“Episode 1”
In the Enchantment Inside the Cage
The place where she first met the man was a dimly lit pet shop in the Madreli marketplace.
As soon as she opened the door, the pungent smell of livestock filled her senses. Exotic reptiles and parrots from the distant continents filled the shop. She was drawn into the shop as if under a spell.
“Welcome. You haven’t forgotten to visit again.”
She forced a smile at the kind shopkeeper’s greeting.
“I couldn’t sleep at all.”
She scanned the empty cages impatiently. The blue parrot that should have been crouching in the rusty cage was nowhere to be seen.
“Was the blue parrot that was here sold?”
She asked, pointing to the empty cage. Before the tightly closed lips of the shopkeeper could part, a soft voice reached her ears.
“Unfortunately, I took it with me.”
She hurriedly followed the source of the voice. Among the various cages, a man with a striking appearance stood guard.
He had sun-kissed hair and a pair of emerald-like eyes. As their eyes met, the man’s lips lazily curled up.
“Do you like parrots?”
She took a step back, tilting her head with bewilderment.
“I was going to take it with me since it looked so pitiful. I thought it might starve to death here.”
She had seen the parrot just two days ago. It was a fragile creature, gasping for breath with its featherless body on its back. She thought it hadn’t been chosen by anyone because of its unremarkable appearance.
“It’s probably for the best. If I had taken it, I would have fed it only scraps. Please take good care of it.”
Her father despised anything that smelled like animals. It was probably for the best. The man didn’t seem like a commoner, so at least the parrot wouldn’t be starved.
With an awkward smile, she said, “You are truly kind.”
His pale skin seemed translucent, and his eyes narrowed as he called her a kind person. She felt an eerie feeling despite his captivating appearance.
“Don’t worry, I cherish my parrots dearly…”
His long fingers discreetly caressed the rusty cage. His unusual movements sent shivers down her spine.
“Remember, Isabella.”
After extracting enough blood to satisfy herself, the queen closed the lid of the case, looking coldly at her daughter. Even if she were her biological daughter, would she have done this?
“It’s fortunate that Her Majesty favors you. You’re truly lucky to be chosen as the queen…”
Isabella had decided nothing in her life.
“It’s time to meet the philosopher, let’s go.”
She was relieved that this time was over quickly. Isabella greeted her parents without even looking at them.
The fairytale-like life of the beautiful princess continued today. However, the reality of this fairytale was quite cruel.
Staring into the boy’s pumpkin-colored eyes, she instinctively realized amidst the heavy silence.
Yes, it’s him. My savior who will rescue my life. The man who will soon release the shackles binding my ankles.
Since becoming Simon’s fiancée, my life has found light. To become the wife of the Earl of Britain, I diligently attended various etiquette classes.
“My life, my future.”
A body meticulously groomed to become his wife. If rejected by Simon, my very existence loses meaning.
“We have arrived, miss.”
With trembling steps, I moved forward. Clumsily. With my head bowed like a criminal, I continued walking.
The sharp pain spreading across my forehead made me lift my head. We had reached the gates of the earl’s estate.
“Simon….”
I shook the bell hanging on the gate. Normally, a servant would have come out to greet us as soon as the carriage stopped. But despite shaking the bell repeatedly, no one came out to greet us.
He abandoned me. He doesn’t even want to see my face.
“No, no!”
The bell rang, a cry-like sound echoed. In the distance, I could see the vast landscape of the earl’s estate. Several maids were gathered in front of the mansion.
“Here! Please, open the gate. Please…”
I shook my arms desperately. They saw me, so they would come to greet me soon, just like usual. Please, they have to.
But the momentary hope was short-lived. As if in a cruel joke, no one came out to greet me.
“Please, just let me meet him once. Tell me why he’s rejecting me, at least!”
The tears I had held back burst out. Gripping the gate, I cried out desperately with a face flushed with anger.
“Simon, is this all just a cruel joke?”
You promised you would let me see him. I need that, please.
“Simon….”
Please don’t abandon me. Rejecting me means killing me.
* * *
“So, you came back without even seeing his face?”
“Forgive…forgive me….”
Before I could finish my sentence, I was slapped fiercely. Blood gushed out of my mouth. I wiped the foul-smelling blood on the hem of my dress.
