A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 202

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

This atmosphere feels oddly familiar—like when the fake Lania lured me out before.
‘She made such a fuss about knowing the whereabouts of someone I was desperately searching for.’
Back then, I followed without much thought.
I’d believed Lania was truly the Duke’s daughter, and I had no information about those whose souls had been stolen. I was completely off guard.
‘But now?’
My gaze shifted to High Priest Daniel walking ahead.
‘You’re incredibly suspicious right now.’
Even more so than Lania was back then.
I was already suspicious, but you’re practically confirming my doubts outright.
‘People are dying, you say?’
Yet when we just ran into each other, you acted perfectly composed. You even offered to help me find whatever I was looking for.
Only when I said I didn’t need anything did you suddenly bring up Jainer with such apparent regret.
‘With such an urgent expression, no less.’
He seemed unaware of the expression he wore, but my eyes—particularly attuned to reading others’ faces—saw it clearly.
That he was genuinely desperate right now, unlike his usual demeanor.
‘Is it because Jainer’s condition is poor?’
Well, that could be it.
‘Either way, it means he knows something has happened to Jainer.’
Jainer could actually be injured and in his hands, or everything he said could be a lie.
Regardless, it means Daniel is deeply connected to why Jainer suddenly disappeared, doesn’t it?
‘Perhaps even meeting him here wasn’t coincidence.’
Was he waiting? For the moment I’d visit the Khan Branch alone?
Or has he been following me from the start?
‘Come to think of it, I must look rather vulnerable to others right now.’
The perfect target for abduction.
No one was at my side.
Since I was visiting the Khan Branch, I couldn’t bring anyone with me. For that reason, I came without Dorman or other attendants, guards included.
Jainer had said that clients who aren’t alone are never met for safety reasons.
‘But that doesn’t mean I’m truly alone.’
[That guy—isn’t he the one who used to hang around with the Pope?]
[Hey, that human just laughed. Doesn’t something feel off?]
[Off, off! Really off!]
[Meeting him right here like this is suspicious too. Should we just take him out now? You’ve got that magical sword Ravi made strapped to your ankle, right? If it’s urgent, I’ll go in without your permission.]
[There’s a holy power that can put an opponent to sleep. Just say the word.]
Ah, how reassuring.
Listening to the voices of Priest Ghost Arena and Zeno, I quietly followed behind Daniel.
“It’s this way.”
“Yes.”
As our eyes met, I flashed him an innocent, radiant smile.
‘Regardless, one thing is becoming clear.’
Daniel, about who the author is.
Camilla’s smile deepened as she spoke of him.
* * *
“Plant, plant, plant the beans! Stomp, stomp, stomp the ground!”
…What in the world was that sound?
Jainer, who had lost consciousness, slowly opened his eyes at the soft singing voice that pierced his ears.
Through blurred vision, an unfamiliar ceiling came into view.
‘Where am I…?’
Just where was this place?
“No, no, puppy. You’re supposed to stomp the ground when it goes stomp, stomp, stomp, not plant, plant, plant.”
…Puppy?
As his vision cleared completely, an utterly strange scene unfolded before his eyes.
A young boy, perhaps five years old, was lecturing a black wolf with exaggerated seriousness.
Yes, it was definitely a lecture.
With his hands planted firmly on his hips and his head shaking with conviction, he looked like an exceptionally stern teacher instructing his students.
“Plant, plant, plant the beans! Stomp, stomp, stomp the ground! Sprout, sprout, sprout it grows! No, wait, you’re not supposed to stomp during the sprout part either.”
[….]
The black wolf, who had been lying on the ground and gently keeping rhythm, finally exhaled a silent sigh.
Yet when the boy began singing again, the wolf dutifully matched the beat once more.
“You are….”
“Huh? You’re awake!”
“Who are you?”
At Jainer’s question, the boy threw one hand up excitedly and shouted.
“My name is Rio! I’m from the Sunshine Orphanage… Oh! I don’t live there anymore.”
“…Rio?”
Rio, the boy who had introduced himself as if reciting a predetermined rhythm, suddenly laughed with an embarrassed “hehe.”
“Where is this…?”
“My puppy brought you here.”
“I’m not a mister. But… a puppy?”
Upon seeing the black wolf, Jainer grasped roughly where he was.
There was only one place in the world that possessed such a massive and formidable black wolf.
As the leader of Khan, he could not have been unaware.
‘And Rio.’
He knew that name well too. Rio was the name of the child Camilla cherished dearly.
‘Why am I…?’
He understood this was House Sephira, but he couldn’t fathom why he was here in this state.
‘I was definitely knocked unconscious.’
He remembered the situation before losing consciousness quite clearly.
