Ominous Gifts

Something strange was happening as of late. Not that anything else had been ordinary for the past few weeks, months maybe, especially after the encounter with the beast, but something in particular was disturbing her peace or rather her temporary illusion of peace.

In the past few days, something or someone was leaving bird carcasses and wildflowers outside Sophie's window.

At first, she never would've thought it was intentional. The poor thing must've crashed against the glass carrying flowers for its nest—a combination of unfortunate circumstances and pure coincidence.

She requested her maids to give it a proper burial, unable to do it herself while resting in the confines of her bedroom.

In her hands was a small bundle of purple flowers, ones she found on the dead bird's talons. They were a lovely shade, vibrant and eye-catching. The lavender scent made Sophie reminisce of the woods.

The satisfying crunch of the leaves beneath her heels whenever fall arrived, the cold breeze that would bypas even her thickest cloaks, the unending scenery—every one more beautiful than the last. She couldn't wait until she was allowed back outside again.

However, being able to spend more time with her husband during her recovery period was a good trade off as well. Worth it, in her words.

The bird and the flowers escaped her mind too soon, thoughts occupied with adoration towards her husband who was undeniably sweeter after their shared moment.

Luke would bring home little trinkets whenever his carriage passed through the marketplace. At times, they were exotic cakes from the local baker. Sometimes they were jewelry from foreign places, sold to him by a persuasive merchant, or books he thought would capture her interest.

She hadn't came to reading them yet. Between chatting up Luke and thinking about the bird carcasses, Sophie was mentally occupied.

Still, despite the looming chaos, there was a semblance of peace.

Momentarily, everything in Sophie's life was blissful. Her marriage recovered into a state of serenity and Luke, after a long time, finally reciprocated the amount of love and affection she had for him.

He was so eager about it too, looking at her intently whenever he arrived home as if to study her reactions and assess her approval before she spoke them through a gentle tone.

It was like living in a fantasy—one she used to indulge in for hours.

But then a bird appeared again the next morning and then the next. Then the realization sunk—it wasn't something she could just ignore.

Something was leaving dead birds outside her window.

Her first question was why. Was it an attempt at intimidating her? It was disheartening seeing the poor creatures' lifeless bodies first thing in the morning, sure, but it didn't scare her.

Going from killing a small bird to a fully grown woman, a noble lady and the wife of a duke no less, was a big jump. She wouldn't break under the impact of a flying pebble or a poking stick.

Not to mention, the kingdom was known for being safe and stationed. Criminal activities were often squashed before they could get out of hand. Their guards were competent, the best of the best.

Sophie sighed.

Maybe it was someone's version of a sick joke. Fortunately, her husband was too busy with his errands to notice the situation.

Her next question was how. Their bedroom was on the second floor. No human being would be able to reach that height without alerting the entire estate during the early hours of the day.

Sophie loved the cold breeze that came with late nights and early mornings, sure, but she decided not to lose sleep trying to catch the culprit in the act. So far, they were harmless to her and Luke.

If she heard news of a killer on the loose from either her maids or Adeline, then maybe she would try harder to discover the identity of the bird murderer.

But so far, there was no news, which meant there was no need to panic quite yet.

She asked her servants to be on the lookout for any strange individuals, but that was about it—that was the reach of her investigative efforts.

Sophie considered in the back of her head that maybe, maybe it was the beast trying to reach out to her, but she tossed away that thought the moment it came to fruition.

In secret, she accepted the possibility, maybe that was why she was so calm about it.

The beast was no threat to her, it was just a bit difficult to understand. Regardless, Sophie would not give it the reaction or attention it was expecting.

She was placing her entire focus on her marriage, on Luke who deserved the quintessential wife. Nothing in existence would deter her, beast or man.