Chapter 82: Hand-carved

The air was cold, and the bite of the weather made Lucrezia draw her cloak together. Specks of snow trampled upon her lashes as she looked at the empty hill.

There was nothing. Although, it was far from the saying that since nothing could be seen, nothing felt wrong. She could feel it. The hill remained quiet, yet something about it pressed against the back of her mind.

A raven croaked somewhere above. Lucrezia looked up just in time to see the bird soaring high into the pale sky before gliding toward the direction of the hill.

“…promenade, isn’t it?” The rest of the question dawned on her the moment Vespera playfully hit her shoulder from behind.

Lucrezia blinked and turned away from the hill, pulled back into the warmth and noise of the fair. “W-What?”

“How often do you lose yourself in daydreams?” She asked instead, and Lucrezia’s face warmed in embarrassment. “If I’m not wrong, this happened to be the third time,”

“Forgive me, I was rather preoccupied by the

liveliness of the fair,” To avoid further embarrassment, she gestured toward a stall nearby where several trays of jewelry filtered beneath lantern light. “Seems like jewelry is well sold here,”

“It is,” Vespera replied, guiding Purity slowly past a cluster of people before turning into a narrower path between stalls. “Most especially during seasons like this.”

“Why particularly now?”

“In most cases, they are favored by females preparing for ceremonies,” Vespera glanced toward the stalk briefly before adding, “Mating ceremonies or consummation,”

Lucrezia’s eyes widened like a saucer. “M-Mating or consummation?”

Vespera chuckled softly at her reaction. “It is tradition here, Anastasia. A woman is expected to adorn herself with jewelry at the beginning of the ceremony. Bracelets, necklaces, sometimes waist chains, and rings,” She explained. “It is a symbol that she is pure and untainted. Many believe that if a female is indeed untainted, the gods would favor their womb and grant them children,”

Lucrezia grew quiet, absorbing the knowledge. Children, she thought.

The sudden idea of little children as the ones parading the fair occupied her mind. For a moment, Lucrezia imagined having children of her own.

How would it feel? To become a… She shook her head, getting rid of the thought. Instead, she thought about her husband unwillingly.

Could that be the reason why her husband never truly… consummated their marriage, just as Edhira mentioned? And if it’s true, was it because she had no jewelry on?

“Don’t think too much about it,” Lucrezia heard Vespera say when she noticed her silence. “It’s just the folks’ belief. The gods choose who to bless in their own accord,”

“And does that account for Punishments?”

There was a sudden pause that followed. A sharp gust of wind blew a few loose strands to her face, and her teeth chattered from the cold.

Though Lucrezia couldn’t get a glimpse of her face, from the tone of her voice, she could tell her expression had shifted slightly. “No, it doesn’t. Their cases are… entirely different,”

The admission made her stomach curl in unease.

Lucrezia knew it was a sign not to press further, but she doubted if such an opportunity as this would be granted anytime soon. “Does it relate to a pass beyond the threshold?”

“In a way,” She responded. Vespera adjusted the reins gently as Purity stepped over a patch of uneven ground. “They’re known to be the Carriers. With that, privileges are… limited and duties are fulfilled. In some cases, freedom is granted at the accord of the Punishers, and not the rulers. It depends entirely on the Punisher himself,”

That is to say her husband, she thought. “Are there cases of the ruler’s interference?” Lucrezia carefully asked. She kept her tone neutral, though curiosity pushed her forward.

It didn’t matter if her curiosity silenced her will to avoid being suspicious as it was balanced between mission and sincere knowledge. She had been thrown into a union with no proper understanding of what it truly was, but the weight of duty and sacrifice.

Vespera looked over her shoulder and said, “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Anastasia,” She reassured, but Lucrezia had begun to doubt the safety of this place. “You’re in safe hands,”

Lucrezia swallowed.

Safe hands? By whom? Her husband? How can her enemy grant safety?

She chose not to press the matter further.

After handing Purity’s reins to a stable boy stationed near the edge of the square, the two of them continued on foot, moving deeper into the heart of the fair where the crowd thickened and the music grew louder, lively and bright despite the cold.

Lanterns hung from wooden beams and ropes stretched across the paths, their warm light reflecting off snow-covered ground.

Music drifted from somewhere deeper in the square where a group of performers played lively tunes on fiddles and drums. People laughed and merchants called out their prices.

Lucrezia watched everything with quiet curiosity, and for every moment they lingered somewhere, Vespera found something else to show her.

“Come,” she said once, lightly tugging on Lucrezia’s sleeve. “You cannot claim to have visited the winter fair if you have not tried this.”

Before Lucrezia was allowed to protest, she led her toward a stall where a man stood behind a small iron pan, turning round pieces of dough over a fire.

“What are those?” Lucrezia asked.

“Fried honey cakes,” Vespera replied, beaming next. “They are better when hot.”

Was that why she wanted to come here? Lucrezia thought, almost struck at a rare genuineness she’d never seen before, nor expected from someone like her.

The vendor passed her a look for a moment and handed them each a small paper cone filled with the golden pastries before her mind took another turn. Lucrezia didn’t have enough time to ponder his look, as Vespera’s excitement slowly seeped into her bones.

Steam rose from them as she carefully picked one up, but it was too hot that she dropped it quickly back into the cone with a startled hiss.

Vespera laughed. “Patience,”

Pain flared in her hands but she managed the burn and waited a moment before trying again. With a cautious look at Vespera this time, Lucrezia managed a small bite.

Oh… her eyes widened. She’d hopefully expected it would be as good as she claimed, but it was far from perfect! The cake was soft, warm, and sweet with honey.

“That is… very good!” She admitted.

Vespera smiled knowingly and said, “I told you.”

They continued along the path afterward, occasionally stopping at different stalls. One displayed hand-woven scarves dyed in deep winter colors. Another sold small carved animals made from dark wood, just like the ones earlier.

Lucrezia paused at one of them displayed before her. Tiny figures of wolves, birds, and foxes were lined neatly across the table, and she was internally grateful there were no ravens.

The craftsman noticed her interest and immediately grabbed the moment while it lasted. “Hand-carved,” he said proudly. “Each one unique,”

Vespera picked up a small fox figurine and turned it over in her hand. “Well made,” She commented.

Lucrezia reached for a small horse. White and beautiful. It reminded her faintly of Purity.

“Do you like it?” Vespera asked out of nowhere, and Lucrezia hesitated for a moment before responding.

“I-It is beautiful,” She smiled, returning it after, but the craftsman wrapped it quickly before she could protest and handed it back to her.

“Then it is yours,”

Lucrezia blinked. “Oh—I did not—” But Vespera had already paid, leaving the rest of her words dangling unsaid in the air.

“It was hardly a burden, Ana,”

Lucrezia swallowed at the nickname belonging to her stepsister. It left her heart heavy, burdened by the weight of pretense and the gratitude she couldn’t deny.

Taking a deep breath, she looked down at the small wrapped figure in her hands, unsure whether to protest further, and instead, she said quietly, “Thank you,”

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