Chapter 104 - The Perfect Society (1/2)

When the two went down to the dining room, Aldebar, Flora and Louis were already waiting while enjoying their breakfast.

”Good morning, newlyweds,” Flora said teasingly. She turned to her husband Louis, ”Do you remember when we were just married?”

Louis nodded as he touched his wife's cheek lovingly. ”I remember it like it happened yesterday. I really love you.”

”How long have you known each other?” Finland asked, interested. She only knew that Flora was about 100 years younger than Caspar.

”Hmm... almost my whole life,” Flora answered. ”I was born in England. Our parents were lonely because Caspar started traveling with Lauriel so they decided to have more children, thus I was born. I grew up in the countryside and became friends with Louis when I was a child. I knew that someday we would have to move and leave him, because he could not know our identity as Alchemists, but when I was 16 I knew that I loved him and I didn't want us to part. Mother said I must be crazy... How could I know love at that age? But I was stubborn. I finally opened my secret to Louis and we decided to elope. ”

”Really? Wow... I didn't know that story...” Finland was very impressed. Flora was now in her 300s, and she had spent the most of her life with Louis. It was really a very long time, but even today their love was visible to everyone present.

Was this how Alchemists loved their partners?

Finland glanced at Caspar and her heart warmed when she thought of how Caspar loved her all this while. He loved and treated her as sweetly as Louis and Flora loved each other.

”I was told that at that time you were not given the blessings by your parents, and therefore Louis became older while you still look like you are in your 20s. Before your parents finally accepted Louis and gave him the immortality potion after Alexandrite was born, were you ready to be separated by death?” Finland asked again.

Flora understood why Finland asked that question. She was weighing her own circumstances and tried to compare her situation with theirs in the past.

”Hmm... at that time we weren't thinking ahead. We just wanted to be together, no matter what. I really didn't care when Louis started to look older. To me he was still the Louis I knew when we were teenagers. But yes, we were indeed prepared to separate when he died... We had no other choice. But I was determined to live for our children in the future,” Flora replied. ”For me, it's better to be with Louis even though it's only for 50 years... rather than not live with him at all.”

Finland nodded. Caspar squeezed her hand gently and smiled reassuringly.

”Aldebar has given us his immortality potion before he sleeps. You don't have to rush to decide. I'll wait whenever you are ready,” he said soothingly.

Finland nodded again. Her heart became calmer.

”One thing you might not know,” Flora said again, ”We are usually very picky when it comes to our life partners, so my case is an exception. Most people from our clan only decide to get married after being with their partners for at least 10 years, when they have become very mature. When you reach the age of at least one century, your thoughts would be more mature and you start to really understand what you want. Most of the first- and second-generation Alchemists are married to fellow Alchemists, and only less than half are married to the commoners. That is why there are so few of us. We also don't do divorce. ”

”Are you not allowed to divorce... or... there has just never been a case where a partner feels that there is no connection anymore?” Finland asked, increasingly curious.

Caspar's clan was indeed very interesting. They not only look physically perfect, but socially they also seem to have an ideal lifestyle.

Nobody got divorced? Wow! That seemed impossible, since divorce rates in many countries in Europe were over 30%. In some countries it was so bad that one in two marriages end in divorce.