Towards the Winter Cabin of Serenity and Madness, Cinderella Runs - Chapter 39
Time dragged on slowly. Kyden had not returned even long past dinner time.
Roel had set the table for dinner, hoping to share it with Kyden, but she ended up waiting in vain. Sitting at the table, she stared at the door that remained firmly shut.
As his return grew later than usual, Roel’s became increasingly anxious. Eventually, dinner time passed and night fell.
Unable to bear it any longer, Roel pushed against the firmly closed door. It was so heavily blocked from the outside that it wouldn’t budge, no matter how hard she struggled.
She used all her strength and only managed to create only a small gap. Exhausted, Roel sat down on the floor to catch her breath before trying again.
She knew Kyden might be angry with her for trying to go outside when he returned, but her anxiety made it impossible to stay still.
However, even after more than an hour of struggling, she could only open a crack as wide as a palm.
Defeated, Roel sat down by the door, peering through the gap.
All she could see was the chilling darkness. There was no sign of any movement outside.
What could have happened? Was he hurt?
Roel tried not to think the worst, but it was no use. The time passed in terrifying silence, every minute stretching endlessly.
Suddenly—thump!
A noise at the door startled her. Roel quickly stood up and pressed close to the door, calling out.
“Kyden? Is that you, Kyden?”
A faint groan was the only response. She wanted to open the door to welcome him, but the box blocking it made it impossible.
Roel paced anxiously, her voice breaking in tears.
“Are you hurt? Come in quickly!”
It sounded like he was pushing with all his might; the box slowly scraped forward with a creaking sound. Finally, Roel could open the door.
“Kyden!”
There he was, bent over, clutching his thigh. Roel screamed almost fainting as she rushed to him.
She helped him into the house, supporting his body as he staggered weakly.
“What happened? Are you badly hurt?”
Roel, trying to hold back tears, finally broke down and cried.
“Stop crying… It’s just a small injury.”
“How did you get hurt?”
Roel asked as she laid Kyden on the bed and examined his body. Blood was seeping from his thigh, and the sight of the bright red blood made her heart pound furiously.
It was so red. Red and viscous like what she had seen that fateful night. Her breath choked in her throat, overwhelming her.
“It’s okay, calm down.”
It was Kyden who was injured, yet he was the one comforting Roel. Still, her shaking wouldn’t easily subside.
It felt like she was suffocating, but Roel forced herself to move. Focus. Get a towel, get a towel. Clean the blood, bandage the wound. There’s so much blood. What if he dies? There’s so much blood…
She didn’t know how she managed to grab the towels and bandages. With trembling hands, she inspected his injuries.
His body was covered with bruises and scrapes. It had taken him so long to get home because he had hurt his leg. As Roel shakily cleaned his wounds, Kyden took over wrapping the bandages himself.
He grumbled as he worked.
“Damn it, I had caught it, but I slipped on a rock and it got away.”
“…..”
“Don’t look at me like that. This isn’t usual. I just overdid it and got hurt.”
The rocks were slippery from the melted snow. He had almost captured a monster but slipped, losing his catch.
It was a valuable monster, and its horns alone were worth a lot. The disappointment of losing it had made him chase it even while injured, causing him to tumble down the rocks again.
It was a foolish and reckless act he wouldn’t normally have done. He wanted to boast to Roel, to show her he could make money and they didn’t have to worry.
Roel buried her face in her palms.
“Sob, huh, sob.”
Tears broke through. The worry and anxiety of waiting, the shock of seeing him hurt, the heartache of seeing his wounds, and the relief that he wasn’t badly hurt—all these emotions overwhelmed her and she cried uncontrollably.
“It’s okay…”
As Roel cried, Kyden didn’t know what to do. He had wanted to make her happy by bringing home a big catch, but instead, he had made her sad.
He couldn’t understand why things weren’t going his way. It was frustrating and embarrassing.
Stupid fool. How could I let that creature get away after catching it? Calling myself a knight is just embarrassing. He was irritated with himself.
“I’m sorry. So please, stop crying.”
“Why would you be sorry, Kyden…”
Roel wiped her tears and looked up to see a defeated Kyden slumping his shoulders.
In that moment, the man who usually seemed so strong and perfect now appeared vulnerable and pitiable. She wanted to comfort him, to soothe him.
Roel brought a tray of food, planning to nurse him back to health just as Kyden had done for her when she was sick.
“We don’t have any medicine at home… What if your wounds get infected?”
“What medicine? It’ll heal on its own.”
“That’s not good. We need to apply medicine for it to heal faster.”
“Well, then. I can get some from the village tomorrow.”
