Towards the Winter Cabin of Serenity and Madness, Cinderella Runs - Chapter 107
While walking alone in the garden, Roel found a friendly staff member who had struck up a conversation with her. She had been feeling a bit lonely spending the day by herself, so she was happy to chat with him.
They didn’t talk about anything special—just small talk about what events were happening during the Founding Day week, how long he’d been in the capital, and whether she was staying by herself.
“Tomorrow evening… there will be fireworks at the palace.”
“Did he ask you to go with him? Huh?”
Roel panicked and shook her head. While the staff member had hinted at it, he hadn’t directly asked her to go.
“N-no! He just said the fireworks would be easy to see near the palace…”
Roel lowered her gaze, hesitating.
“He said it’d be a good view.”
The staff member had told her the fireworks were supposed to be beautiful, bursting in the sky. People would gather at prime viewing spots, and the restaurants would be bustling with crowds.
Roel hadn’t known about the festival at all. The thought of seeing the fireworks suddenly sparked a desire to go herself.
‘But Kyden will probably be busy…’
She didn’t want to bother him when he had so much going on.
Kyden suddenly lifted her up, placing her on his lap. Roel grabbed his shoulders to keep herself from falling backward.
Their faces were so close they almost touched. He kissed her gently on the bridge of her nose and asked in a low voice.
“Do you want to see them?”
She meant to say it was fine, but instead, without thinking, she nodded. She felt almost entranced by his golden eyes. When his lips curled into a soft smile, her heart squeezed painfully.
Why couldn’t she get used to this? They kissed and touched each night, yet every time she saw him, her heart still raced.
“Can we go?”
“Yeah, I’ll come back early tomorrow.”
Roel’s eyes lit up at his words. She hugged him tightly, filled with excitement and happiness.
“That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Kyden.”
Her cheek rubbed affectionately against his shoulder, and he blinked in surprise.
“Is there anything else you want to do?”
“No, nothing else. That’s more than enough.”
Roel shook her head with a bright smile on her lips.
She was so overjoyed just at the promise of going to see the fireworks together. Kyden felt a little taken aback by her reaction.
She hadn’t shown this kind of happiness when he gifted her dresses and jewels. Just the day before, he had brought her expensive clothes and accessories, but all she had given him was a polite, awkward smile of thanks.
Seeing Roel so happy gave Kyden a deep sense of satisfaction, even though they hadn’t finished what they usually did. His heart felt light, and his body relaxed.
Kyden lay down beside Roel after gently lowering her onto the bed. He pulled her close, hugging her from behind, melting into the moment like snow slowly thawing.
Even though his p–is was still fully e-ect, he found himself not wanting to push her further. If they continued, Roel would likely end up in tears again, utterly exhausted, falling asleep as if she had passed out.
He didn’t want to disturb the gentle smile on her face, so he suppressed his lust.
“…Shall we just sleep?”
Roel turned to him with a surprised look. It was unlike Kyden to stop here. He usually wasn’t satisfied until he pushed her to the point of collapse every night. She quickly nodded, relieved, and slowly shifted to face him.
She gently caressed his jaw, feeling the warmth of his breath against her hand.
‘Kyden stopping before the end… he must be really tired.’
Part of her felt pity seeing the usually so lustful man being so worn out but mostly, she sighed with relief.
‘Good, we can finally talk tonight.’
For the past few nights, he had come home late, and they barely exchanged any words before doing it. As a result, Roel hadn’t had a chance to talk with him properly, falling asleep from sheer exhaustion. When she woke up in the morning, his side of the bed was already empty.
She had missed him terribly, spent long days wandering and waiting, full of questions and uncertainties. Finally being with him again, only to feel him slip away each night, left her feeling anxious.
‘I want to know more about Kyden.’
The man who had returned to her in the capital wasn’t the same one she thought she knew.
When she learned that he wasn’t just a simple hunter, but the vice-captain of a major mercenary group, she had been shocked. And now, to discover he was actually a knight from a Count’s estate—it was hard to wrap her head around.
Roel wanted to know everything: what kind of life he had led, what his past was like, his worries, his family, his goals, and his plans for the future. All the hidden details of his life intrigued her.
‘And… how much he loves me.’
She also longed to understand the depth of his feelings for her. Her mind was consumed with these thoughts whenever he wasn’t by her side.
“Kyden.”
“Yeah?”
But as the peaceful moment stretched between them, she hesitated. Asking about his feelings made her too nervous, so she decided to start with something less daunting.
“…What’s the first thing you want to do when we go back home?”
He probably wanted to see his family or friends first. Oh, and she realized she hadn’t asked him much about his family yet. Roel stared at him with curious eyes.
