A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 231

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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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“Arsian.”
Just as I thought a blow was coming, a quiet voice called out to him.
“Aren’t you thirsty?”
“….”
“Want some coffee?”
At the sight of Camilla pouring coffee she’d brought directly from the Cafe into a cup and offering it, Arsian’s steps toward the Club President came to an abrupt halt.
“…Yeah.”
With a slightly irritated glint in his eyes, he swept his gaze across the surroundings once, then let out a short sigh before accepting the coffee from Camilla.
*Gulp—!*
After drinking the coffee for a moment, Arsian set the cup down audibly before turning his steps toward the Club President once more.
“Th, that is…!”
At this, the Club President tensed again. Seeing him approach right up to him, the Club President instinctively covered his face with both arms.
“Just a fog spell?”
“…Huh?”
“What about over there?”
“Wh, what?”
“I’m asking if you don’t need to do it over there.”
“It, it would be nice if you did…?”
As if he’d never emanated such a murderous atmosphere, Arsian quietly cast spells on the locations he designated, and the Club President’s expression went blank once more.
“Hey.”
“Wh, what?”
“From now on, tell me one person at a time. Do I have two bodies?”
At those words, everyone around him nodded their heads repeatedly as if their necks would fall off.
Only then did Arsian drop his irritated expression and swiftly cast spells again.
‘My Arsian has really become quite docile.’
Camilla, who would have made others gasp if they’d heard her thoughts, wore a somewhat pleased expression.
Then, noticing that all the snacks she’d brought from the Cafe were gone, she slowly rose from her seat.
Since she hadn’t been assigned any particular duties in this festival’s preparations, providing snacks for the workers had naturally become her responsibility.
“The snacks are all gone. Let me go get some more-”
“No!”
“We don’t need snacks!”
“We, we’re full!”
What’s wrong with them?
Camilla, about to leave her seat, stopped short as she heard them all cry out before her words had even finished.
These kids who usually went crazy for snacks?
‘Please don’t leave us alone with that person!’
‘If it weren’t for you earlier, we’d all be dead!’
‘Please don’t go!’
Eyes silently gazing at her with desperate longing.
“….”
Under that intense gaze, Camilla could only offer an awkward smile before quietly returning to her seat.
* * *
“Wow! Just looking at the building outside gives me chills, doesn’t it?”
“It really does.”
Laila and Elisha trembled as they continuously marveled at the decorated exterior of the Haunted House.
Camilla, observing the two of them with an expression of disbelief, shook her head slightly.
“Why are you getting scared of something you decorated yourselves?”
It wasn’t as if you were seeing it for the first time. Didn’t you two paint that black coating on the exterior? You were painting so diligently too.
“Right?”
Jewela also let out a hollow laugh as if she found it absurd.
“But with the lighting installed, it’s just too scary!”
“That’s right! It looks like a ghost could jump out any second!”
“It’s a Haunted House, after all.”
What an obvious thing to say.
“Well, it is decorated nicely though.”
Just from looking at the exterior, you could tell exactly what kind of place this was.
I heard the Imperial Court had sponsored this event generously, and you could certainly see where the money went.
We had rented an entire building within the Academy that wasn’t commonly used. That’s where we set up the Haunted House.
It used to be a Club Building, but after a new Club Building was constructed near the Main Building, this place was now being used as a Storage Room.
“It really looks like a building that’s been abandoned for ages.”
Elisha cupped her cheeks with both hands and shivered again. Her face was a mixture of fear, excitement, and curiosity.
“By the way, Elisha.”
“Yes?”
“Didn’t you say you were going to play the ghost this time?”
It wasn’t exactly a proper stage, but she had said she wanted to take on the role of a ghost and scare people.
Just a while ago, she was excitedly shrieking about what kind of makeup would scare people. So why was she standing here looking perfectly normal?
“I gave up.”
“Why?”
Elisha’s face fell at Camilla’s question, and she hung her head.
“It’s too scary.”
“What?”
What are you talking about? You gave up because it’s scary?
“I’d have to hide alone in that room at the end of the building and jump out to scare people.”
“And that’s a problem because?”
“It’s just too frightening.”
“What?”
“Think about it. I’d have to stay alone in that dark, dreary room.”
….
“So I gave up.”
