Red Riding Hood - Chapter 58
The hand he had always longed to touch—the hand that wove crowns from wildflowers, freed dandelion seeds to the wind, and shook reeds to send their silvery fluff soaring to the ends of the sky—was now tightly gripping his own.
Tears, beautiful and glistening, streamed down her cheeks.
“Please,” she whispered.
Quiel smiled. With a sorrowful yet serene voice, he said,
“Cinq, go to him.”
His words struck something deep within her.
Cinq, tears pouring down like a waterfall, said,
“Priest, I think I understand now. You always waited for me with cheese prepared just for me.”
“…”
“You were my angel, weren’t you? You would sometimes come to watch over me as I slept. You truly only watched—like an angel.”
“Oh, Cinq…”
“Why did you ask me to stay by your side?”
“Cinq…”
“Priest.”
With difficulty, her voice trembling, Cinq asked,
“Did you love me?”
Quiel’s lips quivered violently.
Through his tears, her face blurred in his vision. He blinked hard, and hot tears ran down his pale cheeks. Finally, everything became clear.
Cinq. My Cinq.
Now he understood. He finally knew how far he would go to protect her.
He smiled and said,
“No.”
Then he released her hand.
Cinq tried desperately to hold onto him, but Quiel’s hand slipped away from hers like a fleeting illusion.
As his body slid down amidst crumbling ash and dust, Quiel continued to smile.
Cinq screamed.
The white shadow was swallowed by the flames, disappearing in an instant.
***
“Cinq!”
Having broken free of his chains, Ylfus immediately bolted from the chapel. He ran through the chaotic temple, cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting his wife’s name.
“Ciiinq!”
Instead of her voice, he heard the sharp cry of a hawk. Looking up, he saw flames and smoke rising in the distance. Above them, his messenger hawk, Sird, circled the sky with its wings spread wide.
Ylfus instinctively knew Cinq was there.
“Cinq! Cinq!”
Forgetting his injured leg, he sprinted forward.
Along the way, two figures in dog masks appeared to block him.
“Th-The Black Wolf! What’s he doing out here?”
“Catch him!”
Ylfus swung his fist and shouted,
“I’m not!”
The two men in dog masks were sent flying, blood spurting from their mouths.
In his frantic dash, Ylfus encountered Bétor, the Chivalric Order of the Wolf commander, and his friend, mercenary commander Leardon.
Bétor rushed toward him.
“Young master! There you are!”
Ylfus dodged him and kept running, shouting,
“Sir Bétor, explanations later! My wife might be in that burning place!”
Bétor’s face filled with shock.
“Your wife?!”
Leardon, running after them, yelled,
“Ylfus! Have you lost your mind?”
Ylfus gritted his teeth.
“I’m not crazy!”
Soon, Bétor and Leardon realized Ylfus was telling the truth. A woman was hanging from the roof of a building above the burning barn.
Upon spotting her, Ylfus screamed,
“Ciiinq!”
Then, like a horse with its tail on fire, he bolted forward.
In a flash, he climbed the tower and found an open door leading to the roof. Without hesitation, he rushed through it.
Cinq was clinging to the roof, sobbing. Ylfus stretched his hand toward her, calling her name.
“Cinq!”
She looked up at him, her face streaked with tears, a testament to all she had been through.
Slowly, she reached out her hand toward him. Ylfus waited patiently until her hand touched his, then grabbed it firmly.
He pulled her into his arms and stood up.
“Cinq! Are you alright? It’s okay now. I’m here.”
Cinq couldn’t speak, only sobbing like a child as she looked up at him.
“Let’s get out of here first,” he said.
Holding her tightly, he carried her back into the tower. Knights rushed to meet them.
Cinq managed to speak weakly,
“There’s someone…”
Ylfus, still holding her, asked,
“Someone?”
Cinq cried as she said,
“In the barn. There’s someone in the burning barn.”
Upon hearing this, Bétor commanded the knights,
“Go to the burning barn!”
The knights rushed out.
Cinq continued,
“He… he looked like an angel, all white. He’s still in the fire.”
The knights brought blankets. Ylfus wrapped one around Cinq’s shoulders, holding her close once more.
