, he exhaled briefly and turned her around.
“Look at me, Elena.”
She looked as lifeless as a weed blooming in the desert.
Her gloomy eyes looked like they might hold a funeral any moment.
Decarus reached out and stroked her chin.
“Don’t touch me.”
The eerie feeling at the tip of her chin wouldn’t easily fade.
Elena looked up at him with eyes like a frozen fish.
“What’s displeasing you now?”
“I said don’t touch me.”
His touch gently flowed down her jawline again.
“You want me too.”
His finger, now touching her red lips, tickled her.
Elena sharply turned her head to the right, avoiding him.
“I’ve never wanted you, not even once.”
This heart is just a pile of ashes, tightly packed with anger.
Any flickering emotions towards him must all be lies.
“Alright, if that’s what you say.”
He raised his head and briefly kissed her forehead.
The intense kiss left a warm sensation on her skin.
Elena then convulsed, raising her hand to rub her forehead vigorously.
“I’m hurt.”
“……”
She was dumbfounded that he could feel hurt in this situation.
She wanted to dissect his head to see how it worked.
Decarus sighed and gently stroked her long, curly hair.
“If you want, shall we eat here?”
His slender fingers flowed between her scalp, tracing a zigzag pattern.
His touch was careful, trying not to let his nails touch or hurt her.
“I won’t.”
“I prepared salmon today, which you like.”
Elena turned her head slightly to look at him.
She had never told him she liked salmon, so how did he know?
These days, can background checks reveal even food preferences?
As she made a suspicious expression, he gently raised his handsome lips and smiled.
“Is there anything about you I don’t know?”
Had he cast a spell or read her mind?
It didn’t feel good to have everything about her exposed in detail.
“Come here.”
As Decarus lifted her limp body, the tightly bound cloth blocked between them.
He clicked his tongue once in displeasure and put her down again.
“I’ll have to untie this.”
He reached out and slowly undid the knot tightly bound to the post.
With a rustling sound, the cloth tied like a leash loosened.
Then, seemingly satisfied, he placed her on his lap again.
“What are you doing….”
Elena exhaled softly and murmured.
But he ignored her and pulled the leash.
As she struggled to escape his arms, he gripped her tightly with one hand, preventing her from moving.
“Let go….”
“It’s okay.”
“Let go! I said let go!!!”
She thrashed wildly, but it was useless.
With her hands tied, she couldn’t push him away.
He kissed the top of her messy hair and tried to soothe her.
“Stay still.”
Shh-, he made a wind-like sound while gently stroking her head, as if calming a startled dog.
Soon, servants brought a 3-tier cart full of food and beautifully decorated the bedside.
Thanks to this, the room was filled with a fragrant smell that made one’s mouth water.
The servants carefully placed the dishes, glancing at her in his arms while breathing heavily.
“You may leave.”
His voice was quite different from when he addressed her.
It was a much deeper sound as if coming from a dark cave.
“I told you I’m not eating.”
He easily ignored her words and picked up the spoon placed beside him.
The clear soup on the round silver spoon looked quite appetizing at a glance.
“Here.”
As he brought the spoon to her mouth, Elena tightly closed her lips and buried her head down.
“Elena.”
He called her name several times, but it was useless.
She didn’t move at all, like a statue petrified after seeing Medusa’s face.
“Listen.”
“……”
“Elena.”
At the endless silence, he sighed deeply.
Then, as if he had no choice, he grabbed her chin and lifted her head.
“Open your mouth.”
“Mmph…!”
“Good girl.”
“I don’t want to!”
As soon as she finished speaking, she bit his finger hard with her teeth.
As he let out a scream of agony, she tasted blood in her mouth.
At that moment, Elena escaped from the tight shackles binding her and moved her body out of the bed.
“Hah….”
He exhaled deeply and looked at his bleeding finger.
Slowly grinning and wiping the bright red blood, he looked just like a demon.
His ice-cold gaze stared at her blankly.
“That hurts.”
At his voice, her once calm heart began to race wildly.
Realizing what she had done, Elena’s lips quivered in apparent confusion.
“Ah… Ah….”
“It seems I’ve taught you wrong.”
He chuckled and slowly rose from his seat.
“I guess words alone aren’t enough.”
With each word he spoke, her body froze stiff.
She couldn’t breathe properly, like someone who had just watched a horror movie.
Elena slowly backed away towards the window, seemingly terrified.
