A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 254
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
“I’ve fed you, housed you, clothed you all this time, and this is how you repay me? You ungrateful wretch!”
[When did I ever eat or wear anything you gave me? Stop spouting nonsense!]
“You, you—you damned fool! Do you have any idea how much I’ve cherished you?”
[Cherished? What cherishing? All you ever do is work me to the bone! I’ve known it for a while, but it’s only gotten worse. Don’t you have even a shred of conscience? You’re not just unlucky—you’re a man without a single ounce of morality!]
“This… this! Get out! If you like that brat so much, go to him!”
Duke Jebillen erupted, pointing his finger accusingly.
[Really?]
“Get lost, you bastard!”
[Then I’m really going.]
“What, what?”
[Take care~.]
“Hey, hey! Wait… wait a moment…! Hey, you—Divine Beast Jetti!”
In an instant, Divine Beast Jetti vanished from sight, leaving Duke Jebillen standing there with his mouth agape.
“…He really left?”
“It appears so, Your Grace.”
“He actually left?”
“You did tell him to go, Your Grace.”
“But he actually went?”
“He seemed quite delighted about it.”
“Ugh…”
As if his blood pressure were rising, Duke Jebillen clutched the back of his neck and sank into his seat, groaning repeatedly.
* * *
“Luna.”
Divine Beast Luna, finally called by her name instead of “Puppy” by Rio.
“Paw!”
[…]
Not that the puppy treatment had entirely disappeared, but this was something else.
“Luna, paw!”
Watching the young Rio crouch down and extend his right hand, a silent sigh escaped Luna’s lips.
*Thump.*
Meeting Rio’s eyes, which sparkled with anticipation, Luna eventually placed her front paw gently into the child’s hand.
“Good girl, Luna!”
At his praise and the way he patted her head, another sigh slipped from Luna’s mouth.
This wasn’t a one or two-day affair—by now, she had nearly resigned herself to it. Do as you please…
While the troubled black wolf counted dust motes floating in the air, Rio launched into his boasts with an excited face.
“Sir, Arsian—did you just see? Our Luna is really incredibly smart, isn’t she?”
“She is.”
“Well done.”
Duke Sefra and Arsian, who had been watching Rio and Luna, offered light agreement with faint smiles.
“Now Rio has truly become a proper citizen of Sefra. There’s nothing lacking about him.”
At Duke Sefra’s final murmur, Arsian expressed his agreement through silence.
Treating that black Divine Beast like a mere mutt—how perfectly in character for this household.
Who did he take after to be so clever? Arsian and Duke Sefra wore satisfied expressions simultaneously.
“Our Luna, ah~ so adorable.”
Rio simply adored Luna, nothing more.
“Luna, give me your paw!”
Rio’s puppy training continued unabated. Whether he’d witnessed dog training somewhere, his enthusiasm was remarkable.
[This damned brat!]
At that moment, a figure materialized before them—Divine Beast Jetti.
Jetti, who had run away from Duke Jebillen’s Residence moments earlier, had come seeking Luna to find an ally.
Upon seeing Luna being treated like a dog by Rio, Jetti nodded in agreement and unleashed his fury at the child.
[How dare you treat a Divine Beast like a dog!]
“Huh? A bird! A big bird! It’s Petro’s bird!”
In return, Rio immediately began treating him like a bird instead.
[A bird?! I’m not just any bird—I’m a great Divine Beast!]
“Bird, come here.”
[Hey!]
Of course, his voice never reached Rio at all.
Though others could see Jetti’s form as he existed in a summoned state after his escape, only Camilla could understand his words—no one else but his master.
“Bird, want some snacks? These are delicious! Should I give you some?”
[I don’t eat that sort of thing! How dare you keep calling me a bird!]
“There’s strawberry too.”
[That sounds… ugh! Annoying brat!]
Tempted for a moment by the strawberry, Jetti came to his senses and abandoned his anger at Rio, flying instead toward the black wolf Luna.
[Hey, let’s go!]
[…?]
[Are you going to keep getting ignored by that brat? Let’s get out of here!]
[….]
Luna cast an indifferent glance as if thinking, ‘What nonsense is he spouting now…’ but Jetti paid no attention.
