Aria picked up her flowers in silence, hands trembling, cheeks still burning from the strange encounter.
Her heart beat so fast she could no longer hear the night birds.
The red moon still loomed above her as she made her way back home.
When she finally reached the house, the warm light from the front lantern lit up two silhouettes.
Roy and her grandmother had just returned from their trip. At the sight of her, the old lady dropped her basket, and Roy ran toward her, eyes wide.
"Aria!" cried the old woman. "Where have you been, by the spirits of our ancestors?!"
Overwhelmed, Aria threw herself into their arms, still trembling but relieved. She held them tightly, finally able to breathe again.
But Roy was tense. His eyes scanned her face, her dirt-stained hands, her wrinkled clothes, and the scattered flowers.
"What were you thinking, going that deep into the forest at this hour?!" he snapped, brows furrowed.
Still shaken, Aria told them everything.
The castle. The bats. The man in the black coat. His red eyes.
Silence fell.
Roy jumped to his feet, fists clenched.
"Are you out of your mind?! Do you know what people say about that forest at night?! What if that… that guy had hurt you?! What if he had eaten you?!"
Aria flinched at his harsh tone. She lowered her eyes, biting her lip, and whispered:
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to..."
But Roy wasn't calming down.
"You never think when you're curious, do you?! One wrong step, Aria. JUST ONE!"
Tears welled up in Aria's eyes.
She turned away, but silent sobs were already rolling down her cheeks.
Roy froze.
He sighed deeply, ran a hand through his hair, then slowly approached her.
"Aria… I'm sorry." He gently wrapped his arms around her. "I was scared, that's all… scared of losing you. You're like a sister to me, you know..."
Aria sniffled, gripping his tunic. Her heartbeat slowly steadied in the warmth of their embrace.
Then came a loud smack.
Paf!
The old lady had just tapped Roy on the head with a wooden spoon.
"You sentimental brute! She comes home shaken, and you scold her like a street rascal!"
Roy rubbed his head with a grunt, and Aria, despite her tears, let out a soft laugh.
A simple, tender moment.
A family moment.
---
Days passed.
From then on, Roy and Aria always went into the forest together. While he chopped wood, she picked flowers, laughed with the village children, and made flower crowns for their hair.
The children adored Aria — always kind, cheerful, and generous. They even fought over who could carry her basket or bring her shiny stones.
But Roy couldn't stand them.
He grumbled, scolded them for being "loud" or "clumsy," and especially for clinging too much to Aria.
"What are you, their princess or something?" he often grumbled.
One day, a village boy — a charming blacksmith apprentice — gave Aria a rose made of forged iron, handcrafted by him.
Roy shot him a death glare.
"Don't get too close."
The boy backed away, confused.
Aria, embarrassed, rolled her eyes.
"You're overreacting…"
But it was the grandmother who voiced what everyone felt.
As they prepared dinner, she casually asked:
"Roy… what's your problem with boys getting near Aria, huh? With that face, you look like you'll stop her from getting married someday."
Roy turned crimson, stabbed a turnip with his knife, and mumbled:
"They're not worthy of her. That's all. And I'm her… her guardian. Like a father. That's it."
Paf.
Another soft spoon smack.
"Let her breathe, will you? She's not a gemstone to lock away."
And Aria, sitting in a kitchen corner, laughed heartily.
---
Life was sweet, between the forest, the children, the home, and the flowers.
But beneath the laughter and peaceful days, the memory of the castle remained etched in Aria's heart.
That face.
Those eyes.
And the words that haunted her at night:
> "So… you heard nothing.
Behind my walls… a breath rises..."