Chapter 14: Paper Flowers

Alec walked without glancing at her, his pace steady and detached. He hadn’t even greeted her father, the cleric. As Afrosa followed him, she studied his expression cautiously. His pale face seemed sharp-edged, filled with tension. Though his face betrayed no clear emotion, the stubbornly pressed lips and subtle crease at the corner of his eyes made it obvious that something had happened.

“Alec,” she called softly.

“Hm?”

“Did my father say something to upset you?”

She spoke cautiously, unsure how best to broach the topic. Alec had never looked this withdrawn before. Of course, he wasn’t immune to bad moods—he was human, after all. They had disagreements and even petty arguments from time to time.

Alec was naturally quiet, but during those moments, he became even more taciturn, making it difficult to share the same space. However, since their marriage, things hadn’t escalated in that way. Even if they quarreled, they’d apologize to each other without hesitation, quickly mending their relationship. But this time…

“Why do you ask?”

His voice was soft, almost murmured, as if he was trying to reassure her. The forced smile he gave only deepened her worry. Afrosa shook her head, noticing the shadow still lingering beneath his calm facade.

“It’s nothing… really. I was just a little worried, that’s all,” she replied, hastily brushing off her concern before looking ahead.

The relationship between Alec and her father was complicated. Or rather, it had been strained since her marriage to Alec. It hadn’t always been this way—she was certain of that.

Does Father still disapprove of my marriage to Alec?

Afrosa pondered her father’s reactions to her husband. Dallas was a kind man to everyone, including Alec. He was always warm and thoughtful and had spoken highly of Alec’s character. Yet, when it came to Alec as her husband, Dallas didn’t seem pleased. Despite the frequent interactions and familiarity between them, that discomfort lingered.

Alec wasn’t any different. He respected and admired Dallas as a cleric, but he found it difficult to approach him as his father-in-law. Still, neither of them let their feelings erupt in front of her.

They used to get along so well. Did my marriage to Alec ruin their relationship?

Afrosa sighed and let her shoulders drop. She recalled how her father had pitied Alec in his youth, a boy scorned by the village as a misfit and an outcast. While others ostracized Alec as an ill omen, her father had never treated him that way. He had taken care of him when no one else would, even though the rest of the village refused to.

If her father had been like the others, finding Alec’s presence unbearable, Afrosa would never have been able to help him back then.

Maybe I shouldn’t have brought Alec to see Father today, she thought bitterly.

Perhaps that had been a mistake. She had assumed her father would support them as always and help resolve whatever issues weighed on Alec’s mind. But judging by her husband’s current demeanor, she feared she had only made things worse.

“Rose.”

Alec’s voice cut through her spiraling thoughts as they walked.

“I’m fine.”

His quiet reassurance left her unsure whether to feel comforted or even more concerned.

“Sure,” he replied.

“I had a bad dream,” Alec added, his voice calm yet distant.

“Really? What kind of dream?” Afrosa asked, her tone filled with concern.

“Just… a bad one,” he replied vaguely.

He came to a halt and looked down at her. The hand that had been resting on her waist now gripped her rounded shoulder gently. Afrosa tilted her head back to meet his gaze, curiosity and unease mingling in her expression. What kind of nightmare could unsettle someone so much that it altered their demeanor entirely?

“Are you sure my father didn’t say something upsetting?” she probed again.

“No,” he assured her.

“But you look worse than you did when we left the house,” she said cautiously.

“The cleric asked me to confirm the year and date during the check-up. I couldn’t recall it immediately, so I hesitated, and he seemed a bit surprised. I got flustered, too, and I think we both ended up startled,” he explained.

“You couldn’t remember the date?” she asked, her eyebrows raising slightly.

“I do now. It’s September 2, 562,” Elec answered promptly.

Afrosa studied him for a moment before nodding. That could happen. A person might forget dates or times when overwhelmed. But still, what kind of nightmare could be so dreadful that it left him this shaken?

“What sort of nightmare could do that…” she muttered softly, starting to walk again. She didn’t directly question him further, opting to voice her thoughts under her breath instead. Alec kept pace beside her, silent as if he hadn’t heard her musings.

They walked the path from the chapel back to their home. As they approached the village square, a general store came into view.

Between their home and the chapel lay the town’s central clearing, which doubled as a small market. There were shops for general goods, a produce stand, the village’s sole inn, and residences belonging to the local healer and an elder. Though the village of barely 100 residents was small and remote, it wasn’t entirely cut off from outsiders. On occasion, travelers would wander in by mistake or stop to rest on their way to the nearby estate of a prominent noble, whose domain was known for boasting one of the most beautiful beaches in the country.

Even so, Laurent remained a secluded rural area. It was said that the village belonged to the territory of a fallen noble family, even when that family was still intact. Back then, Laurent was already a poor, isolated settlement with little contact with the outside world. Since the noble family’s complete downfall, the village had been absorbed into another lord’s domain. However, unlike other territories with mines, trade ports, or ancient ruins to generate income, Laurent had no such resources. Its land was poor for farming, the soil and climate limiting what crops could grow.

Moreover, reaching Laurent required crossing mountains and forests, a journey most lords and priests avoided if they could. Yet her father had braved those same mountains and forests to come here—to this isolated, forgotten village. He had done it all for Afrosa, for the sake of her peaceful life.

“Let’s stop by the general store for a bit,” Alec said, breaking the silence.

“Why?”

“To decorate the house with paper flowers.”