“I’ve told you, haven’t I? Don’t you dare speak with such insolence!”
With his hand tightly gripping my hair, I looked up at my father with a pitiful gaze.
“Go and apologize! Go and beg for forgiveness!”
My father’s large palm covered my head. Isabella, my proud daughter. Softly whispering to me, he gently stroked my hair.
“It hurts, father…!”
My hair was pulled so hard it felt like my scalp would come off. My arms and legs, trembling with pain, shook like aspen leaves.
“Beg! Beg until your hands turn to dust!”
My father’s arm rose high. Instinctively, I closed my eyes tightly.
Slap.
A dull sound echoed in my ears. Overwhelmed by fear, my senses seemed to freeze.
Slap, slap, slap.
The consecutive sounds reverberated, and I finally raised my eyelids.
“Miss, run away!”
Maid Mary was using her entire body to shield me from my father’s heavy body. Her face, now a bruised mess, was flushed with blood, and blood was streaming down her small, upturned nose.
“Please, please run away!”
With desperate pleas, Mary, now covered in blood, begged. I fled from the study, my legs feeling weak. I stumbled on the stairs several times.
“Mary, I’m sorry….”
Before I could even begin to indulge in sadness, my mind was sharply awakened by a sharp crack. Broken glass shards were scattered under my feet.
“Ah….”
The breath, frozen in the presence of an unfamiliar affectionate touch, gradually thawed away.
* * *
As I lifted my eyelids, a trickle of cold sweat ran down my nose. The delicate skin felt tender, perhaps from shivering all night. Dozens of parrots fluttered around as I walked barefoot out of the unfamiliar bed. The wet dress was nowhere to be found, replaced by a soft, dry slip.
“Where am I…?”
I walked out of the bedroom, feeling the chilly sensation under my feet. The echoing emptiness permeated the well-maintained mansion, devoid of any dust. At the end of a long corridor stood a figure. It sent shivers down my spine, resembling a ghost waiting by the window, perhaps waiting for the rain to stop. The parrots clustered around the man’s body as if he were a sturdy tree trunk.
“You’re awake.”
Before I could even approach, he spoke first. Our eyes met amidst the darkness. The parrots, like a protective shield around his body, flew up simultaneously.
“It’s storming outside. You should rest a bit longer.”
A thunderous lightning bolt cut across the wet sky. In the dimly lit corridor, his face briefly came into view.
Platinum blond hair and flawless, pallid skin. It was the man I had seen at the pet shop that day.
“I did dress you, but I didn’t do anything else.”
He spoke before I could ask. My body was meant solely for Simon Britten, yet here was a stranger’s touch upon it.
“It was unavoidable. There are no servants in the mansion, so I had to dress you myself.”
It seemed unfathomable that a mansion like this didn’t have a single servant. Perhaps he was a fallen nobleman who had squandered his fortune.
“Well, let’s get back to the bedroom.”
As he nudged me forward, I felt compelled to match his stride. Our footsteps echoed through the deserted corridor.
“Could you… light a candle?”
Standing at the threshold of the bedroom, I asked. It felt uneasy to be alone with a stranger in the darkness.
“Let’s go in.”
Ignoring my question, he gestured brusquely. The bedroom, devoid of any candles, was filled only with a heavy silence.
“May I light a candle?”
I inquired again, but instead of answering, he just made a dismissive gesture. It was fortunate that there were no candles; my face would surely betray my embarrassment.
“How do you feel? Does it hurt?”
He carefully applied a thick ointment to my cheek. His warm breath brushed against my neck.
“It’s better to get some more rest.”
He gently laid me down, like handling a newborn. Despite the discomfort, it was fortunate to have his bedroom, even if it meant sharing a bed.
“Is it okay if I sleep on the floor?”
“Other rooms are not tidy, so it can’t be helped. Besides, I’m not such a kind man to offer you my bed.”
“Then I’ll sleep on the floor. You can stay on your side.”
I decided to take the blanket and lie down on the edge of the bed, feeling his cool body temperature against my wrist.
“Just lie down. I won’t do anything. I promise.”
He seemed unwilling to let go easily. For a moment, I gave in and hung precariously on the edge of the bed, choosing to curl up and shrink away from his chilling presence.
