TDNT 15

Chapter 15

This isn’t right. It’s your one-sided crush—why am I the one suffering because of it?

For the first time in a long while, Sophie felt her anger boiling over.

Every single one of these herbs had been nurtured with care. To her, they were like her own children.

And now, those precious plants had been torn apart like some sort of outlet for someone’s frustration. Sophie could no longer stand by and watch.

“…Arabelle.”

At that moment, Arabelle walked into the greenhouse.

Her face still wet from tears, she wiped it with a handkerchief.

When she spotted Sophie inside the greenhouse, Arabelle flinched.

“Did you do this?” Sophie asked.

“…Y-yes.”

Until now, Arabelle had been growing fond of Sophie and the apothecary. But her jealousy over Arthur had clouded her vision completely.

In a fit of impulsive rage, she had grabbed anything within reach and thrown it. Only after everything lay in ruins did she finally snap back to her senses.

“…”

“…”

At first, Sophie said nothing. She just stared at Arabelle.

Feeling intimidated by that gaze, Arabelle tried to hold her ground and glared back defiantly.

Fueled by jealousy, Arabelle’s anger was reaching its peak.

After all, it was obvious that Arthur liked Sophie.

She had conveniently forgotten all the kindness Sophie had shown her up until now, letting her sharp emotions take over.

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Sophie was just as conflicted. After all, she had spent a lot of time with Arabelle too.

Despite Arabelle’s rude attitude, despite her being a nuisance from dawn till late at night—Sophie had endured it.

Because she was an adult. And because there were moments when Arabelle’s childish charm was actually endearing.

‘But… hurting the herbs? That’s going too far.’

No matter how angry a person gets, taking it out on innocent living things is unacceptable.

“I have nothing to say.”

Looking around at the mess the greenhouse had become, Sophie struggled to keep her temper under control. She still appeared calm and dignified.

That composure made Arabelle feel even smaller.

“Humans have reason, Arabelle. When you’re angry at someone, you use words to resolve it.”

“…”

“Do you understand? Hurting defenseless living things… that’s what children do.”

“Don’t call me a child!”

Arabelle shouted.

“Who do you think you are to call me that?! Stop saying that!”

“We built this greenhouse together, didn’t we?”

“…”

“So… why would you do this?”

Sophie was disappointed. Deeply disappointed in Arabelle.

Even the spirits looked around the ruined greenhouse with sad eyes.

“We worked on this place with the spirits. And yet… you did this?”

“Th-that’s…”

Arabelle, too, felt regret seeing the destroyed greenhouse. But the damage was done, and she was cornered.

Even the spirits wouldn’t look at her anymore. That made her feel even lonelier, trembling all over.

“I’m asking if you’re sorry. Are you not going to apologize?”

“…”

Sophie was using every ounce of her strength to contain her fury. She was teetering on the edge between long-standing affection and sheer anger.

She had put up with Arabelle’s pestering, put up with her disrupting the once peaceful apothecary.

But she never imagined the greenhouse would end up like this. And at the hands of this childish, thoughtless girl.

This had crossed the line.

“Aren’t you going to apologize?”

Sophie’s voice turned cold as ice. At that moment, the spirit power resonating within her surged through the land.

Her bond with the earth was intimate and strong. As her composure faltered, the ground responded to her turmoil.

“Not even to me? Or to the spirits?”

“Th-that…”

Faced with Sophie’s chilling words, Arabelle stammered, ready to apologize. But just then, Arthur appeared.

“…Sophie?”

Valentis and Arthur had rushed into the greenhouse, startled by the tremors in the ground.

They quickly grasped the situation. Both pairs of eyes turned toward Arabelle, with a faint trace of reproach.

Even in this moment, Arthur was focused on Sophie’s reaction—not on the weeping Arabelle.

“I’m sorry, Sophie.”

“No. I don’t want Your Grace to apologize on her behalf.”

Her voice was like frost. Why, Arabelle? Why did it come to this? Arthur watched Arabelle with a troubled expression.

Arabelle felt a surge of betrayal toward Arthur.

“How could I apologize? That’s against noble etiquette.”

Arabelle clung to her status, trying to escape the situation. In truth, she wasn’t even aware of what she was saying anymore.

“Speaking of etiquette…”

Again, the ground began to shake violently. The herbs nurtured by Sophie’s affinity bristled in reaction.

“If you have something you don’t like about someone, you say it to their face.”

“…”

“Taking it out like this… isn’t that against etiquette too? As far as I know, it is.”

Sophie spoke like someone well-versed in noble customs. Arthur tilted his head in surprise.

