A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 158

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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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“Sit.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Despite my true thoughts, I offered a bright smile and took the seat the Emperor indicated. Refreshments were already laid out on the table.
‘So he doesn’t know the name?’
My gaze flickered toward the Reapers standing in a line behind the Emperor.
A few days ago, I had counted their numbers and carefully traced through the Imperial Family’s genealogy.
I thought this would allow me to discover the name of the mad Emperor who had first stolen a child’s body.
‘Alberto de Faybler. Isn’t it this name?’
‘No.’
‘No? But according to the count of the dead, it should be him?’
‘Someone called him by that name, so I tried it just in case, but he showed no reaction whatsoever.’
‘Then what is it? Who exactly has entered that body?’
‘He might not even be from the Imperial Family to begin with.’
I wrote down a few more of the Emperor’s possible names and showed them, but I only received Habel’s confirmation that none of them were correct.
‘So someone who isn’t even of the Imperial bloodline is acting as Emperor?’
It was even more horrifying. A being with no connection to the Imperial lineage was merely borrowing a body to play the role of Emperor.
“I hope the tea suits your palate.”
“The aroma is lovely. I shall enjoy it.”
Despite the chills running down my spine, I maintained my radiant smile. The more tension rose, the more my acting flourished! Truly praiseworthy!
“Your surroundings have been quite turbulent lately, I’ve noticed.”
Emperor Faybler, too, maintained his benevolent smile as he began to speak.
“Lania, wasn’t it? I heard she died exhibiting a most peculiar phenomenon.”
Peculiar indeed. Her entire body decayed in an instant and crumbled to dust.
You know that phenomenon better than anyone, don’t you? That woman was in league with you, after all.
“I heard it happened right after your last conversation with her.”
I forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat. The sharpness that flashed across his eyes for that brief moment was utterly piercing.
And only then did I realize it.
The reason the Emperor had summoned me alone was….
‘He’s testing me, isn’t he?’
Has he noticed something?
From the Hunting Grounds to this Guardian’s Sword incident—there were countless things that had gone awry because of me.
From his perspective, how much of a thorn in his side must I be? Surely he doesn’t intend to dispose of me right here and now?
“It happened after she saw Shinsu.”
“Shinsu?”
“Yes, our household’s Shinsu cried out loudly once, and she suddenly collapsed. Her body began to decay rapidly.”
I had heard the truth from Habel and carefully concealed the fact that I had eliminated Lania, instead bringing up Shinsu instead.
“Heh heh, Shinsu, you say….”
Emperor Faybler chuckled mysteriously and fell silent in thought, as if considering whether such a thing were possible with Shinsu’s abilities.
Watching him, I forced myself to smile calmly. I know nothing. This sort of acting is child’s play.
“And the Guardian’s Sword?”
“I’ve been getting headaches over that very matter lately.”
Camilla shook her head vigorously the moment he finished speaking, as if genuinely troubled.
“The Head Maidservant of the Jebillen Family tried to steal the sword, so I hastily grabbed it away from her. Then suddenly it started glowing—that’s all there is to it.”
Well, it wasn’t a lie, at least.
“After that, I don’t remember anything. Others say I defeated the enemies, but I’m not so sure. Rather, it felt as though the sword was controlling me, not the other way around….”
This too was the truth. The part about Zeno had conveniently slipped my mind, but the fact that my memories of that day remained hazy was absolutely genuine.
“So there’s really not much I can tell you about what happened that day.”
Bright smile.
“….”
The Emperor stared at her with piercing intensity, yet Camilla continued to smile as though she knew nothing at all.
As he gazed upon her, the smile gradually faded from the Emperor’s face.
‘Damn.’
Cold. Without that smile, the Emperor’s expression bore no trace of the benevolence and warmth that had seemed present moments before.
“What do you know about me?”
“Pardon?”
“Is there nothing in particular?”
No, the problem is I know far too much.
Camilla’s heart sank again at his bluntly thrown question. Yet she maintained an impassive expression with all her effort.
Was this entire gathering arranged to test me? Though I never expected him to ask so directly like this.
“Your Majesty’s achievements are facts known to all citizens of the Empire. I am naturally among those who know of them. How could I not?”
Her gentle tone was accompanied by bright, sparkling eyes.
As she sent him a gaze that gleamed with genuine admiration, he fell silent once more for a long moment.
She could feel his gaze growing sharper, yet she continued to laugh innocently as though oblivious to everything.
‘I should have brought Zeno with me.’
Everyone knew she would visit this place at this hour, and she had thought there was nothing he could do within the Imperial Palace.
‘But this man’s momentum doesn’t feel right at all.’
With no one around, if things went wrong, wouldn’t she actually die here?
It wouldn’t be difficult for the Emperor to dispose of a single corpse within the Imperial Palace.
