Into The Rose Garden

Klopp’s visits had become less frequent. His daily life passed idly. Now that he couldn’t play chess anymore, he immersed himself in gardening. He felt like Klopp would be angry if he saw this too, but he couldn’t bear not having something to occupy himself with.

Every morning, Aelock woke up and took painkillers while recollecting memories of the few gardening books that he had read before. Following what he remembered from the book, he transplanted flowers that bloomed in abundance nearby and also collected some seeds. He trimmed branches and occasionally picked flowers, putting them in a bucket, to decorate the cabin. The yellow daffodils and colorful tulips scattered around the cabin were originally planted by Aelock’s mother.

Although he could barely remember her now, he remembered that his mother’s hobby was gardening, and she had skills comparable to an expert. The estate’s pride and joy, the rose garden, was once unremarkable, but her mother made it so colorful and beautiful. His mother had bought all kinds of rare rose seedlings and decorated the garden sophisticatedly. The garden was most beautiful in early summer, that’s why his father always invited people over for tea parties in early summer. Although it was also out of his aristocratic obligation, it was probably also with the purpose of showing off his mother’s rose garden.

Someday, Aelock hoped to visit the garden again, in the early summer when thousands of roses bloomed in different colors. It was the only trace of his mother left for Aelock.

One day, as he was going about his day as usual.

Aelock suddenly heard a child’s voice. Aelock had just transplanted the daffodils when he raised his head up and heard the sound of tiny footsteps across the cypress trees. He also heard a burst of high-pitched laughter. He stood up and fixed his gaze on the small creature that seemed to be the source of the sound. After a moment, a child suddenly appeared from the cypress tree path leading to the cabin.

The child looked to be about four years old, and his blonde hair was sparkling in the sunlight. His pale face was as pretty as a doll crafted by a skilled artisan. Most of all, his eyes, more clear and blue than the sky, were extremely lovely. The child was surprised when he saw Aelock and froze in his tracks, staring at him with wide eyes. Without any words, Aelock knew at that moment.

The child was his firstborn. The omega boy, born to Aelock.

Suddenly, his heart started beating loudly. He felt like he should say something, but he had no idea what to say. Aelock stiffened up, then without even realizing it, he smiled. The child saw it and responded with a smile of his own. He saw a smile from the most beautiful flower ever in the world.

He thought he would really get killed this time if Klopp found out, but Aelock couldn’t resist approaching the child and touching him. The child, who seemed to be raised well with love, was very healthy and exuded confidence. When Aelock grasped the child’s shoulders with his trembling hands, the child did not seem afraid at all. Aelock was so surprised that he didn’t even think to put down the yellow daffodil he was holding. The child reached out with his small hand and took the flower.

“What…what’s your name?”

He asked in a shaky voice as he handed him the daffodil and the child giggled in amusement. Just as those cherry-like lips were about to open, Aelock heard an urgent male voice calling out from the other side, “Rayfiel!”

“Daddy!”

The child, Rayfiel, quickly turned back and ran. Klopp appeared from behind a huge tree, like a parent who had lost their child and was rushing to find them. Klopp ran over and picked up Rayfiel’s small body in his arms. It was the first time Aelock had seen him look so worried. Klopp ran his hands over Rayfiel’s tiny hands and legs to make sure he was okay, then he took a deep sigh of relief and kissed his forehead. He then looked at his son with a slightly stern gaze.

“What were you doing here?”

Despite the stern words, Rayfiel did not cower.

“I met him. He gave me this.”

Rayfiel pointed at Aelock with a bright expression and then held out the daffodil he was holding. Aelock kept staring blankly at Rayfiel. This was the first time he had seen him from this close, so he wanted to remember every detail. But the child’s other parent didn’t seem to feel the same way. With the little blonde boy in his arms, Klopp was about to leave. Aelock quickly called out to him.

“Excuse me, Klopp?”

“I’ll talk to you later.”

