A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 100

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“Sigh.”
A long breath escaped Duke Sorpel’s lips as he strolled through the garden, where white baby’s breath bloomed in full splendor.
Normally, this place brought me peace, but today it offered no such solace. One thought refused to leave my mind.
‘Was that it?’
That I had never properly shown affection to that child.
“Because she was fake….”
Had I sensed it instinctively? That she was not my daughter.
Every time that child spoke the word “Father,” it always felt off.
‘But….’
That appearance, that face—she truly would have been my real daughter.
Rage surged within me toward those who had killed Lania and deceived me, yet the moment I recalled my dead daughter, my chest ached.
‘What could have happened.’
There were still so many things I couldn’t understand.
Why had she—why had Anna left my side with the child? Why on earth?
“Ah… ah, Father.”
At that moment, a familiar voice reached my ears. As I slowly turned my head, a faint smile naturally graced my lips.
“What brings you here at this hour.”
It was Camilla.
“They said you were here….”
Noticing the slight tremor in her voice, Duke Sorpel moved forward with long strides. His hands gently cradled Camilla’s cheeks.
She didn’t seem to have a fever.
“Are you feeling unwell.”
Should I have called the Healer right away instead of trusting her words that she was fine?
Concern quickly filled Duke Sorpel’s face.
“….”
Yet Camilla gave no response.
“Camilla?”
To my question, she simply stared at my face. Her eyes gradually reddened.
Seeing her like this, Duke Sorpel’s expression filled with tenderness.
The abduction was no simple matter. How terrified she must have been. I should have examined the child’s condition more carefully….
I shouldn’t have simply overlooked her composed demeanor and her assurances that she was fine.
“I’m sorry. It’s just….”
“You’ve endured much heartache.”
As if to say he understood everything she couldn’t quite express, Duke Sorpel gently stroked Camilla’s hair.
“Father….”
“Yes.”
“Father.”
Hearing her call out to me repeatedly, like a child seeking comfort, a smile spread across my lips once more.
“Just once….”
“Hmm?”
“Would it be alright if I hugged you just once?”
Duke Sorpel’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected request. But soon a small laugh escaped him, and he pulled her into his arms tightly.
“Why would a daughter need permission to embrace her father?”
In Duke Sorpel’s embrace, tears that Camilla had been holding back finally spilled down her cheeks.
“Father….”
After calling out to him so tenderly for a long while, Camilla forced herself to take a step back.
“Camilla?”
“I’m alright now.”
“I’ll walk you to your room.”
Camilla shook her head gently.
“If I stay any longer, I’m afraid I’ll become greedy….”
“Greedy?”
Seeing Duke Sorpel’s confused expression, Camilla merely smiled faintly.
“Father.”
“Yes.”
“Mother loved you very much.”
She conveyed the words she absolutely had to say one last time.
“Truly… truly so very much….”
“Why do you say such a thing all of a sudden?”
At Duke Sorpel’s question, Camilla hastily wiped her reddened eyes and smiled brightly.
“I should be going now.”
“Are you certain I needn’t escort you?”
“Yes.”
“Very well, I’ll see you this evening.”
“…Yes.”
After gazing at him one last time, Camilla bowed respectfully and turned to leave. Duke Sorpel watched her departing figure until she disappeared from sight.
What was this strange feeling?
“….”
Overcome by an inexplicable wistfulness, Duke Sorpel found himself unable to turn away quickly.
[Thank you, Camilla.]
The moment Camilla stepped out of the Garden, someone slipped out from her body. It was Lania.
[For letting me say a final farewell to Father.]
“Sigh.”
No matter how many times I do this, I still can’t get used to it.
When a spirit enters and leaves, a desolate chill lingers in the body. It’s like a bone-deep cold.
“You should have taken a walk with Father instead.”
But I hid my exhaustion. I hated seeing Lania feel sorry for me.
Looking at Lania, whose eyes were still red, I clicked my tongue softly.
“Let’s stay together a bit longer.”
It must be difficult—having to part from Father, whom you met for the first time, so soon.
When she kept uttering the word “Father” over and over, I’ll admit it tugged at my heart. How strange and bittersweet must that word have felt, spoken for the very first time in her existence.
I had permitted the possession just so she could at least greet him, but the time was far too brief to fill that longing completely.
[If I stayed any longer, I fear I wouldn’t want to leave.]
The warmth of Father’s embrace, felt for the first time, was simply too comforting….
“I understand.”
Spirits coveting human bodies had always been commonplace, after all.
I could grasp her meaning immediately. She was guarding against herself—afraid that if she lingered any longer, she would refuse to depart from this body.
Of course, since I was under Shinsu’s protection, spirits could not seize my body at will unless I granted them possession.
“Habel.”
