Ruby had come up with the clever idea of making a fake field for the Dreadmire flowers, right near the spot where the real ones had been stolen. It was bold, risky, and exactly the kind of plan they needed.
The flowers actually looked like real ones—yeah, you might not even notice in the dark. They were made using Lightdew paper, something Ruby saw in the market when they were exploring earlier. And for the white part of the flower, they used the wasted ones from real flowers that had caught illness.
Everyone joined in. People who had never even touched craftwork before were now carefully folding petals, tying stems, and placing the fake flowers into the ground. Even the children helped, their tiny hands just as eager. It was the first time in a while that the village felt alive again—not afraid, but united.
if they used bad threads, the fabric might not be strong at all and could rip apart with just a single pull.
By the time the sun set, they had finished not one, but two full fields of fake Dreadmire flowers. People looked over their work with glowing eyes, excited, hopeful, and a little proud.
"Alright, we’re getting late now. We should head back to our inn before it gets too dark," Ruby said gently, turning to look at Leader Kerry, who had been talking with her for a while.
Julian, who was standing quietly beside her, gave a small nod without saying much.
But before they could walk away, Leader Kerry suddenly spoke again, her voice filled with concern and warmth.
"Why don’t you stay here instead? We will provide you everything you need... food, shelter, anything," she said, and many of the villagers nearby nodded their heads in agreement. They had all grown fond of Ruby and Julian in such a short time and didn’t want them to leave just yet.
Ruby gave a soft smile but shook her head politely.
"No... We can’t," she said. "All our bags and other important things are already at the inn. And we’ve already reserved a room there for four days, so we should go back for now."
Leader Kerry looked a little disappointed but understood. She could only nod her head in silence, accepting Ruby’s answer.
Before leaving, Ruby turned back once and reminded everyone firmly, "Please do remember everything I’ve told you. Be careful and follow the plan exactly."
Then she and Julian waved their hands, saying goodbye to everyone who had gathered. The villagers waved back with warm smiles, watching them walk toward their car.
Ruby sighed softly as she started the engine and leaned back a little in her seat before driving off. The road was quiet, and the sky was slowly turning red.
Julian glanced at her from the passenger seat, his voice low and thoughtful.
"Wife... what will you do if they find out the truth?" he asked. "That you’re also here for business?"
Ruby kept her eyes on the road, but a small smile came to her lips.
"We... I don’t know yet," she replied, her voice calm but honest. "We’ll see that when the time comes."
Julian didn’t say anything after that. He just nodded gently and looked out of the window. He trusted her completely, no matter what came next.
After they reached their room at the inn, Ruby went straight to take a bath. She was feeling tired, and the cool water helped her relax. The long day of working in the sun, helping with the fake flower fields, and talking with the villagers had drained her.
Meanwhile, Julian started gathering all their dirty clothes from the bags. Their travel had made most of their outfits dusty and sweaty, and he quietly began sorting them near the corner of the room.
When Ruby stepped out of the bathroom, she saw Julian crouched down, pulling out clothes and folding them into a pile.
She blinked and asked, "What are you doing?"
Julian looked up at her, his expression soft but a little serious.
"Wife... we should wash them. Otherwise, we’ll run out of clean clothes soon," he said, rubbing the back of his neck like he was slightly embarrassed for even needing to say it.
Ruby smiled and nodded her head. "Alright. I’ll help you," she said, walking over to him without hesitation.
"But... do you have soap or detergent?" she asked curiously, sitting down next to him on the floor.
Julian quickly reached into the side pocket of his bag and pulled out a small packet. "I brought everything. I knew we might need it," he said, proud of his little preparation.
Ruby chuckled softly. "You really came ready for everything."
The two of them went to the small bathroom sink together, rolled up their sleeves, and began washing all the clothes by hand. They worked side by side, gently scrubbing the fabric and squeezing out the dirty water.
Once they were done, they didn’t want the clothes to stay wet for long. So they shook off all the extra water and spread the clothes around the room—on chairs, on the window handle, and even along the curtain rod.
They turned on the fan and the air conditioner to help the clothes dry faster, and though the room looked a bit messy with fabric hanging everywhere, it felt strangely homely.
Julian looked around at their little laundry setup and let out a laugh. "It looks like a bird built a nest in here."
Ruby laughed too. "At least we won’t be walking around in dirty clothes."
After they finished drying all the clothes and cleaning up a bit, Julian went to freshen up too. He washed his face, brushed his teeth, and changed into a clean robe.
Ruby had already curled up on one side of the bed. She looked sleepy, her eyes blinking slowly, trying to stay awake until Julian came.
As soon as Julian lay down beside her, their tired bodies relaxed completely. The moment their heads touched the soft pillows, it was like all the weight from the day melted away.
And just like that without even needing to say "goodnight"—they both drifted off into sleep.
Ruby, especially, had been exhausted. From planning the fake field, organizing everyone... her body was done for the day. The soft warmth of the blanket and Julian’s quiet breathing beside her made her fall into a deep, peaceful sleep within seconds.
—To be continued...🪄