A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 314

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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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“It’s been a while, Lady Camilla.”
“Has it?”
It didn’t feel like long since we’d last met, yet I found myself summoned to the Imperial Palace by Emperor Edsen—formerly Crown Prince Edsen.
“What brings you to call for me?”
“An official document arrived from the Gracia Empire.”
“From Gracia?”
“A proclamation granting you special citizenship.”
“Ah…”
So Emperor Gracia had already processed what he’d mentioned before, and the official document had arrived here. But then…
“Does the Imperial Court typically handle each of these matters personally?”
There must be countless official documents exchanged between nations, yet does every single one require a personal report to the Emperor?
“Of course not.”
Emperor Edsen chuckled softly and shook his head gently.
The Emperor was hardly idle, and while special citizenship wasn’t commonplace, it wasn’t entirely unprecedented either. It wasn’t something he needed to handle directly.
However,
“You’re not an ordinary citizen, after all.”
She was none other than Camilla—not merely the young lady of the Sorpel Household, but the proprietor of the Ghost Merchant Guild and recently hailed as a saint.
Naturally, even the smallest matters concerning her reached his desk.
“Did you know? If the other side grants citizenship but this side rejects it, it becomes void.”
“…You would reject it?”
That can’t happen! I’ve already received land there!
As I furrowed my brow slightly, Emperor Edsen’s eyes crinkled with amusement.
“I felt like rejecting it, as if I were losing half of you to them.”
What is he saying? Losing half? I was never theirs to begin with.
“But I’ve already sent the approval.”
“You made the right choice.”
I had tensed slightly, worried he might capriciously reject it, and found myself offering praise without thinking. Emperor Edsen let out a small laugh at my words.
“It seems this is the first time I’ve heard you praise me.”
“I’m always praising Your Majesty in my heart.”
“You still lie without batting an eye.”
…Your Majesty certainly has sharp instincts. I subtly averted my gaze from Emperor Edsen’s penetrating stare.
“By the way, how is the Eba Cult these days? Are there still remnants?”
I hastily changed the subject. Prolonging this conversation with Edsen would only disadvantage me.
‘What if he gets in a bad mood and cancels the special citizenship?’
As if reading my thoughts, Emperor Edsen chuckled and answered my question kindly.
“Things have been quiet lately.”
“Is that so?”
“No more rotting corpses appearing.”
After the Church Leader vanished, the Eba Cult could no longer wield the power of proper sacred relics, and the bodies of those whose forms had been stolen were decomposing one by one.
One might say the Eba Cult, which had hidden itself away, was inadvertently revealing its own identity.
Stories kept circulating about the kind neighbors who lived next door—a man and woman—suddenly rotting and being discovered as corpses.
‘What’s surprising is that quite a few nobles were involved.’
The number of nobles who had embedded themselves within the Eba Cult was far greater than expected. When I asked how nobles with recognizable faces could change their bodies and maintain their normal lives, apparently they used magical artifacts that restored their original appearance.
‘Thanks to Emperor Edsen, who was once the Church Leader of the Eba Cult, the Shinsu couldn’t even enter the Palace.’
Unclean things could come and go from the Palace without being detected.
If the sacred relic hadn’t disappeared, they might have somehow escaped and continued living by swapping bodies even now.
‘But now they’ve all rotted away.’
Surely they’ve all been rooted out by now?
Enough time had passed that the Eba Cult members who had been living by stealing bodies surely no longer remained.
“Still, it’s too early to be certain.”
“They’re persistent creatures, after all.”
Camilla shook her head, recalling the Eba Cult member who had desperately taken Rio hostage and threatened her to bring the sacred relic.
Even thinking about that time made her palms sweat. What if something had happened to Rio then? She didn’t even want to think about it.
“How are you getting along with the Sephrag heir?”
“Well, Your Majesty.”
At Emperor Edsen’s sudden question, Camilla nodded without much hesitation. Arsian and I always get along well.
“Hmm, how boring.”