At Camilla’s soft call, Reaper Habel, who had been hovering restlessly around them all this while, quickly materialized and approached.
“May I depart now?”
[Yes.]
Lania, a faint smile gracing her lips, turned her head one last time toward the direction where Duke Sorpel was.
She gazed silently at that spot for a long moment, then bowed her head gently before stepping closer to Camilla.
A soft rustling sound.
“…!”
At her embrace, genuine bewilderment flickered across Camilla’s face for the first time in ages.
[We could have been good sisters.]
“….”
[Take care of yourself, Camilla.]
With those final words, she withdrew.
[Please look after Father.]
“…Yes.”
I couldn’t grumble as I normally would, telling her not to ask such things of me. I simply wanted her to leave with a peaceful heart.
As if she already understood everything, a deeper smile bloomed on Lania’s lips.
As always, Camilla watched until the very end as Lania disappeared alongside Habel.
* * *
Thud!
“…?”
A persistent chill refused to fade, so despite it being midsummer, I had lit a brazier in my room.
Camilla, who had been resting under blankets, couldn’t help but start at the sight of someone bursting through the door so forcefully.
“Older Brother Ludvil?”
He had departed to lead the knights in training. I had heard he wouldn’t return for several more days—what could this be about?
Footsteps approached.
“Has training already ended-”
A gentle motion.
As Camilla began to greet him, he strode close and placed a hand against her forehead without a word, causing her to pause.
“Have you taken medicine?”
“Yes, I have.”
She answered immediately to his inquiry, which had detected the fever. His gaze then shifted toward Camilla’s right hand.
“….”
Ludvil’s face grew even colder as he observed the bandages wrapped around her hand.
“It’s just a minor scratch.”
Camilla quickly hid her hand behind her back, forcing a bright smile. Then she suddenly realized something.
‘Wait, why am I making excuses?’
I haven’t done anything wrong. This wound was inflicted by that fake Lania with her blade! I’m the victim here! The victim!
‘But….’
Seeing him so visibly downcast, it felt like I should just let it go. If the mood got any worse, something felt off about that?
“I apologize.”
“Pardon?”
“For entering without knocking.”
“Ah….”
Camilla let out a soft laugh.
“Yet someone else barges in without knocking every single time.”
Ravi should be here right now. I really should tell him to learn from this man’s manners!
“Are you injured anywhere else?”
“No.”
He must have heard everything that happened the moment he arrived home. Or perhaps he learned about it during training?
“But hasn’t your training already ended?”
“….”
Huh?
‘Excuse me?’
Why was he suddenly avoiding my gaze?
“Rest.”
He seemed to be evading the question, and after laying Camilla back down, he quickly left the room.
“Ludvil!”
“So you were here.”
But before the door fully closed, the voices of butler Rube and several attendants reached her ears.
“Ludvil suddenly disappeared, and the adjutant is in quite a panic.”
“You left without saying anything?”
“I’m heading back now.”
“Right this moment?”
“Yes.”
“But then why did you even come—”
A sharp sound.
“…What was that?”
Camilla blinked. He came here even though training wasn’t finished? The conversation made that much clear.
“I see….”
The fact that Lania was a fake wasn’t something to simply brush aside. He must have rushed over the moment he heard the news.
Did he come looking for me because he wanted to hear the details about what happened?
“Hmm? But why didn’t you ask anything and just leave?”
Camilla tilted her head, realizing that he hadn’t asked her a single question about what had happened.
“Ah, did my condition look that bad?”
She wondered if perhaps he’d left without properly questioning her because her physical state appeared so poor.
Do I really look that unwell?
“Sigh, I have no idea.”
Camilla exhaled a short breath and lay down in bed, seeking sleep.
* * *
“Did you hear the news?”
“About Lady Lania?”
“She was a fake!”
“That’s not all! She kidnapped Lady Camilla and tried to kill her!”
“Good heavens….”
“They say the fake princess’s body completely crumbled right there on the spot?”
“Ugh… how horrifying!”
A fake princess. A kidnapping.
The Empire was thrown into upheaval once more.
People felt both shock and fear upon learning that a suspicious group had attempted to infiltrate none other than the Sorpel Family itself.
“Hmm.”
While the outside world descended into chaos, Camilla—the very center of the incident—was enjoying a leisurely respite.
Her physical condition had merely suffered temporary aftereffects from the possession, but Duke Sorpel and the rest of the household, misinterpreting this as trauma from the kidnapping, had imposed strict surveillance.
In short, she had been confined to her quarters.
Naturally, the Academy was out of the question, and she couldn’t even leave her room. So she spent her time lounging about idly within these four walls.
“Perhaps the scope was too broad after all?”
Yet she hadn’t entirely abandoned her work.
Camilla’s brow furrowed repeatedly as she read through the stack of documents before her.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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