A fortune-telling princess Chapter 141

“We had no idea that the relic’s energy had been hidden beneath the mana of countless mages.”

Grand Mage Amiald.

A man whose name was synonymous with trouble, especially when paired with Mars and his Sword of Guardians.

Amiald had systematically destroyed the relics that represented the church’s power, and what couldn’t be destroyed, he sealed away by any means necessary.

The relic they had uncovered this time had been one such item, hidden within the Tower of Guardians and its energy masked by the immense flow of mana surrounding it.

It was a stroke of luck. When their efforts to infiltrate House Sorpel with Lania had failed, all their resources had been redirected to locating the relic. This decisive action had yielded exceptional results.

“We no longer have to fret about running out of time. The faithful will be overjoyed!”

“The most important relic has finally returned.”

No matter what anyone said, the church’s source of power was immortality. Without the relics, however, that immortality was incomplete.

Even after gaining new life in a revitalized body, the passage of time would render the body visibly aged, making it unusable. The rapid disintegration of the bond between soul and flesh made the process unsustainable.

But with the relic’s power, the aging process could be slowed. That problem, at least, was effectively solved now.

“It’s clear that Lady Eva has been watching over you, Lord Alberto,” Daniel remarked. “The timing couldn’t be better, considering the moment is almost upon us.”

A soft chuckle echoed from the shadows.

“The time for a choice has been extended.”

“You haven’t decided yet?”

“It would be easier to leverage the second child’s connections.”

“Indeed. They’ve already established ties with our church.”

“But the first child’s power is…”

“Please, take your time and decide carefully. Your choice will determine the future of our church, Lord Alberto.”

The hand gripping the crimson stone tightened.

“I’ll need to decide soon enough.”

His chuckle grew deeper.

“Clearing up the Tower of Guardians delayed progress on our other matters.”

“You mean the Sword of Guardians?”

“Yes. We should probably act quickly.”

“That weapon has always been an eyesore.”

“Indeed.”

“Even if its original power has faded, we can’t take chances.”

“I’ll see to its swift disposal.”

At Daniel’s words, another satisfied chuckle echoed from the shadows.

“What about the black mages in the Turu region?”

“They wish to join our church, but…”

“But?”

“There’s a problem.”

“A problem?”

“They’re being pursued by the Sephra family.”

“Have they been exposed?”

“It seems the number of deaths they’ve caused has finally drawn the Sephras’ attention. What should we do?”

“Hmm.”

“They could be quite useful to us if they joined…”

After a moment of contemplation, the shadowed figure made a swift decision.

“Abandon them.”

“What?”

“At such a critical time, we can’t afford unnecessary conflicts.”

“Understood.”

House Sorpel Dining Hall

“Welcome back.”

The Duke of Sorpel greeted Camilla warmly as she entered the dining hall. His gentle smile made her smile in return.

Ludville, seated nearby, acknowledged her with a silent nod, his expression calm.

Still glowing as ever, Camilla thought. His sharper jawline made his striking features even more pronounced.

It looked like everyone had lost some weight. Had the entire family gone on a diet?

“You’re here, crybaby.”

A voice chimed in, and she turned to see Ravi, a broad smile on his face.

…A smile that felt suspiciously like mockery.

“You’re officially announcing that the Ghost Trading Company will cease all transactions with the Mage Tower?”

“What? Hey!”

“If you wish to resume trade, the prices will be marked up by 50%.”

“Alright! Alright! My mistake!”

Serves you right, Ravi.

That was so humiliating, Camilla thought bitterly.

Why did I cry then? When I was Sia in the other world, I almost never shed tears—not even when my mother died, or when my father beat me and dragged me through the streets by my hair.

Back then, tears never came, no matter what.

So why?

Why had she cried so easily here? Especially in front of the Tower of Guardians, where she had sat on the ground bawling like a child.

Stop thinking about it! Just stop!

The memory made her want to crawl under a blanket and kick it repeatedly for the next year.

“Camilla.”

“Y-yes?”

Camilla snapped out of her embarrassment when the Duke of Sorpel addressed her.

“Are you feeling alright?”

The question, asked so often over the communication orb, now carried a different weight when said in person. Her expression softened.

“I’m fine, perfectly fine.”

“Good.”

“…”

“…?”

And that was it. No follow-up, no further questions.

Even Ludville and Ravi, who had plenty of opportunity to speak during the meal, remained silent. Instead, they took turns observing her quietly as though brimming with unspoken thoughts.

What’s going on here?

Something felt off about the house.

When she first arrived, even the butler, Luve, had reacted strangely, sighing in relief and smiling oddly.

“Had you arrived any later, I think everyone would’ve submitted their resignation letters,” he had said.

“Resignations? What do you mean?”

“It was like sitting on a bed of thorns here.”

“A bed of thorns?”

“Everyone in this household is exceptionally high-strung, you see.”

What on earth?

Even the staff had been unusually warm toward her. People who had barely paid her any attention before now welcomed her enthusiastically.

Is something going on that I don’t know about?

“While I was in the Gracia Empire…” Camilla began, trying to break the tense silence with stories from her trip.

She had plenty to share: King dealing with the fiends, Gracia’s sudden warm weather, and the major contracts she had secured.

Surely, they’d be curious about how I pulled it off.

“Camilla, you like this dish, don’t you?”

“Huh? Oh, yes…”

“Have more, then!”

Before she could continue, both the Duke and Ravi began piling food onto her plate. Even Ludville averted his eyes when she looked at him, as if deliberately avoiding her attempts to speak.

Every time she tried to share her stories, they found ways to cut her off.

What’s going on here?

***

“The Tower of Guardians collapsed?”
“They say it was utter chaos.”
“So many mages…!”

“Wait, isn’t that…”

Two female students heading into the academy stopped mid-conversation, their eyes locking onto a lone figure walking ahead of them.

“At this hour? Who is… oh!”

“It’s Arsion, isn’t it?”

Even from behind, his tall frame and broad shoulders were unmistakable.

The girls’ eyes lit up. Arsion had recently become an object of fascination within the academy.

Despite his intimidating demeanor, many were captivated by the subtle shifts in his behavior—especially the way he visibly softened around Camilla Sorpel.

“Did you see him kneel to put an anklet on Lady Camilla?”
“I did!”
“And the way he smiled!”
“Everyone was talking about it!”

For many, that smile was a revelation. Who would’ve thought such a cold, sharp man could look so stunning with a smile?

“Why is he here so early?”
“Maybe…”

Just then, Arsion stopped walking and slowly turned around.