Towards the Winter Cabin of Serenity and Madness, Cinderella Runs - Chapter 25
Roel stepped outside with the blanket, dusting it out irritably. Kyden watched her with a small smile, finding her tantrum cute. He thought to himself that she had become quite spirited after a few days of good food.
The weather remained cold, but the snow had stopped. They could descend to the village in a few days.
As the time to go to the village drew near, Kyden found himself worried. Living alone hadn’t required much, but now things were different.
The lack of household items bruised his pride. The cabin, suitable for a bachelor, seemed too sparse for a woman’s comfort.
With Roel, there were many more necessities to consider: clothes, decorative items, a variety of foods, and other essentials. The list of what needed to be acquired grew with the addition of another person.
Though he had enough money saved from hunting and mercenary work, he was unsure what to purchase that she would appreciate.
When Kyden was tidying up the table, Roel returned from venting her frustrations on the blanket.
“Is the blanket okay?”
“….I don’t know what you mean.”
Roel turned her head away, her expression shadowed. She felt a terrifying dread whenever thoughts of the village surfaced, wanting to ignore and escape these feelings.
While she was arranging the bed, Kyden approached and leaned on her, playfully obstructing her work.
“Need anything? I’ll buy it from the village, just tell me.”
His words caused Roel to stiffen. Just mentioning the village made her pale with fear. She avoided his gaze and breathed heavily, a sign of her distress.
Kyden clicked his tongue, not pressing further.
“I’m not saying we should go down together.”
“I know.”
“So, what do you need?”
“Nothing.”
His question was met with a cold response. Puzzled by her aversion to the village, he wisely chose to remain silent. He understood that further conversation would only worsen the situation.
Whenever Roel was in a bad mood, any attempt to cheer her up often backfired, leading to more tears, silence, or her busying herself with chores to avoid further discussion.
He was not sure if it’s because he was not articulate, lacked awareness, or if Roel is just sensitive, but in times like these, it seemed best to remove himself from the situation.
“I’ll go clear the snow.”
Indeed, with her mood soured, there was no follow-up comment from her, only the sound of the blanket being aggressively beaten growing louder.
* * *
It was a dark night.
The things troubling Roel weren’t the cold, hunger, blizzards, or the harsh nights.
It was the snow that no longer fell, Kyden’s diligence in clearing it all day, the receding cold as spring approached, and the increasing emotional distance from the village that tormented her.
I must run away. I have to flee further.
Roel realized that her time to leave was drawing near.
If he went down to the village, he might hear stories about her.
If he hears there’s a witch who murdered her cousin and fled… If he decides to report her… If the angry Roniti and villagers come chasing to the cabin to capture her!
Continuing with this terrifying thought, Roel shivered uncontrollably. Her face drained of color, and her heart felt constricted.
What would happen if they caught her? No one would listen to her excuses. In the end, she would be stoned or burned at the stake. It was a dreadful fate.
Perhaps dying frozen on the climb over the cold mountains would be a more blissful death. To be submerged in snow as if sinking into a deep sleep, in a place so deep within the mountains that no one could find her.
Imagining such a lonely moment, Roel felt an unbearable cold. The biting winter seemed to seep into her skin, slowly freezing her bones and organs. Even the breath she exhaled felt as if it froze.
Roel instinctively reached for warmth and stretched out her hand. She burrowed into the only embrace she could rely on at that moment. His firm and broad chest seemed to promise protection.
“What’s wrong?”
Kyden, awakened from his sleep, looked down at Roel with a puzzled expression.
“I’m just so cold. Can you hold me?”
She buried her face in his chest, hoping his firm and steadfast body would embrace her tightly enough to stifle the cold, to swallow up the fear as well.
Kyden sighed deeply as he pulled Roel into his arms.
“Stop fussing and just sleep.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Roel fidgeted, unsure of what to do next, causing Kyden’s expression to tighten with the ticklish sensation.
“You said you were in pain.”
“I’m okay now.”
But there was nowhere else to hide, no other refuge from the cold but his embrace. Even as she condemned his harshness, she depended on his warmth.
Knowing her own cowardice, yet seeing no alternative, blaming him and relying on him was the easiest path.
Choked by the guilt of having taken a life, she had no energy to consider anything else. She was too busy running from her own sins.
“I find it hard to hold back, so you’ll have to take care of it.”
“I, I can’t do it well.”
