A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 135

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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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At first, I had intended to ignore it.
[My wife is gravely ill. We were in desperate need of funds when Ersha offered to cover her treatment expenses if I would assist him with his affairs. I knew it was wrong, yet I closed my eyes and pretended not to see.]
‘Everyone carries their own burdens, do they not? Does hardship force everyone to make the same choices? In the end, it is the consequence of one’s own decisions—what business is it of mine?’
[There are so many rumors circulating about my death. My son suffers greatly because of them….]
‘….’
[Please, I beg of you.]
The words that followed stirred an uncomfortable feeling in my chest.
‘That child? His father….’
‘Yes! That person from the news!’
‘The one who killed his wife… Oh, how dreadful!’
‘That child nearly died too, I heard. It’s so pitiful.’
‘But there’s something off about the child, isn’t there? The feeling….’
I knew all too well how sharp those words were, how deeply they could wound—the careless chatter of those behind me.
In the end, I could not turn away from the child.
So I asked Jainer to seek out the child and become his patron.
I made this request especially in front of countless witnesses.
“But why did that person have to get involved?”
Somehow Duke Escra learned of the child and mentioned him. He said House Escra would provide the sponsorship.
It was unexpected, but I did not refuse. Since we were already helping, it seemed better to extend our hand fully.
But then….
‘I will cover the child’s sponsorship expenses myself.’
‘I was unaware.’
‘Pardon?’
‘That our family is known to be so impoverished we cannot even sponsor a single child. I should find whoever spread such baseless rumors and have them—’
‘That is not what I meant…!’
In the end, House Escra took responsibility for all the child’s sponsorship expenses, including his mother’s medical treatment.
“Well….”
There were rumors that House Escra was wealthier than the Imperial Court of Gracia itself, so sponsoring one child was hardly a burden.
“Miss.”
“What is it?”
“Are you expecting a communication?”
Dorman regarded Camilla with a puzzled expression as she repeatedly checked her communication crystal.
“No.”
“…?”
“It’s just….”
Camilla released a short sigh.
“There has been no contact.”
“From whom?”
“From everyone.”
“Pardon?”
“Father hasn’t reached out, and neither has Ravi.”
They used to contact me every few days without fail, but at some point, both of them went silent.
“Why don’t you reach out to them first?”
“Never mind.”
I knew they were both incredibly busy people, so I hesitated to contact them first. Without any real business to discuss, I didn’t want to burden them unnecessarily.
“Well, they’ll get in touch eventually.”
Knock, knock.
“Sister, let’s go for a walk.”
Just then, the door opened and Daive entered.
“Why not?”
Camilla took one last look at the communication crystal before slowly heading outside with Daive.
* * *
“Why do you look like that? Is something wrong?”
Duke Jebillen and Duke Sefra, who had visited the Sorpel Mansion after a long time, exchanged puzzled glances at the stiffened expression of their old friend.
“What’s wrong with my expression?”
“It’s written all over your face—’I’ve got something on my mind.'”
Duke Sorpel shook his head lightly.
“Nothing’s wrong.”
But Duke Jebillen and Duke Sefra didn’t believe him.
Though he was trying to appear composed, the two men who had known him for so long immediately saw through it. He was clearly preoccupied with something weighty.
“What if, hypothetically speaking—”
After a brief sigh, Duke Sorpel slowly opened his mouth.
“What would I do if Camilla’s biological father appeared?”
“Her biological father?”
“He’s appeared?”
At the unexpected words, even Duke Sefra, who had remained silent until now, widened his eyes and asked back.
“I said hypothetically!”
An irritated retort came back, but neither man believed it.
“Her biological father… that’s unexpected.”
“Isn’t that girl seventeen? It’s quite sudden.”
“I’m saying hypothetically! Hypothetically!”
“So, what kind of man is he?”
“Has the girl already met him?”
Watching the two men ignore his words, Duke Sorpel let out another long sigh.
“What does he do?”
“That’s not the important part.”
“How is that not important? You know how much wealth that girl possesses. If she’s determined to go to her biological father, tell him to return the Mana Stone Mine you gave her before he takes her away.”
“….”
“….”
“Why are you looking at me like that!”
Duke Sorpel and Duke Sefra regarded him with such pity that Duke Jebillen burst out in indignation.
“Why are we talking about money here?”
“Losing my daughter is already irritating enough—if I lose money too, it’s even worse.”
“Don’t speak as though losing her is already a certainty!”
Seeing the subtle killing intent emanate from his friend, Duke Jebillen quickly averted his gaze. Perhaps I should stop teasing him now.
“So, what kind of man is he? Did he show up looking like a pauper or something?”
“…I wish that were the case.”
It would have been far easier on my heart if Camilla’s biological father were a man of no means whatsoever.
‘That he is Camilla’s biological father….’
Recently, I received word from Black Shadow, whom I had stationed near Camilla.
They informed me that Duke Escra of the Gracia Empire was none other than Camilla’s biological father.
The moment I heard this through Rube, I could not muster any response for a long while. It was a problem I had never once considered.
‘Is that why?’
Is that why she continues to hesitate about returning here?
After Marquis Gabriel, who had been the mastermind, died, travel between the Gracia Empire and here had resumed smoothly.
