A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 90

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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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Watching Jelard feel relief rather than fear upon realizing his own abilities, Camilla crossed him off her list of suspects.
“But today, this child will find the culprit.”
“Pardon?”
Camilla retrieved Shinsu from her pocket, where it had been resting quietly, and set it down on the floor.
[A low growl….]
At Shinsu’s appearance, everyone present’s eyes widened.
Though its body was no larger than an adult’s palm—indistinguishable from a kitten—they all flinched at the low rumbling growl emanating from Shinsu.
“But why….”
Their expressions betrayed confusion—why summon Shinsu when she could simply use her ability to pierce through human nature and identify the culprit?
“If the culprit denies my ability and insists they’re innocent, then that’s the end of it.”
But Shinsu was different.
No matter how small, no one could doubt a Shinsu’s abilities.
With that reasoning laid out, Camilla brought Shinsu even closer to the gathered people.
“As you all know, poison was found in what Father consumed.”
Jelard’s expression darkened once more.
“What matters now is that Shinsu has identified what kind of poison it is. Moreover, it has also detected the poison’s scent.”
Camilla’s gaze swept across the Kitchen staff.
“Whoever touched that poison, Shinsu will find them immediately.”
“What?”
One person reacted particularly strongly to Camilla’s words—Baron, the sous chef.
At thirty years old this year, he had learned his craft under Jelard since age nineteen, making him Jelard’s most prized apprentice.
“B-but I heard even the Healers couldn’t identify this poison….”
As all eyes turned toward him, Baron hastily continued, his expression growing awkward.
“That’s right. The poison has no distinguishing characteristics. No scent, no taste. Most poisons are like that, but this one is particularly so, or so I’ve heard.”
“But how could….”
“It’s a Shinsu.”
“That…!”
“Because it’s a Shinsu.”
Do you even understand what a Shinsu is? If a Shinsu says so, what can you possibly do about it?
“Humans can’t detect scents that a Shinsu can.”
[A low rumble.]
Shinsu growled softly once more and began moving slowly forward.
Some watched with fascination at the Shinsu’s movements, while others grew visibly tense.
Sniff.
Shinsu approached each person one by one, taking in their scent.
When Shinsu first approached Jelard, it took a light sniff and then passed by him without hesitation.
Camilla observed both Shinsu’s behavior and the faces of those present with meticulous attention, missing not even the slightest shift in expression.
At some point, her gaze became fixed on one particular person.
As Shinsu drew progressively closer, there was one person whose body visibly trembled with each step.
“Ugh….”
It was Baron, the sous chef.
King glanced back at himself, and upon seeing that Camilla’s gaze was fixed on Baron, he rushed toward him in an instant.
[Roooaarrr!]
“Aaahhhhh!”
Baron let out a scream and collapsed to the ground, and everyone around him stood with their mouths agape.
“Older Brother, it seems we should interrogate this man.”
“Yes.”
At my words, Ludvil strode toward Baron.
Seeing this, Baron’s face turned even paler, and he seemed to have made a decision as he clamped his mouth shut.
“Ugh, cough…hack!”
Moments later, he clutched his throat in agony. He had bitten down on the poison hidden deep within his mouth.
“Kyaaahhh!”
“Ahhh!”
As he suddenly spat blood, screams erupted from all around.
“Kraaaaaahhh!”
A harrowing scream tore from Baron’s mouth.
Whoosh.
“Don’t look.”
My vision blurred as I stood frozen. Ludvil had wrapped his arms around me.
“Aaaahhhhh!”
Until the screams subsided, I remained motionless in Ludvil’s embrace.
* * *
“He was quite ordinary.”
Butler Rube—or rather, Rube, the leader of Black Shadow—handed over an investigation report and continued.
“Before joining the Sorpel Estate, he worked at the Temple. He came from the Orphanage and has no family.”
“Hmm.”
This was about Baron. Upon learning that Baron was the culprit in this attempted poisoning incident, Rube immediately mobilized all his informants to dig into his background.
But there was nothing remarkable. He was simply an ordinary person who showed talent in cooking and became Jelard’s apprentice.
“How strange.”
“Indeed, it is.”
Why would such a man target Duke Sorpel?
I wondered if perhaps he owed a debt and had been hired by someone, but his finances were clean as well.
“Camilla caught him this time too?”
“Yes, she and Shinsu identified the culprit together.”
“So her peculiar ability manifested again.”
“Well, about that…”
A faint smile played at the corners of Butler Rube’s mouth.
“It was an act.”
“An act?”
“She pretended to already know who the culprit was, and Shinsu pretended to find the culprit. It was all a performance.”
From the beginning, neither Camilla nor Shinsu possessed any information about the case.
