A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 70

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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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Crack!
“Ow!”
Crack! Snap!
“Ugh!”
“It hurts!”
“Wahhh!”
In that instant, something flew toward the children. A small stone.
The children burst into tears as if they were truly in pain.
“Want more?”
It was her. Camilla!
Crack!
“Ugh! Wahhh!”
As Camilla loaded a small stone into what looked like a slingshot, the children fled in tears.
I sat crumpled on the ground, crying, and stared blankly at Camilla.
“Don’t cry.”
“Huh?”
“If you cry, people will look down on you even more. Don’t cry over things like this anymore.”
“Y-yes!”
I nodded eagerly. I didn’t fully understand what she meant, but everything Camilla said seemed right.
“Get up.”
Looking at her pristine hand extended toward me, I smiled brightly as if I’d never cried at all.
A friend. My friend Camilla.
I truly adored Camilla.
* * *
“Camilla, eat this!”
I brought out an apple from the snacks served during the day without eating it.
The red apple looked delicious, but I held back because I wanted to give it to Camilla.
“You’re giving this to me?”
“Yes!”
“…Thank you.”
Camilla’s face turned as red as the apple. Seeing how pleased she was, I felt I’d made the right choice not eating it.
“But this…”
“What?”
“Can I give this to my mom?”
“Your mom?”
“Yes.”
“Of course!”
How nice. She has a mom too.
Though I felt a twinge of envy and a slight pout, I smiled seeing Camilla’s brightened expression.
Camilla quickly stood up, eager to give the apple to her mother.
‘I want to play more.’
I could just give her the apple and go back to playing.
With that thought, I chased after Camilla. What should we play today? Should we draw pictures together?
“Camilla.”
When I reached Camilla’s home, an unfamiliar voice reached my ears. It was a remarkably refined tone.
But the moment I heard that voice, my feet stopped without my realizing it. Something about it frightened me.
‘Is that Camilla’s mother?’
Peeking over, I saw a strikingly beautiful woman standing with Camilla.
“Where did you get this?”
“A, a friend gave it to me.”
“A friend?”
“Yes!”
“Now you’re lying to me?”
“…Yes?”
“Tell me the truth. Where did this come from?”
“Really, a friend—”
“Camilla!”
‘Gasp!’
My entire body went rigid at the woman’s furious cry.
I stared blankly at the frozen Camilla and the woman’s contorted face.
She said she was her mother? Why is she like that? That’s not what a mother should be.
‘The mother I read about in books, she was….’
Not like that.
“I hear there are those stealing fruit from the Neighborhood Orchard these days. So it was you.”
“No, I didn’t—!”
“Again, a lie!”
Camilla quickly shut her mouth.
“I told you never to lie to me.”
“…”
“I knew it was a mistake to have someone like you. Sigh…”
“…I’m sorry, Mother.”
My entire body froze.
I should have said it wasn’t true, that Camilla hadn’t stolen anything, that I had given it to her—but I couldn’t do anything.
‘I’m scared…’
Facing the woman scolding Camilla like a witch from a fairy tale, I couldn’t speak a word.
Watching Camilla lower her head without even shedding tears, as if it were routine, tears streamed down my own face instead.
My friend. My new friend was living with a witch, not a mother.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
“Why are you apologizing?”
The next day when I saw Camilla, tears streamed down my face once more.
“Don’t cry. Didn’t I tell you? When you cry, people look down on you. That’s why I don’t cry.”
“Mm… I’m sorry.”
I quickly wiped my eyes with my sleeve.
“Eat this.”
And once again, I handed Camilla the apple I’d brought along. It was all I could give to my friend.
“I don’t want it.”
“Why? Don’t give this to your mom—you eat it.”
“…It hurts.”
“Huh?”
“I can’t eat it because it hurts here.”
Looking at the apple, Camilla pressed her hand firmly against the place where her heart was.
At that sight, I burst into tears with a wail, and Camilla hesitantly continued speaking.
“I’m leaving today.”
“What? Why?”
We’d only just moved here.
“I was only staying temporarily for work. Now that it’s done, I’m leaving.”
At the sudden news, I forgot to cry and stared blankly at her. Camilla patted me several more times.
“Camilla.”
“…!”
The witch!
Camilla sprang to her feet at the woman’s call.
“You have to take care of yourself. Understood?”
Then, looking at me one last time, she hurried quickly toward the woman.
That was the end.
My friend, my friend who was like a princess, left with the witch like that.
“Laila.”
“Headmistress Mother! Waaah!”
“What happened? Why are you crying?”
“Waah… my friend, with the witch…!”
“What?”
“Waaah!”
“Now, stop. This isn’t the time to cry like this.”
“Sniff… yes?”
“You have a visitor.”
“A visitor?”
“Yes, people who will become your mother and father.”
The Headmistress smiled gently and stroked my head. I took her hand and walked forward.
I turned back to look behind me, but Camilla had already vanished and was nowhere to be found.
