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Chapter : 36
“It was just as I thought.”
Rolf muttered as he rolled the spirit stone in his hand.
“This spirit stone doesn’t suit you at all. To amplify your abilities, you need a stone that matches your affinity.”
“…….”
“Why were you using such a useless spirit stone?”
“……Shouldn’t you have asked first if I could even afford a proper spirit stone?”
Spirit stones were incredibly expensive. Even the one Rolf was criticizing had cost Sophie her entire savings.
“It was the most reasonably priced one I could afford.”
“If you were lucky, you might have even been able to contract with a mid-level spirit.”
The spirit stone Sophie had cherished all this time had actually been weakening her abilities. But what could she do? She had no money.
“So, was that the secret to my powers?”
“What do you mean?”
“The reason I could ease monster curses… the healing aspect of my abilities.”
“I can’t be sure about that.”
Sophie’s herbs had exceptionally strong healing properties—especially effective on Valentis, who had a dragon’s heart, and the cursed duke.
Rolf had guessed that Sophie’s powers might be related to monsters, but he didn’t voice that suspicion.
“Really? That’s a shame.”
Sophie remembered Rolf’s face from fourteen years ago.
Back then, Rolf had been a handsome young man with a bright smile and radiant teeth.
He would usually visit during the day, have lunch or share a brief conversation with Sophie.
She had enjoyed talking with him.
Though Rolf found people difficult to deal with, he always spoke comfortably and honestly with Sophie.
While swirling the tea in her mouth, Sophie suddenly grabbed Rolf’s hand.
“……It must’ve hurt a lot.”
One hand, revealed beneath his robe, was wrinkled and gnarled. The left side of his face was deformed and thickened due to burn scars.
“……A little.”
Out of concern, Sophie examined the burn marks, but they were already long past the point of healing.
“What kind of accident was it?”
“It wasn’t caused by a mage or an assassin or anything dramatic.”
“…….”
“It was just an unfortunate accident caused by someone’s carelessness.”
Rolf confessed calmly.
“So I had no one to blame and just had to live like this.”
The old man who started the fire died in the flames, while Rolf was badly burned saving others.
He had risked his life to save people, but after he was injured, they turned away from him.
Left alone, Rolf devoted himself to studying spirit magic and eventually formed a contract with Hal.
“Everyone avoided my face. Do you still want to see it?”
Rolf knew Sophie was curious about his face. But he couldn’t bring himself to show it.
While his voice was one thing, his face was grotesque and unsettling—even he found it hard to look at.
“I do want to see it.”
“…….”
“I’ve wanted to see you for fourteen years.”
Some had pitied Rolf before. They had told him it was okay to cover his face—that it didn’t matter.
But Sophie, with no hesitation, said she wanted to see him. With a completely sincere expression.
“But only show me when you want to. When you’re ready.”
“…….”
Rolf looked away, lowering his head. Sensing it still wasn’t the right time, Sophie didn’t press further. She didn’t want to force him.
“But at least let me see you wearing a flower crown.”
Sophie placed a flower crown on Rolf’s head.
“It’s the Heliag Festival, after all. Right?”
“……I don’t bother with that stuff.”
“Well, I do.”
It was the Heliag Festival, a holiday celebrated across the Sylok Empire.
‘Heliag’ was named after a royal guard captain who had disguised himself—and the entire guard—as the emperor to save the real emperor from a dragon.
The guards wore the emperor’s robes and crown to confuse the dragon and succeeded in saving the emperor’s life.
Since then, people celebrated the Heliag Festival by wearing crowns and colorful clothes in remembrance.
With a flower crown over his robe, Rolf looked like a fairy—or even a rabbit. Especially in shadow, the poking stems and flowers added to the bunny-like image.
“Haha!”
“……Sophie.”
Sophie giggled at how cute Rolf looked. The crown, made of twigs and berries, suited his aura perfectly.
Heliag was one of the most festive days in the empire.
A day for eating, drinking, and enjoying oneself.
[How could you burn the flower crown?!]
[I’m the Spirit of Lightning! The great Lightning Spirit!]
[So you electrocuted the flower crown?!]
Even the spirits joined in the celebration. Apparently, they liked the festive atmosphere too.
Hal, despite the occasional bickering, got along surprisingly well with the earth spirits.
Seeing that, even Rolf seemed a bit happier than usual.
“You look like you’re in a good mood today… pfft!”
As he took a sip from the cup in front of him, Rolf coughed.
“What is this tea?”
“Tea? It’s alcohol.”
“This is alcohol?”
He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth.
