CHAPTER 003
Among the tall trees, strands of long brown hair fluttered in the wind. A small and delicate figure deftly navigated the steep mountain path like a baby squirrel.
This was a rough mountain, with barely any paths, that would be challenging even for a typical adult man.
Yet Arabelle moved without hesitation, using the scattered branches, rocks, and stones around her to run. If there was one thing in the world Arabelle was confident in, it was her ability to navigate mountains.
It had been that way since she could first toddle. She had explored all the local mountains with her mother, gathering herbs. Especially the mountains behind her great-uncle Baron Cander's estate, known throughout the empire for their treacherous terrain, were a delightful playground for Arabelle.
From a young age, quiet and introverted Arabelle found spending time with animals far more comfortable and enjoyable than being with people.
Hiding and treating an injured beast in a cave was a bold move that did not match her usual personality.
Anyone who knew her would laugh and say it was impossible. Arabelle was extremely timid, passive, and a bit naive.
But that was the Arabelle seen through the eyes of those hardened and cunning people. They neither knew nor tried to understand the "real" Arabelle.
By nature, Arabelle felt awkward drawing attention to herself and did not try to showcase her strengths. She might appear timid and scared, but she wasn't as naive or foolish as people thought.
How could a foolish girl know the names and properties of hundreds of herbs, be familiar with the geography of the local mountains and rivers, and remember the names and characteristics of countless animals and insects?
People assumed Arabelle was an idiot because she was inherently kind and forgiving, even though she knew the truth.
And her family took her kindness for granted and used it. To Arabelle, animals were her true family and friends. They did not lie to her and loved her for who she was.
That's why Arabelle couldn't pass by the black panther dying from human spears. To Arabelle, humans who cruelly harmed animals and nature seemed far more dangerous than monsters.
***
With a click, a dry hand silently opened the side door of the old castle's kitchen. Large eyes peeked out cautiously, observing the surroundings. The few servants were busy preparing the lord's late breakfast.
Suddenly, a cold hand grabbed Arabelle's slender wrist and pulled her inside.
It was her older sister, Camille.
"Where have you been?"
"Sorry, I was in the mountains and got caught in a storm. I fell asleep in a cave."
"You caused an uproar in the castle, and you fell asleep?"
Camille, who was a head taller than Arabelle, frowned in disbelief. Arabelle's younger sister, Roxy, glared at her with contempt.
"Don't lie. You were treating injured animals in the mountains again, weren't you?"
"N-no, I wasn't..."
"Don't deny it. It's written all over your dumb face. I know you took rabbits from Father's lab and released them in the mountains. Father is furious, so expect the worst."
Roxy, only a year younger but never calling Arabelle 'sister,' warned her.
"Do you know how many people had to climb the mountain because of you? Even Father had to go. Good job."
"They didn't have to..."
Feeling guilty, Arabelle's heart warmed unexpectedly. Even Uncle, Aunt, and Father worried about her. Her nose tingled, and she lowered her head.
Two years ago, when she was trapped in the mountains for three days due to a landslide, no one had come looking for her.
She climbed the mountain to pick truffles for her great-uncle in the middle of winter. The people in the castle pushed her, saying only Arabelle knew the mountains like the back of her hand.
Then the landslide happened. Arabelle shivered in a rabbit hole, not feeling resentful that no one came to find her. It would have been risky for them. She thought it was fortunate they didn't come.
But she felt a bit sad when she was scolded for bringing back frozen, unusable truffles after three days.
"Funny. Do you think they searched for you because they were worried?"
"Eric's racehorse is agitated because it's pregnant, and you need to calm it down, don't you?"
"If something happens to Eric's racehorse, do you think only you will get in trouble? It will affect all of us!"
Camille and Roxy continued to berate Arabelle. By then, the head maid Mary and maid Annie had gathered and joined in.
"What if something happens to Master Eric's prized horse because of you?"
"Tsk, if you're living off the baron, you should at least be considerate. My husband might get scolded because of you."
Mary's husband, Jerry, was in charge of the stables. Taking care of the pregnant racehorse was his responsibility. Yet everyone blamed Arabelle.
It was as if it was Arabelle's responsibility to deliver the racehorse's foal, nurse the feverish pigs, and coax milk out of the dry cows.
