Towards the Winter Cabin of Serenity and Madness, Cinderella Runs - Chapter 131
From that day on, Kyden found himself returning to the inn every evening as if it was a routine. He knew that having a long tail would make him vulnerable, and that there were hyenas waiting to exploit his weaknesses, yet he couldn’t bring himself to stop.
He couldn’t leave Roel alone, especially knowing she was waiting for him and would try to hold him back from leaving. The thought of leaving her alone made him restless; her image lingered in his mind throughout the day, causing his heart to ache and his legs to shake with anxiety.
“Will you come again today?” Roel asked, trailing behind him as he got dressed.
He glanced down at her, his tongue swirling in his mouth as he contemplated how to respond, his expression revealing his discomfort. She clutched the hem of his shirt tightly.
“….Are you busy?”
Today, the Count and his subordinates would gather for a roundtable meeting, followed by dinner. Kyden’s fief would be discussed during the meeting.
“There’s a dinner today. I might not be able to make it.”
“Really?”
It pained him to see her disappointed like this. She wasn’t a child anymore, yet when he looked at her wide, delicate eyes, long eyelashes, flushed cheeks, and the shallow breaths escaping her lips, he couldn’t help but think, ‘No, she’s still young. Very young.’
Kyden clicked his tongue. He often felt like Roel was a fragile little bird—young, vulnerable, prone to tears, and easily hurt. This perception was likely due to the way he had always seen her.
Long ago, Roel had been a small girl waiting for her father. When she hid in the cabin, she resembled a frightened rabbit, trembling and hurt. At times, she would shrink back, bursting into tears and following him like a little puppy.
Even so, this level of concern felt excessive. Kyden diagnosed his feelings as somewhat severe, realizing that this anxiety wouldn’t easily dissipate.
“I’ll come even if it’s late.”
“Really? Are you sure you won’t overdo it?”
“I’ll be fine.”
The distance between the Count’s castle and the inn wasn’t far. The real issue was that his father had sent someone to tail him. After a few quiet days, it seemed he was finally ready to strike.
Kyden would have to shake off his tail before entering the inn, which added a layer of complexity. However, since Roel disliked being alone, he felt he had no choice. Oddly enough, he didn’t find it bothersome.
Seeing Roel depend on him sparked a pleasant sense of responsibility within him, making life feel simpler. His clear goal was to obtain the fief so she could live safely and comfortably in a well-appointed mansion. It was a straightforward and satisfying objective.
After comforting Roel, Kyden left the inn, hopeful that he could bring back good news today. However, the concern he had was already a reality from earlier.
* * *
That morning, Roel had clung to him until late, pulling him back into bed as he tried to get up, hanging onto him while he changed clothes, and not letting go of his lips at the door.
Once Kyden finally managed to free himself from Roel’s arms, she seemed cheerful and content, chattering away like a little songbird as she opened a book.
She briefly worried that she might be annoying him too much, but it was difficult to suppress her greed.
‘I must be quite the greedy one.’
She hadn’t thought of herself as overly greedy before, but her feelings about Kyden were different.
Just then, while she was bending her neck till it ache, memorizing words,
Bang bang bang-! Bang bang!
There was a loud knock at the door. Startled, Roel’s eyes widened.
“Who, who is it?”
After a moment, someone answered from outside.
“Open the door. I’m Kyden’s father.”
Kyden’s father? At that, Roel felt flustered and quickly opened the door. Standing there was a man as tall as Kyden.
His graying hair and beard hinted at his age, but his robust physique and commanding presence suggested he was not someone to be trifled with.
Feeling intimidated, Roel clasped her hands together and looked up at Jared. He appeared momentarily taken aback when he didn’t see anything at eye level and then slowly lowered his head.
“….”
With his serious demeanor, he had clearly come prepared to confront something but stopped when he saw Roel.
He had found it challenging to track down Kyden, who had evaded being followed like a ghost. Ultimately, he had bribed a servant assigned to Kyden to determine the inn’s location.
He couldn’t just stand by while his son secretly met a woman. He had come to verify whether Roel was an obstacle in Kyden’s path, especially now that he was about to receive his fief.
“Oh, hello. So you’re Kyden’s father? I’m Roel. Um, what brings you here? No, please come in first.”
Seeing her nervously trembling and politely greeting him, he felt a bit deflated.