Though she outwardly feigned composure, she couldn’t stop the cold sweat trickling down her back.
‘I can’t breathe.’
Camilla barely suppressed the instinct to leap from her seat and flee outside.
As Emperor Faybler continued to stare at her without uttering a word, it grew increasingly difficult to maintain her composure.
Clang.
“Pardon me.”
At that moment, someone pulled out a chair and sat down with a thump before the Emperor could even grant permission.
“Might I also have a cup of tea?”
It was Duke Escra.
At his sudden appearance, Emperor Faybler’s eyes widened slightly, and his brow furrowed.
Yet Duke Escra merely met his gaze with an impassive expression.
“Or perhaps the tea party has already concluded? If so….”
Seeing that Emperor Faybler showed no reaction whatsoever—as if he had never intended to drink tea in the first place—Duke Escra rose from his seat with certainty.
“I shall take my daughter and depart.”
This time, too, he did not wait for Emperor Faybler’s permission. He grasped Camilla’s hand and pulled her to her feet.
‘This is absolutely maddening.’
Was this man truly behaving this way even before the Emperor himself? I knew he had lost his sense of fear long ago, but could a Reaper really conduct himself like this?
Though inwardly shocked, Camilla did not resist his touch.
“Duke Kaise.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Only then did Emperor Faybler open his mouth with a quiet voice.
“I have no recollection of inviting you today.”
“Fortunate that your memory remains intact.”
Camilla stared at Duke Escra again with a stunned expression.
“I thought perhaps you had developed senility, given how you keep abandoning my daughter and then desperately trying to reclaim her.”
Gasp! Senility?! Did he just openly call the Emperor senile?
“Perhaps it is you who suffers from some ailment. Your mind seems rather absent.”
Oh! Did he just turn it around, implying the Emperor himself had lost his senses?
“I hear that quite often.”
How frustrating. The insult landed with zero impact.
Duke Escra gave an indifferent nod and simply proceeded forward, taking Camilla with him.
‘Is this really allowed?’
Following him, Camilla could not bring herself to turn back. The heat radiating from the back of her head told her all too clearly what expression the Emperor must be wearing now.
“I told you from the start that I would cause a scene.”
“What on earth were you thinking?”
“What do you mean, thinking?”
Only after they had exited the Greenhouse and traveled some distance did the two of them come to a halt.
“Do you not know who that man is?”
“I do. The man my daughter was so reluctant to meet.”
Man? Did he just call him a man?
Camilla’s face stiffened as she hastily glanced around. What if someone had overheard?
“What if you end up imprisoned for this?”
“Who? Me?”
At her urgent cry, Duke Escra let out a short laugh as if he found the very notion absurd.
“Who would dare?”
At those words, Camilla’s mouth fell open. Was there another person in this world to whom the word “dare” applied so perfectly?
Faced with the pinnacle of his arrogance, Camilla found herself speechless for a long moment.
“Were you worried about me just now?”
Suddenly, the corners of Duke Escra’s mouth lifted.
“I was afraid war might break out. War!”
“Call me by name.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve been wanting to deal with quite a few things here anyway. If war breaks out, it’s actually better for me.”
…You don’t mean the people you want to deal with are from the Sorpel Family, do you?
“By the way, has our daughter finished all her tasks for today? Shall we have some tea together?”
“I’m busy.”
“I’m busy too, not just you. Still, I’m trying to make time especially for you—”
“You don’t need to. Let’s each attend to our own matters.”
“That’s too much.”
Leaving Duke Escra to his grumbling, Camilla quickened her pace and departed the Imperial Palace.
I truly never wanted to return to this place again.
* * *
“Is it finally finished?”
“Yes, someone from the Magic Tower came just a moment ago.”
“Oh.”
Upon leaving the Imperial Palace, Camilla immediately sought out the Ghost Merchant Guild and let out a short exclamation upon seeing the small device placed before me.
“If I insert a memory stone here?”
“An image will appear.”
As I listened to Chris’s explanation, I retrieved one of the memory stones I had stored in a drawer.
It contained footage of King, no bigger than my palm, playing together with young Rio—a scene from the garden where they shared fruit that I had found too adorable not to capture.
“Here, this one.”
The moment Rio brought the last apple slice to his mouth, King jumped up and snatched it away, his jaws snapping at it.
Once the desired scene appeared, I pressed the stop button. How endearing they looked, quarreling over a single apple.
Whirrrr—
As the image froze, light emanated from the device, and slowly a picture—no, a photograph—emerged from it.
Both creatures were captured mid-bite, each holding opposite ends of the same apple.
“It actually works.”
Watching the scene from the memory stone materialize as a printed image, I broke into a radiant smile.
This was the moment the photograph was born into this world.

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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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