Chapter 44
Roel slowly stood up at his words, gathering the medicine bag from the table and walking over to him.
Without a word, she began unwrapping the bandage on his thigh. The wound was quite deep, but thankfully, it had stopped bleeding. There were numerous small scratches, but they didn’t seem to be getting infected.
She applied the medicine to his wound, her hands trembling slightly. Although her shaking was noticeable, Kyden didn’t question her behavior.
Roel, stubbornly focused on his injury, then asked in a disheartened tone, as if defeated.
“….How did it go?”
“What?”
“The thing caught in the trap.”
It wasn’t a monster, was it? It was Roniti, right? Did Roniti tell you the truth? Roel swallowed the numerous questions she had.
“…It wasn’t a monster, right?”
Kyden took the medicine from her and lifted her chin. Then, he applied some medicine to a small cut on her cheek.
Roel, afraid to meet his gaze, shut her eyes tightly. She heard a low sigh and tried to imagine his expression beyond the darkness. All she could think of were expressions of anger and disgust.
“What do you want me to do?”
“…What?”
“Should I kill it?”
“…”
“Or should I let it go?”
Roel opened her eyes and finally saw his expression. It was completely different from what she had expected. He looked at her with empathy.
He looked at her sideways, clenching his jaw. After letting out a small sigh, he lowered his gaze.
Roel’s pupils trembled.
“Why are you asking me?”
“….”
So, he knows everything. Roel realized this the moment she saw his eyes. She felt something crumble inside her chest.
The moment she had feared and tried to avoid had finally come.
“What should I do? What, what should I do?”
“Whatever you want.”
“I don’t know. I really don’t know. I mean, I…”
“If it’s too hard to talk about, you don’t have to. I’ll handle it.”
Kyden, sensing her struggle, hugged Roel gently. Roel buried her face in his chest, taking deep breaths.
Kind Kyden.
His kindness was excruciating. His gentleness, as he embraced her cowardly self, tore at her heart.
After avoiding, fleeing, and making excuses, she was confronted with the cowardice within her.
What was she pushing onto him? What was she trying to make him do out of fear?
Roel spoke, her voice barely a whisper.
“…Just let her go.”
There was no reason for him to bloody his hands on her behalf. She couldn’t drag him into this hell with her.
She couldn’t be so shameless and selfish just because she was scared.
“…Alright.”
He replied in a strained voice, as if holding back his anger.
With different thoughts in their minds, the two of them tried to calm their emotions.
After the storm of emotions had subsided, Kyden released his hold on her.
“I’ll take care of it.”
He stood up, as if having made a firm decision. Roel, worried he might do something rash, hurriedly spoke.
“It was true. I did it. So, just let her go…”
Confessing her secret left her feeling empty and hollow, but at least the suffocating pressure was gone.
Without a word, Kyden left the cabin. Was he going to untie Roniti? He must be going to let her go.
Roel clasped her hands on her lap and stared blankly into space, then lifted her head.
‘He probably hasn’t eaten breakfast. I should prepare something.’
She had laid all her cards on the table. There was nothing more she could do. It was all over. So, she deliberately focused her mind on something else.
She busied herself preparing a late lunch. Limping on her injured ankle, she tried to muster some energy.
The throbbing ankle, the body aching as if it had the flu, the torn wounds, and the crushed, broken heart.
She pushed the persistent pain to the back of her mind and prepared a delicious meal. Food for them to share when he returned.
* * *
Kyden returned before long, and Roel greeted him calmly.
There was a resolute expression on his face as he entered the cabin. Seeing this, Roel felt nothing but guilt.
As they ate in silence, Roel finally asked Kyden what Roniti had said and what had happened.
Kyden looked at her with a complex expression before speaking.
“Let’s move to another village.”
“……”
“It might be a bit difficult since it’s far, but you’ll like it. It’s a place you know.”
Roel shook her head.
“No, I won’t go.”
“What?”
“I’m not going.”
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