A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 287

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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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“…Who did you say?”
“My sister.”
I watched Habel drain his cold coffee in the cafe, my eyes widening with disbelief at his words.
“Let me ask again. Who exactly?”
“How many times do I have to repeat myself? Is your comprehension that poor?”
“Or is your ability to explain that lacking?”
“What more is there to explain here?”
The reason I kept asking the same question over and over was simple—I couldn’t believe a word of what Habel had just told me.
“That woman is Dorman’s dead sister? That makes no sense.”
That woman Dorman had been staring at so intently—practically boring holes through her with his gaze. The one who appeared to be in her mid-to-late teens. She was supposedly his sister, long dead. His sister who had perished at the hands of the Eba Cult.
A Mirror of Truth.
Born with that cursed fate, she had ultimately died by the Eba Cult’s hands. And now her spirit had been reincarnated.
“That’s nonsense.”
But I had heard something different before.
‘My sister was also eventually captured and killed by the Eba Cult. Her spirit was even annihilated—she wasn’t even guided by the Reapers.’
Dorman had said exactly that. When I’d asked if perhaps she was his dead sister’s reincarnation, he’d insisted his sister’s spirit had been destroyed and couldn’t have been reborn at all.
“So how could she be reincarnated?”
How could an annihilated spirit be reborn?
“It wasn’t annihilated.”
“What?”
Habel finished the last of his drink through the straw in one long pull, then finally offered the full explanation.
“The Chief Deity has been managing Dorman’s sister’s spirit separately.”
“The Chief Deity?”
“Because they were pitiful souls.”
Not just Dorman’s sister, but every soul born as a Mirror of Truth and killed—the Chief Deity was managing them all directly.
“But why go to such lengths?”
“To prevent them from dying again at the Eba Cult’s hands.”
Souls born as Mirrors of Truth, even when reincarnated, had an extremely high chance of being born with that same cursed fate again.
The only saving grace was that two Mirrors of Truth never emerged in the same era.
“So the Chief Deity reincarnated them during periods when they wouldn’t inherit that fate.”
When a Mirror of Truth already existed in the world, the Chief Deity would reincarnate the preserved souls one by one during those times.
“That’s why Dorman didn’t know either?”
“Exactly.”
Since it was a spirit under the Chief Deity’s separate custody and management, Dorman couldn’t have found it no matter how thoroughly he investigated with his high-ranking administrator status.
So Dorman had become convinced his sister’s spirit was completely annihilated.
“How did you find out now?”
“Because the threat of the Eba Cult has completely vanished.”
There was no longer any reason for the Chief Deity to separately manage those pitiful souls born as Mirrors of Truth.
So all the facts were revealed, and Habel, learning of Dorman’s sister’s whereabouts, had gone directly to tell him.
“Huh.”
After hearing the entire story, I found myself at a loss for words, only able to let out a series of hollow exclamations.
Dorman had been living all this time believing his younger brother’s soul had been annihilated.
And he had even staked his position as a Reaper to guard another mirror of truth, refusing to perform the soul exchange.
In the end, he was cast out from the Reapers and came to my side, enduring all manner of mistreatment from me.
Yet now his younger brother’s soul had been reincarnated perfectly intact?
‘It would be absurd to blame the Chief Deity for this.’
The Chief Deity had merely taken measures to ensure that souls born as mirrors of truth wouldn’t suffer the same fate again.
“But why is he stalking him like some obsessed fool?”
If he’d finally found the younger brother he’d been searching for so desperately, shouldn’t he go and have a proper conversation instead of this?
“If you were in his position and some strange man suddenly appeared claiming to be your older brother from your past life, what would you say?”
“That he’s insane.”
“….”
Habel’s eyes turned cold and piercing at my instant response without a moment’s hesitation.
“Ah… I understand now.”
I scratched my cheek under that gaze, finally able to comprehend Dorman’s behavior to some degree.
It was certainly strange to just show up and start talking to someone out of nowhere.
