Vol 1 Chapter 20: The Petals That Bloomed After Clara’s Departure

After Clara left, life flowed calmly again in the Rose Valley. But something was different.

Not in the valley—but in them.

Caelan and Marry.

—

The Traces Left Behind...

That morning, Caelan woke up earlier than usual. her hair was still tangled, and her tiny eyes were still half-closed with sleep. But she immediately turned to the window.

"Mom... Clara hasn't come yet, huh?"

A simple question. But it made Marry's chest tighten a little.

She stroked her daughter's head gently. "Clara has to go back to town. She has a lot of work to finish."

Caelan lowered her head, silent for a moment. "Then... when will Clara become part of our family?"

Marry held her breath, before finally chuckling softly. "Do you want a big sister?"

Caelan nodded firmly. "But not just any big sister. A big sister who can catch bad guys and still play peek-a-boo!"

Marry smiled. There was warmth left from their meeting.

—

The Rose That Keeps Growing...

The following days were filled with simple activities. Marry returned to making herbal potions for the village elders, and Caelan began to help dry the roses picked from the fields.

Every afternoon, they sat under a large tree on a small hill behind the house. There, Caelan drew.

That day she drew three people. Herself, Marry, and Clara. Laughing together in the middle of a rose field.

Marry stared at the drawing. Among the bright colors, she felt how far she had come.

From a bloody executioner... to a mother who could now embrace the picture of the future.

—

A Letter from Elvyn...

One day, a messenger bird arrived with a letter.

Marry recognized the royal seal. And her hands trembled. But when she read it, the contents of the letter were not an arrest order or an investigation. Just a personal memo from Elvyn—short, polite, and without mentioning Marry's name at all.

“We have received the investigation report from Detective Clara. There is nothing to worry about. Please keep the village peaceful.”

Marry breathed a sigh of relief.

Elvyn might not remember her.

But… the old Elvyn, the one she had desperately protected, was still there. In the gentle tone of the letter.

A New Flower in the Rose Field…
One morning, Caelan asked to plant a new flower.

“This rose is for Clara,” she said.

The flower was white with a hint of red in the center. “A rose of honesty and courage,” Marry recalled. “A rose that only grows when planted with a pure heart.”

Caelan planted it while looking up at the sky. “If this flower grows… it means Clara will return.”

And when it grew dark, Marry sat beside Caelan. They were silent, staring at the small flower that had yet to bloom.

But for them, hope had already grown.

—

Night and Memories That Don’t Scar...

At night, after Caelan went to bed, Marry sat on the balcony of her house. She looked at the sky. The stars twinkled, just like seven years ago.

But her heart was no longer tied to that night. There was no blood, no roars, no screams of judgment.

There was only the sound of Caelan’s laughter and the shadow of someone who began to rip apart the boundaries between friend and protector.

Marry hugged her knees, her eyes closed.

“Clara… if you come back someday, I will welcome you… as myself. Not a Blood Rose. Not a killer. But just a mother… who learned to live in peace.”