Collector’s Cage - Chapter 23

Watching the plump, white bottom wiggling, Froy covered his mouth. He was about to burst into laughter again.

His heart was pounding so hard it almost hurt now. Something too adorable was not good for heart health.

“You’ll catch a cold if you stay wet. Come here.”

As Hermie crouched by the iron bars, Froy fanned her dry. Seeing she was somewhat dry, he moved the cage to the windowsill where sunlight streamed in.

Drying her body under the warm sun made her drowsy, and sleep began to creep up on her. It was time for a nap.

As Hermie started nodding off while sitting, Froy placed fluffy new cotton and the soft silk handkerchief inside for her.

Hermie lay down on the cotton and covered herself with the handkerchief like a blanket. Sleep washed over her immediately.

“Sleep well, Hermie.”

A gentle voice echoed above her head. She seemed to nod unconsciously in response. And then she fell asleep as if passing out.

A languid, peaceful afternoon time passed by.

***

Once Hermie started talking, her communication became clear. She began expressing her likes, dislikes, and emotions distinctly.

Aside from opening the cage door, Froy made constant efforts to meet her other requests. Yet, he kept encountering difficult situations.

“Me too, clothes! Give me some clothes!”

“Is there any clothing that would fit Hermie?”

“Give me anything!”

Even doll clothes sold in stores didn’t fit Hermie.

Eventually, he had no choice but to ask a maid who was good at sewing to make some clothes.

The maid, having trouble without exact measurements, made a simple square-shaped dress with holes for arms.

Froy wasn’t satisfied with the potato sack-like dress. The design was hopelessly shabby for Hermie to wear. Even naked, Hermie looked much better.

But seeing Hermie’s delighted, twirling reaction even to that rag-like thing, he suppressed his own distaste. Instead, he resolved to gift her prettier, better clothes next time.

One day, returning late after catching up on piled-up work, he found a dejected Hermie with tears welling in her eyes.

“I’m bored… I’m going crazy with boredom…”
“Don’t you like this toy?”
“It’s not fun…”

Hermie seemed to be falling into depression. She disliked the ball play, showed no interest in toys. She slept all day, cried about being bored, and got angry over trivial things.

Life inside the cage seemed stifling. It pained him to the point of his heart aching, but he was still afraid to take her out.

If he opened the cage as the wizard had warned and Hermie ran away, the sense of loss would be indescribable.

Froy waited for Hermie, who was hiding in her hideout house, then lay down in bed.

That night, he couldn’t fall asleep right away, tossing and turning for a long time, finally dozing off near dawn.

Pondering how to cheer up the depressed Hermie, he grew deeply troubled, realizing that keeping her locked in a cage might not be what was best for her. His heart grew heavy.