There is No Key to His Cage - Chapter 2.2
“When you cry, it makes my heart weak.”
“Take your hands off…”
Elena, barely letting out a whisper through her teeth, looked up at him with trembling eyes.
“Don’t cry, Elena.”
He seemed detached even with a dying, tearful person in front of him.
The devil’s image overlapped with his face, which wore a faint smile.
His fingers caressing her eyes wiped away the flowing tears.
“This won’t do. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
He smiled brightly, then straightened up and turned around.
The man standing in front of the desk picked up the tray with the meal again.
“Ah…”
At that moment, a thousand thoughts mixed in her head.
If she didn’t eat anything here, she would really die.
No matter how miserable her life had been, she didn’t want to end this given life so pitifully.
Elena barely squeezed out her last strength and called out to him.
“Wait…”
Was it an illusion that a faint smile flashed across his back?
The tall man slowly walked back, holding the meal.
Though time had passed and it had cooled, the soup still felt warm.
The man who came close bent down to meet her red eyes.
“Is there something you want to say?”
This might be the last chance he’s giving her.
Just like the Grim Reaper asking for last words before death.
She silently stared at the tray in his hand. Then the man opened his mouth, trying to hold back laughter.
“Ah, this. Do you want to eat?”
“……”
Her trembling eyes looked at him hopelessly.
Instinctively, she felt that if she didn’t answer here, she would soon die.
If she insisted on useless pride, she would inevitably become a skeleton with only bones left.
Finally, Elena slowly moved her head up and down.
“Yes, that’s good.”
He put down the warm meal he had brought from the table on the floor.
Then he took the bowl of soup and offered it to her mouth with a spoon.
Perhaps because it was food she was tasting after 4 days, she swallowed it hurriedly and mindlessly.
She realized for the first time how precious food was.
Even when she was living as a wanderer, she could eat food freely.
“You’re eating well.”
He gently stroked her long hair as she ate well.
As if petting a cute puppy that was eating its feed well.
She ignored his words and continued the act of opening and closing her mouth.
She was simply in ecstasy as the food flowed over her tongue and down her throat.
“You’re eating so well now.”
Before she knew it, empty bowls began to pile up one by one on the tray.
As the height of the bowls increased, her starved stomach gradually filled up.
As she felt satiated like that, she suddenly wondered about the intention of reviving prey that was almost killed.
“What do you gain from doing this?”
Her gaze, blinking slowly as if about to flicker out, turned to him. Then the man slowly put down the tray with the bowls on the floor.
The man’s large hand touching her pale cheek caressed her.
“You.”
“……”
He looked at her with an emotionless face.
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand what he wanted.
“What are you thinking… I’m not a wealthy noble lady, I’m just…!”
“I know.”
The man lightly kissed the ends of her curly hair.
His half-closed eyes were sensual as if they could bewitch people.
“I just need you.”
“Why me of all people…”
She couldn’t understand.
Why he wanted someone with no status or wealth so much.
“Because I love you.”
“Huh…!”
It felt like her frozen brain was rapidly thawing.
His confession of love made her laugh hollowly.
“Love…?”
Her face, crumpled like paper, didn’t easily smooth out.
Elena asked again with a bitter face.
“You… love me…?”
“Yes, immeasurably.”
She was confused.
Though she had never received love in her life, she knew what it meant.
Isn’t love a feeling of cherishing and caring for someone?
Was this the definition of the word – using and confining a person like an animal?
“Stop talking nonsense…”
“I’m serious. I love you so much.”
A sneer bloomed on her prettily raised lips.
She felt like she might lose what little respect she had for this man who seemed to be playing with words.
Elena looked at him with shaking eyes and said mockingly.
“Don’t force it.”
“It’s not forced, Elena.”
It felt like the strength she had barely gained from eating was disappearing again.
Was it this hard to have a conversation with someone who wasn’t sane?
She tasted bitter blood on her dried lips.
Elena lowered her head deeply and closed her eyes as if frustrated.
Was there no way to overcome this situation?
She felt sick of the conversation repeating like a hamster wheel.
“If you really love me, then untie this.”
She spoke through gritted teeth as if this was her last attempt.
At her seemingly serious words, the man paused his actions for a moment.
After silently thinking about something for a while, he soon opened his mouth.
“Then what will you give me?”
“Ha…”
Is he proposing a deal at a time like this?
Is he smart or just cunning?
But she decided to go along with his rhythm a little, inevitably.
If he really untied her, there would be no better opportunity than this.
“Then I’ll love you too.”
She looked at him with the most pitiful eyes she could muster, using all her strength.
Where did the experience from the theater club in college go?
She put on a possessed method of acting performance, drawing on her experience as a somewhat skilled actor.
“……”
He silently stood up and went behind the chair.
Every time his cold hand touching the rope brushed her skin, her body flinched a little.
“You won’t regret it.”
Though she said this, inwardly she was preparing to run away while cheering.
She vowed to dash out that door as soon as she was untied.
“But, Elena.”
“Yes.”
The soft blackberry scent coming from him pricked her nose every time he moved.
As he moved his hands, the ropes constricting her slowly began to loosen.
“Did you really think I would untie you?”
The man’s mocking voice filled the quiet room.
She felt dazed as if she had been hit on the head.
“You can’t be that stupid. Right?”
He tightened the ropes again and then approached her.
Then he grabbed her chin and met her gaze straight on.
“Cutely.”
“You crazy bastard.”
“I welcome it if you call me that way.”
He carefully took her hand, then knelt down and kissed it.
His warm lips melted her hand.
“May our love be eternal.”
