Towards the Winter Cabin of Serenity and Madness, Cinderella Runs - Chapter 19
“I tend to throw away old clothes and buy new ones.”
He had never paid much attention to his attire, discarding them for new ones once they lost their warmth or got torn. Being a wanderer, dressing up seemed absurd.
His excuse seemed to fall on deaf ears as Roel. She looked annoyed by his dawdling, glanced at him briefly before bowing her head back down to her work.
“It’s not okay to be messy. Not okay at all. Everyone would dislike that.”
Seeing Roel muttering obsessively, Kyden gave up and turned away.
He noted her aversion to mess.
Indeed, Roel had thoroughly cleaned the house while he was out checking traps. Even when she was exhausted from shivering in the cold. It was something he found incomprehensible, almost as if she had some form of compulsion for cleanliness.
Touching his stubble, Kyden wondered if she found that messy too. Perhaps her eyes were closed all night because of his beard.
After he left, Roel lifted her head after a few minutes, scanning the empty cabin before standing up.
“Ha.”
Her neck and shoulders were stiff from sewing for so long. She twisted her head and took off her clothes.
Even though it was warm near the stove, stripping made her shive. Perhaps proving his point, she was unable to tolerate the cold.
The bucket filled with snow had melted into water as it was placed near the fire. As she touched it, it was ice-cold. Warm water was too much to hope for in the middle of winter.
Roel soaked a clean cloth in the water.
‘I should bathe outside…’
But she was given no opportunity to step out, so she had no choice. She wiped her face and body with the wet cloth when she caught sight of the blotchy bruises between her chest and gasped at the sight.
How could a mere massage leave such marks? She didn’t even get hit. The sight made her turn away in embarrassment.
As she hastily cleaned herself before his return, she rubbed her skin raw without noticing it was turning red.
Bang-!
To her dismay, he returned early. Startled, Roel, who was cleaning her body, glanced towards the door. Kyden paused before entering, then averted his gaze.
Without fully drying off, Roel hurriedly dressed.
“Take your time. I won’t look.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m done.”
She couldn’t look at him out of shame and crouched down again. She wanted to escape into the awkward atmosphere by picking up the needle. She sewed diligently with her cold hands.
“Cough.”
But he lingered annoyingly around Roel. Curious, she glanced up and noticed his face that was now clean-shaven.
“Ah!”
Roel gasped in surprise.
Without the beard, he looked a decade younger. His large frame and bushy beard had made him seem well into his thirties. But now, clean-shaven, he appeared unmistakably in his twenties.
The beard had hidden a strong jawline, transforming him into a strikingly handsome man. His masculine features, black hair, and yellow eyes complemented each other. It exuded a rough and intimidating charm.
If he went down the village in this state, he could easily turn the heads of women in the village who had once been wary of him.
“You, you shaved your beard?”
“Yeah.”
“You look… younger. It’s good.”
Pleased with Roel’s compliment, he stroked his chin and walked away. He looked satisfied.
Roel felt somewhat stunned. Seeing him become so great made her feel even more insignificant. It made her think she shouldn’t dwell on the previous night any longer, even more so.
After a day spent on sewing, there was nothing left to mend. Originally, there weren’t many clothes to begin with. What to do next? The thought of having nothing to occupy her felt strangely daunting.
At Roniti’s house, there was always plenty to do. Preparing three meals a day for five people was tiresome. Not to mention cleaning and laundry. Roniti couldn’t stand seeing her idle. If there was nothing else, she was told to do needlework, scolding her for being a burden.
Due to Roel’s poor reputation, no other ladies offered her work. So Roniti had to find odd jobs for her. And then complained about how it was shameful for her to have to do so.
‘What might have happened? Was there a big fire?’
Finishing the last stitch, a wave of curiosity she had been suppressing surged forward.
Could there have been a big fire at the house? Was Roniti left homeless? Had they discovered Hoswon’s body? Did they realize she was responsible for Howson’s death? Were they looking for her?
Given that Howson’s body would have been found in her room, Roniti would undoubtedly suspect Roel. Even if his body was discovered elsewhere, Roniti would stillsuspect Roel.
How loudly would she talk about her? Blaming her, as if she were a witch. Causing her to lose a son and home. Shouting curses that could shake the village to its core? She must be rallying the villagers to hunt down the witch. It seemed definite.
The fear of the village and relatives she had left behind grew. Simultaneously, a vague sense of triumph spread deep within her heart.
‘Let their house burn to the ground, leaving them to sit on the streets.’
She hoped they would find no neighbor to take them in. She wished for them to suffer the cold and fear, to experience the pain of hunger. Just like her. She hoped for those selfish people to turn on each other like devils and tear themselves apart.
As she murmured such dark wishes, tears unexpectedly began to flow.
Eris_chan
Talvez eles achem que ela morreu no incêndio….