The familiar cold response came back. But the look in his eyes was a little strange. Recently, he had been full of sneers and disgust, but now he glared at Aelock with a newfound fury. Aelock couldn’t find words to say anymore. Soon, Klopp turned his body and blocked his son’s gaze, then took him away quickly. Aelock continued to follow them as far as he was allowed with quick steps, trying to catch a glimpse of the blond hair a little longer. The child, who was being held by his father, looked at Aelock and waved his hand. Aelock waved back, his heart feeling full.

Rayfiel.

It was common for the first omega child to take their mother’s name. It was a name that suited the lovely omega child very well.

Klopp came to the cabin at late night. Aelock, who had been waiting for him without doing anything, got up as soon as the tall man entered the cabin. He spoke with a bit of expectation, “Um, during the day, about the child.” Aelock was so nervous and his heart was pounding so much that he couldn’t even look at Klopp properly.

“So his name was Rayfiel. He’s very pretty.”

He wanted to know more, even just a little bit. There was no specific reason. It was only natural for Aelock to be curious. He wasn’t asking Klopp to let him meet the child. He just hoped that Klopp would show a little mercy and tell him anything about Rayfiel, even small things would do. But when Aelock looked up at him with expectations, all he got was a rage that seemed like it could explode at any moment.

“Are you done talking?”

Unlike his anger, his voice sounded calm, and Aelock was confused. Klopp grabbed Aelock’s collar and slammed him to the ground. His light body hit the floor hard. Before he could even understand the situation and stand up properly, Klopp’s hand flew towards him.

Slap.

He covered his throbbing cheek with one hand and turned his head to face Klopp.

Klopp tossed his undone cufflink onto the table. As it made a clattering sound, Aelock’s body was paralyzed with fear of the impending hit. When he saw the man approaching with his sleeves rolled up, slowly casting a shadow over him, he immediately closed his eyes.

He didn’t know how many times he was hit. It was much more painful than when he had torn his clothes and raped him. Instinctively, Aelock curled into a fetal position. Every time Klopp lost his breath and gave him a brief break from hitting, he would spit out the coagulated blood in his mouth. It was painful just to breathe as if his spine and ribs had been injured. His cheeks were already swollen and burning from the repeated hits by the large hand. Cold drops of water fell on his cheeks. He barely managed to open his eyes

Ah.

What was harder to bear than the pain was the clear tears that fell from Klopp’s eyes, which were filled with anger. Klopp, whose fists were completely covered with red and blue bruises, shouted with furiousness.

“Never again! Don’t you dare ever again! Never touch my Rayfiel with your dirty hands! Or I’ll burn you alive!”

He sounded from the bottom of his heart. Aelock could only nod, unable to speak. Eventually, Klopp was exhausted and staggered to his feet. Even until the end, tears of sorrow flowed from his eyes. Aelock was the proof of the person he couldn’t have.

Left alone, Aelock barely fainted. Shards of his, once innocent, soul shattered, dripping down the irreparable wound on his red cheek.

Klopp would often visit and beat Aelock mercilessly, his eyes filled with hatred, carrying memories of wailing over his pitiful wife’s corpse. It seemed as though the meeting with the child had opened up his old wounds. When he got tired of beating him, sometimes, they would have sex.

It was far too rough and painful to be called sex, but at the end of it, Aelock could feel a slight sense of pleasure. Then, he would go into heat and become pregnant again. Only then were the beatings stopped. Aelock was relieved that he didn’t have to get beaten anymore. When Klopp heard that Aelock was pregnant, he could only stop hitting him, his fists trembling. Aelock almost thought Klopp would slap him like before, but he didn’t.

The pregnancy this time was extremely difficult. Aelock couldn’t easily swallow his food. He wasn’t being beaten, but sometimes he would feel so much pain that he had to take painkillers. He even came close to miscarrying multiple times. Barely filling the whole 9 months, Aelock gave birth to a very small omega son.

After returning to the cabin, in two years, Aelock gave birth to two more children. Although Aelock had given birth to four children now, Klopp had never properly told him their names. The one name he knew only constantly reminded him of his own sin.