A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 239

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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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‘At least there’s no wind—I suppose I should be grateful for that.’
When the first snow fell lightly, it was atmospheric and beautiful, but why does this cursed snow refuse to stop?
[It should let up by tomorrow. Besides, some crops fail if they don’t receive a certain amount of snowfall.]
“Is that so?”
I vaguely recalled hearing something similar in that other world.
Wasn’t it said that barley withers if winter isn’t cold enough? It seems there are crops like that here too.
“Regardless, those children don’t seem bothered by the cold at all.”
Camilla’s gaze returned to the window. She could see the children bounding through the Snowy Field like puppies, sinking up to their ankles in snow.
‘Just watching them makes me cold.’
Daive, Rio, and Sena were playing together in the Snowy Field.
‘Perhaps it’s because they’re children.’
It was somewhat surprising how quickly they’d begun playing in harmony despite having only recently met.
Daive, who instinctively bristled with defensiveness around others, showed no such behavior toward Rio.
‘Or rather, it would be more accurate to say he couldn’t.’
─ “Brother! Daive, brother!”
─ “Yeah, Rio.”
─ “You’re the most handsome of all the brothers I’ve ever seen!”
Just then, Aislah’s power carried the children’s voices clearly into the room.
Camilla giggled continuously at a situation not unlike their first meeting. Daive’s face had flushed crimson—and it wasn’t entirely from the cold.
─ “Thank you….”
─ “Once we finish the snowman, want to come inside? Let’s play block-stacking with me, Sena, and the three of us together!”
─ “Okay.”
‘Should I call it Rio’s gift?’
Rio, who showered Daive with praise that would have made Arsian terribly jealous, had effortlessly made another friend.
Of course, the atmosphere between Sena and Daive remained somewhat distant, but neither seemed particularly concerned about it.
Just then, Ravi and Ludvil approached Camilla’s side.
“What? Watching the little ones again?”
The two men who had followed her gaze to the children visible beyond the window wore oddly sullen expressions. What was that about?
“And why have you come again, Older Brother?”
Camilla glared at Ravi with all her might. I couldn’t fathom why he’d been acting this way lately.
“Why? I brought snacks. Don’t you see? It’s cake.”
“Since when did you become my Attendant?”
Should I fire Dorman now?
“Even when I’m being considerate, you complain.”
“Because it’s strange.”
Ravi’s face had appeared everywhere I went lately.
At first, I thought he was acting this way because I’d become younger because of him, but that wasn’t it.
“Older Brother, I’m asking just to be sure—you haven’t taken that tiny child as a rival, have you?”
“W-What are you suddenly saying! Why would I!”
Well, there was no real reason for the two of them to compete anyway….
‘Am I mistaken?’
Why does it feel like my older brother can’t act his age and is competing with a child?
‘Hey, what’s that?’
‘I bought that chocolate for Daive… why are you eating it, Older Brother! I said it was for Daive!’
‘I like chocolate too.’
‘I know perfectly well that all the men in this house dislike sweets. What nonsense is this?’
‘My lord enjoys this as well. My lord, please have some!’
‘Very well.’
Have they lost their minds?
I was left speechless watching the two of them grimace and furrow their brows deeply as they finished off every last piece of chocolate.
‘Here, eat this.’
‘Cookies? I don’t really feel like eating them right now.’
‘You ate what the little one gave you just a moment ago! Are you discriminating now? Eat it! Eat it right now! My lord! Please give me what you brought! Eat all of this too!’
‘Goodness, what on earth is wrong with you!’
Have they gone mad?
Watching Ravi forcefully shove cookies into his own mouth just to make sure he ate at least a bite, I nearly struck him.
‘Well, that thoughtless Ravi is one thing.’
But why is Ludvil Older Brother going along with him too?
“When is that little brat leaving?”
“He’s only just arrived.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Daive probably doesn’t care much for Older Brother either.”
What on earth did my Daive do wrong to deserve all this displeasure? I truly cannot understand it.
“Stop spouting nonsense and leave. Don’t you have anything to do? Why do you keep coming?”
“Why do you treat only me this way? Older Brother comes by all the time!”
“Older Brother, would you like some tea?”
“Yes.”
“Hey! Why are you discriminating!”
