In the flower field near the main road of Soaring Cloud City, a beautiful girl could be found picking flowers.
The entire scenario was as though a picture from a painting with the light of the three moons hanging on the sky, illuminating the flower field.
"How beautiful." The girl picked a star magnolia and smiled sweetly.
The fifteen to sixteen year old girl had long brown hair and beautiful blue eyes. She was quite tall for those of her age and had an enchanting figure.
She wore a pure white dress which did not have a speck of dirt. It was clear that it was diligently hand-washed.
Within the field of flowers and the flower basket on her arms, she looked like a flower fairy without wings.
This beautiful girl was the little sister of Kris, Leila Dawson.
"How I wish that mom and dad were still here..." Leila had a look of melancholy as he watched the night sky.
The figure of her parents seemed to have overlapped with a passing cloud and she remembered their loving smiles.
She remembered the scene of them playing on these flower fields as her father carried her brother, Kris on his shoulder while she and her mother spread the picnic cloth and prepared the modest picnic meal of bread and cheese.
They may have been in poverty but they never felt that they were lacking with how hardworking their father was and how gentle their mother was with them.
Those once sweet moments have now turned into bitter memories that she would never experience again.
*sob* *sob*
Leila could not help but shed tears as he remembered those sweet memories of days past.
After a while, she calmed down and started making the flower crowns that her mother and father used to make. She still remembers the scene where they acted as though they were a royal family.
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"With this crown on my head, I shall be known as a king and my wife, the fairest woman in the land, is my queen! And this flower field will be our Kingdom!" A tall handsome man with simple clothes declared as such.
He bowed elegantly to the gorgeous brown-haired woman sitting on the picnic cloth and gestured to ask for her hand
"Oh, you. Stop saying such embarrassing things with the kids here." The beautiful woman blushed and shyly scolded the man.
But the man insisted and pulled her hands to him as he put his hands around her waist. He pulled him closer into his embrace and romantically said, "But it is nothing but truth, honey."
"Honey..." The woman looked at her with loving eyes.
"I want to be a knight who will protect the king and queen!"
"I want to be a princess"
Then, two children suddenly snuck in between them and joined the conversation. The boy was of brown hair like the mother but had handsome features like the father. The little girl beside the boy who was carrying a flower basket was like a cute doll made in reference to the mother.
"That's my boy! You will become a strong knight in the future! No, the strongest knight in the city!" The man patted the boys
"I will!" The boy's eyes shone like stars as his heart blazed with ambition. It was at this moment that the boy would swear that he would become the strongest knight of the city!
"Of course, you will be. You are father's and mother's little princess. To prove it, here is a tiara made from seven different pretty flowers and a bouquet of sunflowers because you're like the cute little sunshine of our family." The beautiful woman pampered the child and kissed her on the cheek.
She put on the flower crown she made on the child's head and gave the little bouquet of sunflowers which the child held in her hands.
The little girl was delighted and adored the flower crown and bouquet as she softly giggled, "Hihihi."
This pair was none other than Kris and Leila and the couple they snuck on was their beloved parents.
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Then, she approached two gravestones in the middle of the flower field. The grave stones were clumsily made. The stones used were irregularly shaped and the engravings were the work of an amateurs'.
Despite this being like this, the area around it was well maintained and clean.
Leila took out a flower crown and a bouquet of the sunflowers like the ones her mother made for her and placed them in front of the grave stones.
She whispered underneath her breath, "At that time, I never would have thought that it would be the last time I would be able to embrace you two..."
"Big brother always asks why I come back to this place... this place that would hurt him every time he visits it. But this is the happy place of our family... he does not know that I made a grave of you two here even if..." Leila did not continue her words anymore as it felt far too painful.
This grave and the field were the treasures that Leila held close to her heart. That's why she always visits this place at night. Even if the graves were nothing but a hill of soil and stone...
Suddenly, she heard a loud sound in a place near her.
*BAM!*
She looked at the direction where the sound occurred.
Although she was speaking, she made sure it was only heard by herself. "What was that loud sound? There should not be any people around here at this time of day. The only people that knows this place is my family..."
"Owww..." She heard a voice which was that of a male.
It sounded like the person who caused the loud sound had hurt himself and groaned, "Damn it, the rain caused the soil to become slippery and now I slipped from uphill."
"My brother told me not to approach suspicious people.... but that person might be hurt..." However, her kindness was urging Leila to go and help the person.
"But he might hurt me... and he might ruin the fields... I have to prevent him from doing that!" Having made her resolve to protect the fields, she approached the place cautiously.
But, as she neared, she tripped on a rock and fell on the ground.
The person heard the sound of her tripping and said loudly, "Who's there?!"
The man was swift and immediately arrived at the area where she was. Leila could finally see the appearance of the young man.
The man was tall and muscular and he wore ragged clothing. The only unique thing about him were his eyes. The two were different in color, one was red and the other was blue.
When put together, they emitted an entirely different charm that seems to draw people to stare at them.
This man who arrived at the flower field was Dylan who ran with his fastest speed to catch up with Kaiden and Victoria.
'What beautiful eyes.' Leila thought as she appreciated the man's strange eyes. But she was still afraid as Kris' words resounded in her ears:
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"Always remember this, Leila. Men are animals! The moment they see beauty, they will do everything in their power to devour them. That's why you should not befriend any man. Distance yourself from them! Do not even approach them. If they approach you, hide yourself immediately. Understand?!" Kris strongly asserted.
