Towards the Winter Cabin of Serenity and Madness, Cinderella Runs - Chapter 145
It was a sunny day. The small apple tree behind the mansion was laden with red fruits, filling the air with a sweet apple scent.
A young maid, stealing fruit from the gardener, quickly hid when she heard voices nearby. She tucked the stolen apples into her skirt and peeked out cautiously.
The mansion’s master had come into the backyard. Known for their remarkable harmony, they were unusually tense today and seemed to be arguing.
“Everyone just tires me out. Let’s just celebrate by ourselves.”
“But we haven’t seen your family since the end of the year. We should invite them this time.”
The usually devoted husband shook his head in annoyance at his wife’s insistence. The wife, who always looked at her husband affectionately, was stubborn today as well.
What could have caused this display from such a loving couple? The hidden maid, unable to contain her curiosity, perked up her ears.
“It’s my birthday, so why should we invite everyone?”
“Because it’s your birthday, and I want to invite the family.”
Kyden stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around his wife and pouting in a grumpy tone.
“Can’t you focus more on me on my birthday…?”
He nuzzled against her neck, and the young maid quickly covered her mouth, nearly letting out a scream in surprise.
“Kyden, we’re outside! What if someone sees us?”
“It’s fine.”
“Kyden…”
The eavesdropping maid’s face flushed red.
‘Oh my goodness.’
Having just entered the mansion, the young maid recalled the various warnings from her seniors. They had particularly stressed that upsetting the lord would lead to serious trouble.
While usually quiet, he was said to be extremely strict, having tortured the steward and head of security to leave them empty-handed. His reputation was indeed imposing; his large, intimidating figure, stern expression, and deep voice made everyone instinctively lower their heads.
Yet, the scene before her was completely different from what she had heard. The fierce lord, resembling a massive black wolf, was acting like a puppy in front of his wife!
While she had heard about how fond he was of her, it was quite shocking to see him being so playful and affectionate.
‘Is it possible for someone that big to act cute?’
But the lord’s surprising behavior didn’t stop there.
“On my birthday, it’s better if I just stay in my room. It’s been ages since we did that.”
“Stop with the lewd comments.”
“You’ve changed. You used to come at me first.”
“…When did I ever do that?”
As she said this, the lord’s hand, which had been wrapped around his wife’s waist, slowly slid down to her backside.
At the increasing tension, the maid quickly averted her gaze. Although she was curious and wanted to see more, she couldn’t risk being caught peeping.
If she was discovered watching such an embarrassing scene, it would surely lead to serious trouble. With her face as red as an apple, the maid hurriedly slipped away.
‘The Madam is quite impressive, isn’t she? Not even flinching at the lord’s affection.’
As the maid crawled away to avoid being seen, she admired her mistress’s composure.
If anyone else had witnessed that sight, they would have either been entranced by the lord’s appearance or felt frightened and embarrassed, trembling like a wet dog.
But seeing the mistress’s calmness inspired a sense of respect in her.
* * *
It had been two years since their wedding.
Kyden had changed a lot since then; he no longer only acted cute and honest when he was drunk.
Now, even without the influence of alcohol, he wasn’t shy about subtly expressing his affection. Of course, this was only when they were alone.
“You always seem to care. What more do you want me to do?”
“You haven’t even held my hand lately. Yesterday, you even turned your back to me while we slept.”
Roel, who was sensitive to the cold, had burrowed into Kyden’s arms all winter long.
Every night, she clung to him tightly, intertwining her legs like a snake. The nights spent dozing off while patting Roel, who breathed softly against his chest, were warm and blissful.
But as the weather warmed up, her sweet and loving demeanor changed drastically. She began to dislike any physical contact and wouldn’t even hold his hand.
Whenever he tried to sneak in a hug, she would quickly dart away, creating distance between them. Every time he saw Roel turning her back on him while sleeping, it left him feeling incredibly hurt.
Am I just a hearth for her? His heart felt empty.
Roel seemed unaware of his feelings, merely snorting in response.
“What can I do if it’s too hot? You have a high body temperature.”
“…”
“And look how well your parents treat us. Not inviting them for Kyden’s birthday would be rude.”
Kyden, who typically avoided inviting family, remained silent.
His desire to keep Roel all to himself played a part in this, but the truth was that he disliked seeing her struggle with her blunt and straightforward family.
Though he didn’t show it, she had often felt awkward around her stoic relatives. There was no way she could comfortably act sweetly and warmly with a constantly smiling face.
