A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 268

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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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Though Petro had always treated me kindly, I knew all too well the truth of it.
He would never permit any relationship with me beyond a certain boundary.
Yet witnessing the intimacy and affection Petro now displayed toward Camilla, I found myself convinced once more.
‘This place….’
This world was not where I belonged.
All the lingering regrets and attachments I carried, known or unknown, seemed to scatter away like dust.
“I should go.”
I turned away. There was no reason to remain here any longer.
It was time to return home at last.
“….”
Arsian, who had been silently watching me walk ahead, slowly followed in my footsteps.
* * *
“Older Brother.”
“What?”
Ravi, who as always was absorbed in his grimoire, gave little response to his younger sister who had sought him out since morning.
It was routine—she came to visit like this every day, and they would chat about this and that before she left. He assumed today would be no different.
“Can’t you look at me?”
“What?”
But something felt off today.
After entering the Research Laboratory without saying much, she had simply stared at him intently, and now suddenly she was asking him to look at her?
“What? If you have something to say, just say it.”
Yet Ravi still didn’t lift his eyes from the grimoire. He was reading a particularly crucial passage at that moment.
“Do you know something?”
“Know what?”
“That I’ve loved you so much since I was little.”
Ravi, who had been responding half-heartedly, suddenly coughed dryly and turned his head away in haste.
“Hey, what nonsense are you spouting this early in the morning?”
“I’m serious.”
Finally looking at me, Ravi let out a small laugh.
“You used to shield me from Mother sometimes.”
“When did I ever?”
“You don’t remember, it seems.”
Ravi was crude, cold, and taciturn.
He had always been that way, even as a child. It wasn’t just toward me—he was much the same with everyone else.
But….
‘Please stop. I can’t study with all this noise.’
‘Don’t grab the child like that. I can’t walk around the neighborhood in shame!’
‘If you’re going to scold her, do it when I’m not around!’
Whenever Mother grew unusually angry or the atmosphere seemed to be escalating beyond reason, he would often step forward and redirect her attention away from me.
‘Hey, you can’t even do this? Give it here! This is frustrating.’
He would grumble that he’d get scolded by Mother, yet sometimes he’d take care of my tasks for me.
Of course, it may not have been solely for his own sake. Perhaps he truly found it bothersome, and stopped me out of embarrassment that the neighborhood gossip would spread… but.
‘Still, it felt wonderful.’
That small kindness had felt like a lifeline of salvation to Sia.
“Why are you suddenly bringing up old memories?”
Ravi seemed uncomfortable discussing what happened back then, clicking his tongue repeatedly. Yet he never averted his gaze from Sia.
“Did something happen to you again?”
“No.”
“You’re sure nothing’s wrong? Do you know how anxious you make me every time you act like this? I keep wondering what trouble you’ve gotten into now.”
Watching Ravi’s grumbling, the smile on Sia’s lips deepened.
‘I’m relieved.’
That the last image she remembered of Older Brother Ravi was like this.
Not the version always chased by something, perpetually on edge with Older Brother Ludvil, but appearing more at peace and composed than ever before—a wave of reassurance washed over her.
“Older Brother.”
“…Why are you calling me with that strange expression again?”
“Can I hug you just once?”
“What, what? Hey! You really didn’t eat something bad—!”
Ravi couldn’t finish his sentence. Not with Sia embracing him like this.
“Tsk.”
Flustered, he clicked his tongue lightly and carefully patted her back.
At that awkward, clumsy touch, Sia burst into bright laughter.
“Older Brother, you have to live well.”
“Sigh.”
Ravi gave up thinking any further and released a long sigh, as if to say do as you please.
Thump—
“…”
In that moment, a strong heartbeat was felt.
“Older Brother.”
“What, what? What is it now?”
“Don’t be too startled.”
“What?”
Thump, thump-thump—
“It’s just… a little dizziness, that’s all.”
“What are you saying?”
Sia stared intently at Ravi’s face one last time, her arms still wrapped tightly around his waist.
“I’m telling you again—I really loved you so much, Older Brother.”
“You…”
Thump, thump-thump-thump—
“In this life, I’ll be happy until the very end—”
Boom.
“Hey, hey! Camilla!”
Sia closed her eyes slowly.
‘Be happy. Please.’
Uttering the words she hadn’t managed to convey aloud.
Chapter. The Final Hour of the Eva Religion
[So in the Other World, they don’t use swords in war anymore? Guns? What are those?]
[You said you learned a profession?]
[No wonder your face looked so hardened.]
Wait, when did I ever look hardened?
“I was simply trying my very best to live, that’s all.”
Camilla shot a pointed glare at the spirits huddled around her, particularly at Perol, the chef spirit.
‘Good grief, what am I even doing right now….’
When I regained consciousness after returning to this world, the first thing I saw was naturally the worried faces of my family.
‘Aren’t I seeing this scene far too often?’
Which meant I’d been losing consciousness and collapsing frequently lately, didn’t it?
There was no way my family hadn’t noticed this pattern.
‘I think resting in my room for a while would be best.’
‘Father, really, I’m not sick anymore.’
‘Listen to your father! How many times is this now? There’s definitely something wrong with you.’
‘The Healer said there’s nothing wrong. I was just tired, that’s all.’
‘That’s exactly why you should stay home. If you’re tired, you need rest. Don’t you dare leave your room.’
‘….’
When the two of them wouldn’t listen to reason, I tried asking Ludvil for help, but he too simply shook his head firmly.
‘Damn it.’
Even after returning here, I still hadn’t managed to step outside for days.
As a result, time was all I had, and spirits were all that gathered around me.
[Tell us more about the Other World.]
[We’re curious too, Miss.]
[What about the food there? Is it edible? Chicken? What’s that?]
These were spirits who had long wanted to know more details about Camilla’s situation of having lived with swapped souls.
Seeing her confined idly to her room, they thought it fortunate and kept pestering her to share stories.
Tap, tap.
“Hm?”
Camilla, who had been spending this unexpectedly leisurely time, turned her head at the faint sound of someone tapping on the window.
The moment she saw who entered through it, a brilliant smile bloomed across her face.
“Arsian.”
At her call, Arsian offered a faint smile in return.
He could tell from her voice alone.
That it was her. That she had returned, not Sia.
“Did you have a good time out?”
“Yes.”
Arsian drew closer and pulled me into his embrace, holding me tightly. A long, relieved sigh escaped his lips.
‘I knew it all along.’
She had said I would return. I had truly believed I would.
Yet every time I saw Sia, an inexplicable anxiety gnawed at me that I couldn’t shake.
What if Camilla never came back?
Could I find her and travel to that place myself? They said the method for casting dimensional transfer magic was written in the dragon’s grimoire—would I need to steal it?
Countless thoughts rose and fell in endless succession.
Of course, now that she had returned, even the memory of entertaining such thoughts had vanished into the distance.
“You’ve been doing well, haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I told him to treat you kindly.”
Flinch!
Arsian’s body stiffened as he held me.
“Sia left behind a letter.”
“…A letter?”
Arsian’s eyes flickered with an uncharacteristic restlessness.
‘Lord Arsian must have written everything down about how terribly and cruelly he treated me.’
Suddenly, I recalled what Sia had said to me in that threatening tone.
‘Oh, damn it.’
Had she actually left a letter…?!
“Camilla, that letter was—”
“She said you treated her very well?”
“…What?”
“Thank you.”
“…”
Bewilderment flickered across Arsian’s face before swiftly disappearing.
“You told me to treat her well.”
Watching him speak with a hint of reluctance, I felt laughter bubbling up inside me.
[This shameless bastard.]
[What do you mean he treated her well?]

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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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