Chapter 31
Sophie was half resigned.
‘Let’s think positively.’
The people who visited this place always thought it was a tea house. Even if she explained it was actually a pharmacy, they never seemed to understand.
Since it had come to this, she figured she might as well make some good money. At the very least, she needed to save up enough to buy some spirit stones.
At home, Sophie was filling out her household ledger when she opened a desk drawer. It was overflowing with thick letters stuffed with cash. Without any sign of being opened, the crisp stationery was stamped with the seal of Marquis Sherikas.
The blood-tied relationship Sophie had with her family was barely sustained by these letters and bundles of money.
Since she turned thirteen, these letters had been arriving, though how they found her address, she didn’t know. Still, she never wanted to read the letters that didn’t even contain a single word of greeting.
Receiving them always left her feeling strangely melancholic.
Feeling like she needed a cup of tea, she rose from her seat and headed to the pharmacy.
“Lord Rolf?”
In the distance, she spotted Rolf. Cloaked in black robes as usual, he walked past the curious gazes of passersby, ignoring them completely.
He looked like a man lost, wandering aimlessly. It reminded her of herself, ten years old and just cast out from the marquis’ house, drifting in loneliness.
[Sophie!]
Now, Hal greeted Sophie first.
“You’re here again today.”
“…”
At her words, Rolf simply nodded.
She liked being with him. For some reason, he felt familiar. Even though they hadn’t known each other long, it didn’t feel like meeting a stranger.
Though she didn’t even know his face, Sophie could tell Rolf had a kind heart.
“Would you like to have some tea with me?”
“…Sure.”
Sometimes she felt his gaze on her, and when she looked up, he would be glancing her way.
Was he looking at me? Sophie tilted her head in thought.
A bit of his sleeve shifted, revealing a hand covered in severely scarred skin.
It seemed like his clothes were a bit small for his build.
“Here.”
Rolf handed her the milk and sugar without hesitation, as if he already knew her taste.
Sophie liked her tea sweet — with both milk and sugar mixed in.
‘Did Rolf figure out how I take my tea?’
She hadn’t shown any habits that might reveal that. Was he just that observant, or had someone told him?
“Ah, thank you.”
Rolf kept feeling less and less like a stranger. Every time she caught a glimpse of his eyes under the hood, it felt like she had seen them somewhere before.
But Rolf always avoided showing his face.
“Sophie!”
At that moment, a customer entered the pharmacy.
“Excuse me for a moment, Lord Rolf.”
Sophie stood and approached the customer — a young woman with a little girl in tow.
“How’s your second child?”
“My husband’s watching him. It’s my turn to do the shopping today.”
The woman had recently given birth and had been receiving postnatal care from Sophie.
“Hello, Hailey.”
“…Mmm.”
Shy Hailey hid behind her mother in response to Sophie’s greeting.
“How did the herbs I gave you last time work? Were they effective?”
“The bleeding I was worried about stopped, but… my hands and feet still feel so cold.”
“Is that so?”
Listening to the woman explain she’d already seen a physician, Sophie prepared some appropriate herbs.
Meanwhile, Hailey was mesmerized by the pharmacy — even the walls were lined with blooming flowers. Her eyes widened as she curiously looked around.
“You can look around if you’re curious.”
With Sophie’s permission, Hailey began exploring the shop with a delighted expression. Herbs were being steamed, dried, or already prepared and stored in categorized drawers.
As she sniffed the various scents, Hailey discovered the door to the greenhouse in a corner.
Through the open greenhouse door, she saw floating orbs of light and a lush green space.
Leaving Sophie and her mother mid-conversation, Hailey ran toward it.
“Heeek!”
But she tripped and fell — hitting her forehead right on the knee of a man sitting in the corner.
“….”
Strangely, the man had a glowing orb floating above his shoulder too.
Rolf hesitated, then gently extended his hand to help her up. Hailey accepted his warm hand and smiled at him — or, at least, she was about to.