'I absolutely can't let her be stained by those scum!' He did not want his sister to become a victim of a young man and lose her innocence. The very thought enraged him and that's what led him to repeatedly remind her sister.
"Does that include, brother?" The child Leila curiously asked
"No, only father and I are the good men who will protect you. Since father is gone, I will do my best to protect you. So, wait till I'm strong enough, until then, don't leave the village. Stay with the grannies and behave yourself, okay?" Kris answered and added.
"Okay..." Leila nodded with a pout.
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'Men are animals!' Leila thought
. Her brother's incessant reminders had long been ingrained in her subconsciousness to the point of brainwashing. It reached the point where she would unconsciously associate men with wild beasts!
In fear, she did not move as she covered her mouth with her dainty hands. She was trembling that she might be found out by the muscular man and be devoured by him.
'Please don't find me. Please don't find me...' Leila prayed profusely with her eyes closed as she was paralyzed in fear.
"Weird, I felt someone's gaze just now..." Dylan sensed a gaze and looked at Leila's direction.
Then, he noticed something as he walked along, "Oh, well. So, there was a flower field here? It looks like it's near the main road but is blocked by the two hills around it. Hm?"
"A grave?" Dylan saw the grave of Leila's parents.
'Oh no! The beast will destroy the grave of my parents and the flower field! I can't let him destroy the remaining mementos of my parents! I-I have to stop him. Even if it means that he will devour me!' Leila wanted to protect the grave and the flower field with her life. These are her treasures!
That's why she gathered all of her courage and stood up! She grabbed a relatively large stone near the place where she tripped.
She planned to silently approach Dylan from behind and smash the rock on his head.
'I will protect what is dear to me!' Leila thought as she lifted the large stone and faced Dylan. But as soon as she did, she paused.
This was because she saw Dylan was kneeling and offering his respects to the grave. Dylan spoke the words carved into the stone. "In loving memory of Kristopher and Sheila Dawson."
"Are you their daughter?" Dylan asked without looking.
"H-How did you know?" Leila nervously answered as she dropped the stone in her hands and walked away from Dylan little by little.
"Well, I was doubting my nose there for a second. I have a very sharp sense of smell, you see. I smelled a scent just slightly different from the flowers surrounding us." Dylan pointed at his nose and smiled.
"What?! How is that possible for a human? Are men really beasts?!" Leila was so frightened that she lost strength in her legs and sat on the ground helplessly.
Dylan was taken aback. He did not know what to say but he had to clarify things or else the misunderstanding might aggravate even further.
He said, "Err, I'm not quite sure about that. I'm a person like you who can speak and think. If I were a beast, wouldn't I have eaten you the moment I noticed your scent?"
Leila was surprised because what Dylan said made sense. Hence, she asked, " Then, how were you able to pick up my scent?"
Dylan answered, "Before I lived in the village, I lived in various places like fields, mountains and forests with my father. Even now, I still prefer the mountains because it reminds me of my father. Thanks to that, I was able to improve my sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell."
"..." Leila was silent. She did not expect that this muscular man she met by chance would have lived such a life.
Without waiting for the girl to reply, Dylan put his attention on the grave again. He turned around and noticed that there was a short message for the pair who had passed.
Contrary to the clumsy engraving on the front, the writing here was neat and beautiful.
In Kristopher Dawson's grave, it wrote, "Dear Father, you don't have to worry about me because my brother is here to protect me. He has already started on the road to become the strongest knight like he promised. I'm doing fine and I already learned everything there is to know about housework. I'm afraid that I won't be a great house wife like mom because my brother said that all men are beasts. Anyways, I'm living happily with the grannies in the village... But I sometimes miss the piggyback rides we used to do. I miss you, father and I love you."
In Sheila's grave, it said, "Dear Mother, your little treasure is doing well. I have remembered and learned everything you taught me about managing the house. Brother even said that I can already cook meals as good as yours but, I think your food is still the best... I always visit the flower field and take care of the flowers here so that you won't feel lonely. I even learned how to make a flower crown and bouquet now! But I still miss the ones you make. You once told me that I should work to become the best wife I could be but it's hard to find someone who is as great as dad and brother always said that men are beasts except for him and father. But, don't worry! Even if I don't find a husband, I'll be fine on my own! I miss you mother... I love you..."
Dylan felt the warmth and sadness just from reading her words.
He felt the overflowing love, care and kindness of a daughter. He stood up and faced Leila as he said the words that Leila wished to hear more than anything in the world.
"My sincerest condolences for your loss but... If I were your parent, I would feel endlessly proud and happy that my daughter has grown to be such a kind and caring person. The least thing you can do for them is smile and let them see that you are doing well."
"You..."
"I'm sorry if I have intruded in any way. I will be leaving now." Dylan said as he turned around.
But before he left, he said some words that contained pain and sadness, "It is nice that you are able to build a grave for them unlike mine..."
Without a moment's delay, he immediately ran towards the main road of Soaring Cloud City. But he made sure not to damage the field in any way so his speed was significantly reduced.
Going back to Leila, she was left stunned as she sat on the ground.
The words that Dylan said before he left made her feel relief and happiness. Those words were the words she needed all these years...
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Meanwhile, somewhere near the field, Kris, who was in the midst of a breakthrough, was burning! His entire body was covered in golden flames and it was fluctuating violently!
If another person were to see this current situation, they would say that Kris is already in the midst of breakthrough failure!