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Chapter : 22
Since Sophie’s secret was already out, Valentis decided to stop acting like its guardian.
He didn’t feel like letting those shameless people who caused such a commotion get away with it.
With his hands behind his back, Valentis adopted a posture and tone that exerted pressure on his subordinates.
As expected, Kevin shrank back immediately and started glancing nervously at Valentis.
“Y-Your Highness?”
Kevin worked in a place where even the hem of the prince’s cloak wouldn’t normally be seen.
That’s how great and revered a prince was in the Empire.
Valentis already had power and popularity that exceeded the emperor’s, essentially ruling the palace.
“You’re not going to answer my question?”
“……”
“Name.”
“K-Kevin Coswell, Your Highness!”
Why on earth is the prince here?! Kevin was paralyzed with shock.
He had only found this place thanks to a colleague and had learned by chance that Sophie was the owner.
Jumping up, Kevin bowed politely to Valentis.
Seeing him in person, Valentis was even more imposing, with an overwhelmingly large frame.
It felt like he was being crushed under his presence.
“You know my personal physician?”
“E-Excuse me?!”
Kevin stammered, completely confused. A personal physician?
“She’s been helping me as my physician. Is there a problem?”
“N-No, sir!”
A royal physician was considered one of the most untouchable positions, being closest to royalty.
‘When did I become his personal physician?’
Sophie was just as stunned. But it was clear Valentis was trying to help her now.
So she wisely kept her mouth shut.
“I don’t appreciate how rude you were to my physician.”
“……”
“Would it be fair to say that disrespecting my physician is the same as disrespecting me?”
“N-No, Your Highness! I was just—Sophie…”
Kevin was about to call her “Sophie” like he used to, when Valentis’s eyes turned sharp.
Kevin quickly corrected himself.
“I-I didn’t know Miss Sophie was Your Highness’s personal physician…”
“Even if you didn’t know, I still find your attitude unpleasant. Is that a problem?”
“N-No, not at all!”
Kevin shrank under the pressure of Valentis’s warning. Even Melissa was trembling.
And looking around, many others were watching.
‘The Duke and the Marquess’s daughter are here too!’
Melissa and Kevin were stunned. If even those figures were standing by Sophie, she was clearly someone far beyond their reach.
The prince, the duke, and the marquess’s daughter—all were on Sophie’s side. How could they possibly go against her?
“Pardon us!”
Kevin quickly dragged Melissa out of the apothecary.
“…Your Highness.”
Sophie gave Valentis a bewildered look.
“Since when was I your personal physician?”
“I was planning to bring you to the palace soon anyway.”
“Why?”
“To run a few tests on why you have those abilities.”
“…So that’s why I’m your physician?”
So I’m the prince’s physician and haven’t even been paid.
I should’ve charged more for the tea. Sophie muttered half-jokingly, though her expression was bitter.
‘I didn’t even get to drink it.’
The tea Kevin had ordered remained untouched.
Everyone else had thoroughly enjoyed Sophie’s tea.
Because Sophie’s tea had real effects.
Just drinking it cleared the mind and refreshed the body, like washing away fatigue.
“You didn’t come here to drink tea anyway.”
He came just to show off. Sophie gave a bitter smile.
“…Sigh.”
Sophie let out a sigh and cleared away the tea. Then she walked into the greenhouse.
“…What do we do now?”
The Duke and the others watched her, unsure. She clearly wasn’t in a good mood.
So none of them could easily approach her.
“…Sophie.”
Arabel followed Sophie into the greenhouse.
The transparent walls revealed heavy rain falling outside.
Thick raindrops pelted the glass.
“Are you going somewhere?”
“I left some herbs outside. I’m going to collect them.”
“Wait, it’s raining! At least take an umbrella…”
“It’s fine.”
Sophie gave a short smile and stepped outside. The spirits clustered by the door.
[Oh no. She looks upset.]
[Should we follow her?]
[No. It’s better to give her space at times like this.]
[Let her be alone.]
Despite their cute appearances, the spirits were ancient beings.
They knew what Sophie needed most now was time alone, and they stayed quiet on purpose.
Although Arabel couldn’t hear the spirits, due to her lack of affinity, she could sense that they were worried about Sophie.
‘I shouldn’t have let those two come in the first place.’
Arabel bit her lip, thinking of Melissa and Kevin.
The rain pounded the ground like it wanted to tear the earth apart.
‘These are no good now.’
The herbs were soaked and likely ruined.
“You’ll catch a cold out here.”