“And if Dorman approaches his younger brother and reveals his identity, he will face severe punishment.”
“Punishment?”
“A… a very severe punishment indeed.”
“What kind of punishment?”
“You don’t need to know that much.”
“Hmm.”
A severe punishment, then.
‘Would he be dragged away and thrown into Prison?’
If so, then the stalking behavior made complete sense. He absolutely couldn’t reveal himself.
Still, it seemed wasteful to let him continue radiating such criminal energy without doing anything about it.
“….”
I glanced over at Arsian, who was helping Laila with something on the other side.
A large shipment of Cafe supplies had arrived earlier, and when I saw Laila struggling alone with it, I’d tried to go help, but Arsian had stepped in first.
“You know what.”
“…?”
Habel, who had been fidgeting with the straw sticking out of his empty drink cup, lifted his head at my call.
“Don’t you think our Cafe could use one more part-time employee?”
Habel’s eyes filled with wariness at those words.
“I’m not doing cleaning work anymore.”
“And I have no intention of paying you.”
“What?”
Why would I pay you when I can just order Dorman around and he’ll handle all the cleaning anyway? You’re locked in as an unpaid part-timer.
“I just think it would be better to have one more person helping Laila.”
I smiled faintly and finally took a long sip of the drink sitting in front of me.
* * *
“What? Half a month’s wages?”
“Yeah. This month’s been rough too.”
“But… you said you’d give me everything I’m owed this month…”
“I want to. But what can I do about the situation?”
Meari, an employee at Berry Bakery, clenched her fists as she looked at the money the Agency President handed her.
Six months’ worth of wages were already overdue. Yet she couldn’t quit either. The moment she left, she’d lose every penny of what was owed to her.
She knew it herself. Why hadn’t she quit sooner? Why had she foolishly endured half a year without receiving her wages?
But the situation was terribly cunning. He hadn’t withheld her entire salary all at once—instead, he’d given her half-month portions, ten-day portions… small amounts that kept her perpetually behind.
With promises that everything would be paid next month, she’d waited in faith until suddenly six months of wages had accumulated in arrears.
‘He says he’ll settle everything next month. But you know, don’t you? If I quit now, I won’t get a single coin.’
‘What?’
‘You signed the contract. If you leave midway, you forfeit all wages earned so far.’
‘There was no such clause…’
‘Look carefully. It’s written right here.’
It was her mistake. In her desperation for money, she hadn’t read the contract properly…
When she’d first started working here, she’d thought it trustworthy precisely because they used an employment contract—unlike other places. She never imagined it would become a noose around her neck.
It was certainly her fault for not carefully examining the tiny print hidden in the middle of the document.
In the end, even on payday today, Meari received neither the overdue wages nor a full month’s salary.
‘…Should I just give up?’
Six months of wages… it pained her to lose it, but continuing like this felt wrong. The longer time passed, the greater her losses would become.
‘But…’
Could she find another job immediately? The Agency President here had surprisingly extensive connections.
If he spread unfavorable rumors about her, finding another position would become incredibly difficult.
A soft rustling sound.
“…!”
Lost in thought, Meari flinched and her eyes widened. The Agency President Wood’s hand had wrapped around her shoulder.
“I heard your mother’s been very ill?”
Meari’s expression hardened as he drew closer with a subtle smile, pressing his body against hers.
“You need money urgently, don’t you? I could probably borrow some from elsewhere and give it to you.”
She’d always sensed something odd about the way he looked at her…
A sharp slapping sound.
“What are you doing!”
“What do you mean? I’m offering to help.”
Meari forcefully knocked Wood’s hand away. But the Agency President only curled his lips upward, pressing himself even closer to her.
“I’m quitting right now…!”
“Quitting? Then finding work will be difficult for you. Why choose the hard path when an easy one’s available? You don’t have to work hard—I can get you the money.”
“…”
Meari’s gaze grew increasingly cold. Her clenched fists trembled.

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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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