There is No Key to His Cage - Chapter 30
The sunlight poking persistently at her eyes woke her up. She tried to pull the blanket over herself, but it was caught on something and wouldn’t budge.
“Mmm…”
Feeling as if a large stone was placed on her chest, she waved her arm.
Just then, the fur she felt at her fingertips was as soft as a puppy’s.
“Was there a dog in this house…?”
Still half-asleep, Elena gently opened her eyes while stroking the soft puppy fur.
“What the…”
As soon as she opened her eyes and saw Decarus’s face, she froze in surprise.
His long, jet-black eyelashes contrasted with his pale skin, looking as pretty as a Barbie doll’s.
Moreover, his appearance, undisturbed even while sleeping, was flawlessly perfect.
Elena rubbed her eyes and looked at him more closely.
“Well, he is handsome…”
She stretched out her finger and slowly traced a line along his sharp nose bridge.
It seemed like the first time she had directly touched his face this closely.
Tap-
At that moment, his hand quickly caught the finger tracing his face.
Startled, Elena hurriedly tried to pull away, but she couldn’t overcome his grip strength.
“What, what is it? Weren’t you sleeping?”
But she spoke as if nothing was wrong, composing her voice.
If he found out she had been secretly touching him, she would surely be teased for life.
His ruby-red eyes shone between his half-open eyelids.
His voice, sounding as if he had just woken up, resonated lowly.
“Not there.”
In an instant, his hand guided hers towards the firm chest under his shirt.
“How about here?”
As her fingertips felt the man’s rugged body, a strange feeling blossomed in her heart.
Considerably surprised, Elena quickly raised her hand.
“Ah…!”
Simultaneously, Decarus swiftly grabbed her slender wrist and pulled her.
In a flash, Elena found herself on top of the large man’s body and looked at him with wide eyes.
“What are you doing…!”
He raised one corner of his mouth, wearing a mischievous expression.
“You enjoy this kind of thing more, don’t you?”
The hand wrapped around her waist held her body more firmly in place.
She tried to escape, but couldn’t.
Her body, in contact with his, was as immovable as if bound by solid shackles.
“Don’t say strange things.”
“Strange things, you say.”
His lips trailed down to her tiny ear.
Elena flinched and tightly closed her eyes at the soft touch of skin.
“Ah…”
At the low, single moan that spread, he smiled wickedly and caressed her plump lips.
“Is this the kind of sound you mean?”
He wore a seductive expression like a cunning snake as he stroked her cheek.
Sensing danger, Elena quickly turned her head to avoid him.
He tightened his grip on her delicate body, as if finding her small rebellion cute.
Only hot breaths circulated between their suddenly close lips.
“I don’t think this is so bad, you know.”
“Let go…!”
Flustered by his glib tone, Elena shook off his grip and broke free from him.
His face, with dimples prettily formed, was as enchanting as a bewitching fox.
“What a shame.”
He licked his lips like a beast before its prey.
Then he raised one hand and slowly began unbuttoning his crumpled shirt.
“Wh-wh-what are you doing?”
Elena slowly backed away at his expression, which already seemed to have lost its senses.
With the buttons half undone, the man’s body was explicitly revealed.
Her face seemed to be getting redder at the sensual image.
He tilted his head crookedly, sneering.
“What are you thinking?”
“……”
“I was just going to change my shirt. Seems like you want something else.”
His finger brushed her cheek and touched her dainty lips.
Her body instinctively avoided his touch. His finger flowed down her neck to her collarbone.
“I wanted to play more.”
He stretched out his neck and stared intently at her face.
His fingertip tickled her as it touched her protruding collarbone.
“Too bad, but later.”
He lightly tapped the tip of her dazed nose and smiled softly.
Elena, who had come to her senses by then, touched her nose where the warmth remained and watched his back.
“Where are you going?”
Elena, left alone on the bed, stared at him blankly.
“Have you finally become interested in what your husband does?”
He smiled gently as he put on a new shirt.
If there were male succubi, perhaps Decarus would be one.
His seductive expression was like that of a gisaeng in a pleasure house.
“Hurry up and change your clothes.”
Elena turned around with a pouty expression, having clearly anticipated this response.
The sound of the crisp shirt rustling echoed in her ears.
“I’m going to the Imperial Palace. I need to meet Noah.”
“Noah?”
Hearing this unfamiliar name, Elena turned back to look at him.
“Yes, my brother.”
“Ah…”
He was referring to the cousin brother who had suddenly returned the night before.
Elena nodded and silently looked at him.
Decarus, now neatly dressed, approached her.
“Don’t cause any trouble.”
Chu-
He brought his face close and gently kissed her forehead.
Surprised, Elena opened her eyes wide and rubbed her forehead with her hand.
“I’ll be back.”
Elena stared blankly at the door where he had disappeared. Her blue eyes, seemingly tinged with melancholy, were as clear as the sea.
“What is this, really…”
***
Emerald Palace.