The employees of Baron Cander's estate had long regarded Arabelle's family, who were freeloaders at the estate, as their equals. Especially to Arabelle, who was so kind-hearted, they eagerly shifted their burdens.
The reason was simple: Baron Cander's estate was exceedingly poor.
Surrounded by mountains, the land was too barren for farming, and there was no notable specialty product. It wasn't even a place where valuable herbs grew in abundance. It was utterly worthless land.
Even if the lord and his wife were wise and virtuous, it might have been better, but they were the worst. Baron Cander and his wife were not only foolish but also extravagant and greedy. Their son Eric and daughter Margaux were no better.
Life was harsh, and the castle's employees and the few residents of the estate had neither the conscience nor the capacity to help others.
"That's right. Lily is due to give birth to twins tomorrow. I should check on her. She must be very scared."
Eric's racehorse, Lily, preferred Arabelle over her master. Arabelle ran up to her attic room on the fifth floor to change her clothes.
As she passed the second-floor staircase, slap! Her head snapped to the side, and stars danced before her eyes. She held her swelling cheek and looked at her cousin standing before her. Her eyes blinked rapidly as they filled with tears.
"How dare you steal and wear my favorite dress?"
The yellow dress was thrown onto Arabelle's face as she stood trembling with quivering lips.
"Trying to fool me with that stupid face? That dress was for Count Hawthorne's ball on Saturday. Now it's ruined, and you were trying to hide it?"
"N-no..."
"Don't deny it. Who else cleans my room?"
Margaux's snake-like eyes widened as she trembled with rage.
"Did you tear Margaux's dress?"
The commotion on the stairs drew the attention of the baroness.
"I-I..."
"She can't even answer because she's guilty, Mother. The head maid saw her wearing my dress and grinning at herself in the mirror!"
Pointing at the mute Arabelle, Margaux shouted.
The baroness called Mary without taking her icy gaze off Arabelle.
"Mary!"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Did you see this with your own eyes?"
"Yes, I did. The morning before last, I saw Miss Arabelle wearing the dress in Miss Margaux's room."
Mary lied, exchanging a sly glance with Margaux. Margaux didn't want to wear an out-of-fashion dress to the ball. She needed a reason to get a new dress.
With the household finances in ruins after covering up Eric's assault case, her mother wouldn't easily agree. Crafty Margaux colluded with the head maid.
Margaux herself had torn the dress. Mary would lie about seeing Arabelle wear it.
Of course, Mary wouldn't help Margaux for free. Young maid Annie, the only one left in the castle, was a thorn in her side.
She had seen Annie exchange secretive glances with her philandering husband several times. To buy an expensive dress, they would need money not budgeted, equal to three months of a maid's wages.
"Mother, what should I do? This ball is so important... Even noble heirs from the capital will attend."
"Don't worry. We'll dismiss Annie and find a new maid. Arabelle can do Annie's work until then. You should be grateful I'm not telling your great-uncle about this."
The baroness comforted her sobbing daughter, patting her shoulder.
Mary's lips curled slightly as Arabelle, unable to protest, stood silent.
A hardworking and diligent Arabelle was far better than lazy and sly Annie. Her workload would be reduced by a third.
Hearing dull footsteps approaching, Arabelle was suddenly burdened with Annie's work. Her father, Jonathan, approached with a stern face.
"Father, I'm sorry for worrying you..."
Unable to face him, Arabelle bowed her head. Sharp words fell upon her like a blade.
"You're nothing but a burden on my life... on all of our lives. You know how important the racehorse is, yet you disappear? How long will you leech off us, doing nothing but eat?"
Tears dripped onto her worn shoes. But the harsh words didn't stop.
"If only you... if you had inherited the family's healing power like Camille and Roxy, our lives wouldn't be like this."
"Stop making a scene and go inside. The baron will be displeased if he hears more noise because of your family."
The baroness quieted her brother and left with Margaux. Arabelle's father also turned away from his crying daughter.
In her attic room, Arabelle bit her lip to stifle her sobs. She changed into her faded old dress and headed for the stables.
With a tear-streaked face, she calmed the horses, cows, and pigs. Her warm hand soothed the agitated animals. Her large eyes, though tearful, held a deep sadness.
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