A Caged Bird Doesn't Cry - Chapter 1 Part I

Chapter 1 Part I

Andrea Kalidnas is back.

This simple fact caused a stir inside and outside the palace for a while. Rumors spread that this war was even more brutal because of his nickname, the God of Slaughter.

'No matter what, he's a god.'

Yuhar glanced at Prince Linus, who was sitting across from him. He was curious. What would he think of Andrea, who was openly called a 'god' even though it was just a nickname? And about the people's saying that Kalidnas' sword, which protects the throne, is eternal even if the owner of the throne changes.

However, Yuhar was too young to ask such a sensitive topic, no matter how weak Linus Perletti seemed. Yuhar glanced at the prince again.

Maybe Linus looked even more so because of his blond hair, light brown eyes, and slender physique. In many ways, he was the opposite of Yuhar's superior.

Yuhar thought of Andrea's pitch-black hair and cold, deep blue eyes. What about his tall stature and sturdy physique that seemed intimidating even from a distance? Yuhar couldn't help but think back to the question he had on the battlefield.

'Will a sword fit in that body?'

Every time he saw Andrea armed, he doubted the usefulness of the armor. It was a disloyal thought, but anyone who saw Andrea Kalidnas swinging his sword mercilessly would have similar thoughts to Yuhar. No matter how much the opponent flew and crawled, it was embarrassing to call him an enemy when standing in front of Andrea. 

"It's taking a long time."

It was Linus's languid voice that broke Yuhar's thoughts. Yuhar quickly checked his watch. It had been thirty minutes since he had arrived here. Prince Linus had arrived earlier and was waiting, so it was understandable that he was feeling drowsy.

"I'm sorry."

When Yuhar apologized on his behalf, even though it wasn't his fault, Linus smiled generously.

"It's okay. It was my fault for coming without making an appointment. But what happened to him?"

"Because we just happened to find the right herbs."

 "Oh, can I take a look too?"

"It's nothing special, but please."

Yuhar took out a dried herb from his bosom. It was a herb that was said to be especially effective for insomnia. It would be good if it worked as the person who offered it boasted. However, it was more likely to be used once and thrown away than to put his superior to sleep. Linus must have had similar thoughts, as he soon lost interest and returned the herb to Yuhar.

"I've seen countless similar ones, but I'm not sure."

Andrea's severe insomnia was as famous as his striking appearance. That was also why the Prince and Yuhar were killing time like this. Andrea was now...

"Greetings to Prince Linus."

He absentmindedly turned his gaze to the door, and coincidentally, the closed door opened and Olivia Trang greeted him politely. Anyone who saw it could tell that she had just come out of Andrea's bedroom. Even without the aforementioned cheeks and red, wet eyes that lingered from the afterglow of pleasure, it was already a well-known fact that Andrea brought women into his bedroom to relieve his insomnia.

Linus, who responded to Olivia's greeting with a light nod, stood up. Yuhar also followed the Prince and headed to Andrea's bedroom. Linus muttered as if talking to himself.

"I see her often enough, I wonder if she's settled down?"

It was Olivia. They had met a few times before. That meant Andrea often invited women over. Often? Yuhar denied it. Every day, without fail, it would have been right to say.

"I don't think so."

Just last night, didn't you see a dozen women rushing out of Andrea Kalidnas' bedroom? Was Olivia among them? I don't know. I turned my head away because it was embarrassing. As a bachelor, he couldn't even imagine how several women and one man could be together. I don't know, but it must have been pretty messy.

Even though he didn't know, a pretty specific picture was forming in his head when he arrived at the bedroom.

"Did you have a good time?"

Andrea answered Linus' mischievous greeting in a casual manner.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting."

Of course, he didn’t look sorry at all. If he was sorry, he would have kicked out the woman who shook her butt since early evening and come out to the reception room. Linus slightly wrinkled his nose at his shameless response.

“Is this how we can safely leave our Belliona to you?”

“If you’re really worried, there’s a way to cancel the marriage proposal.”

“My sister likes you too much for that. You know that, right?”

“I don’t know.”

The two men were talking comfortably, but Yuhar, who was caught in the middle, was the only one who was worried. Yuhar’s eyes were reddened by Andrea’s excessive arrogance, canceling the marriage proposal with the princess in the middle of the day. As expected, my superior is not in his right mind. Or he’s just an arrogant person without a plan.