The Emerald Palace, quiet as usual, was maintaining a strict state of alert.
However, there was someone who boldly broke through it, advancing with rough footsteps.
“Move aside.”
The knights blocking the room’s entrance seemed not to dare recognize his face.
Decarus sneered as if finding their iron-like blockade ridiculous.
“We apologize. The Prince has ordered us not to let anyone in.”
“Are you stupid or just pretending to be?”
At his chilled expression, the palace seemed to be filled with cold air.
The flustered knights rolled their eyes at each other, checking the situation.
“Ye…yes…?”
“Decarus de Scylla.”
“Ah! Ah. We, we’re sorry!!!”
The sight of them hurriedly withdrawing their spears as soon as they heard his name was amusing.
He wanted to cut them down with his sword in one stroke, but he didn’t want to stain himself with blood before meeting Noah.
“Consider yourselves lucky.”
He looked down at them with a cold gaze and opened the door himself.
Creak-
The door, which had seemed light, now felt as heavy as an iron gate.
What would the grown-up Noah look like?
Would he still be like a child?
What should he say first when they meet again?
Many thoughts crossed his mind.
“Brother…?”
As soon as he opened the door, he saw a platinum-haired grown man sitting on the bed.
Judging by his teary eyes, it was certainly the Noah he knew.
The man slowly stood up and approached him, shaking his head.
“Is… is it really you, brother?”
“Noah…”
“Brother!”
Noah, in his pajamas, quickly ran and hugged him.
The way he rubbed his brightly shining hair against him was just like a cute hamster.
Decarus stood like a wax figure, unable to hug him back, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
“Where on earth… what have you been doing?”
At Decarus’s voice, which sounded a bit angry, Noah looked up at him with a puzzled expression.
“Brother…”
“Tell me. Where you’ve been, what you’ve been doing, how you got here. Tell me now.”
He grabbed Noah’s arm tightly and met his gaze.
His face, seemingly excited, was tinged with red.
“Ah…!”
Noah winced as if his tightly gripped arm hurt and shook off the hand.
“Brother, why have you changed so much…? You seem unfamiliar.”
Noah frowned and made an awkward expression. Then Decarus took a deep breath and led him to the bed.
“No, it’s not like that.”
“I have a lot to tell you, brother.”
Noah, who had been looking puzzled, soon smiled brightly.
“Alright, tell me slowly.”
“If I tell you everything, you won’t be able to go home today.”
Noah sat on the bed and gently leaned on his shoulder.
He didn’t leave his embrace, as if making up for all the greetings they couldn’t exchange until now.
“When I was nine, I disappeared, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“But I don’t remember anything after that.”
“…What?”
Noah smiled awkwardly and lowered his head.
It didn’t make sense.
No, the fact that he had lost his memory in the first place was incomprehensible.
“What do you mean?”
Decarus crumpled his face like a piece of paper.
Then Noah smiled as if everything was fine and held his hand.
Noah’s seemingly too calm appearance was a bit strange.
“When I opened my eyes and woke up, I was on a dark ship. I overheard a sailor briefly, and it was a ship illegally carrying slaves.”
“If it was illegal slave traders…”
It was certainly the sailing ship he had raided a few weeks ago.
Decarus held Noah’s hand tightly and met his gaze.
“I never saw you. How on earth…”
“I heard from mother. She said it was the ship you raided. Well, there were so many people. And I had black hair. It’s possible you couldn’t see me.”
Noah spoke with a bright smile as if everything was fine.
But Decarus shook his head with an incomprehensible expression and opened his mouth.
“What on earth were the elite soldiers doing…!”
“Shh, brother. Let’s just talk about good things. I’ve just returned, after all.”
Noah, still wearing a bright smile, covered his mouth and changed the subject.
His overly calm demeanor felt a bit strange, but Decarus sighed as if he had no choice and continued speaking.
“Do you remember Elena? I brought her from that auction house too.”
“Elena is… alive?”
Noah looked at him with furrowed brows.
His face, which had always been smiling, suddenly darkened like a sky covered with dark clouds.
His trembling eyes, like a balloon fluttering in the wind, looked pitiful.
Right, Noah couldn’t have known.
Before he disappeared, Elena had also vanished without a trace.
“Yes. She’s staying at the Grand Duke’s residence now.”
Noah clutched his chest and took a deep breath of relief.
Decarus smiled at his suddenly excited behavior, like a child.
“Ah, thank goodness. You saved Elena, brother… Thank you, really.”
Noah, who had been repeatedly expressing his gratitude, fell into his arms.
His eyes, meeting Decarus’s, sparkled like the dazzling sun.
Then Decarus stopped patting his head as if he had remembered something.
“Ah, I’m getting married tomorrow. I really wanted to invite you.”
“What? You should have told me earlier if such a thing was happening. Which family’s lady is it?”
Noah, startled, held both his hands and met his gaze with shining eyes.
Then Decarus also gently met Noah’s eyes and opened his mouth.
“It’s Elena.”
Volume 1 End
