A fortune-telling princess Chapter 140

Side Story: One Who Desires Change

Am I dead again?

This time, the cause of death was utterly absurd—I died while eating.

“Hah… haha.”

A hollow laugh escaped my lips. How long would this cycle continue?

Even suicide was pointless. The next day, I would simply wake up, completely fine, as if nothing had happened.

It felt like a predetermined destiny, as though I had to exist until some specific point in time.

At first, I lived with purpose. I thought of this as a gift from the gods, a chance to atone for the mistakes of my previous lives and strive for something better.

But what happens when this happens three, four… twenty times?

Everything lost its meaning.

All my hard work, every effort, was wiped away, forcing me back to the starting point. Why should I even bother?

Revenge was no exception.

Ersh. The man who killed my father.

I killed him over and over, in every way imaginable. Yet he always reappeared before me as “Uncle.”

At some point, I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

Why am I the only one stuck in this cycle? Why am I the only one who remembers?

Life itself became monotonous.

The same situations. The same people. The same time.

And within it all, there was only me—different, alone.

“What? The crown prince survived?”
“Yes.”

And then, for the first time, things changed. Events began unfolding that were starkly different from the cycles before.

“The owner of the mana stone… is the Sorpel heiress?”
“That is correct.”

At the center of these changes was always one person: Camilla Sorpel.

What was this? Why was it different? In this endlessly repeating life, something unprecedented was occurring.

Could it be…?

For the first time in ages, my heart raced.

Change.

A change unlike anything before. That fact alone brought me joy.

Maybe… maybe she was like me.

I laughed. I wanted to meet her—desperately, inexplicably.

“You must’ve been lonely.”
“…What?”
“You must’ve felt isolated.”

That was when I realized why I had wanted to meet her so badly.

I was lonely. I had been lonely, consumed by the knowledge that I was always the one left behind.

For the first time, I laughed without thinking.

Meeting her was genuinely enjoyable. I was overjoyed to find someone who understood me.

“You’re the change I’ve been longing for.”

I didn’t want to let go of this happiness.

Chapter: She’s Back

“Dorman.”

─ Ah, my lady!

Dorman’s urgent voice echoed from the communication orb.

─ Where are you?

“Home.”

─ Home?

“Yeah.”

─ Really? We’ve been searching everywhere for you! Where are you making this call from? If you’re home, which part of the house?

“My house. My room.”

─ What are you talking about? I’m in your room right now…!

Dorman, who had been firing questions without pause, suddenly fell silent. He seemed to have realized something.

─ Don’t tell me…

Yep. He’d guessed correctly.

─ Do you mean that house? The main estate?

“Exactly.”

─ Are you telling me you went back to the Sorpel estate? By yourself?

“That’s right.”

─ And me?

“You… well…”

Camilla scratched her cheek awkwardly. Even she found the situation a little ridiculous.

─ How could you! How could you leave me here?!
─ And King! King is still—

Flash!

[Gyu!]

“…King’s here, though.”

As they spoke, a bright light burst forth, and King appeared before her. He had tracked her down through the orb, flying to her location without hesitation.

Dorman fell silent again. Camilla could imagine his gaping expression and couldn’t help but smile awkwardly.

I feel a bit bad.

In her rush, she hadn’t thought to notify anyone.

I even left King behind.

When she finally contacted Dorman after everything was settled, he had already been in a panic looking for her.

─ How could you leave me behind?!

Camilla gently tried to soothe him.

“I’ll explain everything to the Duke of Escra for you.”

─ That’s not the issue here!

“The teleportation circle will be back online soon. Just wait a little longer.”

─ You’re really leaving me here alone?!

“You’ll be fine.”

─ You’re too much!

“Good luck.”

─ Lady Camilla! Ca—

Camilla quickly ended the call. What was done was done. Surely, the Duke wouldn’t kick Dorman out just because she wasn’t there.

“Ouch!”

[Gyu!]

Camilla looked down at her hand, where King had bitten her.

“Oh, you little brat. Did you just bite me?”

[Gyu, gyu!]

King seemed upset that she had left him behind.

“I’m sorry. I was really overwhelmed.”

[Gyu…]

“Alright, I promise I won’t do it again.”

[Gyu!]

At her apology, King immediately switched gears, licking the hand he had bitten moments ago. Camilla chuckled as she patted his head.

“By the way, where’d that guy go?”

The one who had brought her here—Jaynor—was nowhere to be found.

According to Zeno, Jaynor had quietly disappeared when Ludville arrived, moving with the stealth of an assassin.

Well, it’d be awkward to explain.

The empire’s magic circles were partially down due to mana disruptions. If word got out that she’d returned using Jaynor’s help, people would start questioning his identity.

Still, it’s amazing.

Despite the empire’s magic circle failures, the Kan branch’s circles had worked flawlessly.

“Did he leave already?”

[Gyu?]

“I wanted to thank him properly. I guess I’ll repay him next time we meet.”

As King nuzzled her, Camilla’s thoughts turned back to the Tower of Guardians.

Who could’ve caused the collapse? What was their goal?

With the guards dead, there were no leads. Both the Mage Tower and the Imperial Palace were investigating, but nothing concrete had surfaced.

Feels like this’ll end in a deadlock.

“Should I go back?”

Camilla considered returning to the ruins. While there were no living witnesses, perhaps she could find a dead one.

But she quickly dismissed the idea.

Why bother when no one’s asked me to solve the mystery?

Seeking out spirits unnecessarily was a recipe for trouble.

“What’s so strange?”

[What do you mean?]

“…Derin!”

Her ghostly butler appeared, smiling warmly.

“Since when were you here?”

[Just now. Welcome back, my lady.]

“Where’s Ferol?”

[Probably at the café.]

“The café?”

[He’s fascinated by Lady Raila’s desserts and has been spending time there.]

Camilla smiled, reminded of her friend’s efforts. She’d have to visit soon.

“Everything’s been alright, I assume?”

Derin’s mysterious smile at her casual question piqued her curiosity, but before she could ask, he shifted the subject.

[What did you mean earlier? What seems strange?]

“No one’s asked me anything.”

[About?]

“Everything.”

She had expected questions about how she had returned but was met only with joy at her presence.

[Perhaps they thought you were too tired for questions on your first day back.]

“Maybe.”

Accepting this, Camilla began mentally rehearsing explanations for the inevitable barrage of questions.

***

 

“You were right. The Tower of Guardians held a seal after all.”

High Priest Daniel couldn’t contain his excitement.

“After 500 years, the chains that bound us have finally been broken,” he said, bowing to the shadowy figure holding a crimson stone.

“Yes. A new beginning is upon us.”

***

“It seems our predictions were correct. The Tower of Guardians did indeed hold a seal.”

High Priest Daniel struggled to contain his excitement.

“At long last, the force that has bound us for so long has been broken.”

“You’ve done well,” said a figure seated in the shadows. His voice, calm and satisfied, praised Daniel’s efforts. In his hand, a crimson stone shimmered faintly.

“If the energy surrounding the Tower of Guardians hadn’t weakened, we might never have sensed the relic’s presence.”

“Fools.”

“Indeed. Despite the warnings left behind, they managed to forget everything.”

The warnings of Grand Mage Amiald.

When he had completed the Tower of Guardians, Amiald left a single instruction for those who would come after him:
Let all mages across the continent freely use this tower that I have built.

“Five hundred years is more than enough time for such wisdom to be forgotten,” the shadowed figure remarked.

As time passed, the Mage Tower placed restrictions on who could enter the Tower of Guardians, fearing that it might be damaged. But in doing so, they had unwittingly made a grave mistake.