He had dealt with all the enemies who suddenly appeared and attacked him, but….
‘I must have sustained severe injuries in the process.’
I had no time to dodge because my opponent was using sorcery I couldn’t comprehend.
‘What are those things?’
How could I even describe them? Living liquid?
When several of my attackers muttered something, a black substance materialized from the surroundings and coiled around my entire body.
It felt like being sucked into some viscous, sticky swamp.
‘That repulsive sensation.’
All my vitality being drained away by that sticky substance?
I managed to evade hastily, but ultimately suffered a devastating blow.
By the time the battle ended, I lost consciousness and collapsed without even catching my breath properly.
‘But when I woke up, I was told I’m in Sephrag?’
How was I supposed to make sense of this situation?
That black wolf Shinsu picked up my collapsed body and brought me here? How did it even know?
“But why are you here?”
Well, regardless, everything is fine. Just being alive like this was enough to prepare me to understand the entire situation.
‘But why?’
Why was the little one doing this here?
“I want to play with Puppy.”
“With Puppy?”
“Our Puppy is hardly ever at home. He’s always going somewhere.”
It seemed the child had no idea about Shinsu summoning at all. Or rather, it seemed more accurate to say they didn’t know about Shinsu itself.
Only this child would call the black wolf known as the Death Shinsu by the name “Puppy.”
“Then why don’t you take him out to play?”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Our Puppy is guarding the mister.”
…Guarding? Really?
‘Not surveillance?’
Only after hearing Rio’s words did I begin to understand.
Perhaps Arsian had attached the Shinsu to watch over me—me alongside Camilla—for surveillance purposes.
And when I collapsed, perhaps he brought me here.
“Ha.”
So a Shinsu is a Shinsu after all? I hadn’t noticed at all.
Feeling as though I’d been struck from behind, Jainer laughed hollowly.
“Sigh.”
Soon after, Jainer exhaled a short breath and immediately rose from his seat.
My physical condition was better than expected. It seemed I’d been healed with magic.
‘Why?’
The same person who had pointed a sword at me last time, so intent on killing me?
I couldn’t fathom what he was thinking.
‘Shouldn’t he have just let me die, saying it was for the best?’
Jainer found it truly unexpected that Arsian had saved his life, and he made his way toward the window.
A small orb had somehow appeared in his hand. He flicked it lightly out the window.
The orb burst, and a brilliant beam of light shot high into the sky.
It was a magical signal flare used by Khan—a means of alerting his subordinates to his location.
‘How much time has passed?’
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been unconscious, but my subordinates were surely searching for me even now.
“Plant, plant, plant the beans!”
As Jainer leaned against the window, exhaling a shallow sigh, the child’s song reached his ears once more.
He gazed intently at the child playing with Shinsu.
The child’s face, radiant with laughter as though untouched by any worldly concern, drew his gaze particularly.
“Living must be fun for you.”
Jainer spoke the words without thinking, then immediately sighed. What was he saying to a child?
Since I’ve been hurt, I haven’t been thinking straight.
“Uh…”
Rio had stopped singing and was staring intently at Jainer. At that gaze, another sigh escaped his lips.
“Mister, isn’t living fun for you?”
“…What?”
But moments later, faced with Rio’s question delivered while tilting his head curiously, Jainer couldn’t help but open his eyes wide.
“Ha.”
Soon he let out a small laugh. It was refreshing to hear such words from a child’s mouth.
“I’m trying to live in my own way, at least.”
“Sister said that trying at anything is good.”
“Who did?”
“Sister did!”
“Sister?”
“Camilla sister! Last time I was supposed to memorize numbers up to fifty, but I forgot in the middle. But she said it was okay because I tried.”
“She sounds like a good sister.”
“Yes! Sister is a good sister. So mister, don’t be too sad.”
“…What?”
“If living keeps not being fun even though you tried, that’s not your fault. So don’t be too sad.”
“…”
What does this child know? And it’s not mister, it’s—
Jainer stared blankly at the child for a moment, then burst into laughter once more.
“Ha, haha.”
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d laughed this hard, this genuinely.
At Jainer’s reaction, Rio tilted his head in confusion. His expression clearly showed he had no idea what was so funny.
“Here, I’ll give you this.”
The child, who had drawn close, pulled several candies from his pocket and handed them to Jainer.
“If you eat these, you’ll become happy.”
“Happy?”
“Yes! Camilla said sweetness is happiness!”
“Camilla told you that?”
“Yes!”
Jainer gazed at the candy resting in his palm, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth once more.
Happiness….
When was the last time I felt joy and contentment in something so small?
“Does it make you feel good, taking candy from a child?”
In that moment, a low voice cut through the silence.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————