Arabella’s Mistake

(Arabella PoV)

Two hours earlier...

"Remember... do not touch anything."

"O okay, Senior."

Those were the last words they heard before they separated. Senior Mireya gave no explanation at all as to why she forbade Arabella from touching anything. And it seemed the warning was directed only at her, not the others.

Was she still holding a grudge because Arabella once tried to poison her younger sisters? But then... why only her? Why not Emilia, Delfina, or Lanesra? Or... was she hiding something else?

Along the way, Arabella touched her chin and kept thinking. She nearly bumped into a stalactite in front of her if not for Delfina’s warning.

"What have you been thinking about since earlier, Arabella?"

"N-nothing."

"Do not lie. We have been together since we were children. As your friends, we know all your habits. So... what were you thinking about?" Emilia pushed.

Arabella inhaled deeply, then told them her worries. Her three friends listened closely. None of them interrupted her as she revealed the thoughts she had been holding back.

Just as she finished, Delfina raised her hand.

"Do you not think it was just a joke? I mean... even if she seems kind, she might still be holding a grudge for what we did to Lady Elysia, remember?"

"Yeah, maybe she was just teasing you. Some people are very good at hiding many faces behind a mask. So, do not worry, alright?" Emilia winked.

"Judging from how she speaks and behaves, she seems like the type of noble who stays close to commoners, right? For commoners, holding grudges against someone who hurts you is normal. So do not worry." Lanesra added.

"No. No. No. They are nobles regardless. Do not be too rude toward nobles who are close to commoners, Lanesra. Even though I do not like them either, we still need to uphold proper respect toward fellow nobles." Delfina puffed her cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah. Thank you for the lecture, Mom." Lanesra replied lazily.

"Mooo~ Lanesraaa!" Delfina hit Lanesra’s arm lightly in protest.

It was true that they all came from the four highest ranked ducal families of their empire, the Three Lions.

The four of them grew up together in the same noble academy since they were young. Being of the same age and sharing similar perspectives toward commoners made them quickly become close.

After walking for several minutes, they arrived at a large silent chamber filled with magic crystals.

Overwhelmed by the sight, Arabella walked forward. Her hand reached out instinctively yet she pulled it back the moment her fingertips nearly touched the crystals in front of her.

"Are you still afraid? I told you it was only a joke, Arabella. Why pass up such beauty? Let me show you." Emilia grabbed Arabella’s hand and forced her skin to touch the crystal.

"Uwah, what are you..."

Arabella screamed and yanked her hand away. But after a few seconds, she froze. She realized nothing happened to her.

"See? Nothing happened. It is fine."

"Even if you say that, still..." Arabella pursed her lips, trying to hide the unease on her face.

Emilia chuckled softly. "If you are scared, we will not force you." She grinned and looked at the crystals on the wall. "By the way, can we take these crystals? They would look great as decorations in our rooms."

"As I recall, our Senior allowed it. But..." Delfina paused and glanced around. "I am not sure about that."

Everyone fell silent and began thinking. Suddenly, a loud thud echoed from the other side of the chamber, making them flinch.

"What was that?"

Then the noise was followed by the faint yet familiar shouting of a certain girl. "Come on, let us plunder this treasure. Ho ho ho ho. You know, you know, I have always wanted to act like a villain in novels. This is going to be so much fun!"

Whether the separating wall was too thin or some other reason, Irine’s loud voice reached their ears clearly.

After hearing that, they wasted no time and began mining.

Arabella used her destructive fire magic to break the crystals embedded in the wall. Her friends picked up the scattered fragments afterward.

They repeated the process several times in different places. Whenever the stone layer appeared, they moved to another wall where crystals grew even more abundantly.

According to Emilia, with this many crystals growing on the outer layer, using magic to destroy the stone beneath was inefficient in both strength and time. It was better to destroy the crystals growing outside the stone layer.

"Wow. You know a lot, Emilia."

Emilia chuckled and put her hands on her hips. "Of course. The Old Trafford family owns many mining territories. Father taught me many things about mining efficiency. Well... I do have an older brother though. Father said the mining might keep expanding."

"Oh, so that’s why he taught you about mining too? Even though you are not the main heir."

Emilia scratched the back of her head. "I told you. There is a chance the number of mines in my family will increase. If that happens, I might get one for myself."

"Wow, amazing."

"Naturally."

Emilia puffed out her chest with pride.

They had already filled half a sack. Next, they aimed for a crystal larger than the rest.

"Next, that one."

"Alright, move aside. I will destroy it with all my strength."

Arabella cast her spell.

Boom.

The large crystal shattered into countless fragments. But something was different this time. They fell silent upon discovering another piece inside, a chunk of dark violet crystal still intact.

Arabella stared at it in wonder. But... her mind felt hollow, as if she had been hypnotized.

My body... what is...

Without realizing it, she stepped forward with an outstretched hand.

It is beautiful... may I... touch it?

And then...

Cling.

"Eh? What am I doing?"

Just as her mind returned to her body, her finger was already touching the crystal. A blinding light enveloped them.

"Everyone, hold hands!"

"Right!"

Arabella spread her arms, desperately stepping forward with her eyes shut, trying to find her companions.

Grab.

Their fingers finally intertwined. With enough effort, they managed to hold hands together.

When the blinding light faded, Arabella slowly opened her eyes. She looked around but found nothing but darkness.

"Everyone, use Night Vision and stay quiet," she whispered softly.

After giving the instruction, they opened their eyes. Their pupils glowed faintly, marking that Night Vision had activated.

They realized they were in the middle of a wide empty chamber shrouded in darkness. Stalactites still clung to the ceiling while the ground was littered with meaningless fragments of stone. Four exits surrounded them at the cardinal directions.

"W-where are we?" Delfina looked around with clear fear in her eyes.

"I do not know, but we should stay alert"

"Ssst."

Arabella’s hiss silenced them immediately. Emilia quietly drew the magic staff from her waist.

"Did you hear that?" Arabella whispered.

Everyone closed their eyes and focused. The sound was coming from the western entrance.