“Don’t come.”
Her teeth chattered like someone left alone in the bitter cold of Siberia.
Her breathing became as rapid as if she’d just run a sprint.
“Come here.”
He circled around the bed, approaching her.
As he got closer, she retreated one step at a time.
Backed into a corner, Elena leaned close to the window.
“Don’t come. If you do, I’ll…!”
Elena barely raised her trembling hand and hit the window.
But even this small act of defiance wasn’t allowed for her.
“Your resistance ends here.”
Click-
His hand instantly moved to the brown lock attached to the window.
Along with the firmly locked window, it felt like her heart sank too.
“You’re only cute when you behave to a certain extent.”
A gentle touch brushed her cheek and moved towards her mouth.
His fingers toyed with her lips, parted like split cherries.
Their eyes met, hers losing focus and wavering.
“Good girl, Elena.”
Her firmly held shoulders were led by his touch.
Back on the bed, Elena sat lifelessly like a wooden doll.
“Ah, it’s gone cold. Wait. I’ll have them bring new food.”
He pulled the bell rope again to call the servants.
The servants, receiving his order, quickly brought new food.
“Now, you can eat, right?”
He picked up a well-cooked piece of fish and put it in her mouth.
The delicious fish smell stimulated both her sense of smell and taste.
Saliva flowed freely from her salivary glands, but Elena neither chewed nor swallowed the food.
“Chew.”
His cold voice brushed her ear.
Her carelessly opened mouth moved little by little, following his command.
She slowly chewed the food with her teeth, opening and closing her jaw.
She felt like she would soon be sick from his piercing gaze.
Gulp-
Along with the sound of swallowing, he slowly stroked her long hair.
“Well done.”
It seemed like it had been a while since she felt this miserable.
Even when he had confined her in that cold, sealed room, she hadn’t felt this emotion.
Even when the orphanage director had taken away the money she had saved, she hadn’t felt this wretched.
But now, feelings of misery and resentment were welling up inside her.
“Elena.”
At his call, she turned her head, creaking like a robot.
Decarus raised his hand and caressed her eyes.
The moisture felt when his touch landed dampened her skin.
Ah, I’m crying. Right now.
“This makes my heart weak.”
His long arms pulled her frail body close, and her face quickly buried into his broad shoulder.
Transparent tears fell like raindrops onto his navy pajamas.
His large hand slowly patted her back, comforting her.
“When your tears stop, let’s go outside.”
He stroked her back as if soothing a young child.
Her seemingly helpless back view was pitiful, like a bird that had lost its wings.
She hated herself for crying in his arms.
She resented herself for having to follow his orders without any strength.
“Shall we go?”
He got up, circled around the bed, and approached her.
Then he lifted her up and stood her in front of the mirror.
Her face, a mess of tear stains, was quite a sight to behold.
“The weather’s gotten warmer, so lighter clothes would be better.”
He pondered for a moment in front of the wardrobe, then pulled out a light pink dress and held it up in front of her.
“What do you think? It seems to match your hair color well.”
Elena, still not responding, stared into space with unfocused eyes.
Now, even tears wouldn’t come anymore.
She just felt sorrowful and lamentable about this situation.
Decarus approached her and slowly lifted her nightgown.
A chill was felt on the white skin that was gradually revealed.
“Stop….”
Elena weakly pushed away his arm and barely uttered a word.
“Ah, do you want to put it on yourself?”
Decarus handed her the flowing dress and kissed her forehead deeply.
Elena, holding the dress in her delicate hands, quietly looked at him.
“Your arms are tied, so you can’t put it on.”
He slowly approached and untied the cloth bound to her wrists.
“There, now you can put it on, right?”
She turned around and slowly took off her clothes.
She felt no embarrassment or shame.
She just wanted to escape this terrible situation as quickly as possible.
“Beautiful.”
He came close and combed her hair that flowed down to her waist.
His face reflected in the mirror seemed a bit excited.
Unknown emotions burst forth in her heart at the warmth of his touch through her hair.
“Please, just leave me alone.”
At her first sincere words, Decarus stopped combing.
His eyes, frozen cold again, made even her heart freeze.
“When I’m with you, I can’t breathe…. I can’t live…. Every day with you is like a hellfire pit….”
Thud-
Her delicate knees fell hard on the rough wooden floor.
The sound was as weak as a blackened fallen leaf.
“Save me…. Let me breathe, please. Please.”
