A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 78

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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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“But why did you suddenly change your mind?”
“Well, just… there wasn’t really any class that appealed to me.”
I’d looked through the other clubs too, but nothing caught my interest.
As befitted a place with so many nobles, everyone had created clubs around refined topics, and I couldn’t bring myself to open those doors.
If I had to do something anyway, wouldn’t it be better to join a place where I at least knew someone—somewhere that desperately wanted new members?
“I was also asked to join.”
“Asked?”
“…Something like that.”
Truly, genuinely! I didn’t want to spare even a speck of dust’s worth of concern, but I couldn’t completely ignore Jihyun’s Grandmother’s request without feeling uneasy.
There was no benefit in making an enemy of someone elevated to godhood.
Well, it wouldn’t be so bad to play with the little ones from time to time either…
‘Was his name Rio?’
That four-year-old who came running to ask me to read him books had caught my eye just a little.
“I should tell everyone the good news right away.”
“Tell them? Who?”
“Our club members.”
“Ah.”
“Our club has particularly few members compared to others, so everyone’s been worried.”
Of course they were. Who would be interested in volunteering in times like these?
‘What if it gets shut down right after I join?’
Unpopular clubs naturally had to close. If membership didn’t reach a certain threshold, the Academy would cut funding for the next semester.
“And I should tell the person who’s about to join our club too.”
“Huh? There’s someone like that?”
“Of course!”
Laila’s smile deepened.
“…What club?”
“The Volunteer Club.”
“Camilla joined the Volunteer Club? You mean Camilla Sorpel, right?”
“Yes!”
Arsian’s brow furrowed repeatedly.
He had been about to pass by Laila, who had suddenly come looking for him, when she said something strange that made him pause.
He knew that Camilla was no longer attending swordsmanship classes.
He’d heard directly from her that she would soon choose a different major or start club activities.
Until then, she’d seemed set on the Ancient Languages department…
‘The Volunteer Club… that doesn’t suit her at all.’
Was something wrong with her? Did she hit her head when she collapsed last time?
Otherwise, it made no sense.
He recalled the image of Camilla holding the bank slip he’d given her and breaking into a strange laugh.
That same person was now volunteering while spending her own money?
“Our club is surprisingly popular.”
“I didn’t even know a club like that existed until today.”
“My, is that so?”
Laila feigned surprise with practiced ease.
“Petro joined our club not long ago.”
“…Who?”
“Petro, ma’am.”
Laila enunciated Petro’s name with deliberate clarity.
“When we visited the Orphanage last time, both you and Petro came with us.”
“The two of you went together?”
“Yes! You both seemed to enjoy it very much.”
“….”
“You two shared candy with the children and read them books-”
“…Is there?”
“Pardon?”
“Is there still room in that club?”
Laila’s smile brightened more than it ever had before.
“Of course!”
In that moment, one additional member was secured.
* * *
“Hmm, it’s cleaner than I expected.”
[We can’t just leave the Storage Room neglected like this.]
I had come to the Storage Room to organize unused items.
Everything from things the original Camilla used as a child to items that belonged to Ludvil and Ravi.
My plan was to bring them all to the Orphanage.
Though they were used items, each one was pristine as new, and more importantly, they were all premium products—far too valuable to leave gathering dust in storage.
‘Money isn’t meant to be wasted; it’s meant to be preserved.’
Even when I lived as Sia, I despised squandering money on frivolous things.
How much had I spent on that last visit to the Orphanage? I wasn’t about to repeat that mistake.
When I explained the situation to Ludvil and Ravi, they agreed immediately. Neither of them had any particular attachment to their past possessions.
However….
‘The Orphanage?’
‘Yes.’
‘You?’
‘Yes!’
‘…What are you going to do there?’
‘Play with the children.’
‘….’
‘What’s with that look in your eyes?’
‘I just feel sorry for the Orphan Children.’
Ravi regarded me with a peculiar gaze, but as always, I cleanly ignored it.
“Why not have others do it?”
Derin, the butler’s ghost, spoke up as Camilla busied herself examining the items scattered about.
“It must be difficult for you to organize alone.”
His tone suggested bewilderment at her insistence on sorting through the storage room by herself when a simple task like this could be delegated to a maidservant or attendant.
“I just wanted to look at them myself.”
“Look at what, precisely?”
“The things I used to own.”
More accurately, the possessions that the original Camilla had used in her past.
Though I had witnessed Camilla’s life countless times, I had never once seen her as a child.
All I knew was that she had been desperately poor before entering the Sorpel Household, and that Camilla’s mother hadn’t been particularly fond of her.
That was all I truly knew. Everything else came from fragments of conversation I’d overheard from others.
‘Perhaps I might find something that could serve as a clue.’