Yet Duke Sorpel could not immediately go to retrieve Camilla.
It seemed as though that child did not wish to return….
‘What if she never comes back?’
Recently, I had not even been able to contact Camilla. I feared that she might utter words of refusal to return.
Another long sigh escaped Duke Sorpel’s lips.
“The atmosphere feels rather tense, doesn’t it?”
“….”
Petro and Arsian, who had come to the Sorpel Mansion with their fathers, could only feel bewildered by the heavy atmosphere that permeated the place.
And the location where that atmosphere reached its peak was none other than the Training Grounds.
The two could not bring themselves to approach any closer to the Training Grounds where the Sorpel Family’s knights trained.
“The cause seems to be… that person over there.”
Though many were training, the Training Grounds were so silent that even rough breathing could not be heard. Everyone continued to steal glances at one person even as they trained.
It was because of Ludvil, who stood silently observing the knights training on one side of the Training Grounds.
His eyes, which always seemed indifferent, had grown far colder than usual.
Everyone could only hold their breath in the face of that chilling presence.
“Ludvil, there are visitors over—”
At the appearance of the two, an aide-like figure spoke to Ludvil with careful hesitation.
He, who had been frozen like a statue, slowly turned his head.
Upon receiving his gaze, Petro and Arsian finally approached closer to where Ludvil stood.
“It has been a while, brother.”
Petro greeted him in a familiar manner.
Meanwhile, Arsian regarded Petro with such obvious disdain. When had they last met that the word “brother” came so naturally from his lips?
“Is there something the matter?”
“Honestly…”
Petro shook his head slightly at Arsian’s manner of asking questions so directly, as if to say there was nothing to be done about it.
“No, there isn’t. Don’t worry about it.”
Ludvil shook his head lightly, drawing a clear boundary with them.
Faced with his demeanor that suggested he would tolerate no further interest in this matter, neither of them pressed the question further. They had no desire to cross Ludvil’s mood.
“By the way, I haven’t seen Ravi either.”
“…The Magic Tower.”
“Ah… He must be busy.”
Ludvil offered no particular response to that question either.
There was no reason to tell them that Ravi hadn’t come home for an entire week already.
Ever since hearing that Camilla had found her biological father, Ravi hadn’t set foot in the house.
At first, I didn’t understand why. Why would it be such a shock and a grave matter for her to have found her biological father?
But when someone suggested that Camilla’s continued absence might be because of that biological father, my own mood began to sink as well.
What if she never came home? Or worse—what if they refused to let her go?
“…Is this war?”
At his quiet murmur, Petro and Arsian’s eyes widened. War? What was he suddenly talking about?
But as Ludvil spoke nothing further after that, the two men’s confusion only deepened.
* * *
“That fellow is still at it, then.”
“Yes, sir. He hasn’t stepped foot outside the Research Laboratory.”
Kador, the deputy chief of the Magic Tower and Ravi’s mentor, clicked his tongue briefly.
No matter how busy he was, that fellow always returned home without fail—yet for several days now, he’d been holed up in the Research Laboratory without a word.
“Things had been quiet for a while.”
This wasn’t the first time. He’d done this before, often enough.
Whenever something weighed on him or he needed to brood over his frustrations alone, he would shut himself away in the Magic Tower for days, refusing to emerge.
But there hadn’t been such an incident recently…
“What’s gotten into that temperamental fool now?”
Kador clicked his tongue again.
It was almost amusing how the fellow, blessed with superior magical talent above all others, constantly compared himself to others and tormented himself over his own shortcomings.
“Then again…”
Had he been in such a household, he might have done the same.
The person his pupil had chosen as his benchmark was none other than Ludvil Sorpel, the Empire’s youngest Sword Master.
As the saying goes, eyes only see what they wish to see. Growing up with a brother who could hardly be called anything less than a genius of the age, his standards were bound to be high. I understood.
Watching his pupil, who achieved remarkable magical results yet remained perpetually mired in inferiority complex, holed up in the Research Laboratory, Kador said nothing special.
What could he say to a pupil who sensed his own inadequacy and strove to advance further in every way?
Ravi threw himself into research without clear purpose, seeking escape from his psychological burden, and as expected, the results were poor.
It wasn’t merely unremarkable—it felt like actual regression. A vicious cycle repeated itself.
It was regrettable, but he couldn’t offer hasty counsel.
The realization that driving oneself relentlessly alone cannot yield satisfactory results—that was something one had to discover independently.
Not long ago, when he’d shut himself away again, I wondered if this fellow was digging another hole for himself, and I could only sigh in secret.
‘But that wasn’t it.’
At that time, Ravi had seemed quite at ease. For the first time, that fellow—usually wrapped in relentless, driving pressure—had shown a peaceful expression.
And the magical growth that fellow displayed at that moment was enough to astonish even Kador.
‘Why is he acting up again all of a sudden?’
Whoooosh!
Kador unfurled his magic and vanished from that spot.
Moments later, he materialized in his disciple’s Research Laboratory.
“….”
He immediately spotted Ravi.
Kador clicked his tongue disapprovingly at the sight of his disciple lying in bed with his arm shielding his eyes.

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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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