A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 71

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

‘What exactly has changed?’
Things were so chaotic before.
Could it be that the original Camilla’s tyranny toward Laila had actually fueled their obsession?
‘The only difference from before is…’
That I haven’t antagonized Laila this time, nor have I particularly tormented her.
“Ugh, I have no idea.”
Camilla exhaled another short sigh.
“But Camilla….”
Laila approached her cautiously, her voice hesitant.
“Will you be alright?”
“About what?”
“About helping me.”
Unlike Camilla’s composure, Laila’s expression had grown tense.
“Because of me, I’m worried you might have….”
She seemed anxious that Camilla might have fallen out of favor with the Student Council executives because of helping her.
“Oh, what do I do?”
Laila jumped to her feet, fidgeting nervously.
“I should go back and apologize…!”
With each word, her anxiety grew, and she looked ready to rush off and find the Student Council executives immediately.
“Laila.”
Camilla clicked her tongue softly and pulled her back down into her seat.
“Drink your tea.”
“But….”
“Drink it before it gets cold.”
“Ah… yes.”
Like an obedient child, Laila cupped the teacup in both hands and sipped the tea.
Yet her eyes remained filled with anxiety.
“Don’t worry.”
Camilla continued lightly, as if to reassure her.
“I have more backing than you might think.”
“Pardon?”
“Drink your tea.”
“…? Yes….”
* * *
“…What did you just say?”
“As of today, we are officially ceasing all transactions with the Gabriel Marquis Family.”
“What do you mean by that all of a sudden!”
“Shall I repeat myself? We are ceasing all transactions.”
Marquis Gabriel glared at the figure seated before him with a murderous gaze.
Yet he could do nothing more. The person before him was none other than Kador, one of the heads of the Magic Tower.
At just over thirty years old, he already held a position of considerable power, second only to the Tower Master himself.
Moreover, he was the most likely candidate to become the next Master of the Magic Tower.
“There is no need for you to continue supplying mana stones to the Magic Tower.”
Whether Marquis Gabriel glared at him or not, Kador spoke with the same composed expression as before.
“Surely you’re aware of how long our trade agreement with the Magic Tower has existed.”
“Of course. I’m well aware.”
“…And yet you’re doing this?”
“Yes, I’ve decided to do exactly this.”
“Where in this world does such a thing happen!”
“Indeed. That such an absurd arrangement has continued for so long… I can hardly believe it myself, speaking it aloud. Let us end this promptly.”
Even as Marquis Gabriel’s face contorted grotesquely, Kador casually picked up the teacup before him and took a sip.
He continued speaking as though he genuinely couldn’t fathom why the Marquis was reacting this way.
“It’s hardly surprising. You’ve been supplying mana stones to us at utterly unreasonable prices every single time.”
“That’s—!”
“Yes, since you were the only one distributing mana stones, no one dared to haggle over the price.”
We had to pay whatever price Marquis Gabriel demanded, and we had to comply with every unreasonable request he made.
We’ve maintained such an arrangement for decades.
The Magic Tower didn’t simply accept this passively. We attempted to open new supply routes for a long time, but failed every time.
Because Marquis Gabriel always interfered.
He would discover anyone attempting to sell mana stones and forcibly purchase their distribution rights, never relinquishing his monopoly.
So what choice did we have? We were forced to continue this inequitable trade.
“But that’s no longer the case. Mana stones are no longer the exclusive domain of the Marquis.”
An unexpected variable had emerged in a trade conducted with such resignation. A new supplier had appeared.
Merely the fact that they dealt in the finest quality mana stones we’d ever encountered was enough to bring tears to our eyes, but what made it even better was that this supplier lay beyond Marquis Gabriel’s reach.
“The mana stones handled by the Sefra Ducal Family are truly exceptional… I’ve experienced a new world.”
“Now listen here, Kador!”
Marquis Gabriel let out a sharp cry at the mage Kador, whose expression had turned blissful as he recalled something.
No matter how capable he was, he remained Marquis Gabriel after all. He couldn’t possibly touch the Sefra Ducal Family, one of the Three Guardian Families of Faybler.
Just recently, Marquis Gabriel had reluctantly slashed the price of mana stones supplied to the Magic Tower.
He’d canceled all the other petty conditions and made every concession he could.
The Magic Tower surely understood that he was desperately trying to maintain the trade agreement.
Yet they rejected even that and notified him they were severing the relationship entirely? The Magic Tower—these unprincipled madmen!
Marquis Gabriel thrashed about in fierce protest.
“Even so, isn’t this going too far!”
“No, it’s not too far. If we’re being fair, you’re the one going too far by attacking my ears with your voice.”
“Hey!”
“Hey?”
Did he just speak to me in casual speech?
As Kador’s eyebrows shot up and killing intent emanated from him, Marquis Gabriel flinched and trembled.
Kador glanced at him with a displeased look, then gulped down his tea and continued speaking.
“It’s a simple matter of calculation.”
“Calculation?”
“They sent word to us directly.”
“What do you mean….”
“They said if we don’t sever our dealings with you, they won’t supply us with their goods.”