The culprit had simply exposed themselves through their own carelessness, executing a flawless performance. And Baron had fallen for it.
“Ha….”
Duke Sorpel let out a short laugh. Whoever she took after, her audacity was truly remarkable.
“Where is Camilla?”
“Arsian came by, and they left together.”
“Arsian?”
Duke Sorpel’s brow twitched. A sudden realization struck him.
Recently, he’d often seen Arsian by Camilla’s side.
“They’re in the same club, I believe.”
“A club? Ha… that fellow doing club activities, wait! The same club?”
The club Camilla had joined was the Volunteer….
“That fellow in the Volunteer Club?”
His shock exceeded even when he’d first heard that Camilla had joined the Volunteer Club.
Having observed Arsian for so long, he knew that man’s temperament better than anyone. That rough fellow doing volunteer work—it was absurd.
A wry smile escaped Duke Sorpel’s lips.
“I’ve also heard that Petro is in the same club.”
At Rube’s following words, he found himself at a loss once more.
“What?”
Was there something special about that club?
* * *
“You’re certainly strong in healing magic.”
“Really?”
“There’s nothing more I can teach you in that area.”
“Yay!”
Lania clapped her hands, her joy unrestrained.
“Ask Father to hire a private tutor for you. They’ll teach you far better than I can.”
“That’s….”
“Why?”
“I prefer learning from Ravi.”
“I have nothing more to teach you about healing magic.”
“Then teach me something else.”
Ravi regarded Lania quietly.
After he’d given her a rare magical tome and reluctantly conducted a few magic lessons, she’d been seeking him out every single day.
“Here.”
Seeing Ravi hesitate before refusing, Lania’s smile deepened.
She realized once again that he was the easiest person in this household to persuade. She retrieved something she’d set aside and handed it to him.
“This is….”
“A gift!”
“A gift?”
It was a grimoire—and not just any grimoire, but one of the exceedingly rare tomes that scarcely a handful remained on the entire Continent.
“Where on earth did you get this…!”
“I mentioned it before, didn’t I? Someone I knew gave it to me.”
“Who exactly is this person?”
How could anyone possess so many books when most people would struggle to own even a single copy?
And it made no sense that someone would casually hand over something so precious to another person.
“Someone who regarded me like a daughter. These are books she gave me before leaving for distant lands.”
Ravi’s gaze flickered between the book in his hands and her, back and forth.
He extended the book back toward her.
“Huh?”
Lania’s eyes widened in an instant. Ravi was returning the book she’d given him.
“Why…?”
“It feels like too much of a burden.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I can’t just accept something so precious without hesitation.”
“No! I want to give it to you!”
Lania shook her head urgently.
“You don’t need to feel burdened.”
“Why?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Why do you want to give this to me?”
A beautiful smile graced Lania’s lips, as it always did.
“Because I want to become closer to you, Ravi.”
Her eyes, clasped hands trembling slightly, glistened with moisture. She looked as though tears might spill down her cheeks at any moment—a sight potent enough to stir anyone’s heart.
“You’re the one I’ve relied on most since coming here.”
Her head tilted downward in a forlorn gesture.
“Father and Older Brother are both so intimidating and frightening… but you were different. You reached out your hand to me.”
“That was…”
“Will you become my family?”
Lania clasped her hands together in supplication, her eyes imploring as she gazed at Ravi.
“May I call you Older Brother?”
Tears glistened at the corners of her eyes, and her clasped hands trembled faintly. She resembled nothing so much as a puppy desperate not to be abandoned.
“I still can’t accept it.”
“…What?”
“Take the book back.”
“…!”
Ravi rose from his seat without another word.
“Ravi!”
Lania hastily reached out and grabbed him.
“Wait, why…?”
Lania couldn’t believe it.
He refused outright like that? He simply turned away despite having such a precious tome right before his eyes?
Watching Lania’s bewilderment, Ravi continued speaking calmly.
“That girl’s only family is me.”
‘Why ask something so obvious.’
‘You’re my older brother.’
‘You’re my family.’
‘I don’t want to become an orphan again….’
‘You know if you die, I’ll truly become an orphan, right?’
‘So don’t die.’
In front of the Dining Hall, at the Hunting Competition—there was only one thing she had cried out to him.
That her only family was him alone.
“So I must do the same for her.”
That my only family is you alone.
“Then rest.”
Ravi turned and left the room as he was.
“…This is absurd.”
Faced with his resolute departure, Lania could no longer hold him back.
Lania’s face drained of all color. Her trembling lips made it clear to anyone watching that she was gripped by fear.
“What do I do….”
Contemplating the inevitable censure for her failure, Lania bit her lip hard.

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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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