I thought that was the end of our connection.
But….
“Are you going to keep doing that?”
My friend, whom I’d met again, still extended her hand toward me.
“Thank you for helping me.”
My friend, still as beautiful as a princess.
“My name is Laila.”
She seemed to have no memory of me at all, but it didn’t matter.
‘I….’
Because I remember.
Chapter. Repaying the Debt
“Drink.”
“Yes, I’ll drink it gratefully.”
As Laila emerged from her bath, I handed her the warm tea I’d prepared in advance.
I placed the teacup in her trembling hands, which still shook ever so slightly.
Watching her like that, my irritation flared anew.
“I should have done a proper sword dance before leaving.”
Zeno was there too, after all.
“Pardon? A, a sword dance?”
“Just drink your tea.”
Extracting Laila from that place hadn’t been difficult.
‘I know how to use a sword.’
That single statement was all it took.
Word of what happened at the Hunting Competition had spread throughout the Student Council, and everyone flinched, hurriedly stepping aside.
No one blocked my path as I led Laila outside.
Student Council President Meriz glared at me with a hardened expression, but I flashed her a brilliant smile and leisurely slipped away from the scene.
“I’ve already contacted your home.”
I couldn’t simply send Laila back soaked to the bone and covered in filth, so I brought her to the Sorpel Household.
I told Baron Hestum and his wife that an urgent matter had come up, and I wanted Laila to stay at Duke Sorpel’s Residence for the night.
Dorman, who had been whining about being used as an owl, fell silent once the Baroness sent over several cookies for him to munch on.
I shook my head, remembering Dorman’s delighted smile.
“Thank you for your kindness, Miss Camilla.”
“Just call me Camilla.”
“Pardon? How could I possibly….”
“You were doing fine just a moment ago.”
Laila’s face flushed crimson in an instant.
‘Help me, Camilla.’
She seemed to recall how she’d asked for help while on the verge of tears, her expression growing embarrassed as her eyes darted about. She looked like she might cry.
“I, I wasn’t thinking clearly back then….”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“What?”
“Call me that way from now on too.”
“…!”
“If you don’t want to, then don’t.”
“No!”
Laila’s expression brightened.
Watching her break into delighted smiles at my permission to call me by name, I couldn’t help but offer a gentle smile of my own.
‘Yes, it’s nice to have at least one person I can call a friend.’
‘Where do you even have friends?’
I no longer needed to flinch at that question.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
Someone opened the door and stepped inside. It was Ravi. Unlike usual, he actually knocked before entering—a sight that felt strangely unfamiliar.
He must have heard that a visitor had come.
“Is it really true?”
His eyes widened slightly upon spotting Laila.
“What is?”
“I heard your Academy friend came to visit, but…. Hmm….”
“What about it?”
“It doesn’t make sense.”
Ravi cast a suspicious glance toward Laila.
“A friend, you say? A friend. How is that possible?”
This guy is seriously! Ugh!
Ignoring my murderous glare, Ravi turned to Laila with what he considered a serious tone.
“What did she threaten you with?”
“Th-threaten me?”
“You were threatened by her, weren’t you?”
Ravi spoke to Laila in a soothing manner.
“It’s okay, so just tell me the truth. I’ll help you.”
“No!”
Laila, who had been momentarily stunned by this bizarre situation, quickly shook her head.
“We really are friends!”
“Tsk….”
At her firm denial, Ravi’s expression only grew more pitiful.
“How badly must she have threatened you….”
“Get out.”
“It’s not too late even now. Just tell me the truth and I’ll help you.”
“I said get out.”
“Do you know what this is?”
“What?”
“Kidnapping is a cri-”
Crash!
I shoved Ravi out and slammed the door shut, refusing to let him turn me into a criminal.
From beyond the threshold, I could hear him giggling incessantly—a sound no different from what echoed inside.
‘Damn it.’
Watching Laila burst into laughter on one side, clearly delighted by something, I pressed my furrowed brow with my fingertips.
“I’m glad.”
“…Glad? About what?”
After laughing for quite some time, Laila spoke with an oddly relieved expression. What was she suddenly talking about?
“It seems you get along well with your family.”
Does it really look like we’re getting along to you?
I exhaled a short breath and turned my gaze toward the door, from which Ravi’s boisterous laughter continued to pour through.
A strange feeling stirred within me. Ravi and Laila—their first meeting had finally come to pass.
But why was that fool still out there, acting like that?
“Hmm.”
Ravi had been one of those who used to follow Laila around.
‘He’d been absolutely furious when Laila showed interest in Ludvil.’
Upon Laila—that kindling—being added to Ravi, who was already burning with jealousy and competitive fervor toward Ludvil, the flames had only intensified.
‘And the result was always death.’
I regarded Laila with fresh eyes.
Honestly, I had no idea how things would unfold in this life. The same went for Arsian and Petro, and even Ludvil….
The people around me were displaying appearances so different from before that I could no longer grasp the dynamics between them and Laila.

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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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