“…Duke?”
Arthur watched her pale face with concern.
“You brought an umbrella.”
“To be honest, I hesitated, but His Highness pushed me out with it.”
He said he couldn’t interfere anymore.
Sophie chuckled at Arthur’s words.
“Thank you.”
He held the umbrella over her for so long that one of his shoulders was soaked.
“You didn’t have to do that…”
“It was only right.”
She let out a small sigh.
“Thank you for being here. I was… just a little tired.”
Even in moments like this, Sophie tried to act composed.
Arthur wished she would let herself rest for once.
“Are you really tired?”
“I am. And more than that… I’m just bitter.”
To think the man I dated turned out to be that kind of person.
“Seeing the true face of someone I once loved… it’s just empty.”
“……”
“But I loved him passionately. I don’t regret it.”
She had poured out all her emotions, so there was nothing left to say or feel for him anymore.
“You’ll meet someone better, Sophie.”
You definitely will, Arthur whispered.
“Hm…”
Sophie lightly brushed against Arthur’s hand, as if by mistake.
She averted her eyes and casually swept her hand across the back of his. Arthur flinched slightly.
Even though Arthur seemed composed and sly, he was actually quite shy.
Especially when it came to eye contact or physical touch with Sophie—he always blushed.
Sophie knew it too, but pretended not to.
She didn’t want to fall in love right now.
‘Wouldn’t it have been better if I’d met someone like him instead?’
She thought that, just for a moment.
But she didn’t want to give her heart to anyone right now.
‘I want some tea.’
For some reason, she was really craving tea today.
* * *
Melissa, returning to the capital after a long time, strutted past the imperial palace in her fanciest attire.
Then her eyes met Arabel’s, who was leaning against a wall with her arms crossed.
“Lady Arabel…”
Melissa quickly bowed when she recognized her.
“Tch.”
“…?”
Watching Melissa scurry like a frightened squirrel, Arabel lost interest.
“You’re scared of someone like me, and you dared to go after Sophie?”
“……”
“If you want to beat Sophie, you should start by beating me.”
And another thing—
“You seem to enjoy digging up the past to bring people down. Should I dig up yours?”
“N-No! Please, Lady Arabel!”
Melissa didn’t want to make an enemy of Arabel.
That’s how powerful Arabel was in the capital.
“If you want to confront her, do it fairly—like me.”
“……”
“I’m fighting her fairly with everything I’ve got.”
Arabel thought of Arthur blushing in front of Sophie.
She wanted to be someone even more admirable than Sophie.
“Don’t act so pathetic and embarrassing.”
“……”
“No one’s allowed to treat her that way—until I’ve defeated her first.”
Arabel warned firmly.
“Oh, right.”
She turned to Melissa with a sharp look and a cheeky tone.
Holding her head high with a calm expression, she looked just like Sophie.
“If you did something wrong, apologize. Don’t act like a child.”
She mimicked Sophie as she said it.
* * *
The apothecary was usually lively from early morning. But today, it was strangely quiet.
Standing in front of the shop, Valentis saw something hanging on the door.
‘Closed today.’
Valentis saw the sign and immediately ran off somewhere.
Meanwhile, Sophie had come down with a bad cold from getting drenched the night before.
Cold sweat poured down her back, and she was burning with fever.
“Ugh… I’m dying…”
She tried to brew some medicine herself, but nearly collapsed from dizziness.
“……?”
Then, she heard something outside the window. What was that?
As she approached the window, curious—
“Sophie.”
Someone called her name. The voice sounded familiar.
“I’m coming in.”
What?! Coming in where?!
Then—whoosh!—a figure leapt through the window.
“Kyaa! Aaaack! What the hell?!”
Sophie screamed and collapsed to the floor in shock.
The man staring down at her like a predator was none other than Valentis.
“…What are you doing?”
“I should be the one asking that!”
Valentis had entered Sophie’s room—through the window.
And this was the second floor.
“How did you even know where I live?!”
“Since the time I investigated your apothecary.”
So… he’s known all along?
“Why are you here?”
“Because your shop was closed.”
“…Don’t tell me you came to get tea from a sick person?”
If he had come for tea even when she was ill, he wouldn’t be human.
Sophie clenched her teeth, glaring at Valentis.
“No. It’s the opposite.”
Valentis pulled something from his coat. Herbs, carefully wrapped in a handkerchief.
They were medicinal herbs for treating colds.
“I came to make you tea.”
Sophie stared at the herbs in his hand, dumbfounded. Was he… serious?
