Towards the Winter Cabin of Serenity and Madness, Cinderella Runs - Chapter 38
“…When the weather warms up, more creatures start roaming around. I have to make sure they can’t even come near.”
As Kyden spoke, his face seemed shadowed. A fleeting, unreadable gleam passed through his eyes as he glanced at Roel.
Are there that many animals roaming around here? With spring approaching, the animals starved over the winter become more ferocious, so it must be necessary to prepare thoroughly.
Roel nodded as she thought about that.
After Kyden’s trip to the village and his efforts setting traps around, Roel decided to prepare a lavish dinner for him. She boiled meat, made soup, and warmed bread, spreading it with honey and butter. The wine Kyden had brought back completed the feast.
When Kyden returned, they dined together and cleaned up afterward. Despite Roel’s protests to rest, Kyden was stubborn.
Whenever Roel tried to lift something heavy, Kyden quickly took it from her. What if you hurt your ankle again moving heavy things?, he chided.
Roel found his fussiness not annoying but just liked it. She felt like a special and cherished person.
No way. How could someone like her be considered precious? She doubted that Kyden could truly like her. But the repeated affection slowly dismantled her self-doubt.
Her nights of restless sleep had decreased.
If she did not talk with Kyden, her insomnia worsened due to severe anxiety and nightmares, but lately, she could fall asleep naturally every other night.
Though it was no longer as cold, by habit, they undressed and clung tightly before bed as part of their bedtime ritual.
“Just going to sleep tonight?”
“Tonight… just sleep.”
“Hng.”
Kyden seemed not too pleased but resigned. He grumbled as he held her close.
Roel felt something hard near her thigh. Kyden often had e-ections at random times, so she lightly dismissed it as usual. Despite the discomfort that might come from being held so tightly, Roel closed her eyes comfortably within the confining pressure.
It seemed unlikely that Roel would have nightmares tonight. Even if she did, it was just a dream that would vanish upon waking.
A faint smile crossed her sleeping face in the dead of night.
Midnight.
Kyden gazed at Roel’s sleeping face.
Her face seemed too gentle to harm a rabbit, her arms too delicate to twist the neck of a chicken. Yet, was she capable of murder?
“Hmm…”
She was accused of being a witch for wreaking havoc in a happy home, murdering a woman’s son, igniting fire in a peaceful village, and fleeing.
What was true, and what was false? Kyden couldn’t know until Roel chose to speak.
* * *
It was the end of winter, with the snow that had covered the world white melting away.
As animal activity increased, Kyden engaged more actively in hunting. He not only set traps but also hunted beasts himself.
Roel worried it might be dangerous, but Kyden shrugged with a smug look, claiming that the traps only caught small creatures, which barely sufficed for a meal.
He prepared with arrows and knives that made the heart race, claiming the big and dangerous ones were more valuable. Lastly, he wrapped the scarf Roel had knitted around his neck.
“When will you be back?”
“I’m going a bit further today.”
He had heard that monstrous creatures, as large as men, appeared deep in the mountains. Even well-trained knights found these beasts challenging, so ordinary people avoided the deep forest.
“Isn’t it dangerous to go so far? Please don’t take on too risky hunts.”
“There’s nothing too dangerous out there.”
“Really? I heard monsters appear…”
“Dangerous? It’s just a monster.”
Roel’s face paled, her heart dropped.
“You’re not trying to catch a monster, are you?”
“…”
“Please, say you’re not!”
“…No, I’m not.”
His hesitant demeanor didn’t reassure Roel, and Roel clung to him longer. Only after hearing him deny it three more times did she let him go.
At the door, Roel grabbed Kyden’s arm and asked cautiously,
“With much of the snow melted, wouldn’t it be okay for me to walk around outside now?”
“Not yet. I told you there are many animals out there.”
Kyden’s face hardened as he heard Roel was leaving. He looked down at her with a mix of irritation and concern .
“Alright.”
Roel conceded easily and released his arm. She knew his concerns about wild animals were not the only reason for his caution.
Roel wasn’t always confined to the inside of the cabin. When Kyden was home, she could freely roam outside the cabin. She enjoyed the fresh air, fetched water from the stream, and even swept the yard. She had never encountered any wild animals near the cabin.
Kyden often warned her of the dangers of traps and animals around, but Roel suspected there were other reasons behind his warnings.
She wasn’t particularly stifled by these restrictions; she felt mostly apologetic and embarrassed because she believed she was at fault. He’ll come around eventually, she thought. She only blamed herself.
Kyden turned away indifferently.
“Just stay put.”
“Please be careful.”
Roel clasped her hand together as she watched his broad back disappear into the distance, hoping fervently for his safe return.
And that day, dusk fell without Kyden’s return.
