Tall trees swayed, revealing glimpses of long brown hair fluttering in the wind. Arabell’s small and slender body skillfully descended the steep mountain path like a squirrel.
It was a rugged mountain, difficult even for an average adult man, with barely any path.
Unperturbed, Arabell used the surrounding branches, rocks, and stones to sprint down. If there was anything Arabell was confident in, it was her ability to navigate mountains.
This began when she first learned to walk. Following her mother to gather herbs, she had traversed all the mountains in the region. The back mountain of Baron Cander’s estate, notorious even in the empire for its ruggedness, was a playground for Arabell.
Quiet and introverted from a young age, Arabell found more comfort and joy in the company of animals than people.
Her audacity in hiding and treating a wounded beast in a cave was uncharacteristic of her usual demeanor. Those who knew her would laugh it off as unbelievable. Arabell was seen as timid, passive, and somewhat naïve.
But that was the Arabell perceived by people weary and weakened by the harshness of the world. They never truly knew or tried to understand the ‘real’ Arabell.
Inherently averse to attention, Arabell never made an effort to showcase her strengths. Though she may have appeared timid and fearful, she was not foolish or ignorant as people thought.
How could a girl with a poor mind know the names and effects of hundreds of herbs, master the geography of local mountains and rivers, and remember the names and traits of countless animals and insects?
People mistook Arabell’s innate kindness and forbearance as naivety and exploited her, including her family. To Arabell, animals were her true family and friends – they never lied to her and loved her for who she was.
That’s why Arabell couldn’t ignore the black panther pierced with arrows and dying. To her eyes, humans who cruelly harmed animals and nature were far more dangerous than any beast.
With a click, a pair of dry hands quietly opened the side door of the dilapidated castle’s kitchen. Large eyes cautiously peered through the door crack. A few hired hands were busily preparing the late morning meal for the lord’s family.
Suddenly, a cold hand gripped Arabell’s slender wrist tightly and pulled her in.
It was her sister, Camille.
“Where have you been showing up now?”
“Sorry, I went to the mountain and got caught in a downpour. Ended up falling asleep in a cave.”
“Asleep? The whole castle was in turmoil because of you.”
Camille frowned incredulously. Arabell’s younger sister, Roxie, glared at her disapprovingly.
“Don’t lie. You were treating some injured animal in the mountain again, weren’t you?”
“No, it’s not like that…”
“What do you mean no? It’s written all over your foolish face. We all know you took rabbits from father’s lab and released them in the mountains. Father is furious, just you wait.”
Roxie, only a year younger but never acknowledging Arabell as her sister, warned her.
“We’re already short on hands, and because of you, how many had to climb the mountain? Even father had to go. Serves you right.”
“I wish they didn’t have to…”
Though guilt-ridden, Arabell felt a warm spot in her heart. Her great-uncle, great-aunt, and even her father were worried about her. Her nose tingled, and she lowered her head.
Two years ago, when a landslide had trapped Arabell in the mountains for three days, no one had come looking for her.
In the heart of winter, Arabell climbed the mountain to pick truffles, a favorite of her great-uncle. The people of the castle believed Arabell was the only one who truly knew the mountain like her own backyard, so they nudged her to go.
Then, a landslide occurred. Arabell, shivering in a rabbit hole, didn’t feel resentful that no one came looking for her. She was rather relieved they didn’t risk themselves searching for her.
But she felt a bit sad when the truffles she picked after three days were frozen and unusable, and she had to go hungry.
“It’s ridiculous. You don’t think they went looking for you out of concern, do you?”
“The pregnant racehorse is getting fussy; you should be the one to calm it down.”
“If something happens to Eric’s horse, it won’t just be you in trouble. It will affect all of us!”
Camille and Roxie relentlessly berated Arabell. Soon, housekeeper Mary and maid Annie joined in, each adding their comments.
“What if something happens to Lord Eric’s prized horse?”
“Living off the baron’s family, you should at least have the decency to understand. Now my husband is in trouble because of you.”
Mary’s husband, Jerry, was responsible for the stables, including caring for the pregnant racehorse. Yet, everyone was pouring their complaints on Arabell.
As if Arabell was responsible for everything, from delivering the racehorse’s foal, nursing feverish pigs, to coaxing milk from dry cows.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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