Then the orb above Rolf suddenly floated up and around, briefly illuminating his face.
“Eek!”
Terrified, Hailey burst into tears and clung to her mother.
“He’s a monster!”
She cried out as she clung to her mom.
“That man’s face… it’s weird!”
The girl, around ten years old, sobbed uncontrollably in her mother’s arms.
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry…”
Not knowing Rolf’s face, the mother could only offer an awkward smile. Sophie, thinking it would be best if they left, handed her the herbs and change and sent them off.
She then cautiously looked at Rolf. He hid his face even more than before and muttered:
“I’m used to hearing things like that. It’s fine.”
“Still… being called a monster must hurt.”
Unlike the sobbing Hailey, Sophie genuinely liked Rolf. That’s why his pain pierced her heart.
“It’s only natural to be called a monster… looking like this.”
“Well… since you’re the one calling yourself a monster, I can’t exactly say, ‘No! You look like an angel!’ Especially since I haven’t even seen your face…”
Sophie didn’t want to offer shallow comfort when she didn’t even know what he looked like. After some hesitation, she spoke again.
“You know… not all monsters are bad. And they don’t seem scary to everyone either.”
She said softly.
“More than anything, I don’t think you’re a bad person, Lord Rolf.”
“…”
While Sophie comforted Rolf, Valentis entered quietly, without making a sound.
“And for some reason, you feel familiar, Lord Rolf.”
“…”
“Like someone I already knew.”
Sophie murmured.
“When I was a child, someone saved me. You remind me of him.”
“…”
“I’m still looking for that person. I really want to meet him…”
“…Why do you want to see him?”
“To thank him. If not for him, I might not have survived.”
“To me, he’s a precious, beautiful memory.”
“But what if… that person turned into something terrible?”
Rolf asked quietly.
“What if that precious memory became someone so broken they couldn’t go back to who they were?”
The sobbing Hailey. The child around ten years old. Rolf had first seen Sophie at that age.
“In that case… maybe it’s better never to see them again.”
From Rolf’s words, a suspicion bloomed in Sophie’s heart.
It was something she had been wondering for a while — could he be that man from her past?
His voice was a bit different, but his manner of speech felt familiar.
“It might be better… if things stayed that way.”
It sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Valentis remained silent as he watched them, each lost in their thoughts. Sophie seemed to have noticed something about Rolf.
Valentis felt a surge of anxiety. He was still torn between wanting to protect Sophie as his father told him to — and his own selfish desire for her.
The bond between Rolf and Sophie was deeper and stronger than Valentis could comprehend.
He felt consumed by jealousy.
As much as he cared for Sophie and wanted to be considerate, he also couldn’t ignore his own longing.
“I don’t know what happened to that person…”
Sophie spoke again.
“But even so, I want to say it.”
“…”
“To the one who became so broken…”
She looked directly at Rolf.
“Thank you.”
“…”
“I survived because of you…”
At that moment, her eyes met Rolf’s perfectly. He had looked up, and she caught a glimpse of his face.
A burn-scarred face that didn’t scare her — and the same warm brown eyes she remembered.
“…Ah.”
“…”
When she saw the tear-filled eyes, Sophie was certain.
It was him.
It made sense that Rolf hovered around her, that he knew her taste so well.
If Rolf was the one who saved her 14 years ago… everything clicked.
It had to be him.
A sudden gust of wind blew through the door, which had been left open for ventilation.
Rolf’s robe fluttered in the wind, briefly revealing his ash-gray hair.
Flustered by the sudden wind, Rolf looked startled. Sophie spoke.
“So I finally get to say thank you.”
“…”
Seeing his tears, she suddenly understood.
He had changed so much from the past.
But Sophie didn’t care.
“…Your Highness.”
At that moment, Arabelle stepped out from the garden and saw Valentis’ darkened expression.
She had hoped Sophie would never find out — but it had finally been revealed.
Valentis had tried to be content with a simple pharmacist-patient relationship.
But now he knew that was no longer possible.
