A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 138

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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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Even now, it’s the same. Why is sending a simple message beforehand such a difficult task?
Knock, knock.
At that moment, the door opened to the sound of knocking, and a figure stepped inside. It was Jainer.
“Do you have time?”
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“The Marketplace opened again after a long time. Want to go check it out together?”
“The Marketplace?”
“You didn’t get to properly enjoy the festival last time, remember?”
“…And whose fault was that again?”
“That’s why I thought I’d take you to a nice restaurant instead. What do you say?”
Camilla pondered for a moment before nodding.
Staying here would only keep her fixated on the communication crystal. It seemed better to go out and explore the streets she’d missed before.
“Fine.”
Camilla rose from her seat immediately.
“You know the items from the first order have already arrived, right?”
“Yes.”
She’d heard it directly from Duke Escra. The goods had arrived far faster than expected. Duke Escra seemed quite satisfied with the swift handling.
‘They said they’d receive help from the other two ducal houses.’
When she mentioned the urgency of the situation, Duke Sorpel also promised to expedite the delivery date and said they would receive assistance from the other two ducal houses.
Indeed, now that she was out at the Marketplace, she could see many people buying and selling new goods—from thin fabrics to seasonal ornaments.
“Once you confirm the third order, you’re really leaving?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Hmm.”
Jainer’s expression turned peculiar.
“What?”
“I’ll miss you.”
“Who? You?”
“My first younger sister is leaving—of course I should feel sad about it, shouldn’t I?”
What, the loneliness of losing a toy? Was that the extent of his sentimentality?
Camilla, who already knew well how he regarded people, let out a soft laugh.
Thud!
“Watch out.”
Just then, someone rushed past and collided with Camilla. Jainer quickly steadied her wavering shoulders.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!”
A man with a deathly pale complexion hurriedly bowed toward Camilla.
“It’s fine.”
“I’m truly sorry!”
The man, who seemed to be in urgent need of something, apologized once more and hastily departed.
“A Knight?”
Despite the light collision, the force had been strong enough to make her stumble.
“…?”
Camilla paused mid-step, regarding Jainer with a puzzled expression. He remained fixated on the retreating figure of the man disappearing into the distance.
“What? Do you know him?”
“…A friend.”
“A friend? Then why didn’t you acknowledge him?”
That man hadn’t seemed to recognize Jainer either. He’d looked rushed—perhaps he simply hadn’t gotten a good look at his face?
“A friend from my first life.”
“Ah….”
Now Camilla understood the situation.
“You must have been close?”
Given his nature, he could have simply walked past without acknowledging the man, yet the way he gazed after him with such longing spoke volumes.
“We were. Close enough to trust him with my back on the Battlefield.”
“Then why….”
Even if it was a previous life, if they’d been that close, shouldn’t he seek out such a friend now? Wasn’t that the natural thing to do?
“It’s pointless.”
Jainer’s smile deepened.
“What’s the use of growing close when death ends it all?”
“….”
“Through my second life, I was very close with that man. But by the third, it all felt hollow.”
‘Maian!’
‘Who? Do you know me?’
‘….’
“When I die again, I’ll be the only one left remembering. There’s no point in wasting effort on it.”
Watching him smile that hollow smile, Camilla found she couldn’t smile in return.
She was beginning to understand why he treated people like playthings, like mere objects.
When every relationship became meaningless with each cycle—
“You must have been terribly lonely.”
“…What?”
“Desolate. You must have felt desolate.”
Camilla exhaled softly. Why did this world keep showing her people so similar to herself?
When I lived as Sia, I too never allowed relationships to deepen. I knew all too well that once they did, the other person would build walls around their heart first.
So I kept my distance from them before they could hurt me, but….
‘That kind of isolation can drive a person to madness.’
That feeling of standing alone in the world, utterly separated. It wasn’t pleasant at all.
“Let’s head that way.”
But she’d only taken a few steps before she had to stop. Her companion wasn’t following.
Turning back, she found Jainer watching her with a somewhat dazed expression.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
Only then did his rigid expression soften, and a faint smile crossed his face.
“…I want to interfere too.”
“What?”
“A contract.”
“What are you suddenly talking about?”
I furrowed my brow at his abrupt words, but he simply smiled in response. And so we continued wandering through the Marketplace.
“Hm?”
Soon after, something caused me to stop in my tracks.
“What is it? Did something catch your eye?”
“A scent….”
“A scent?”
A familiar fragrance drifted from somewhere, and I found myself swallowing hard without thinking.
A scent I had never encountered since arriving in this world.
At Jainer’s question, I stared intently at the shop from which the aroma emanated. It was a small shop selling various trinkets.
Before I knew it, I had stepped inside.
“Welcome.”
The Shop Owner greeted me warmly.
“Excuse me, do you sell coffee here?”
“Coffee?”
What had drawn me in was the distinctive rich and aromatic scent of coffee beans.
“This smell right here.”
“Ah, are you referring to those black beans?”
