Red Riding Hood - Chapter 65
Her face flushed deeply at his words.
It had been several months since she came to Kalasca.
She was gradually growing accustomed to the mild, dry air—so different from the damp and oppressive climate she once knew—and to life in a stately, ornate castle, rather than a damp cabin in the woods.
It was all thanks to Ylfus.
During their journey to Kalasca, he had patiently helped her adjust to this new life.
To her, who once thought the small village surrounded by endless forests was the entire world, he had shown a beautiful and vast world.
For Cinq, who had been as startled and timid as a small bird, he had taken the time to teach her everything she needed to know, step by step.
Now, she could live comfortably in the castle of Kalasca—all because of him. But even so, there were still things she couldn’t quite get used to.
For example—
The maids who attentively prepared bathwater for her after every session of intimacy with Ylfus. Or the magically pristine state of the bed when she returned to the bedroom after her bath.
“Cinq.”
And Ylfus himself, behaving like a proper and composed husband as he left her in the care of the maids after cleaning her up.
“Enjoy your time with Father, and I’ll see you later.”
He pressed his thick lips against her forehead, speaking in a generous tone.
Cinq, out of habit, only nodded in response, but remembering her duty to show proper manners to her husband, she hastily replied.
“Yes, dear.”
To her, it was a polite and proper answer.
But Ylfus, watching her with her wide eyes and simple nod, suddenly looked as if he was bubbling over with emotion before he swept her into a tight embrace.
“Damn it, Cinq!”
“……”
“I don’t want to leave you!”
Cinq, startled and bewildered, rolled her blue eyes nervously.
She noticed the maids waiting quietly to assist her, pretending not to see the scene, their heads respectfully bowed.
Cinq, on the verge of tears, thought to herself, Will I ever get used to this?
***
Perhaps a day would come when she could adapt to all of it, but today was not that day.
As one of the maids combed her hair, she noticed the bite mark on Cinq’s neck left by Ylfus.
“Young Madam, I’ll apply some medicine here,” she said gently.
Though her voice was kind, Cinq felt so embarrassed that her face turned as red as fire, from her exposed chest to the top of her head.
The maid, noticing her flustered expression, spoke with a soothing tone.
“You’re very fortunate to have such a happy marriage. Let me apply the ointment and cover it with a cloth. It’ll heal in no time.”
“Th-thank you.”
Even speaking casually to the maids still felt awkward for her. Bowing her head, Cinq cooperated as the maids braided her hair neatly and dressed her in a beautiful gown.
After finishing her light makeup, Cinq opened her jewelry box.
The box was filled with exquisite ornaments, but she always searched for one thing: a necklace made of small pearls.
At the end of it hung a small ceramic figurine shaped like an angel.
As she gazed at the peaceful-looking angel, a faint smile appeared on her full lips. She picked up the necklace and carefully fastened it around her neck.
The small angel rested gently against her chest.
It didn’t feel like cold ceramic—it felt warm, as if a gentle heat radiated from where it touched her skin. That warmth gave her courage.
As the maid finished adjusting her outfit, she commented in a soft voice.
“Young Madam, you always wear that necklace. Is it perhaps made of baroque pearls?”
Cinq smiled faintly and shook her head.
“It’s not a pearl. It’s made of ceramic.”
“Oh, I see.”
“It’s not an expensive item… but it’s precious to me.”
Once she was fully prepared, Cinq walked briskly down the hallway, where plush carpets muffled her steps.
Through the clear crystal windows, the warm noonday sunlight streamed in.
Beyond the windows, she could see the castle’s gear-shaped walls guarded by patrols, and beyond that, the peaceful, vibrant fiefdom with its endless fields of green wheat.
Cinq stopped for a moment to take in the view.
From this high vantage point, any scenery seemed to transport her somewhere else.
Her thoughts flew across the vast distance to the edge of the continent, to a gray village surrounded by tall mountains and deep forests.
She thought of the tower overlooking that gray landscape… the study of the White Goat Priest.
She remembered the view he must have watched for most of his life.
The narrow path leading from the burned-down temple’s back door, past the eerie cemetery, and into the woods. The wide field stretching between the forest and the cemetery.
There had been someone who had watched over her lonely, painful life for so long. Someone who had protected her without her ever realizing it.
“Angel, are you watching?”
Cinq knew.
“It’s so beautiful.”
Even if everything had been a lie, or if it was merely an illusion visible only to her—
One thing was certain.
There had been an angel by her side.