“But you already made some.”

“I threw out the ones that were all messy and poorly done.”

Alec’s face hardened as if he were dissatisfied. Afrosa rambled on, trying to justify herself, explaining how they were badly shaped and the glue was messy.

“You know, I’m not good at making them. Zenas is much better at paper flowers.”

It was the truth. She was fine at most things, but paper flowers were her weak spot. To be honest, her skills were poor—she was not self-deprecating, but rather, she just didn’t have the talent for it. However, Zenas, the village elder’s daughter and owner of the only general store in town, was incredibly skilled at making paper flowers. She was also exceptional at weaving fabric and embroidery. Afrosa felt that Zenas’s skill was not just in technique but in her eye for color, her ability to choose the right tones and combine them beautifully. Of course, Afrosa could make paper flowers at a level similar to most other village girls, but she couldn’t do it as well as Zenas. Thinking about it now seemed silly, but before her marriage, she couldn’t stand the fact that she was worse than Zenas. No one compared her to Zenas, yet she always felt like they were being compared, as though people thought she was inferior to Zenas.

That wasn’t true, but she believed everyone thought that way. Though, even if they did, it didn’t matter. The real issue was that Zenas liked Alec. Zenas was the village’s most eligible bride, and Alec was considered the most handsome man in the village.

“Let’s stop by for a moment.”

Alec tried to avoid passing through the square, taking a roundabout way, but Afrosa caught his arm and pulled him in the direction she wanted to go. He hesitated for a moment, lips twitching, before reluctantly following her lead. Afrosa glanced at him, watching his subtle movements, wondering if there was something he wanted to say. His lips moved as if to speak, but he remained silent, and the look bothered her.

“Welcome!”

As they entered, Zenas greeted them brightly.

“Hello, Zenas.”

“Oh, it’s been a while, Afrosa.”

Zenas, who had been working on a row of colorful wreaths and an oak tree for the Emperor’s birthday celebration in the square, looked up. She greeted Aphrosa, but her gaze naturally shifted to Alec. Her cheeks flushed a rosy pink, and her amber eyes betrayed her feelings. Zenas still had feelings for Alec. It wasn’t just a simple crush—she genuinely wanted him. Afrosa, watching Zenas’s lips curl into a wide smile, turned her gaze away.

“Hello, Alec.”

Zenas greeted him as well. Alec, who had been observing a mounted stag’s head on the wall of the store, shifted his gaze to Zenas. The moment their eyes met, Zenas’s cheeks flushed even redder. Afrosa felt a tightness in her chest. There was nothing in Alec’s cold, steel-colored eyes, but still, she felt uneasy.

“Why is that here?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“The stag I gave to my father-in-law as a wedding gift.”

“Oh, that one.”

Zena turned around with a shocked expression. Afrosa casually looked up at the mounted stag on the wall. It was a large, majestic beast with long, sturdy antlers. The stag that Alec had caught right before their wedding, when he received the bridal dowry, had antlers just like that—strong and impressive. Its glossy pelt and long, magnificent antlers. The villagers had commented on how little damage the pelt had, wondering how it had been hunted, as they praised its quality, saying it could fetch a high price if sold to nearby nobility. The stag Alec hunted that year was of such good quality that it could easily sell for a high price. However, Alec had never sold it.

“My father got it from Father-in-law.”

“Your father sold this to your father-in-law?”

“Uh… well, not exactly sold…”

Zenas hesitated, her lips moving in uncertainty. Afrosa glanced anxiously at Alec’s face. His sharp gray eyes were glaring at Zenas, his posture tense. Alec did not like the villagers. When he was younger, he had openly shown his disgust and avoided socializing with them. As he grew older, influenced by Father Dallas and Afrosa, he interacted more with the villagers and even befriended some of the young men, though there were still many who kept their distance. He occasionally helped the villagers with labor, but his primary work had always been hunting.

He would hunt animals, skin them, sell the pelts to passing traders, and send the meat to the butcher’s shop for sale. Sometimes, he worked as a carpenter, but his main work was solitary. He didn’t have much need to interact with the villagers.

For these reasons, Alec rarely engaged in conversation with them. Since he didn’t mix with them, there were no conflicts or tensions. However, the village elder wouldn’t leave Alec alone.

As Alec glared at Zenas, he yanked the mounted stag off the wall with terrifying strength.

“Alec!”

Afrosa shouted in surprise. Immediately, Alec drew the dagger from his belt and drove it into the stag’s neck. Zenas went pale in shock. With the knife lodged in the stag’s neck, Alec roughly tore the mount apart, making a ripping sound as he did so.

His face remained expressionless. Zena, shocked, had tears streaming down her face. Afrosa felt dizzy for a moment. She couldn’t understand why she felt so nauseous seeing Zenas cry. Was it jealousy? She wasn’t sure. It was beyond her control that Zenas liked Alec. It was the same for the other village girls, including herself. It wasn’t her concern if other women liked Alec. Yet, it bothered her.

She feared that Alec’s gaze might turn to another woman. His eyes were fixed on Afrosa… but she was already certain she could no longer hold onto him. Seeing him made her insides burn with jealousy.

“I shouldn’t have stopped at the store.”

Regret washed over her. She could have just used the paper flowers she had already made, but why had she insisted on going to Zenas’s store? Afrosa blamed herself.

“Uh, um…”

“That’s not something you gave to your father. It’s not yours either.”

Alec sharply cut off Zenas, who had tried to intervene.