Vol 1 Chapter 9: The Fate Lurking Under Rose Petals

The morning in Rose Valley was bright as usual. The wind gently caressed the petals of the wildflowers that bloomed along the small village path. The scent of wet soil and morning dew combined to create a serenity that could only be found in a place like this.
In a simple house on the outskirts of the village, Caelan was laughing softly as she sat on her mother's lap, hugging her beloved, worn-out rabbit doll. Marry el Rose, the former executioner, was now just a mother who gently combed her daughter's long hair while singing a morning lullaby that she had composed herself.

"Caelan, today I will plant the red rose seedlings that you chose yesterday. Do you want to help me?" Marry asked softly.

"Caelan, I will!" Caelan exclaimed, raising her small hand enthusiastically.

However, behind that smile, there was something that Marry could not ignore.

—

The Lurking Anxiety...

Since dawn, Marry had felt that something had changed in the air. Something she could not explain. The wind felt heavier, like it was carrying whispers from the past that were trying to penetrate the curtain of time.
And the roses that grew wild around her yard… this morning they bloomed faster than usual.
Too fast.
Bloody roses, a sign…?
When Marry touched the rose petals that trembled softly as if in fear, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The touch was like opening a wound she had buried long ago.

—

In a Dream, the Past Calls…

The night before, Marry had a strange dream.
She walked in a silent, foggy forest. There was no sound. There was no wind. But in the fog, stood a young girl, purple-haired with eyes full of judgment.
The girl stared at her, then whispered, “I will find you.”
Marry woke up with her heart beating fast. But as usual, she covered it up in front of Caelan. She didn’t want her old world to touch her daughter’s world, not again.
But this morning… the feeling was stronger.

—

Life Goes On…

In the midst of her restless feelings, Marry continued her days. She and Caelan planted rose seedlings, watered the garden, and made a quick visit to the small market where Grandma Dora sold fruit.
There, Thomas was still sitting back in a chair, guarding the stall with a sullen expression.

"Thomas, don't you like guarding the stall?" Caelan asked innocently.

"I have to train to be a shadow hero," Thomas answered firmly, holding a wooden stick that he had carved himself.

Marry just smiled. However, as her eyes swept around the village, she saw a black bird perched on the village sign—silent, observing. A symbol of surveillance often used by the kingdom's secret investigation force.

They were coming…

—

Among Rose Petals and Shadows...

At night, after Caelan had fallen asleep in her arms, Marry sat at the window, staring at the star-studded sky. But her eyes did not see the stars. She stared at the darkness below.
She knew… This valley would soon have a guest.
And the guest was no ordinary person.
Not just anyone who could be ignored or killed quietly.

Clara.

The name appeared in her mind like a whisper from a spirit. The detective who had almost uncovered everything. A detective who was sharp as a knife, but fair. If the memory incident had not happened, Clara might have been the only person who had managed to uncover the truth about the Blood Rose Princess and the Black Mist Princess.
And if Clara really did come here, then it was likely that she did not come just because of two fugitives.
Is the old world starting to look for me again…?
Marry stroked Caelan's sleeping hair.
I won't let anyone ruin our lives…
Outside, the red roses that Caelan had planted began to bloom in the silent night. As if they were keeping watch. Preparing. For something inevitable.
Beneath the rose petals, the past prepared to emerge. Fate, like time, never truly sleeps.