A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 124

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

“Marquis Gabriel? What about him?”
“Someone left him in front of the Sorpel Family Estate, apparently.”
“Left what?”
“….”
Watching him laugh silently, I pressed my fingers against my brow in frustration.
I couldn’t understand how any of this was unfolding. Who had killed Marquis Gabriel this time?
The brutality of this world suddenly felt suffocating, sending a chill down my spine.
“Take this.”
“What is it?”
“A second order form.”
Duke Escra thrust the documents toward me with a dismissive gesture, his expression darkening. The quantity was far greater than the first order.
Not that I minded receiving orders, but still.
‘How can this man be so oblivious to the mood?’
Did he really have to hand this over right now?
“What you need to focus on is this. Don’t waste your mind on trivial matters.”
Duke Escra tapped the order form with his fingers.
…Well, I couldn’t argue with that. There was no point worrying about Marquis Gabriel’s death now. What mattered was that the mastermind had been identified and eliminated. I picked up the documents.
“Understood. I’ll deliver this to Father right away.”
“….”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Your expression just now….”
“What about my expression?”
“You looked like you’d bitten into something bitter.”
“Me? When? Don’t go accusing innocent people.”
Fine, never mind.
‘Why did he react so sharply?’
I supposed I had to acknowledge his irritable temperament.
“Tell your father well.”
“Pfft!”
At the sudden sound of laughter, I turned to see Count Alton quickly avert his gaze and pretend innocence.
What? What was so funny?
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Go ahead.”
Duke Escra nodded quickly, his gaze fixed intently on Count Alton.
Bewildered once more, I simply shrugged and promptly left the Study.
The moment I disappeared, objects scattered around Duke Escra suddenly flew toward Count Alton at high speed.
“You truly have no awareness of it yourself.”
Count Alton caught all the flying objects effortlessly with magic, shaking his head as if lamenting the situation.
Count Alton, who had caught all the flying objects with magic and made them light, shook his head side to side with a regretful expression.
“You call someone else father so naturally in front of your real father. That means you don’t recognize the Duke as your father at all.”
“What does it matter what anyone says?”
“That’s why you should do better.”
“What more can I do here?”
“Anyone listening would think you’ve been wonderfully kind to Camilla. Making her eat alone from the very first day.”
“Aren’t you going home?”
Duke Escra finished throwing the documents he’d been holding at him.
* * *
“Daive?”
“…!”
Camilla, approaching the child sitting in the library, paused for a moment. The child had stiffened at the sound of her voice.
“You’re working hard today too.”
“Yes….”
As she took the seat across from him, the child quickly averted his gaze.
‘What’s this?’
I thought we’d grown a little closer yesterday—was that just my imagination?
It wasn’t as cold as the first day, but seeing the child seem uncomfortable with her approaching, Camilla couldn’t help but be puzzled.
[He got scolded yesterday.]
Sharua appeared then, offering an explanation in his stead.
Scolded? By whom?
[Sevine can be quite strict.]
Sevine? That governess?
[It’s all for the child’s sake, but… his arm must have hurt quite a bit.]
Hurt? His arm?
‘Could it be…!’
She bolted up!
Camilla immediately rose from her seat and approached the child. Then she rolled up the long sleeve hanging down his arm.
“What, what are you doing!”
Daive tried to pull his arm away urgently, but Camilla was far from weak enough to be overpowered by a mere ten-year-old child.
“….”
The child’s bruised arm. What was even more shocking was that there were scars scattered across it that appeared to be from long ago.
“Let go of me!”
The flustered child pushed Camilla away and rushed out of the library.
Rather than chase after the child, Camilla turned her gaze to Sharua. She needed an explanation.
[…Sevine sometimes raises her hand.]
“She hits him?”
[When the child makes a mistake….]
“What kind of mistake?”
[Um, he was late to his lesson yesterday.]
“She scolded a mere ten-year-old so harshly just because he was late to his lesson?”
[I, I would never do this with bad intentions. It’s all for the child’s sake—]
“What on earth are you talking about?”
After witnessing the child’s transformation over these past two days, how could such words escape her lips? The child who had smiled so brightly in front of them yesterday now appeared as an entirely different person today.
Did she truly not understand what had caused this change?
[Sevine, Sevine did it all for the child’s sake….]
At the sight of Camilla’s exasperation, Sharua’s eyes wavered ceaselessly.
Leaving her behind, Camilla herself hurried after Daive and swiftly exited the Library.
* * *
“Daive, you got two questions wrong on yesterday’s exam.”
“I confused the answers….”
“I’ve always told you. You must never make such foolish mistakes.”