Following where the Shop Owner pointed, I saw a dark liquid steaming in a vessel.
‘It’s coffee!’
Though the color was quite dark, it was unmistakably coffee. How my heart had ached knowing this world had no coffee!
At this unexpected encounter, I felt almost moved to tears.
“That fragrance isn’t actually for sale….”
“Fragrance?”
“Yes, I enjoy it, so I sometimes burn it like this for the scent.”
“You don’t drink it?”
“Drink it? That?”
The Shop Owner shook her head vigorously.
“It’s extremely bitter. Just because it smells good doesn’t mean it tastes good. You absolutely shouldn’t drink it.”
“I see….”
Indeed, it didn’t appear to have been brewed for drinking—the ground beans sat directly in hot water without any filter.
Just as the Shop Owner said, it seemed the water had been added merely to enjoy the aroma.
“The beans… or rather, those beans—could I obtain some as well?”
At my question, the Shop Owner burst into laughter. Jainer, standing behind me, also chuckled softly.
“Miss, you’re not from Gracia, are you?”
“How did you know?”
“Because you don’t know about black beans.”
Tilting my head in confusion, Jainer offered an explanation.
“It’s a very common fruit in Gracia. We don’t eat it, but the wood is sturdy and resistant to rot, so it’s widely used as furniture material.”
“Furniture?”
Isn’t that different from what I know? I thought they couldn’t grow well in such harsh winters? But by the scent alone, it’s unmistakably coffee.
“So all the fruit is discarded?”
“That’s right.”
“Some people, like myself, roast them and use them as air fresheners.”
At their words, Camilla’s lips curved upward in a smile.
“Then if I wanted to purchase them, I could get them for free?”
“Purchase them? What would you do with those?”
What would I do? I’d brew them, of course!
Once you acquire a taste for that bitter brew, there’s no escaping it.
‘Laila, I’m bringing you a new menu item!’
A cascade of tasks flooded my mind. I’d need to build a grinder, craft a roasting machine—
Whoosh!
That’s when it happened. Light suddenly poured forth from around Camilla, and a figure materialized.
Unlike the startled Camilla, Jainer showed no particular reaction, as if he already knew who commanded that light.
“Miss Camilla!”
It was Count Alton.
“Kaise is looking for you!”
His unusually urgent demeanor made Camilla’s expression stiffen slightly as she sensed something had happened.
* * *
“Wow…”
“You felt it too?”
“The mana is completely…”
Those who stepped into the boundlessly vast space couldn’t help but gasp in wonder.
Feeling the pure mana pressing against their entire bodies, they all struggled to close their gaping mouths.
“This is the Tower of Guardians.”
Standing at the front of the group, who were gazing around in awe, Ravi spoke quietly.
“It was created long ago by the Grand Mage Amiald.”
When new recruits enter the Magic Tower, the first thing done is to bring them here, to the Tower of Guardians.
Ravi had been selected as the guide for this occasion.
Though his mentor, Kador, the Deputy Director of the Magic Tower, had semi-forcibly assigned him this task, Ravi complied without complaint.
He had accepted his mentor’s intention to stop him from wallowing in a corner, acting pitiful.
“Though the principle remains undiscovered, the mana permeating this place is highly concentrated and purer than anywhere else, making it invaluable for mages’ training.”
Thus, many of those affiliated with the Magic Tower periodically came here to train.
“This place, known as the source of mana, is only accessible to those affiliated with the Magic Tower.”
At Ravi’s words, pride bloomed across the faces of the recruits. They felt anew the honor of belonging to that Magic Tower.
“Teacher!”
A young girl who appeared to be about ten years old raised her hand eagerly.
“Call me senior.”
Among all those who had entered the Magic Tower this time, she was the youngest, yet her abilities were the most exceptional.
Her innate mana reserves were extraordinary, and her intellect was equally sharp.
“Can I start training here right away from today?”
“No, newcomers must first complete the assigned schedule for a while.”
She clicked her tongue.
The Young Girl pouted her lips, completely indifferent to the gazes of those around her.
“Senior, then can I go over there?”
Yet in the next moment, as if nothing had happened, she flashed a bright smile and made another request.
For some reason, Ravi felt an odd sensation and gave a brief word of permission.
“Fine.”
“Yay!”
The Young Girl immediately dashed off with rapid footsteps.
‘She resembles someone.’
The way her expression shifted like a fox whenever she wanted something—it was exactly like her. If Camilla were young again, wouldn’t she look just like that?
If Camilla were young again, wouldn’t she look just like that?
‘That girl could barely speak properly when she was younger.’
Now I couldn’t recall her childhood appearance at all.
“Senior Ravi! What’s over there?”
“That’s the Private Training Room—”
BOOM!
In that very moment as I was answering while walking forward, an explosion erupted from somewhere.
BOOM! BOOOOOM!
“Kyaaaah!”
“Aaaah! What, what is this?”
The explosions continued relentlessly.
CRASH!
…!
“Kyaaaah!”
Soon the ceiling came crashing down.

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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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