Valentis could feel it too—how the entire area was stiff with Sophie’s overflowing affinity. This was her domain.

“If you have an issue with me, say it with words.”

“…”

“But instead, you ruin helpless herbs?”

She was furious. More than ever before. Valentis sensed this was a side of Sophie no one had seen.

It was entirely different from her usual annoyed or tired demeanor.

Arabelle realized this too. Her legs trembled uncontrollably. Even the earth beneath her feet began to shake.

She had to run. Something was very wrong.

No one had ever gotten this angry with Arabelle. Not even Arthur.

“Apologize.”

Sophie said.

“Apologize and take responsibility for what you’ve done.”

Arabelle felt like she was suffocating. As though trapped alone in a tiny space.

She hated this. Being cornered and interrogated like this.

More than anything, she had never once taken responsibility or apologized for anything she’d done before.

Financial compensation, maybe—but never sincere apology.

“Ugh…”

Naturally, Arabelle, who had never apologized before, did what she always did.

She ran away.

Not even wanting to see Arthur right now.

‘Running away? Seriously?’

The last thread of rationality Sophie had managed to hold onto finally snapped.

“Sophie…?” Arthur called out to her cautiously.

‘I’m already beyond furious.’

She was already fed up with Valentis, Arthur, and even their accompanying knights hovering around the apothecary.

And now… Arabelle had dared to cross the line.

“Shouldn’t we stop her? This seems bad!” Arthur asked Valentis.

“Well…”

Valentis crossed his arms and watched calmly.

“I’ve never tried stopping her before.”

“Your Highness!”

“Ugh…”

At that moment, Sophie dashed out of the greenhouse. She sprinted after the fleeing Arabelle.

“Sophie!”

Arthur and Valentis followed close behind.

Arabelle was running for her life—putting every ounce of strength she had into fleeing.

But Sophie was already catching up quickly. Sophie was someone who had once outrun wild animals in the forest.

Arabelle was no match.

“You should at least hear me out till the end!”

Sophie stomped lightly on the ground, and once again, the earth trembled violently.

“Eeek!”

Starting from Sophie’s feet, the ground cracked and erupted in a wave heading straight toward Arabelle.

“Kyaaa!”

It was terrifyingly fast, like fire igniting oil. Jagged earth shot upward as if it would impale her.

Arabelle’s dress snagged on the rocky edge, tearing as she scrambled away.

But there was no point running from Sophie—the spirit user of the earth.

“Brother! Brother, help me!”

Arabelle screamed.

“…Arabelle.”

Arthur, as expected, looked troubled.

Arabelle tried hiding between trees, but it was useless. The branches twisted as if obeying Sophie’s command, blocking her path.

‘Water!’

Suddenly, an idea struck Arabelle. If Sophie controlled the earth, maybe water would be her weakness.

She darted toward the lake and threw herself in.

“Good idea, but…”

Sophie smiled crookedly as she watched Arabelle smugly hiding in the water.

“That lake is also on the earth, you know!”

“Kyaaa!”

The earth spirit Sophie summoned shook the entire lake.

Like a storm, the waters churned violently.

Arabelle was caught in the middle of the lake, drenched and trapped.

“If you had a problem with me, you could have said so. Instead, you took it out on my herbs.”

“…”

“And now that I’m asking for an apology and accountability, you’re running away?”

Sophie’s voice was cold.

“Are you a child? Your behavior is utterly childish and irresponsible.”

Even when Arabelle followed her around like a pest, glaring with murderous eyes, Sophie had endured it.

Because she was older. Because she could find it endearing.

But this… this was different.

“How dare you…”

Muttering in wounded pride, Arabelle glared at Sophie’s distorted face in fear, shouting out in desperation.

“I’ll have you arrested for insulting a noble!”

“Oh, even if you follow protocol, that won’t be a problem.”

What? Arthur looked puzzled, but Sophie didn’t elaborate.

“I… I…”

Soaked, muddy, and sobbing, Arabelle crawled out of the lake.

She knew she’d ruined Sophie’s greenhouse out of jealousy over Arthur’s attention.

She felt guilty.

“So then…”

No one had ever scolded her this harshly before.

But now… even Arabelle felt she should say something to Sophie.

But…

“Arabelle.”

Arthur stood firmly behind Sophie, casting her a stern look as if he had finally taken Sophie’s side.

Even Arthur had never scolded her before. He had always been warm and kind.

“I won’t! Why should I? Do it yourself!”

Even now, Arabelle couldn’t escape her childishness.

She wanted Arthur’s love and attention—forever.

In the end, sulking deeply, Arabelle turned and ran away again.