The governess Sevine, who had been sitting in her chair, dropped the exam paper she was holding as if tossing it aside and rose to her feet.
“Who did your mother die because of?”
“…Me.”
The child barely held back tears threatening to burst forth, biting down hard on his lips.
“That’s right. That’s why the Duke dislikes you. Because you caused his beloved wife to die.”
Sevine gently grasped the shoulders of the child, whose head hung low.
“So you must excel at everything. If you wish for the Duke to show you any favor at all, you must surpass everyone else—haven’t I told you this countless times?”
“Yes.”
“If the Duke learns of this mistake today….”
“I’m sorry! Please don’t tell Father!”
The child’s head snapped up, his eyes glistening with tears as he cried out desperately. At the sight, a dark smile played across Sevine’s lips.
“Yes, I love you so dearly that I won’t tell him. Never forget that I’m the only person in this household who truly cares for you.”
“…Yes.”
“But since you’ve made a mistake, you must be punished.”
Before the governess could finish speaking, the child, as if accustomed to it, slowly rolled up his sleeves. She immediately picked up the cane.
Whoosh!
The child clenched his lips tightly.
“…?”
Yet something felt wrong. Even as time passed, he felt nothing on his arm. His eyes widened rapidly as he lifted his head in confusion.
“This is absolutely insane.”
It was Camilla. She had seized Sevine’s wrist firmly, stopping the cane mid-swing.
“W-what…!”
At her sudden appearance, bewilderment flashed across Sevine’s face.
“L-let go of this at once!”
But she quickly composed herself. Instead, she shouted loudly at Camilla.
“This is none of your concern—”
Crack!
In that instant, Sevine’s eyes went blank. Her head snapped to the side, her cheek stinging, yet she couldn’t immediately comprehend what had just happened to her.
Did I just… get hit? Me?
“W-what is this….”
Crack!
Camilla didn’t stop there. She struck the woman’s cheek once more with fierce force.
“Do you know who I am!”
Crack!
“You’re insane! How dare you to…!”
Crack!
“Stop…!”
Crack!
Every time the woman opened her mouth, Camilla struck her cheek. Realizing this, Sevine could no longer speak.
By now, people drawn by the commotion had gathered around us. They were all those who cared for Daive here.
Every one of them watched the situation unfold in stunned silence.
Camilla swept her gaze coldly across them. It was absurd that not a single person among all these staff had stopped this woman’s actions.
The proper protocol was that when a child misbehaved, the parents should be informed and all authority over punishment should rest with them. No nanny, however senior, was permitted to administer corporal punishment.
Especially not in such a public setting.
Moreover….
“Say what you just said to the child again, right in front of me.”
The words that had reached Camilla’s ears clearly as she entered were more than enough to strip away her reason.
“What about the Duke this and that?”
How many times had this woman spouted such ridiculous nonsense for the child to be unable to refute her at all?
“Now I understand.”
Why the child had kept his head down and appeared so rigid in front of his father, Duke Escra. Why his eyes had been so anxious.
“You dared to make a child into a criminal?”
Camilla seized the woman by the collar.
“W-what business is it of yours!”
The nanny Sevine cried out again. She too found this absurd. What right did a mere guest have to behave this way!
“I’ll inform the Duke at once! That you interfered with discipline!”
Everyone here was on her side. How much money did she receive from them each month!
There was no one in this place who would take the side of this woman she’d never seen before. Even Young Master Daive couldn’t refuse her words.
Look at him now. See that fear-filled gaze he turns toward her. He would never dare say he was struck.
This is why education from childhood is so important. She had raised him to never show even the slightest resistance.
The wound on his wrist? It would suffice to claim the child had injured himself while playing.
Or she could simply blame another servant or maid, and it would all be resolved easily. Would she have laid hands on him without thinking such things through?
“As I said, this is not a matter for a guest to meddle in!”
Her voice, now that she had collected her thoughts, grew considerably more confident. She would never let what this woman had done to her today pass.
Crack!
“Ow!”
In that moment, a blow even stronger than before struck her. The impact was so severe that Sevine’s body staggered.
“Ugh! Are you insane?”
“You’re the insane one. Hearing an insane bastard call me insane is somehow irritating.”
“What gives someone like you the right!”
“Me?”
I tightened my grip on her collar as she thrashed and writhed against me.
“Someone very close to that child.”
“What?”
I leaned in closer, my voice dropping to a whisper.
“Think carefully. Consider who I might be.”
Sevine’s face drained of color as she met my crimson gaze, horror blooming across her features.
With that, I released my grip on her collar and departed the scene with Daive, moving with unhurried grace.

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