“…!”
“So what choice do we have? What we need isn’t cheap mana stones—we need high-quality ones, even if they cost more.”
The Magic Tower, which had accumulated considerable grievances against Marquis Gabriel over the years, sided with Duke Sefra without much deliberation.
“Why would Duke Sefra…!”
Marquis Gabriel’s expression darkened further at this unexpected revelation.
He knew Duke Sefra had begun a mana stone distribution business, but he had never interfered with his operations.
He’d wanted to obstruct him as usual, but found himself unable to do so. He had neither the funds nor the power to pressure him.
Though unintentional, the result was that he’d caused Duke Sefra no harm whatsoever—a fact that made his blood boil…!
“But why!”
Why would he suddenly do this to me!
“That much, I’m afraid I cannot say.”
“Now, see here!”
Kador rose from his seat as if he had nothing more to add.
Marquis Gabriel hastily moved to block his path. He couldn’t let him leave like this.
The mana stone business was the cornerstone of the Marquis Family’s operations.
He didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if this business faltered.
“Ah.”
As Kador prepared to leave, he suddenly seemed to remember something and tossed out a remark casually.
“My disciple mentioned something.”
Marquis Gabriel knew of Kador’s disciple—a fellow named Ravi, the stepson of Duke Sorpel, was his student.
“Apparently, there’s some strange video circulating these days….”
“A video?”
As he trailed off ambiguously, Marquis Gabriel’s face twisted even more viciously. A video? Of all things, a video now!
“I heard it involves your daughter.”
“What…!”
Leaving Marquis Gabriel frowning behind him, Kador simply walked out of the Reception Room.
Marquis Gabriel could no longer stop him.
“The Magic Tower, those bastards!”
His teeth ground together involuntarily. When were they groveling and wagging their tails before me!
“Sigh.”
But soon a long sigh escaped his lips. The fact that the mana stone business was beginning to falter truly gave him a headache.
Knock knock! The door burst open!
“My Lord!”
His aide rushed in, making no attempt to hide his flustered expression.
He pulled something out and thrust it toward Marquis Gabriel.
“You need to see this.”
“What is it?”
The aide produced a crystal orb containing recorded imagery. Without preamble or explanation, he activated the magical recording.
“What are you doing? Kneel.”
“I’m sorry. I was wrong…”
A scene of multiple people tormenting a single individual filled Marquis Gabriel’s vision.
Yet the faces of those in the recording remained obscured.
Both the victim and the perpetrators had their features shrouded in a hazy fog, their voices distorted and unnatural. It was as though someone had deliberately obscured their identities.
“Continue.”
But there was one person—only one—whose face remained perfectly clear and whose voice rang out unaltered.
“Me…Meriz?”
It was his own daughter, Meriz.
“What is the meaning of this!”
“This… this recording is currently circulating among the noble families, sir.”
“What?”
*Crash!*
Marquis Gabriel hurled the crystal orb without hesitation. It struck the wall and shattered into countless fragments.
His teeth ground audibly as fury consumed him. Was this the recording Kador had mentioned earlier?
The fact that even the Magic Tower—an institution largely indifferent to worldly affairs—knew of this video meant it had already spread throughout the entire Empire.
“Arrest them immediately!”
“Sir?”
“Find whoever released this recording and arrest them at once!”
Whatever Meriz had done at the Academy was irrelevant. What did it matter if the powerless suffered at the hands of the powerful?
The problem was that others—especially the nobility—had learned of it. Why create unnecessary scandal and give them ammunition to use against him?
“Idiots!”
How had they managed to let such a recording escape into circulation?
Marquis Gabriel ground his teeth, his mind racing through the implications.
First, he needed to find whoever had released the video. Punishing Meriz would come later. Damage control was the priority.
He would force the person responsible to confess that the entire recording was fabricated—a malicious fiction they had constructed.
“That is…”
“What now!”
The aide hesitated, struggling to find the words.
“The person who released the recording is the young lady of the Sorpel Duchy.”
“Who?”
“It is Miss Camilla of the Sorpel Family…”
Marquis Gabriel’s expression went blank. The name had come from nowhere, utterly unexpected.
“Why would she do such a thing!”
Though her reputation had improved recently, until not long ago she had been considered the worst disgrace among noble ladies.
‘Does she harbor some grudge against Meriz?’
Was she attempting to damage his daughter’s reputation through this incident?
I couldn’t fathom why Camilla had suddenly committed such an act.
“It appears the young lady has touched someone who is quite well acquainted with the Sorpel Duchy’s young lady.”
Marquis Gabriel struggled to continue.
The Sefra Ducal Family and the Sorpel Duchy—was this sudden entanglement between these two great houses merely coincidence?
‘No, no! That’s not the issue right now!’
There was only one thing that mattered.
I couldn’t apprehend Camilla Sorpel or whoever had distributed the video as I pleased.
“Hah….”
I could sense it. Something was becoming hopelessly tangled!
“Bring Meriz here at once!”
* * *
“Do you know what they call that?”
“What do they call it?”
“You reap what you sow.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————