A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 228

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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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‘I can no longer obtain a new body, it seems.’
Only the Church Leader could use divine artifacts to seize flesh from others.
The reason the false Lania had merely altered her appearance through magic instead of stealing a body outright was because she herself lacked the ability to seize flesh.
I had thought only the false Lania possessed such a limitation, but it turned out this was a unique ability exclusive to the Church Leader.
‘Now that the Church Leader is dead.’
In other words, time would resolve the matter.
I relayed to Crown Prince Edsen the facts I had learned from Aislah. I even told him that if the Eva Religion followers tried to sneak into the Imperial Palace and steal their divine artifacts, he should simply hand them over.
They needed to understand. Without the Church Leader, those divine artifacts were utterly useless no matter how long they possessed them. I was certain that once they realized this, they would settle down.
‘Hmm, perhaps not?’
Would they instead struggle more desperately, knowing this was their last chance? If they came at us with a death-or-death mentality, that would be somewhat troublesome…
Regardless, without the Church Leader, they had no future.
The crime of invading the Imperial Palace could be addressed after rumors about the uselessness of the divine artifacts spread widely among the Eva Religion followers. Given Crown Prince Edsen’s nature, he would certainly gather evidence meticulously.
“Someone.”
Duke Sefra did not pursue the question further this time. He merely glanced subtly past Camilla’s side.
Those who always lingered near her—surely it was one of them speaking?
“Oh, and this is a gift.”
Camilla then handed him a box she had brought. Duke Sefra immediately recognized what the gift was.
“Wine?”
What she had given him was a wine case.
“Hmm?”
But the contents were no ordinary wine. The color of the liquid in the transparent glass bottle was extraordinarily special.
A blend of golden and crimson hues, as if capturing a sunset itself.
“It’s a 400-year-old spirit made from Aclea fruit.”
“…400 years?”
A hint of surprise flickered across the face of Duke Sefra, who was quite knowledgeable about spirits.
“Father said he would repay the 100-year-old spirit he drank with a 400-year vintage instead.”
“So it was him after all.”
“He also asked me to tell you that Duke Jebillen drank half of it.”
“….”
Duke Sefra clicked his tongue lightly, then nodded with evident satisfaction. A 400-year-old Aclea spirit was certainly generous enough to overlook the matter.
“So that scoundrel went straight to you upon arriving.”
Only after a considerable pause did Duke Sefra’s gaze turn toward his son, who sat pressed firmly against Camilla’s side.
Arsian, who had maintained an indifferent expression throughout their conversation, did not even turn his head at Duke Sefra’s gaze.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, the door opened and a person entered. It was Baol, the butler of House Sephira.
Following his respectful bow came a young boy who appeared to be around ten years old.
“Who is that child?”
Duke Sefra’s eyes grew puzzled. He had never seen this child before—why was such a child here?
“That is…”
“I brought him.”
Arsian answered instead of the butler.
“I’ll be staying here for the time being.”
Duke Sefra demanded further explanation with a glance, but Arsian simply pressed his lips together, showing no intention of elaborating.
“Arsian, is this the child you brought with you?”
“Yes, the one I mentioned before.”
Yet when Camilla asked, he shifted his expression as though he’d never said such a thing, answering her earnestly.
Duke Sefra and the butler Baol, already accustomed to such behavior, showed no particular change in expression.
“This is that child?”
But Camilla’s reaction was rather strange. She tilted her head repeatedly while looking at the child, and soon her puzzled gaze turned toward Arsian.
“You said it was a boy.”
When they’d spoken through the communication crystal before, she was certain she’d heard him say he was bringing a young boy with him.
“Yes.”
“Where’s the boy then?”
“What?”
Arsian, Duke Sefra, and even the butler all turned to look at the child simultaneously.
The child was standing right before them—how could she ask where he was? All three men struggled to comprehend what she meant.
Then, at Camilla’s next words, all three could only gape in bewilderment.
“That’s a girl.”
* * *
“This will be your room from now on.”
