Chapter 572: Beyond the Temple Walls (II)
Primrose stared at Edmond in complete shock as he shifted into his wolf form in this timeline.
His wolf still had the same snow-white fur and piercing blue eyes she remembered. But unlike the Edmund she knew, this one was nearly twice as large. His powerful build made him look even more imposing.
Maybe it was because, in this timeline, the King had rescued him when he was still a pup. Therefore, he had grown up with enough food and proper care, never having to suffer through hunger during his childhood.
On the other side, Rose’s eyes also widened in surprise, but there was no fear in them. Instead, they sparkled with wonder.
"So... this is your wolf," she whispered.
Edmond lowered his head until it was level with her. His ears twitched slightly, and his long tail gave a slow, uncertain swish behind him. Even in this form, he seemed worried that she might be frightened.
Rose smiled and without hesitation, she reached out and gently rested her hand on his head. His soft white fur slipped through her fingers like fresh snow. It was warm, thick, and surprisingly comforting.
"You’re beautiful," she murmured.
Edmond froze in his place and a low whine escaped his throat before he leaned into her touch without even realizing it.
Watching the scene unfold, Primrose couldn’t help but smile through the ache in her chest.
Even in this timeline... he’s still the same. No matter how different his life had been, Edmond still melted whenever the woman he loved touched him.
Rose let out a small laugh as his fluffy tail wagged a little faster. "I thought wolves were supposed to look fierce," she teased softly. "But you’re acting more like a giant puppy."
Edmond let out another soft huff, almost as if he were protesting.
Rose giggled. "I wasn’t making fun of you," she said, scratching gently behind one of his ears. "I like this side of you."
His tail wagged even faster before he gently nudged Rose with his snout, silently asking her to climb onto his back.
A soft smile spread across Rose’s face. She decided to stop teasing him and carefully climbed onto his broad back as soon as Edmond lowered himself to the ground, resting his belly against the earth so she could get on more easily.
As soon as Rose climbed onto his back, they began their journey out of the Sorex Kingdom, traveling through the forest. She had no idea where Edmond was taking her, but she trusted him completely. After all, as long as she was with him, she wasn’t afraid of what lay ahead.
They stopped from time to time to eat and rest before continuing their journey. Since it was easier for Edmond to travel at night, they spent the daytime sleeping in caves or abandoned buildings. Even then, they never rested for more than three hours.
To be honest, Rose didn’t mind at all because she could sleep peacefully on Edmond’s broad back while they traveled through the night. But she was worried for him.
More than once, she had asked if he was tired, but he always smiled and told her not to worry. As a soldier, he had grown used to staying awake for days whenever a mission required it. To him, one or two hours of sleep each day was more than enough.
About a week later, they finally reached their destination. It was a small village nestled at the foot of a mountain, deep within the territory of the Kingdom of Mor.
"This village is small and far from the capital," Edmond explained as they stood a short distance from the entrance. "People from the royal family rarely come here. Or maybe... they almost never do."
By then, they had already changed into simple clothes, leaving behind the Saintess’ robe and the captain’s uniform. Thankfully, Edmond had rarely spent his salary while serving as Captain, so he had saved enough money to buy new clothes and the basic things they would need to start a new life.
"It looks like it could be a good home for us," Rose said with a soft smile.
"It will be." Edmond looked at her warmly. "We’ll tell the villagers that we’re refugees who escaped a civil war in another kingdom and are looking for a place to start over. As long as we don’t cause any trouble, I think they’ll welcome us."
Rose nodded in agreement. "Then we should choose new names too."
She lowered her head, thinking for a moment before her eyes lit up. "I’ll be Vielle," she said with a smile. "And you’ll be Osbert. What do you think?"
Edmond smiled back without hesitation. "I like them," he said. "From today on, those will be our names."
They walked toward the small village together. Thanks to Rose’s innocent appearance and the gentle softness of her voice, the villagers welcomed them without much doubt. They didn’t even hesitate to offer the two of them an empty house that had been left unused for years.
"This house used to belong to Grandpa and Grandma Nox," the village chief explained. "After they passed away, no one ever moved in because they didn’t have any children."
He turned to Edmond and Rose with a kind smile. "You can stay here for as long as you want. But I should warn you, the house is quite old. You’ll need to clean it well and probably repair a few things."
Rose smiled warmly. Her golden eyes were filled with gratitude. "This is already more than enough for us, Chief Helland," she said. "Thank you so much for giving us a place to stay."
Chief Helland scratched the back of his neck, feeling a little awkward under the gaze of someone as beautiful as Rose. He quickly cleared his throat, silently reminding himself to behave.
"It’s nothing," he replied with a friendly smile. "We’re happy to help. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask."
After that, he left Edmond and Rose by themselves.
Just as Helland had warned them, the house was very old. The moment Edmond pushed the front door open, one of the rusty hinges gave way and fell to the ground with a loud clang.
Rose let out a soft laugh. "Oh, my dear Captain," she teased with a warm smile, "you should be a little gentler before you end up bringing the whole house down."