…What? So we’re supposed to get along poorly to entertain you?
Camilla cast a bewildered look at Emperor Edsen before hastily rising from her seat. Seeing him spout such nonsense, it seemed time for her to make her exit.
“If the Sephrag heir ever causes you trouble, tell me.”
“…And if I do?”
“Well, I’m still the Emperor—surely I can offer some help?”
…Does the Emperor’s position have so much free time? Are you bored? What help could you possibly offer?
Camilla swallowed the words that kept threatening to burst out. The person before her was the Emperor, the Emperor. She couldn’t afford to be careless with him.
“I shall take my leave now.”
Camilla bowed respectfully.
“See you again, my lady.”
“Your Majesty’s invitation is always welcome. I await your next summons.”
“Really?”
“….”
…Really? Why are you asking so seriously?
“Chuckle.”
As if Camilla’s true feelings had momentarily surfaced on her face, Emperor Edsen let out a small laugh.
“Whenever you need help, don’t hesitate to tell me. I mean that sincerely.”
“Yes.”
Camilla bowed once more before hastily departing.
Chapter 12. The Instrument of Curse
“Sigh.”
…I’m exhausted.
As the carriage came to a stop in front of Duke Sorpel’s Residence, Camilla slowly emerged from within.
A long sigh escaped from her lips. What was going on today? It seemed unusually hectic compared to usual.
She’d stopped by the Imperial Palace early in the morning, finished her Academy classes, and hurried to the Cafe with Laila.
After hearing news that a troublesome customer had appeared, she’d rushed over to the Cafe, only to find…
‘The troublesome customer? Why is it quiet?’
‘I managed to persuade them to leave.’
‘Huh?’
…They just left?
By the time Camilla and Laila arrived, everything had already been resolved.
Dorman had been whining so much when he contacted her about a customer destroying the shop’s belongings.
‘I also… they just left quietly. They even paid for the broken plates and chairs.’
‘…They paid for the damages?’
At Meari’s words about the customer paying for all the broken items, Camilla couldn’t help but tilt her head in confusion.
At this point, they didn’t seem like a troublesome customer at all. Dorman, did you overreact?
‘Why do you have that expression?’
‘Oh no… I was just thinking… our younger brother is quite tough…’
‘What are you talking about?’
Tough? Out of nowhere?
The only odd thing was that Dorman, who had been watching the shop with Meari, seemed a bit strange.
It was as if he’d received some kind of major shock and was slightly out of it.
Anyway, after finishing up at the Cafe and handling Ghost Merchant Guild business, by the time she returned home, the sun was already setting.
“I wonder if tomorrow will be just as busy.”
She stepped down from the carriage and stretched her arms, loosening her stiffened body.
‘I’ve looked at so many documents.’
Should I bring back a massage machine next time I go to the Other World?
As Camilla headed into the house, thinking about finding a rechargeable massage machine, her gaze unconsciously fixed on one spot.
“….”
But the moment her eyes landed there, she quickly turned her head away and hurried past that spot.
“Of all things…”
Her expression as she headed into the house was colder than ever.
‘It seems King is there, so I can’t enter.’
…Will it keep going on like this?
“Tch.”
The back of her head tingled. Feeling a gaze fixed on her, she moved away from that spot even faster.
* * *
The next day.
“….”
Camilla’s steps halted abruptly as she left the house. Her gaze turned toward the stone wall.
There was a small child crouching there with their face buried in their knees.
More precisely, it was a Child Ghost…
Whoosh.
The Child Ghost, who had been burying its head, slowly lifted it.
The moment Camilla saw this, she quickly turned her head away, fearing she might meet the child’s eyes, and fled the spot.
[Wasn’t that child there yesterday as well?]
“Don’t make eye contact with it.”
[What?]
“It’s dangerous.”
[Dangerous?]
At Camilla’s unexpected words as she climbed into the carriage, Zeno’s gaze turned anew toward the child.
The child, who had risen from its place at some point, was staring intently at the spot where they stood.

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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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