[Follow me at once! We’re going to Camilla!]
…Camilla?
Though she didn’t know what he was up to, Luna showed interest the moment Jetti mentioned Camilla’s name.
[These humans need to understand too. How precious we are! They only realize our value when we’re gone! Come on, follow me!]
With those words, Jetti flew out and vanished, leaving Luna staring after him blankly for a moment.
Then she turned her gaze toward Duke Sefra, who was tilting his head, trying to comprehend what had just happened.
“….”
[….]
Thus, Duke Sefra’s and Luna’s eyes met.
“…Do as you wish.”
Whatever was happening, that fool Jetti was probably up to more nonsense.
Whenever he caused trouble in the past, he never acted alone—he always dragged Luna along, as if she were his own servant.
‘Did they fight again?’
Duke Sefra, who had grasped the situation with reasonable accuracy, shook his head lightly. Acting on a whim was so typical of Duke Jebillen—that reckless fool.
In any case, the moment his permission was granted, Luna vanished from her spot in an instant.
“Huh? Luna, where are you going?”
Rio was flustered and bewildered by Luna’s sudden disappearance.
He had wanted to play with her a bit longer—where was she off to?
“Sir, where did Luna go?”
“Who knows.”
“Leave her be. Dogs naturally wander all over the place anyway.”
“But Luna isn’t just any dog… She’s our Puppy…”
Duke Sefra gently stroked Rio’s head in a soothing manner as the boy pouted.
‘She won’t answer summons for a while.’
Once they disappeared like that, they wouldn’t come properly even if called. Even if Luna tried to respond, Divine Beast Jetti would stubbornly block her.
Master or Divine Beast… tsk.
Thinking of Duke Jebillen, who would surely come whining with the excuse that his Divine Beast had vanished, Duke Sefra gave his butler a firm order.
“When that Jebillen fool arrives, don’t let him inside.”
“Understood, sir.”
* * *
[Wow, the weather today is really nice, isn’t it? Perfect day for running away from home.]
[…]
[Grrr…]
“…So you really did leave home?”
[How many times do I have to say it? We fought and left.]
Camilla looked at the three Divine Beasts huddled around her and pressed her brow repeatedly, feeling a headache coming on.
[Grrr…]
[Can’t you get that one to calm down?]
I want to tell him to go bite someone right now.
“Sigh.”
Sensing her mood, King threw a tantrum, and Camilla stroked his head while sighing continuously.
“Luna ran away too? Really?”
[…]
[Of course. Do you know how much that household mistreats Luna? How dare they treat us Divine Beasts like that!]
“It’s obvious you dragged her out by force.”
[I didn’t!]
What do you mean you didn’t?
Camilla looked at Divine Beast Jetti with disdain as he hastily continued speaking on behalf of Luna, who was trying to shake her head.
“Are Divine Beasts allowed to leave their masters?”
Running away? Does that even make sense? Isn’t it your duty to rush to them the moment you’re summoned? How is the word “runaway” even permitted?
[You seem to be misunderstanding something, but we and humans aren’t in a master-servant relationship.]
“Not a master?”
I’d heard Zetti occasionally call Duke Jebillen “master” before.
Wasn’t it because the Divine Beasts followed the heads of each Ducal House by treating them as their masters?
[The meaning of “master” in your minds and the meaning we speak of are different.]
Zetti shook his head firmly, as if to say I was being ridiculous.
[They are merely the medium and the entity that allows us to exist in this world. In return, we listen to their requests and share our power with them.]
An entity that allows existence? Is that why you call them master?
[Without them, we would sleep eternally. Instead of letting us see the light of the world, we lend our strength. It’s not a relationship of absolute obedience!]
Learning this for the first time, I gazed down at Divine Beast King nestled snugly in my arms with fresh understanding.
“Well, I suppose…”
Master and servant relationships. I’ve never been particularly fond of those anyway.
Running away from home—let’s just say that’s the same principle. If I don’t like something, I can run away too.
“But here’s the thing.”
Running away and all that is fine and good, but…
“Why is that place our home?”
Why had our home become a gathering place for runaway Divine Beasts?
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————