Chapter 23: Afrosa’s Anxiety

It was a little past 6 o’clock when Investigator Dallas arrived at the hut, carrying a basket filled with apple wine and dried snacks. Alec, having satisfied his hunger with a small snack, and Afrosa began preparing dinner once they returned home.

Afrosa spread a pink embroidered tablecloth on the dining table, then placed a silver candlestick in the center and decorated it with yellow chrysanthemums and purple bellflowers. Afterward, she set the dishes and utensils for the four of them and waited for her father’s arrival.

“Have you been well?”

Dallas handed the basket of apple wine to Alec, gave Afrosa a light hug, and kissed her on the cheek. Afrosa, meeting her father after a year, embraced him before pulling away.

Alec squinted as he observed his wife and father-in-law. Afrosa, who had been expressionless and silent all day, immediately smiled brightly and rushed to embrace her father the moment she saw him. Investigator Dallas, sensing something unusual, gently patted her back and stroked her head.

Afrosa, perhaps feeling self-conscious from Alec’s gaze, quickly pulled away but couldn’t hide the excitement on her face.

“Please, sit down, Father. Orchen, please, sit as well.”

“Thank you.” Dallas said as he sat down, but then hesitated and glanced at Orchen, who had entered the hut awkwardly. Afrosa gave a faint smile and introduced him.

“This is Mr. Orchen. He came from far away, from Travis, to look for a contact but couldn’t find him. He was about to look for a inn, but since it’s a holy day, all the inns are full, so he’ll be staying with us.”

“I see.”

Dallas looked at Orchen for a long moment after Afrosa’s explanation. Orchen gave a casual greeting and sat down. Dallas sat beside him and began speaking.

“Travis is quite far, isn’t it? It’s unfortunate that you couldn’t find your contact. It must be hectic with the festival today. This village is normally very peaceful.”

Dallas, unfolding his napkin, spoke to Orchen. Afrosa began serving the dishes she had prepared, glancing at her adoptive father’s face. Dallas’s expression was subtle as he observed Orchen.

“I noticed the village is peaceful, as it’s quiet. Everyone here is kind and warm. I believe all the residents are living under God’s blessing, in peace, thanks to your efforts, Investigator.”

“Thank you for saying that. By the way, how is Travis these days?”

Dallas, taking a bite of goat cheese, turned his attention to Orchen. Orchen, taking a sip of the apple wine Dallas had brought, stared back at him.

“Travis is the same as ever. Have you visited the institute?”

“I graduated from the seminary when I was young and briefly visited. It was during a tumultuous time with both small and large disturbances.”

“Ah, that must have been difficult, living in the institute.”

Orchen replied nonchalantly. Dallas followed suit, taking a sip of apple wine while glancing at Alec. Alec followed his gaze, his head moving to where Dallas was looking.

“Yes. It was particularly hard during the winter when a cold front hit. Is Travis still experiencing short days?”

“Yes, until the sun rises anew.”

Orchen responded briefly. Dallas, still looking at his son-in-law, slowly dropped his gaze. The two men, who had been exchanging words without interruption, fell silent at the same time.

Afrosa stood up without saying a word and brought over the stew. Investigator Dallas had stayed in Travis during the summer. Winter, cold fronts—these were all nonsensical terms in this context. He had said he left Travis before the fall of the year when he stayed at a relative’s house after graduating from seminary, making the mention of cold fronts even more out of place.

Yet, Dallas casually mentioned the cold front. Furthermore, Orchen…

‘It will be like that until the sun rises again.’

After that remark, her father did not speak any further. Orchen, too, continued eating in silence. Afrosa looked down at her lower abdomen. For the first time, she wished the thing inside her would disappear. A chill ran down her spine. How could she think such a thing? Wishing for the child to disappear?

She stared at the stew in disbelief, chewing it as if it had no taste before swallowing it. Alec glanced at her with his emotionless white face. Afrosa, trying not to show her feelings, lowered her head. Eventually, the meal ended, and only dessert remained.

When she stood up to fetch the cake she had carefully made, Alec grabbed her hand. Startled, Afrosa looked at him. His silent lips formed unspoken words. ‘Baby.’ Yes, she had to announce the news that she was pregnant. She had to happily share the news in front of everyone with a smile.

However, avoiding his piercing gaze, Afrosa walked to the kitchen. The cake she had baked earlier smelled fragrant with honey, cinnamon, and apples.

The cake, which she had prepared with Alec, was one of her favorite foods, traditionally eaten during every holy day. Yet, for some reason, it made her feel nauseous. Just the smell of it made her want to gag. It wasn’t even that her morning sickness was that severe, but it was hard to bear.

“Are you alright?”

Dallas asked, looking at Afrosa as she returned with the cake. Seeing her furrowing her brows as she pressed down the nausea, Dallas asked with concern. Alec’s gaze shifted to her pale face. Just as she was about to make an excuse, Alec spoke first.

“She’s pregnant.”

The previously emotionless gaze now focused on Afrosa. She froze, looking guilty as she fumbled, then glanced at Alec. His face was calm. Unlike his silence throughout the meal, he now wore a gentle smile on his lips.

“I think it’s early in the pregnancy, so she’s a bit sensitive.”

