A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 185

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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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“…Me?”
Now that she mentioned it, the memory came flooding back.
Before I chased after Petro, the person I had given my heart to was undoubtedly Prince Abihel.
‘I’d completely forgotten about it.’
Since that period hadn’t lasted long, I’d erased it perfectly from my memory. It wasn’t a memory I particularly wanted to recall anyway.
When Prince Abihel expressed his dislike so decisively, I immediately let go of my feelings.
‘That guy is just so timid in his own way.’
He was too afraid of getting hurt to continue liking someone who rejected him.
That’s why I despised Petro even more.
‘If you have no intention of giving your heart, then don’t show such kindness.’
Knowingly giving someone false hope while understanding their feelings—wasn’t that deception?
Prince Abihel, who had simply told me he disliked me outright, was far better.
“So you came to confirm that now?”
Crown Prince Edsen’s lips curved upward slightly.
I swallowed hard without realizing it. I knew better than anyone what that particular smile meant—it was the one he always wore for those he considered enemies.
“I don’t particularly like people who turn their backs on me.”
I know. I know far too well.
How you destroy those who betray you.
The problem is that I know all too well how you smile as if forgiving them, only to utterly demolish them behind the scenes.
‘But I was never even your person to begin with!’
How unfair! I have no back to turn!
Yet under his chilling atmosphere, I could only manage an awkward smile.
Whoosh.
At that moment, Arsian, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, rose from his seat.
Wondering where he was suddenly going, I stared at him, and he asked in a low voice.
“Is that man still at the Sorpel Mansion?”
“That man? Who?”
“The one freeloading at your house.”
“Jainer? He’s probably home. Why?”
“I need to make a request.”
“A requ—!”
Wait, wait! Hold on! A request?
“W-what kind of request?”
Did you know what kind of person Jainer is? When? How?
No, more importantly, what kind of request would you make to him? If it’s a request for the leader of the Assassination Guild Kan…!
“He’s at home, right?”
“Arsian! Wait!”
What on earth was happening all of a sudden?!
* * *
“The mana stone discovered this time seems valuable enough to fetch a high price.”
“The quality is quite excellent.”
“Personally, I’d like to purchase everything from our family, but that would be greedy.”
“Until the mining output reaches a certain level, I plan to give priority to your house. However, the highest grades will be put up for auction.”
“A wise approach.”
Duke Sefra carefully read through the documents Camilla handed him, then set them down with a soft tap.
“There’s one more than before.”
Duke Sefra’s gaze shifted to Priest Ghost Arena, who stood beside Camilla.
Her form and aura differed from the entities that usually lingered around Camilla.
[Really? Do the humans in this house actually see ghosts?]
[I told you. You need to be careful about your behavior in this household.]
Zeno cautioned her once more, finding her curiosity amusing.
She’d carelessly wandered through the house before and nearly been erased by Arsian. It was fortunate that Camilla arrived when she did—otherwise, she would have truly ceased to exist.
[Who would dare touch me?]
[Yeah, yeah. You’re something special.]
At Zeno’s half-hearted agreement, Arena’s eyes widened, but as always, the two got along well—or rather, the two ghosts did.
“Things have been rather noisy lately.”
Having determined that Arena posed no threat to Camilla, Duke Sefra promptly lost interest and changed the subject.
“Indeed. I’d prefer to live quietly, but people won’t leave me alone. Perhaps I’m simply too exceptional?”
“Likely so.”
“….”
I’d meant it as a jest, but when you nod so seriously, it’s rather embarrassing.
Camilla let out a short sigh.
Ever since hearing from Crown Prince Edsen that Empress Javela was pushing forward with a marriage arrangement between herself and Prince Abihel, her head had been aching.
If Edsen had come to her upon hearing the news, then surely Duke Sorpel’s ears had caught wind of it as well.
She’d worried the household would become chaotic again, but contrary to her expectations, the days that followed remained remarkably quiet.
Since Duke Sorpel made no mention of it whatsoever, Camilla eventually broached the subject of Prince Abihel herself.
‘Crown Prince Edsen visited me a few days ago.’
‘His Highness? What for?’
‘It was regarding Prince Abihel, Your Highness.’
‘Ah.’
As expected, Duke Sorpel nodded immediately, clearly having already heard of it.
But his following words strayed far from her expectations.
‘Do you know what happens when a person responds to a barking dog?’
‘Pardon?’
‘It only barks louder.’
‘….’
‘One should only respond to sensible words. How dare they involve my daughter in their political squabbles—. You needn’t worry about it. Unless, of course, you’ve taken a fancy to the Second Prince—’
‘No!’
And that was how it ended.
Watching Duke Sorpel treat the Imperial family like dogs, I could only offer an awkward, hollow laugh.
“If someone isn’t worth engaging with, then simply don’t engage.”
