[AFYC] Chapter 83
There was no need to elaborate on how much he had intimidated or cursed at her during the process.
“At approximately 12:25, we moved from Pal Phien Market to the Notheim Cemetery, arriving around 16:50,” Abel reported.
Simone, who had been listening, interjected, “There’s a considerable gap between when she learned about the source of the flowers and when you moved to the cemetery.”
“It took time because I was trying to dissuade her from going to the cemetery for safety reasons.”
He refrained from mentioning that his method of dissuasion involved a torrent of insults and threats, even dragging in her ancestors. To Abel Sting, that fell well within the bounds of ‘dissuasion.’
“But what exactly happened that left you in this state?” Oscar, who had been perched on the edge of the desk, scanned Abel from head to toe, recalling how dishevelled Seo Ah had looked as well. It seemed like the two of them had been up to the same nonsense.
“You said her purpose was to return the flowers. How did she know which grave the flowers were taken from?” Oscar asked.
The memory of the Notheim Cemetery flooded back to Abel like a haunting vision.
Winter had arrived early at the graveyard. The paths were muddy, freezing at night and thawing into a slippery mess during the day.
“With so many headstones here, how do you know which ones had their flowers stolen so you can return them?” he asked, trying to remain professional, but the naive foreigner was already wandering the cemetery, muttering to herself.
“...562 graves, 102 flowers... only 460 more to buy...”
Just hearing her talk sent a shiver down his spine, leaving him feeling sick to his stomach.
“You’re not seriously planning to place flowers on every single one of these graves, are you?”
When she hung her head, it struck him that even cursing her out would be a waste of breath.
Brilliant thinking. Just brilliant.
“Well, go on then, place the flowers. I’m sure the ghosts are eagerly waiting with their chins propped up, just for you.”
Seo Ah’s face lit up as she nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, of course! Please sit and wait for a moment.”
She truly had no idea what he was saying.
“Do you see anywhere around here to sit?” he snapped.
Flustered, she rummaged through her bag, pulled out a cheap handkerchief, and carefully laid it on a flat stone.
“At least sit here for a moment...”
Abel stared at the handkerchief on the stone, then at Seo Ah. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying silently, and she couldn’t even meet his gaze, yet she tried to smile.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be quick.”
The foreigner, oblivious to the gravity of his words, trudged off through the mud.
And then...
“She placed flowers on every grave.”
Not just flowers—if someone had seen her, they might have mistaken her for a cemetery caretaker. She had even swept the leaves off each gravestone with her hands. Given more time, she might have wiped them down with a cloth.
“Did she buy the remaining flowers?” Oscar asked.
“Yes,” Abel confirmed, his face showing the exhaustion he felt.
“And you helped her?”
“Otherwise, we wouldn’t have returned by tonight.”
“Would it have been possible to finish in a month?”
Finally, Abel Sting’s carefully maintained expression broke. Oscar unbuttoned his collar, feeling the suffocation of the situation.
“Are you giving up?”
Abel fell silent as if faced with an insurmountable challenge.
If he succeeded, he could stop the flower-selling business, but who knew how many more wretched markets he’d have to visit? If he gave up, he’d still be a flower vendor, but he could immediately stop this cursed market duty.
Suddenly, the idea that he might be well-suited to sell flowers crossed his mind.
What would he do if he quit? Search and rescue operations or combat missions often require teamwork, which could be irritating. Selling flowers solo was easier by comparison.
But then he realised this was all speculation on his part. Oscar had only promised a change of assignment if he succeeded.
“...If I give up, can I stop following her around?”
“No.”