Afrosa’s pupils shook with unease. Alec softly turned to her father and uncle, speaking to them. Dallas turned his attention to his daughter. Afrosa, startled, clasped her hands tightly together and hunched her shoulders.

“Is that true? Rose?”

Her adoptive father’s gentle question reached her. Afrosa, who had lowered her gaze in response to Alec’s unexpected action, nodded.

“Congratulations! This is truly wonderful news.”

The voice tinged with joy flowed calmly, like a gentle stream, serene and quiet. Afrosa raised her head and looked at her adoptive father. His wrinkled eyes curved softly. As she met his warm smile, her nose tingled with emotion. The sight of his comforting gaze made tears well up, which she quickly wiped away.

“Rose?”

Dallas’s surprised voice reached her. Afrosa couldn’t lift her face, only wiping away the tears. She hadn’t intended to burst into tears, but they kept coming. The sound of her own sobs reached her ears only when she was embraced by her husband.

“The doctor said it’s a sensitive time in the pregnancy. I guess I cried because I was so happy to share the news with my father-in-law.”

Afrosa, who had tried to pull away in embarrassment, stopped herself. It seemed Alec believed that she cried out of joy, overwhelmed by the news of her pregnancy.

Afrosa quietly leaned into him, blinking away the wetness from her eyes. In truth, she wasn’t happy at all. She didn’t know why the tears were flowing, but there was no joy in her heart.

She felt confused. Guilty. Above all, she was terrified that the pregnancy had been revealed in front of everyone. Just thinking about Alec’s gaze from earlier made her body tremble. It wasn’t as if she had committed a crime. No, she hadn’t done anything wrong…

‘Could this really not be a sin?’

His hand gently stroked her head. Afrosa reflected on the words Orchen had said earlier.

‘If you don’t return to the regime, things will get difficult. And you are not the same as him.’

His indifferent gaze was terrifyingly arrogant. Even without saying it outright, his eyes made her feel that, born and raised in such high and unreachable circles, he was someone she could never reach. What kind of confidence had she had to speak so to him? She had said she would act according to reason when the time came. But what did she intend to do?

But back then, Afrosa had meant it. She wasn’t speaking empty words to argue. Afrosa stopped crying, carefully lifting her head. The cold, steel-gray eyes that had been smoldering like ashes were now looking down at her.

---

“Do you have a fever? Should we call the doctor?”

“I’m fine.”

Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of going out for dancing or fireworks, Afrosa returned to the bedroom, lying down heavily. Seeing that Afrosa couldn’t stop crying, Dallas had asked Alec to take her to the bedroom, so she was able to lie on the bed without having to clear the table.

Afrosa silently watched her husband as he gently stroked her forehead.

“Were you surprised?”

“A little.”

His kind touch stopped. Through his gray eyes, the emotions that had been hidden for so long seemed ready to surface. Afrosa, unable to face what was coming, turned her gaze away.

“I have something to say.”

Once again, Orchen’s words came to mind. The warning that it would be dangerous if she didn’t leave. The idea that she was different from Alec. She had an idea of what her husband was about to say. Afrosa waited for him with a blank expression.

“I think we need to leave Laurent.”

“…”

“As soon as possible.”

“When, when are we leaving?”

“In two days. I’ve already found a place in Dranberk. We have contacts there who will help us settle.”

“That’s too soon…”

“I’d like to have at least a month, but circumstances don’t allow for that.”

Her fingers tightened around the blanket. Although she had anticipated this, hearing the words leave from his mouth made her heart race. A feeling of discomfort and ominous tension made the back of her neck tighten.

“Rose.”

“What about my father?”

“He can visit sometimes. At first, when we move, it may be hard to see him often, but once we settle down, we can bring him to Dranberk.”

But would her father ever leave Laurent? Both she and her father had promised not to leave this place when they first came to Laurent. It wasn’t because they had a reason—it was because of Afrosa’s status.

Her father had told her that although she was freed, the outside world was still dangerous. People who had once been slaves were still viewed poorly by others, especially in big cities where slave hunts were common.

Though it might be different now, she recalled her father’s face when he said that big cities were still lawless and dangerous for someone like her. Afrosa never felt curiosity about what lay beyond Laurent. Even when young men from the village would travel to the big cities and return with beautiful, intricately crafted jewelry, she was not interested in the outside world.

No matter how much they boasted about the new products and exotic items they brought back, to Afrosa, the world beyond Laurent seemed no different than a forest full of predators. Perhaps it was because she was born and had lived in a territory ruled by a great noble.

Of course, sometimes when village girls paired up with young men for a trip to the big city, and returned with lovely trinkets, Afrosa did feel a little curious about places like Travis and Dranberk. The factories run by machines, the carriages, and the bustling urban life were all dazzling and loud.

But wasn’t slave hunting common in those places? To fall into the mistake of coveting what should not be coveted, only to be caught and enslaved again—that was a nightmare. She wanted nothing more than to avoid living as a slave again.

No one had ever been kind to her, and the merciless past was enough. She didn’t want to be tortured alive like her father had been or die without ever receiving proper care, like her mother. A life like that was not worth living. She would rather end it herself.

“Rose.”

Alec called her name, watching as she lay limp, lost in memories of her past life.