Red Riding Hood - Chapter 59
He cupped her head with one hand and whispered into her ear,
“Cinq, you were right. This wasn’t an ordinary village.”
In Ylfus’s arms, she glanced around with tear-filled eyes.
All around them, the villagers of Mindi were being dragged out. Knights pulled off their beast masks, revealing unfamiliar faces beneath the familiar disguises.
Leardon remarked,
“These are faces I’ve seen on wanted posters. They’re either criminals who committed heinous acts or their descendants.”
Cinq leaned against Ylfus’s chest, tears streaming down her face.
Carrying Cinq in his arms, Ylfus mounted his horse and rode back to the house where they had been staying. There, he gently laid her on the bed.
He kissed her tear-streaked eyes and cheeks, then took her hands and placed them on his own cheeks. Looking into her eyes, he whispered over and over,
“It’s okay now. It’s over.”
Cinq closed her eyes slowly, still nestled in his embrace.
***
The next morning, Cinq woke to the sound of a stranger’s voice.
“There was nothing in the barn.”
People were talking in hushed tones in the front yard.
“We put out the fire and sifted through the ashes, but we found nothing. It was as if nothing had ever been there.”
She heard Ylfus’s hesitant voice.
“Could the priest my wife mentioned and the one I met be the same person? Apart from wearing white, they seemed like completely different people. The one I met was an utterly demonic scoundrel.”
“I’m not sure…”
“You’re not sure?”
“Well, as you know, everyone in this village wore beast masks. But while the other criminals seemed to remove their masks indoors, the priest reportedly never revealed his face to anyone. No one knows his real face or name.”
Leardon’s voice joined in,
“Do you think the angelic, pure-white figure the lady described even existed in a village like this?”
Ylfus sighed, sounding disheartened.
“It’s like we’re talking about a real angel.”
Cinq sat up in bed.
The white lace dress she had worn the night before had vanished.
She took out her usual clothes, put them on, boiled water to wash her face and body, and brushed her hair.
After a while, the door opened, and Ylfus entered the house.
“Cinq!”
He knelt before her.
“Are you alright?”
Cinq reached out, cupping his rough, warm cheeks in her hands, brushing against his stubbly beard. Only then did she feel she could breathe again.
Exhaling deeply, she murmured his name,
“Ylfus, I’m so glad you’re safe.”
Looking into his lemon-colored eyes, she said,
“I was worried. That’s why I… I set the fire to save you.”
“I see. Thanks to you, my knights sensed something was wrong and came to the temple. You did well.”
“But… the priest saved me… and then he fell.”
Her eyes welled up, and fresh tears streamed down her face.
Ylfus hugged her tightly.
“I see, Cinq.”
In a soft voice, he comforted her, saying the barn had been empty and that the gentle white goat priest must have escaped.
Still sobbing, Cinq said,
“The white goat…”
“Yes, the white goat priest.”
“You believe me, don’t you? The angel was real. He saved me on that roof. Not just that—everything I’ve been able to endure until now is because of him. I’m the proof.”
“Of course, Cinq. I believe you. I’ve learned the hard way to trust my wife’s words.”
Cinq wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
“Ylfus, did you know? Almonds… they’re also called apricot seeds. Their tree blooms pure white flowers even before the leaves, making it the first to blossom in early spring. It’s as if the tree stays awake while all the others sleep through winter, watching over everything.”
She continued through her sobs,
“When I was very young, he told me that story. I didn’t understand why he shared it with me back then, and honestly, I still don’t. I just remember saying I liked almonds, and he asked me what else I liked. I told him I liked cheese.”
Cinq looked into Ylfus’s eyes as she went on,
“He was so happy when I said that. He promised, in such a joyful voice, to bring me big, delicious cheese. And he really did. Ylfus, you remember, don’t you? The cheese.”
“Of course, I remember. It was very tasty.”
“Ylfus, I’m serious. There was always someone in this village, someone who brought me big chunks of cheese—someone who was like an angel…”
Ylfus pressed his lips to her forehead and the corners of her eyes, saying,
“You’re right, Cinq. I believe you.”
In the gentle kiss, like a spring raindrop, Cinq quietly wept.