‘There must be a plan.’

No matter what anyone says, it's Kalidnas. Even with just his private soldiers, he's on par with the army of the Perletti royal family.

"Yuhar. What's going on?"

Huh! Yuhar, who came to his senses at the sharp remark, hurriedly took out the herb. Andrea, who hadn't even opened what Yuhar had offered, nodded at the door as a sign to leave. It was fortunate. Yuhar hurried out the door feeling saved.

"He's a good guy."

Linus praised Yuhar, who had maintained his posture without letting his guard down the whole time.

'He must be timid.'

Yuhar was not very good at numbers. However, Andrea didn't bother to say what was on his mind. He didn't care what the prince thought of Yuhar. He had no intention of wasting time on useless topics.

"I don't think you came here to talk about marriage."

Andrea's well-toned abs were clearly visible as he stood up. The way they tightened and loosened like ropes with every step was truly exquisite. Linus, who was admiring his body that was free of any scars, befitting his nickname as the God of Slaughter, quickly ordered Andrea, who was picking up a bottle.

"Just two ice cubes, no, three."

Following the cheerful sound of ice being poured into the glass, amber liquid rose. Linus, who rolled the glass around to watch the ice melt for a moment, retorted.

"Really. I'm worried about Bella."

Of course, it would be of little help to worry about it. As it has been in the past, it would be Belliona's job, not Linus', to tolerate the countless women who would come and go from Andrea's bedroom.

"Ah!"

Linus clapped his hands together as if he suddenly had a good idea. “I’ll ask His Majesty to wage war often.”

On the battlefield, Andrea didn’t embrace women. Some said that only noble ladies could sleep with him. Since no lady would walk to such a rough place, Andrea had no choice but to endure it.

However, Linus thought differently. Whenever Andrea called, women lined up to run to him, no matter how bad the weather or the rough terrain. Women would willingly spread their legs amidst red blood and dripping flesh.

In short, Andrea’s abstinence on the battlefield was purely Andrea’s choice. Thanks to this, Andrea’s price increased even more each time he returned. The expression “price” was funny for Kalidnas, who was a noble to the core, but that was how it was. There was even talk of wanting to take Andrea’s virginity, so what more could I say?

“You’re more suited to being abstinent.”

Thinking about it, Linus suddenly threw it in a grumpy manner. Andrea glanced at him as if asking what he was talking about and indifferently poured his drink.

"Let's get to the point."

"Were we the kind of people who only met when we had something to do?"

Linus' face relaxed and smiled brightly. Since they had known each other since they were young, there was no formality between them. Therefore, Linus did not care about Andrea's rude attitude toward the prince. Rather, he liked it even more, saying that the more Andrea talked to him like this, the more he felt like he was back in his childhood. That was proof of his gentle nature.

"Actually, I heard some interesting news from Terloga."

If Terloga was talking about Nuel, Andrea was not very interested. Terloga's father, the Marquis Nuel, was like a dog. A worthless, funny dog that wags its tail fervently at King Perletti and barks its teeth at the Kalidnas.

Linus tried to get Andrea's attention, who showed little interest.

"You've probably heard about the black market. They've started selling sl@ves there."

Under the Perletti Dynasty, sl@ve trade was prohibited in principle. Even street beggars could not be arbitrarily confined or exploited, and freedom of movement and private property were permitted. In this situation, sl@ves appeared. And they were on the black market. Even if they weren’t sl@ves, the black market was selling all sorts of dark and forbidden things. 

“It was already a headache, but I wonder if it’s going to get out of hand.”

“Were you thinking of stopping it?”

Linus grinned at Andrea’s sharp remark.

“To be honest, no. Now that you mention it, Andrea, you’re not surprised. Did you already know?”

“Your sources seem quite useless.”

The sudden honorific was clearly a mockery, but Linus laughed cheerfully.

“The sources are useful. Its just that I’m not particularly interested in them. You’re right, but how can I catch them? You have to give people a chance to breathe.”

Linus, who had given a somewhat generous interpretation of the black market as a chance to breathe, gently coaxed Andrea.

