A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 18

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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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“Oh!”
Moments later, I encountered Ravi near the Dining Hall.
“Oh~ Ravi.”
“Aren’t you going to address me properly?”
“I did address you properly.”
“That’s true.”
“Tch.”
I was just being awkward and trying to act friendly, that’s all.
“Still, isn’t it a relief?”
“A relief about what?”
“That my younger sister is lighter than expected.”
“….”
“Weren’t you shocked when you heard yesterday? Our sister is so light… Alright, alright.”
Stop glaring at me.
The more I spoke, the more frightening Ravi’s expression became.
Yes, I did bother you a bit yesterday. But did you really have to show such displeasure about it?
He grumbled about being a stingy older brother, yet for some reason, his expression turned peculiar.
‘What’s wrong with him?’
Just as I was about to ask what was the matter, Ravi’s gaze shifted behind me.
Naturally, I turned my head to follow his line of sight.
“…!”
It was Ludvil. His appearance caused Ravi’s atmosphere to sink even heavier.
I too found him uncomfortable and awkward, but I forced a smile onto my lips.
“Welcome, Older Brother.”
“….”
“The weather is quite lovely today, isn’t it?”
Ludvil responded to my greeting with a silent, slight nod.
“Hey!”
“…?”
Then Ravi called out to me in a somewhat louder voice. Why? What was this about? Why was he suddenly raising his voice?
“You’re discriminating.”
“Discriminating about what?”
“Why do you use formal speech with him!”
What was he saying?
“You speak casually to me, so why do you only use formal speech with him!”
Wow, how childish.
‘Now he’s picking a fight over my tone of voice?’
I looked at Ravi with an expression of utter disbelief.
He calls me “hey” all the time. Is my name “hey”?
“Why are you asking something so obvious.”
You call me “you” so casually—wasn’t that for the same reason?
“What do you mean, of course! Is it only natural that my older brother receives respect?”
“You’re my older brother.”
“What?”
“You’re my family.”
What? That expression?
‘Why are you so surprised?’
Could it be… you haven’t even thought of me as your sister all this time!
‘You rotten bastard!’
Camilla’s eyes widened as she watched Ravi struggle to form words, grinding her teeth inwardly.
I call my older brother “older brother”—why is that surprising? Is that something to be shocked about? Are you joking?
‘What? Why are you smiling?’
Watching Ravi’s lips suddenly curl upward, Camilla became even more bewildered. Which part of what I just said was supposed to be funny?
‘Hmm?’
Suddenly, something felt off. Camilla turned her head slightly and flinched.
‘What’s wrong with you now?’
Ludvil’s atmosphere had become far too cold. His already expressionless face had turned to ice.
Just moments ago, the mood hadn’t been so bad?
Meanwhile, Ravi seemed to be in better spirits than before. Amusement danced in his eyes as he gazed at Ludvil.
‘What is this?’
Why are you two acting like this?
Watching the two of them shift the atmosphere between extremes, Camilla finally released a deep sigh.
* * *
“Father, is something the matter?”
The men of this household were in terrible form today.
Duke Sorpel’s furrowed brow showed no sign of relaxing as he sat at the dining table.
“It’s nothing serious.”
“…?”
It certainly didn’t seem like nothing serious.
His repeated clicking of his tongue in response to Camilla’s question made his displeasure plainly visible.
When she refused to look away, Duke Sorpel released a short sigh and spoke tersely.
“That bastard is coming.”
That bastard?
“Probably to provoke us again.”
Duke Sorpel’s face twisted with irritation as he clicked his tongue.
Seeing that Camilla still looked confused, Duke Sorpel finally explained the situation in more detail.
“Duke Jebillen—that bastard is coming. Says he has business to discuss.”
‘Duke Jebillen? Duke Je… ah!’
One of the Three Guardian Families, standing alongside the Sorpel Household.
“If the Duke himself is coming, it must be quite an important matter.”
Since there were so many joint ventures between them, I’d heard that the heads of the families met regularly.
The fact that he came without waiting for such an occasion suggested something truly important—
“That can’t be it. He’s probably just visiting for leisure.”
Unable to refute such logic, Camilla offered an awkward smile.
Indeed, Duke Sorpel and Duke Jebillen seemed to take great pleasure in teasing and outwitting each other, proving they were rivals who acted like friends and friends who competed like rivals.
“However….”
Duke Sorpel, uncharacteristically, glanced cautiously in my direction.
“Petro is coming along as well.”
Petro? Who was that… oh.
‘Duke Jebillen’s son?’
I’d never called him by name, so I’d gotten confused. That irritating red-haired bastard!
“So he’s coming too.”
Petro was one of the five most infuriating people in this entire world.
‘Whenever I see that man… hm?’
The moment Petro’s name was mentioned, the gazes of all three men seated in the Dining Hall turned toward me simultaneously.
‘Sigh.’
I understood. I knew exactly why they were looking at me like that.
‘Even if you must have a crush, why does it have to be on that bastard?!’
Her taste was truly peculiar.
Camilla had harbored an unrequited love for Petro for a long time.
Her affection—or rather, obsession—toward him was so intense that practically everyone knew about it.
She followed him around constantly, stole his belongings, and even discarded letters other women had given him without permission.