“…That’s remarkably straightforward.”
“It is a simple matter.”
Duke Sefra offered his counsel to ignore the situation, as if he already understood everything at play.
In truth, Prince Abihel’s calculated goodwill barely troubled me—the real problem lay with the two figures behind him.
Emperor Faybler and Empress Javela. My head ached from the inability to discern their true intentions.
“Duke.”
“Call me Father.”
“Pardon?”
“Yes, what troubles you?”
…Had I just heard something peculiar?
“When was Shinsu forbidden from entering the Imperial Palace?”
The moment I laid eyes upon Emperor Faybler, one question had immediately surfaced in my mind.
The patriarchs of the Three Ducal Houses who possessed Shinsu.
Had none of them ever found it strange that Emperor Faybler bore countless spirits clinging to him?
“That was ages ago. I’m uncertain of the exact date, but I recall hearing it was around the time the Tower of Guardians was established.”
“That’s remarkably distant history.”
“Indeed. A single Shinsu possesses power equivalent to hundreds or thousands of soldiers, so merely summoning one in the Imperial Palace was considered treason. That was the reason, or something to that effect.”
Now it made sense.
Unable to summon Shinsu before the Emperor, those spirits—beings sensitive to the supernatural—could not respond properly.
‘So that’s why the Hersel Patriarch was poisoned so easily within the Imperial Palace.’
Had a Shinsu been bound to him, he would not have fallen so readily.
‘Now that I think of it, isn’t that incident itself suspicious?’
Emperor Faybler was already that creature by then. Could he have been the one who killed the Hersel Patriarch?
“You’re aware that many deceased cling to His Imperial Majesty, aren’t you?”
What puzzled me most was Duke Sefra’s response to this.
The other patriarchs could dismiss it easily enough—without Shinsu, they couldn’t perceive the dead at all.
But Duke Sefra was different.
Though they couldn’t see the dead with perfect clarity, they possessed sufficient awareness to sense their presence or absence.
Yet strangely, none of the Sefra household had ever questioned the deceased clinging to Emperor Faybler.
“There are quite a few, certainly.”
“So you did notice.”
“One couldn’t help but notice.”
But why had he simply overlooked it? Had he felt no suspicion whatsoever?
So many, not merely one or two?
“The throne is hardly a comfortable seat.”
“Pardon?”
“All emperors throughout history have been beset by enemies. The current Emperor has also waged numerous wars to maintain that position.”
“Ah….”
Brief though the explanation was, I grasped the situation immediately.
None other than the Emperor of the Empire himself. Was it any wonder that countless people harbored resentment and hatred toward him?
I reasoned that the dead who followed in the wake of such animosity were hardly surprising.
“Why are you suddenly asking that?”
“Just…”
Honestly, I wanted to tell someone about my current predicament.
But my lips simply wouldn’t move.
It was delicate enough that my conversation partner was the Emperor who led the Empire, but more than anything, the moment I opened my mouth, I felt I would be directly confronting them.
‘I’m afraid.’
Yes, I’m afraid. Truthfully, I’m terrified.
‘Why must I directly confront them?’
How could I stand against those who treat human lives as toys, discarding them without hesitation?
‘And that sacred object too.’
Perhaps it was only natural to immediately alert people to its danger.
But if I made it public knowledge? Could I truly handle that situation?
I would no longer be able to feign ignorance and evade responsibility?
‘It’s as though I’m standing in the eye of a typhoon.’
Seemingly calm and quiet, yet absolutely unsafe—and I cannot simply step away from this position as I wish.
“When I saw His Majesty the other day, so many of the dead were following him.”
In the end, I deflected the conversation once more today. But how much longer could I avoid this?
If they touched those around me, I would surely not remain silent again. Eventually, I would have to confront them.
But I wanted to delay that moment as long as possible.
Thump.
“Take these.”
In that instant, numerous boxes of various sizes were piled high before Camilla. They were the ones that had been stacked to one side since I first entered the Study.
“What is all this?”
Had he prepared these in advance to give to me?
“Medicinal herbs.”
“Medicinal herbs?”
All of this was medicinal herbs?
Now that I thought about it, a pungent aroma wafted from the stacked boxes.
I had been wondering where that scent was coming from all this time. It was the aroma of medicinal herbs.
[Wow, this household really is wealthy. These are incredibly rare herbs.]
Arena immediately reacted at the mention of medicinal herbs.
Having spent so long helping people through sacred power, she possessed extensive knowledge of herbs.
Even historical records documented her tremendous contributions to the advancement of herbalism.
[Hey! Eat these right now! They’re absolutely perfect for stamina enhancement! They could boost your pathetic constitution in one go! That’s a ten-thousand-year snow lotus fruit! Those are really hard to obtain! What about that one? Wow! Put that in your mouth immediately too! Force it down no matter what!]

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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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