A fortune-telling princess Chapter 130

“What do you mean, ‘this life’?”

Camilla’s expression turned cold as Jaynor stepped closer, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

“You, and this little one…”

Jaynor’s gaze shifted between her and King, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly in amusement. Leaning in close, he lowered his voice as if sharing a secret.

“In my previous lives, neither of you ever existed.”

What?

“That’s how I knew for sure.”

Jaynor’s smile widened, but his words froze Camilla in place.

“You’re living a repeated life too.”

***

Chapter: Those Entangled by Error

“I’ll just… step out for a moment.”

“Don’t you dare move.”

“I… have work to do?”

“Should I call Zeno?”

“…No.”

Camilla kept Dorman pinned in place. As usual, her gut told her that the slippery attendant had answers to many of her growing questions.

Thanks to King, the Schultz Mountain issue had been resolved surprisingly easily. Whatever King had done, the ominous energy that had pervaded the mountain’s base had entirely dissipated.

The soldiers and locals spoke of how similar occurrences had been recorded in ancient texts. A divine beast would subdue the monsters, preventing them from venturing out of the mountains. In return, humans were not to disturb the mountains—a pact that had been honored for centuries.

With the danger resolved, Camilla now faced a different problem.

She sat across from Jaynor, her expression stony. The man had dropped a revelation she couldn’t ignore.

“There’s no use pretending anymore, is there?”

Jaynor’s lips curved into a smooth smile.

“Why? Don’t you want to know? Aren’t you curious? Right before your eyes is someone else who’s lived countless lives.”

Camilla hesitated. She hated to admit it, but she was curious. Deeply.

“So, you’re saying you’ve lived repeated lives?”

“And you’re the same, aren’t you?”

Strictly speaking, Camilla had only observed repeated lives until now. This was her first time actually living one of them.

Or… was it?

Dorman had mentioned that Camilla’s soul had gone through cycles before returning to its rightful place.

“Well, it’s my first time experiencing it.”

She decided not to divulge everything just yet. She’d need to learn more about him first.

“I think I’m on my twenty-sixth go-around.”

“…What?”

“I stopped counting after the twentieth, so I’m not entirely sure.”

Camilla barely managed to swallow a gasp.

“Twenty-six times?”

“Roughly.”

“And you remember them all?”

“Mostly. It’s a bit blurry here and there.”

Camilla fell silent, grappling with the weight of his words. She had only watched repeated fragments of lives play out, and even that had been agonizing. Watching people live and die in loops was suffocating, especially when it came to witnessing “herself” die over and over again.

But Jaynor… he had lived through it all. Every death, every loss—it was all etched into his memory.

“How did you figure out that I’m the same?”

Camilla dropped her formal tone, sensing that age was irrelevant between two people who had experienced such prolonged existences.

“You were the first major difference.”

“Difference?”

“For starters, the rebirth of a divine beast in the Sorpall family. That’s never happened before.”

That made sense. Without someone capable of seeing spirits, the divine beast’s egg would have remained hidden.

“The Crown Prince of Edsen—he was critically injured in past lives during the hunting competition. But this time, he walked away unscathed.”

Jaynor’s revelations didn’t stop there.

“The owners of the mana stone mines and diamond mines also changed. Those places have always belonged to Duke Jabilon. And for the first time… Father’s daughter appeared.”

His gaze locked onto hers, and his voice dropped into a lower register.

“You were at the center of it all.”

“…Fair enough.”

It was a set of coincidences that would make anyone suspicious. There was no point denying it.

“So… when are you going to die?”

Jaynor’s casual tone left Camilla momentarily speechless. His nonchalant attitude toward his own death was unnerving.

“I’ve got a few months left,” he said. “There’s a slight variation each time, but it’s always around the same time of year.”

“Why not just avoid dying?”

If he retained his memories, why couldn’t he change the outcome?

“It doesn’t matter what I do.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s no cause.”