“Goodness, be quiet. If that’s the case, I’ll give you a cup too, so drink it and leave.”
As if waiting for this moment, Dorman brought the tea and quickly set it on the table.
“But Older Brother.”
“What?”
“When do I go back to normal?”
“…What?”
“When do I return?”
“….”
…Huh? Did you just avoid my gaze?
“Listen, Older Brother.”
“What?”
“Is it possible I can’t return? Is there no way?”
“No! Absolutely not! I finished the magical formula yesterday.”
“Really?”
“Really!”
…Something about this felt deeply suspicious.
“Then what was that reaction just now?”
“I, I what?”
“Stop stammering! You’re making me anxious!”
“Anxious about what! The magical formula is truly finished! Don’t you trust me, Older Brother?”
Look at yourself right now. Do you honestly expect me to believe you?
‘There it is, there it is!’
Dodging my gaze again!
Camilla’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Ravi.
“So what is it? Why are you still like this?”
“It’s all because of you!”
“Me? What did I do?”
“Who got so small and cute…!”
Cute? Cute, what? What’s wrong with my ears?
“….”
Ravi averted his gaze from Camilla once more.
The magical formula for reverting to normal was already fully understood, just as he’d said.
All that remained was to inscribe the formula onto a mana stone like before, and have Camilla shatter it herself.
However….
‘So soon? I think we could wait a bit longer…. Ravi, you look quite exhausted too. Let’s do this later and rest at your own pace.’
‘Pardon? Father, I’m fine-‘
‘How fortunate that we agree for once. Caring for the child while conducting research must have been taxing. We can watch over Camilla, so you rest. Honestly, I don’t understand how that girl manages to run around so much with such short legs.’
‘What exactly are the two of you talking about?’
Duke Sorpel and Duke Escra. The two men in perfect accord were simply doing their utmost to prevent the magical incantation.
Camilla had never fussed about anything in the first place. They carried her around so constantly under the pretense of preventing injury that she’d fled to her Research Laboratory to escape them.
Watching them hastily offer excuses for such an absurd fabrication of memory, I simply observed in silence as both dukes grew flustered.
‘I’ve never seen Camilla at this age before. I simply wish to observe her current appearance a bit longer.’
‘Even so, you’ve been with her since she was seven. I’ve never witnessed that child’s early years at all.’
‘A truly lamentable situation…. Indeed! Since things have come to this, why don’t you try using that magic as well, Ravi? If you, being small, stay close beside her, Camilla will feel far less anxious.’
‘That sounds reasonable. I’ll prepare the mana stone right away-‘
‘I’ll go first.’
“Older Brother? What are you thinking so hard about? Does something hurt?”
And then-
“You don’t have a fever.”
“….”
I too wished for Camilla to remain like this a while longer.
Ravi gently grasped the small hand that was fidgeting with his cheek and pressed a tiny ribbon into Camilla’s palm.
“What is this? A hair ribbon?”
“I found it on the ground.”
“What are you talking about…? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Even when I get her something, she makes a fuss.”
A hair pin in the design Camilla had desperately wanted so long ago. It glimmered in the small child’s grasp.
It must have looked incredibly beautiful through a child’s eyes, for Camilla had lingered in front of the ribbon shop countless times, inventing excuse after excuse.
She seemed to think no one would notice, but how could that be? It was perfectly clear to Ravi’s eyes back then.
Even as I watched her shoulders droop, I turned away without relenting—and that childhood decision had always weighed on my conscience.
To conceal the turmoil in my heart, Ravi deliberately twisted his lips into a crooked smile.
“Just eat this already.”
“Why do you keep making me eat things? Stop bringing stuff!”
“Just eat it!”
To do, even in some small way, what I couldn’t do back then.
* * *
“Brother! Daive! Look at this!”
Daive, who had been rolling his eyes, turned his head at Rio’s cry. A large snowman had been built beside the child.
There was another hand putting the finishing touches on the snowman—it was Sena.
“You made it well.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Rio burst into a beaming smile and unwound the scarf from around his neck, draping it over the snowman.
“It’s pretty, right? Camilla gave this to me!”
“She did?”
“Yes! She bought me these gloves too!”
“…That as well?”
“Yes! Camilla! I love her so much!”

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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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