Chapter 573: Building a Home Together (I)
For the time being—at least for the first day—they hung a large piece of cloth over the doorway to replace the broken front door.
Edmond spent the whole day cleaning the old house from top to bottom, while Rose went out to get to know the women in the village and make a good first impression.
It wasn’t because she didn’t want to help him. But every time she offered, Edmond would gently tell her to sit down and rest instead. Since she didn’t want to spend the whole day doing nothing, she decided to use the chance to make friends with the women who lived nearby.
"It must have been difficult to leave your homeland," a young woman said, her voice full of sympathy. "I can’t imagine having to leave everything behind."
Rose gave her a gentle smile.
"It was," she lied. "But..."
She turned her head and watched Edmond carrying a wooden bucket filled with water as he headed back into the house to mop the floor.
"As long as I’m with my husband," she said, the smile on her face growing warmer, "everything feels a little easier."
The middle-aged woman standing across from her smiled kindly as she followed Rose’s gaze. "You two must love each other very much," she said with a chuckle.
Rose’s cheeks turned slightly pink. "I think... we do."
The women laughed softly, making the atmosphere even warmer. "Then you’ve found yourself a good husband," another woman said. "Not many men would spend the whole day cleaning the house by themselves."
Rose glanced toward Edmond again. He was now standing on a chair, trying to fix one of the loose wooden beams above the window.
A small smile appeared on her lips. "Yes," she said softly. "He’s always taking care of me."
The women continued chatting with her for a while. They told her about the village, the nearby river where everyone washed their clothes, the market that opened every five days, and which families grew the best vegetables. In return, Rose listened with genuine interest, asking simple questions that made everyone feel comfortable talking to her.
Before she left, several of the women insisted on giving her a few homemade dishes.
"You’ve just arrived," one of them said as she placed a basket into Rose’s hands. "You shouldn’t have to worry about cooking today."
Another woman added a loaf of fresh bread before smiling warmly. "Come visit us again tomorrow."
Rose lowered her head gratefully. "Thank you so much. I’ll definitely come again."
With the basket of food in her arms, she made her way back to the old house.
Edmond had just finished mopping the floor when he noticed her walking through the doorway. He quickly walked over and took the basket from her hands.
"That’s heavier than it looks," he said. "You should have called me."
Rose laughed softly. "The ladies in the village gave us dinner," she explained. "They said it’s a welcome gift."
Edmond looked inside the basket and found fresh bread, vegetable soup, roasted potatoes, and a few pieces of smoked meat.
"They’re very kind," he said.
She nodded. "They really are."
Rose looked toward the open doorway, where she could still hear the distant laughter of the villagers.
A peaceful smile slowly spread across her face. "It’s nice."
Edmond looked at her curiously. "What is?"
Rose looked out at the peaceful village outside. "It’s nice talking to people like this," she said softly. "For so many years, the only conversations I had were listening to people’s confessions or talking about the Gods."
She chuckled. "I almost forgot how normal conversations feel."
Edmond’s expression softened. "I’m glad," he said. "From now on, you’ll have as many ordinary days as you want."
Rose turned to him with a gentle smile. "I think I’m going to like this new life."
As Primrose watched the scene unfold, she couldn’t help thinking about all the lies and teachings the Cardinal had forced into Rose’s mind over the years.
They had been so deeply planted in her heart that she had never dared to leave the temple or even try to make friends with other people.
Rose even had truly believed that her soul belonged to the temple. She had believed that if she ever ran away, she would die.
But here she was, alive and well, living peacefully in a faraway village with the man she had chosen.
"I’ll do my best to make you love this place," Edmond said with a gentle smile.
===
Just one month later, the old house no longer looked the way it once had. Little by little, it had become a warm and cozy home.
Edmond spent nearly every day repairing it. He replaced the broken front door, fixed the loose windows, and repaired the cracked walls and the worn-out roof until the house finally felt safe and comfortable again.
Rose, on the other hand, found a new hobby. She started making things out of clay.
Before long, their home was filled with her handmade creations, from simple plates and bowls to flower pots, water jars, small cups, and little containers for storing herbs and spices. None of them were perfect. Some were slightly uneven, while others leaned to one side. But every piece was made with care, and Edmond treasured them all.
Whenever Rose apologized for making something crooked, he would simply smile and say, "I like it. You made it with your own hands."
His words always brought a bright smile to her face. Besides working with clay, Rose also learned how to cook from the women in the village. They patiently taught her how to knead dough, bake fresh bread, season vegetable soup, and roast meat over a fire.
At first, she burned more food than she successfully cooked.
The bread came out too hard.
The soup was too salty.
The roasted meat was almost black.
Rose would lower her head in embarrassment every time she failed, but the village women only laughed kindly and encouraged her to try again.
"Everyone starts somewhere," Chief Helland’s wife told her with a warm smile. "You’ll get better."
And she did.
A few weeks later, the delicious smell of freshly baked bread and warm soup often drifted out of their little home. Edmond never forgot to praise her cooking, happily finishing every meal she placed in front of him.