“…What?”

“I just die.”

“You just… die?”

“I could be walking down the street, eating a meal, or laughing with friends. Then I’m gone. No accidents, no attacks.”

Camilla felt her blood run cold.

“Like it’s a fixed fate,” Jaynor added with a faint smile.

Her skin prickled with unease. Would she face the same fate—dying for no reason, no matter how much she fought to survive?

She whirled on Dorman.

“You. Did you lie to me?”

Dorman flinched, clearly panicked.

“What do you mean? Of course not!”

“You said this was my last life! All that nonsense about my soul returning to its rightful place—was it all crap?”

“It’s true!”

“Then explain why my shoes are missing!”

“I-It’s not what you think!”

“Not what I think?!”

“Miss, I swear, his life is truly linked to the error that affected your soul!”

“What’s he got to do with me?”

“It’s… an error!”

“An error?”

Dorman took a deep breath and explained, “Your soul and that of Lady Sia from the other world were swapped. Sir Jaynor got caught in the aftermath.”

“What are you talking about?”

Camilla turned to Jaynor, who had been silently watching the exchange.

“And what’s this servant of yours supposed to be?” Jaynor asked.

Camilla sighed. She had the sinking feeling this conversation was going to take a while.

***

When they returned to the Escra estate, the first person to greet them was Dive.

“Sister!”

Dive barreled toward her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.

Camilla patted his head with a smile.

“You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Nope.”

She placed King in Dive’s arms, and the boy’s face immediately lit up with joy.

‘I think he missed King more than me.’

“Not happy to see me, Dive?”

“Oh! Brother!” Dive exclaimed, realizing Jaynor was standing behind them. Jaynor chuckled, ruffling Dive’s hair before continuing on his way.

“Welcome back,” Dive said belatedly.

“Thanks,” Jaynor replied with a wave, disappearing down the hall.

Camilla shook her head.

‘How can he act so nonchalant after everything?’

Turning to Dorman, she pinned him with a glare.

“So, the two swapped souls caused all this mess?”

“Yes, Miss. Lady Isia and your soul returned to their rightful places, but the error dragged Sir Jaynor into its wake.”

“…And?”

“When the original Camilla in this world died, Sir Jaynor died simultaneously and was forced into the same loop. They became tied together by the error.”

Camilla pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to process everything.

“Fine. Let’s say it was an accident. But why leave him with his memories? Why let him remember all those lives?”

“We didn’t know!” Dorman wailed. “It was only after the souls corrected themselves that we realized another fate had been entangled. It wasn’t intentional!”

“Unbelievable,” Camilla muttered. “So, what’s the compensation?”

“Compensation?”

“You messed up his life. Where’s the restitution?”

“…There isn’t any.”

“None?”

“Miss, perhaps you could take good care of him—”

“Jaynor.”

“Hmm?”

“Want to borrow my sharpest heels?”

***

“A family meeting?”

“Yes. My apologies,” said Count Althon with a bow.

“It seems rumors have started circulating.”

“What kind of rumors?”

“That you are Lord Kays’s daughter…”

Count Althon’s voice trailed off.

“Well, that’s annoying,” Camilla muttered.

Althon nodded grimly. “We’ve tried to contain it, but it seems someone within the estate has been talking.”

“Is it worth holding a family meeting over?”

Althon hesitated. “It’s customary for the Escra family to hold periodic meetings. However, many have expressed an unusual eagerness to attend this time.”

“Hmm.”

“Several have requested a formal introduction to you, but Lord Kays has already denied them.”

“Good,” Camilla replied. She had no desire for unnecessary meetings.

Althon excused himself, and as he left, Jaynor appeared in the doorway.

“A family meeting?”

“Yeah.”

“Uncle will be there.”

“Uncle?”

“You know, Father’s younger brother.”

Camilla’s eyes widened.

“Wait, he’s alive?!”