At Camilla’s words, the child bowed her head deeply—whether in acknowledgment or gratitude, it was unclear. Watching her, Camilla shook her head lightly.
‘How could she be so oblivious.’
She shouldn’t be thanking me.
If she’s going to stay here, shouldn’t she try to make a good impression on the household masters? Still, this place must be far better than the orphanage, right?
‘Or not?’
Maybe the orphanage is better? Not all orphanages are bad places, after all.
But wouldn’t it be better to be cherished while she’s here? A docile child learns to earn an extra snack or two.
“…Sigh.”
What am I even doing here right now?
Camilla, who had been somewhat concerned about the silent child, suddenly felt reality crash down on her, and she exhaled a short sigh internally.
The reason being that she, merely a guest, was personally showing the child around the Sefra Family Mansion.
‘How strange.’
For some reason, the child followed her closely. It had been that way from the moment they entered the study.
The child who had stared at her intently began to trail behind her from that point onward.
In the end, Camilla had to take charge of showing her to the room as well.
‘Is this even appropriate?’
She wondered if it was right for her, not even the mistress of the house, to be doing this.
‘Of course it is. If it’s you, it’s fine.’
‘Pardon?’
‘The future mistress of this house—what does it matter.’
“Pardon?”
Duke Sefra and even the butler—no one seemed to mind.
Instead, I could only offer an awkward smile beneath the warm gaze of the elderly butler.
“Your name is Sena?”
A nod.
Sena. The child’s name.
‘And thirteen years old?’
I was genuinely surprised when I learned the child’s actual age. Even being generous, she looked no older than ten.
‘Good heavens.’
This was truly exasperating!
I couldn’t simply leave this child among people who didn’t even know her age, name, or gender. And she couldn’t speak, no less.
But still, what was I supposed to do if no one even attempted conversation? Did they not know about written communication? Written notes?
‘Rio never gave me such worries.’
When I sent Rio here—a child far younger than this one—I felt not a shred of concern.
Rather, I felt reassured. I was certain that Rio’s innate brightness would be more than enough to captivate both of them.
But this child… there was simply no way forward.
Arsian, who felt no curiosity toward others whatsoever, and Duke Sefra, who never thought to ask anyone questions.
And now this child, unable to express even her own thoughts, was to live among them?
‘The very thought was suffocating.’
Silence, silence, silence.
How was I to bear that quiet atmosphere?
I shuddered and turned my attention back to the child.
I was the one who discovered her name. I’d given her paper and asked her to write her age and name. Fortunately, she knew how to read and write.
“Sena.”
At my call, the child who had been looking down slowly raised her head. Meeting her deep green eyes, I exhaled a quiet sigh.
‘Arsian…’
I thought I understood why he’d brought this child here. Those deep green eyes reminded me of someone.
A small, delicate child I wanted to give a candy to.
And now I understood why the people of Sephrag had mistaken her for a boy.
Short-cropped hair and a painfully thin frame. Features far too sharp and defined.
‘She does have a rather boyish appearance.’
Having worked as an actress and seen many children perform in such roles, I recognized it immediately. But truthfully, it was easy enough to misunderstand.
‘The real problem, though…’
I now knew her name and age, but she refused to reveal anything else.
When I asked her to write where she lived, she gave no response.
‘A thirteen-year-old surely wouldn’t forget where she lived.’
Yet the child simply shook her head gently.
‘Has she lost her memory?’
It didn’t seem so. Her expression was far too composed for someone who’d lost their past. I sensed no anxiety, no unease of the forgotten.
In other words, she was deliberately keeping silent. I sighed once more, inwardly.
For reasons I couldn’t quite fathom, if he had chosen to seal his own lips, the wisest course was to wait until he opened them again of his own accord.
“Rest now. If you need anything, write it down on that paper over there and give it to the butler—you saw him earlier, didn’t you? The elderly gentleman. He or someone else can relay your message.”
He nodded.
I took one last look at the ill-fitting clothes draped over the child’s small frame.
They were garments Arsian had worn in his childhood, retrieved from the storage room, and as expected, they hung far too loosely on him.

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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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