"Let's just take a look. Who knows? You might find a panacea that will blow away your insomnia."

There was no expectation of a cure. Still, the reason Andrea followed Linus silently was because there was something he wanted to tell his friend who was a prince but was ignorant of the ways of the world.

Not just anyone could enter the black market. A select few secretly traded tickets, and those without tickets were not allowed in regardless of their social status or wealth. As a result, the price of tickets skyrocketed day by day. Nevertheless, people lined up to get tickets. 

Given these circumstances, Linus and Andrea, who did not have tickets, would be turned away at the entrance. Linus, who did not know this obvious fact, muttered as he pulled Andrea’s robe down deep. 

“Hey, Andrea. What are you going to do if you meet a familiar face at the black market?” 

“Well. I guess I’ll just say hello.” 

“That’s going to be a big deal!” 

Since it was hard to get a ticket, it wasn't hard to guess who the black market customers were. The nobles like Terloga Nuel, who spoke the most in the palace but used cowardly tricks behind their backs. Among them was Olivia, who had warmed his bed today. It was no secret that Olivia killed young sl@ves and bathed in their blood. 

"What do they do with the sl@ves they buy?"

Linus muttered again. Andrea answered vaguely, imagining Olivia enjoying herself while soaking in red blood.

"It won't be for good."

Some people whip them until they die, while others check the lethal dose of poison. Olivia, who considered herself merciful for killing cleanly in one go, had told him this.

"What did Terloga say?"

Linus answered the belated question earnestly.

"Well, he asked me to eliminate the black market, the source of all evil."

Pretentious bastard, Andrea scoffed. According to reliable sources, Terloga had quite a few sl@ves. All of them were male, and judging by the fact that he was diligently applying ointment to their anus, you could tell what kind of taste he had.

Apart from that, how would Linus react if he found out that he considered the black market to be just a place to breathe? It was obvious that he would babble some nonsense with his characteristically timid expression and exaggerated gestures. Pushing aside unpleasant thoughts, Andrea stared straight ahead. It was an ordinary-looking inn on the outside, but it was connected to an endless underground. It was one of the entrances to the black market. 

"This is it." 

Linus, who noticed the change in atmosphere, muttered and nodded as if he had made a big decision. He couldn't see his expression because he was wearing a robe over his head, but judging from his firm lips, he was clearly nervous. 

Naturally, the two had to leave without even setting foot in the black market. Since they didn't have a ticket to show, the gatekeeper pretended to be the innkeeper and pretended not to know anything. Linus, who had been arguing, finally revealed Kalidnas' true identity, but the other person didn't even blink. The gist was that even if His Majesty the King came, not the Duke, he couldn't get in without a ticket.

"Hahaha! I got beat up pretty badly."

Linus laughed heartily. He looked really happy even though he didn't achieve his goal.

"Well, since it's come to this, I really have to get that ticket. I'm really curious."

Andrea told Linus, who was secretly pressuring him to buy a ticket while glaring at him, not to even dream about it. Linus, who realized that no amount of persuasion would work on his firm attitude, pulled out a different card this time. It was a threat. 

"Fine. I will specifically instruct you to team up with Terloga for the upcoming hunting competition." 

Andrea glared at him with a bewildered look, but Linus' face was already covered in iron. 

"His Majesty will be very pleased to see you and Terloga hunting rabbits together." 

The hunting competition lasted four days. That meant he had to stay with Terloga day and night for four days. Terloga's archery skills were truly poor. He was so timid that he would often fall over in surprise at the sound of a rabbit rustling, but he was a braggart who would shout at a tiger. Just thinking about being on the same team as Terloga made him irritated. He couldn't stand it for even one day, let alone four days.

"Is the prey Terloga?"

Linus picked up Andrea's sarcasm and asked.

"I admit that Terloga is trash, but how annoying is that if Sir Nuel doesn't stay still? The tickets will be cheap. Plus, you can enjoy hunting with Prince Linus."

Instead of answering, Andrea frowned. Linus clapped his hands happily, anticipating the tickets that would soon be in his hands.

***

If you want to get notified of the new updates and announcements, you can join us on Discord (code- 92TUsC9jDA)

And please Support us with ☞Donations!!

Paypal Donation

Previous

Next