A diary, perhaps.
This sudden impulse had stemmed from yesterday’s conversation with Ravi.
‘You’re going to organize old things?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then you’ll probably find that too in the storage room.’
‘That? What?’
‘The doll you loved when you were little.’
‘…A doll?’
‘What, you don’t remember? You carried it around for years. Your mother bought it for you for the first time, and you loved it so much.’
‘…’
‘Seriously, you don’t remember? The lion doll? I told you to throw it away, but you refused and said you’d keep it in a box instead.’
‘…Is that so?’
Even without this, there were times when I felt a creeping unease.
What if someone asked about something from long ago, from when I was very young?
I knew nothing about it.
Of course, I could always brush it off by saying I didn’t remember well because it was from childhood. That’s what I’d done this time too.
But through my conversation with Ravi, I’d come to a clear realization: it might be worthwhile to search for something related to the past.
“The items the young lady used are stored here.”
Several wooden boxes were stacked in one corner of the storage room.
Click.
I lowered the topmost box and opened its lid.
It was filled with countless items. There were clothes, and dolls overflowed from within.
‘There it is.’
I could see the lion doll Ravi had mentioned. Compared to the others, it was unmistakably cheap and shabby, easy to spot at a glance.
Everything except the lion doll was pristine, as if brand new.
“These things are over ten years old, yet…”
Weren’t they too clean? I’d expected them to show some signs of age, but there wasn’t a speck of dust on them.
“Preservation magic has been cast on these boxes.”
“A preservation spell?”
[A box commissioned directly from the Magic Tower, ma’am.]
“Wow.”
So the Sorpel Household truly lived up to its name—even a box carelessly shoved into storage like this turned out to be a magical item.
[You’re donating all of these?]
“Yes.”
Camilla examined each box meticulously, setting aside items worth donating. She excluded any garments too ornate for ordinary children to wear.
‘Still no diary, I see.’
She’d checked everything from her childhood, but found nothing of note. Not a single diary, not even a scrap of paper with a memo.
“Still, this isn’t bad.”
Looking at the pile of items stacked to one side—things to bring to the children—she felt a quiet sense of satisfaction.
“What about my older brothers’ things?”
[Over there, ma’am.]
Following Derin’s guidance, she found another section with several stacked boxes.
This time too, Camilla opened the nearest box first. As expected, it was filled with clearly luxurious items.
Just as she’d done with her own belongings, she set aside anything too elaborate or burdensome, keeping only what could be used immediately.
“Hm?”
Then something caught her eye.
“A memory orb.”
[That is….]
“Yes?”
[…Never mind.]
“…?”
It had come from Ludvil’s box. The memory orb sat carefully in the corner, and Camilla picked it up gently.
“Why would this be here?”
Memory orbs had designated storage locations. Since they required periodic mana recharging and careful maintenance, it was rare to find one simply abandoned in storage like this.
“It hasn’t been charged, as I thought.”
[Indeed. We should just put it back in the box.]
But I’m curious.
What recording could be important enough to hide away in storage?
[Kyuu!]
“…Huh?”
[Kyuu kyuu!]
King, who had been nestled in her pocket since entering the storage room, poked his head out for the first time. Then he leaped down to the floor.
[Kyu!]
“You want it?”
[Kyuu kyuu!]
Watching King thrust his face toward the memory orb in her hand and paw at the air, Camilla tilted her head in confusion before lowering the orb toward him.
Uuuummm—
A faint light emanated from King in that instant.
A pristine white light, matching the creature’s fur, streamed forth before being swiftly drawn into the crystal orb.
After approximately five minutes had passed, King collapsed limply onto the floor with a dull thud.
“King!”
Startled, Camilla immediately scooped him back into her arms.
[Grruu….]
“Did you just charge it with mana?”
The crystal orb, which had shown no response until moments ago, began emitting an extremely faint glow.
[So Shinsu can charge mana as well. This is my first time learning of it.]
“Mine too.”
Though King had exhausted himself charging merely a single crystal orb, Camilla found him endearing and continuously stroked his head.
“Shall we take a look?”
…It should be fine to watch, right?
She hesitated for a moment, uncertain whether it was appropriate to view something that wasn’t hers, but this was hardly a precious item—it had been carelessly abandoned in this place.
No one would fault her for watching it.
The crystal orb, which had been making soft clinking sounds, soon released the memories it had been holding.
「Ludvil! Over here, over here!」
「My goodness! Did you see? Our Ludvil took his first steps!」
「Ludvil, come back to Mother now.」
「No, this time come to Father.」
“Ah….”
The world within the orb contained the image of a loving family. A familiar name echoed from within.
“That person….”
Camilla recognized her immediately—the beautiful woman appearing in the recording.

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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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