“Wait, Rolf… you’ve never had alcohol before?”
“…….”
No way.
“There’s never been a need to drink.”
It was true—Rolf had never had a drop. He’d never felt curious, and there had never been anyone to drink with.
He picked up the bottle, sniffed it, and immediately put it down with a grimace.
“I brought it today because of the festival.”
Now that she thought about it, the apothecary was unusually lively today. Yellow lanterns, the color of the empire, were hung everywhere.
“……Do apothecaries usually decorate like this?”
“…….”
It was starting to look more like a café. Sophie fell silent at his question.
“I just thought… the customers would like it.”
There was an unusual amount of food today, too.
With her generous cooking style, Sophie had prepared a lot: potatoes, corn, meat, berries. The butter-roasted potatoes, especially, looked mouthwatering.
You normally wouldn’t find food like this in an apothecary.
“……Ah.”
What am I doing? Sophie touched her forehead.
“So… are you going to continue treating the prince and the duke?”
“Yes. That’s my plan.”
“I’m worried you’ll be in danger.”
“…….”
Now that she thought about it, Valentis had said the same thing.
“You once said you wanted to live a quiet life.”
If Sophie ever became endangered, Rolf planned to take her away immediately.
As the greatest spirit mage, power and politics meant nothing to Rolf.
Just then—
“Sophie! I’m here again today!”
“Did you decorate the apothecary for the Heliag Festival?”
Even during the festival, palace workers didn’t get a day off. After their shifts, they came to visit the apothecary.
“Sophie! Thanks to you, we’re finally having a baby! I’m so grateful!”
After working at the palace, people came here to ease their fatigue.
“One cup of tea, please!”
Sophie looked at the cheerful people and answered Rolf.
“These days, I’m not so sure anymore. Maybe… I don’t dislike it as much as I thought.”
She shared her roasted potatoes and corn. It wasn’t grand like a turkey dinner, but it was comforting food that paired well with tea.
The apothecary quickly became lively as more guests poured in—including Arthur and Arabelle—making it downright noisy.
Rolf quietly watched Sophie smiling brightly among the crowd.
“Hey! Kane finally had his first child!”
A man shouted. Congratulations followed from all corners.
“I really want to repay you, Sophie.”
Kane had worried for ten years due to infertility caused by his wife’s illness.
Thanks to Sophie’s herbs, they finally conceived.
It was a long-awaited blessing.
“I want to repay you too. Want a palace tour next time you come by?”
“Oh! Me too, me too! I can show you the back gardens!”
“I can show you the knights’ quarters and even the Keveris building!”
“But… is it okay to say all this in front of His Grace the Duke?”
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
Once, only local villagers visited Sophie’s apothecary. Now even high-ranking nobles and palace officials came.
At this rate, if she ever went to the palace, she’d probably know half the people there.
“Sophie, are you selling alcohol now too?”
Arthur asked, holding up a bottle.
“No way. This is not a tavern.”
Sophie snatched the bottle from him.
“But it’s the festival! Just enjoy yourselves today.”
“Have you given up completely?”
“……Even the townspeople are starting to come here for tea now.”
Sophie’s teas were so effective that even the villagers came to buy leaves to share with their families.
But unlike before, Sophie didn’t find it burdensome or unpleasant. Seeing so many healed people actually gave her energy.
[Lady Sophie! Can I drink alcohol too?]
A spirit asked. It looked like it really shouldn’t be drinking.
“How old are you?”
[I’m older than the mountains.]
Sophie had heard of spirits being older than flowers and trees, but mountains? That was new. Just how old was it?
She wasn’t sure if she should allow it or not.
“Sophie! Rolf says he’s never had alcohol in his life!”
From the corner, Arabelle teased Rolf. He hid his face behind his robe in embarrassment.
[Our master may not drink, but he reads a lot of books!]
“Good for him.”
With the festive yellow lanterns and lively atmosphere, everyone seemed more excited than usual. Even Arthur, Arabelle, and Rolf enjoyed the mood.
“Come to think of it, the prince is late.”
Arthur said, glancing at his cup. Now that she thought of it, Valentis hadn’t shown up.
‘Did something urgent come up?’
He often traveled to the border, so it was possible he couldn’t make it today.
‘Huh?’
Leaving the noisy apothecary behind, Sophie stepped out to collect the herbs she had laid out to dry earlier.
Work didn’t stop just because it was a festival.
“Prince Valentis?”
Through the yellow festival lanterns, a pair of golden eyes appeared.
A tall man in a cloak with black hair stepped forward.
‘Who is that?’
But the man who appeared—was not Valentis.