‘Isn’t that stalking?’
Stalking is a crime, you fool! What was so great about that red-haired bastard anyway?
The fight she’d gotten into with the young ladies at the Party Venue last time was entirely because of him.
At that time, Camilla had finally mustered the courage to approach Petro directly and ask if he’d like to go to the party together.
‘That took real courage.’
For someone who followed him around so openly, she’d never been able to speak to him directly before.
She’d been terrified that he might reject her, that she’d be ignored and dismissed, and that even their shallow current relationship would crumble.
So when she finally gathered the courage to make the first move and ask him to be her partner, unfortunately, the outcome was not favorable.
Petro politely declined, saying he already had a prior engagement, expressing his regret quite sincerely.
‘But….’
The person who entered the Party Venue that day on Petro’s arm was Jewela Bakes, the young lady with whom Camilla had the worst relationship.
From the moment she stepped into the venue, she sneered at me. Then she approached and spoke to me.
‘I heard you asked Duke Jebillen’s son to escort you and were rejected?’
‘He said he had a prior engagement with Miss Bakes….’
‘That’s not true.’
‘What?’
‘I only asked him to be my partner two days ago.’
‘Ah…!’
‘Oh my, even Petro… if you don’t like it, just say so.’
‘….’
‘I mean… what man would want to partner with a fake lady? You should aim for someone worthy.’
That last remark was spoken softly as if to herself, but it was loud enough for Camilla to hear clearly—deliberately meant for her ears.
With those words, Jewela Bakes was giggling with the other young ladies around her when Camilla immediately grabbed her by the hair.
‘This is that famous Party Venue incident.’
Camilla naturally didn’t reveal the full story to anyone else, and as always, the commotion was written off as stemming from her difficult temperament.
The reason for her silence was obvious.
‘She didn’t want to let them know they fought because they called her a fake lady.’
She didn’t want to speak the words “fake lady” from her own mouth to Duke Sorpel or the rest of the family.
In the end, Duke Sorpel had to provide material compensation to the families of the young ladies Camilla had struck.
‘Did I really have to grab her hair over that fool?’
No, if I was going to grab someone’s hair, I should’ve grabbed that red-haired bastard’s. People, stop playing with them.
Of course, everything Jewela Bakes said that day was a lie.
She had indeed made a prior arrangement with Petro, but she fabricated the story to mock Camilla.
‘Tsk.’
In any case, unlike the original Camilla, I really couldn’t stand that red-haired bastard.
But Duke Sorpel, Ludvil, and Ravi still didn’t know this fact, so it was something to worry about.
In fact, the three men were looking at Camilla with rather anxious eyes.
Their expressions suggested they couldn’t even guess what outrageous thing she might do next.
“Don’t worry.”
Camilla smiled brightly and folded the slice of bread she was holding in half with a snap.
“I’ve let it go.”
Then she took a big bite of the bread and chewed.
Gulp.
“I’ve let go of my feelings toward that man, so don’t worry.”
Everyone present showed surprised expressions at this unexpected declaration, but their faces quickly turned skeptical. It was the look of ‘as if you would actually do that.’
“The business is just an excuse, and you’ll probably go salt-tongue Shinsu again.”
Even as Duke Sorpel clicked his tongue, saying he didn’t understand why she was so proud over just one Shinsu, his expression was tinged with helplessness.
The situation of a family that had lost its Shinsu was frustrating.
‘Still… I suppose I should try to find it.’
Looking at Duke Sorpel like that, I remembered Hersel, whom I met at the Cemetery.
He can’t even swim well….
“Camilla.”
“Yes?”
“Is something troubling you?”
At the long sigh that escaped without my realizing it, the three men’s gazes turned back to Camilla.
“It’s just… Father is upset, so I’m upset too.”
She ignored Ravi’s startled expression that seemed to say ‘What haven’t you done at this point!’ and deliberately put on a troubled face.
At that sight, Duke Sorpel’s lips curved upward gently.
“Don’t worry about it and eat while it’s still hot. The food will get cold.”
“Yes, Father. Please eat plenty as well.”
Just then, Jelard, the head chef, personally brought several new dishes and carefully set them before Duke Sorpel.
“What are all these?”
“These are dishes that Miss Camilla specially requested.”
“Camilla?”
Duke Sorpel’s eyes narrowed with bewilderment as he examined the dishes placed before him.
“The colors are….”
They were all dark and murky.
A strange-colored beverage whose raw ingredients were unidentifiable, and desserts speckled with dots scattered throughout.
“It’s black beans.”
“Beans?”
“Black beans are supposedly good for hair loss.”
“Hair loss?”
Camilla smiled brightly at Duke Sorpel, who was asking for further explanation.
“You said it wasn’t hereditary, but there’s no harm in being cautious beforehand, is there?”
“…?”
Well, baldness wasn’t entirely unattractive either. For instance, Hersel, whom I’d met at the cemetery….
‘He really did have a beautifully shaped head.’
Handsome people looked striking even with their heads shaved, I thought.
But still, having a full head of hair was preferable. My gaze drifted briefly toward Ludvil as well.
‘Do I need to feed that man too?’
At Camilla’s glance, Ludvil blinked in confusion, utterly bewildered.

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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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