Playing the ghost role was fine, but didn’t that mean waiting alone in a dark, empty space for others to arrive? I simply couldn’t do it.
The moment I saw the dark space, I immediately realized just how weak I was when it came to horror.
Camilla’s expression became peculiar.
‘Elisha….’
Don’t you remember? You were so terrified of ghosts, found them absolutely dreadful, and yet you once lived in the same room with one for quite some time.
‘You even performed on stage together.’
Recalling how Elisha had bought a secondhand vanity mirror for her home, only to be strangled by the actress ghost bound to it, Camilla shook her head.
“If you’re this scared, why did you want to come here in the first place?”
Both Elisha and Laila didn’t seem to particularly enjoy this sort of thing, so I couldn’t understand why they insisted on coming.
“But we’re curious, aren’t we?”
“About what we all prepared together.”
…Stop trembling or don’t, I suppose.
Watching them shake continuously while gripping each other’s hands tightly, Camilla let out another short sigh.
“Sister.”
At that moment, a small hand gently tugged at her sleeve.
When Camilla looked down, she saw Rio gazing up at her with eyes full of curiosity.
I had no intention of coming to the Haunted House… or rather, I had planned not to attend the year-end Academy Festival at all.
Yet I made time for this anyway, and the reason was Rio.
‘Can’t I go see the festival too?’
‘Can’t you? Of course you can.’
Could anyone possibly say no to those sparkling eyes looking up at me with both hands clasped together?
“Sister Sena, would you like me to hold your hand if you’re scared?”
Rio, who had been bouncing in place with anticipation, suddenly remembered and spoke to Sena, who stood quietly beside her.
“….”
Sena, who had come this far together because Rio had led her by the hand, shook her head slightly. The child’s gaze habitually turned toward Camilla.
“Hm?”
But the moment Camilla returned her gaze, Sena quickly turned her head away as if nothing had happened.
Camilla observed Sena with an odd expression for a moment, then lowered her head as Rio’s hand tugged at her sleeve again.
“But sister.”
“Yes?”
“What is the Haunted House?”
“….”
“Why are those sisters so scared?”
“Well… that is….”
Should I really take this innocent child who knows nothing into that place?
Another long sigh escaped from my lips.
* * *
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
“Ahhhhhhh!”
“Hey, you two! Stop screaming so—”
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
“Kyaaah! Kyak!”
“…Let’s not talk about this.”
“Petro, Older Brother! Over there, over there! Go hit it!”
“It’s just someone from our club in costume. How am I supposed to hit them?”
“I don’t care! Hit it! Hit! Ahhhhh! It’s coming this way!”
“Elisha, can’t you step back a bit? I can’t move—”
“Kyaaaaah!”
“Laila, could you stop hitting me?”
“I-I’m sorry… Kyaaah!”
“Ow!”
“Oh! I-I’m so sorry! Jewela!”
“Why are you swinging your fists just because you’re scared? If you’re going to throw punches, hit that ghost instead.”
“Sob… I’m sorry….”
“Older Brother! Hit it, hit! Please hit that ghost!”
“Just let go for a moment.”
Is this what they call a total disaster?
The Haunted House exploration turned out to be quite simple.
You’d enter with a single sheet of paper handed out at the entrance, find and stamp all ten stamps hidden throughout each section, and then exit back through the entrance.
Those who completed all the stamps in the shortest time would even receive small prizes.
The first to challenge the Haunted House were Laila and Elisha, along with Petro and Jewela.
Since only four people could enter at a time, Camilla and Arsian, who had come along as guardians for the children, were naturally assigned to the second group.
But….
“Kyaaaaah! Hit it! Hit! It’s coming over there!”
“Elisha, would you like this older brother to go to prison for hitting someone?”
“What do I do! What do I do! Kyaaaaah!”
“It hurts, it hurts, Laila.”
“Sob, I’m sorry. I was just so scared….”
“You scare me more.”
What am I going to do with these people?
The ear-piercing screams of Elisha and Laila, audible even outside, made everyone waiting to enter flinch.
Meanwhile, the Club President watching everything from the entrance wore an extremely satisfied expression.
“Camilla!”
“Sister!”
About thirty minutes had passed when the four haggard-faced figures emerged back outside.

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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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