A fortune-telling princess Chapter 148

[I can’t go any farther.]

“What?”

[This is as far as I can go!]

The female ghost, being dragged along by Zeno’s grip, suddenly shrieked.

As expected, she was a bound spirit, tethered to the vanity. It seemed she couldn’t move beyond a certain distance from the room.

“Tsk.”

Camilla clicked her tongue. She had hoped to take the ghost outside, where loud noises wouldn’t matter.

Adjusting her plan, she headed for her own room. Once inside, she shut the door and got straight to the point.

“What’s your deal? What were you trying to do to that girl?”

It was rare for a ghost to harm a human. She must have been a vengeful spirit, but what grudge could she possibly have against Elisha?

Sure, Elisha could be tactless, but she wasn’t the type to inspire deep resentment in someone.

[Ugh… ugh…]

The ghost glared at Camilla, her eyes wide and bloodshot. Was she trying to be intimidating? How laughable.

Blood dripped from her eyes, and strange noises escaped her lips, as if she were reenacting a scene from a horror movie.

Camilla let out a short sigh.

‘Do ghosts always become delusional? What’s with their endless optimism, thinking their tricks will work on everyone?’

“Zeno.”

Smack!

[Ahh!]

Zeno’s hard slap sent the ghost sprawling forward once again.

“Explain yourself properly before I burn that vanity to ashes.”

[……!]

At the mention of the vanity, the ghost’s already pale face turned even whiter. Her angry expression was quickly replaced with a tense, apprehensive look as she began glancing nervously at Camilla.

“Tidy your hair—it’s distracting. And stop glaring.”

[A-Alright!]

She straightened her posture, combing her disheveled hair back to reveal a surprisingly delicate face. She looked to be in her early thirties.

[I was an actress.]

“An actress?”

[I want to act again.]

Her voice was filled with desperation.

[I want to possess that girl and perform on stage again!]

…What?

“You think possession is that easy?”

If it were, ghosts everywhere would be fighting to inhabit human bodies.

“Zeno’s stuck to me because suitable bodies are incredibly rare, you know.”

[But that girl can be possessed!]

“What?”

[She wants it, too. She dreams of standing on stage.]

“Elisha?”

Camilla’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected revelation. She knew Elisha loved theater but hadn’t guessed she harbored an ambition to perform herself.

[If just a little more of my energy seeps into her, I can enter her body!]

“And then?”

[Then I can act again!]

“And then?”

[I… I can…]

The ghost’s excited cries faltered as Camilla’s voice grew colder. She shuddered, realizing she was treading on thin ice.

“This is why I avoid dealing with ghosts. You lot interpret everything to suit your whims and then pull stunts like this.”

Possession, just because their desires happened to align? How was that any kind of excuse?

“And are you stupid?”

[Stupid?!]

“Do you know where you are?”

[I… I do…]

“Then you know what you’re risking, right?”

[What do you mean?]

“The sacred beast.”

[S-Sacred beast?]

“Honestly, it’s a miracle you haven’t been caught yet.”

She might’ve managed to evade detection so far, but what about after she possessed Elisha? She’d have to face the sacred beast, Jeti, daily.

“Jeti’s ability involves fire, doesn’t it?”

She was lucky if she didn’t get incinerated.

[Huh!]

…What was this reaction?

“You didn’t think about that?”

[I… I just…]

The ghost’s trembling voice turned into a whimper, tears welling up in her eyes. Camilla sighed in exasperation.

[I just wanted to act again! I’d do anything to make that happen!]

“Sure, that makes sense.”

[R-Really?]

“It makes sense why you’re getting slapped.”

[……]

The ghost flinched and covered her head, casting wary glances at Zeno. Camilla shook her head in disbelief.

****

“Mm…”

Elisha woke earlier than usual, feeling more refreshed than she had in ages.

Recently, no matter how long she slept, she would wake up feeling groggy and unrested. But today was different—she felt as if she’d finally had a deep, uninterrupted rest.

“Huh?”

Stretching, she swung her legs off the bed and froze mid-motion.

“Ah!”

She jumped back onto the bed in shock.

“What… what are you doing here?”

“I was waiting for you to wake up.”

Camilla was sitting in her room, arms crossed, staring directly at her.

“Why… why are you in my room?!”

“I need to ask you something.”

“What?”

Elisha was incredulous. What could possibly be so urgent that Camilla had to barge in first thing in the morning?

“That vanity.”

“The vanity?”

“Where did you get it?”

Camilla pointed at the old vanity where the ghost had been bound.

Its design clashed completely with the rest of the room. It looked ancient, like something picked up at a junkyard.

“Why are you asking about that?”

“Did you find it in a dump?”

“What?! A dump?! How dare you!”

Elisha leaped to her feet, hands on her hips, and declared, “I won it at an auction!”

“An auction?”

“That’s the vanity of Julia, the great actress!”

She had been so proud to win it at her first auction—it made her feel grown-up and sophisticated.

“Julia? That ghost’s name is Julia?”

“Wait… you don’t know who Julia is?”

“Am I supposed to?”

“How can you not know Julia? The Heart of Evil!”

“The Heart of Evil?”

“She was the lead actress in that play!”

Ah, so that’s why her face had seemed familiar. Without makeup, her features were completely different.

“She was a legendary actress!”

Elisha was visibly upset that Camilla didn’t know who Julia was.

“You really love theater, huh?”

Camilla clicked her tongue as Elisha rattled on with more enthusiasm than usual.

“Even so, why would you want something from a murdered woman?”

“How do you know she was murdered? You didn’t even know who she was!”

“How do you think I know?”

…She told me herself.

Julia had been killed three years ago by a stalker—someone who called himself a fan but was anything but. Though the stalker had been caught and executed, Julia’s lingering attachment to acting had kept her from moving on.

‘Elisha’s luck is something else, huh? Good or bad, I’m not sure.’

Julia had been bound to her blood-soaked vanity, which Elisha had unknowingly bought at auction.

Would Elisha be thrilled to know her idol’s spirit was nearby, or would she freak out?

“Do you dream of being an actress?”

“Huh!”

Elisha clapped a hand over her mouth, startled. How did Camilla know something she’d never told anyone?

“Do you want to be on stage?”

“Of course not!”

“You sure?”

“A noblewoman acting on stage? That’s ridiculous.”

“Really?”

Despite her denial, Elisha’s trembling eyes betrayed her inner turmoil.

“I thought…”

“Thought what?”

“If you wanted to act, I could help.”

“…What?”

Elisha stared at her with wide eyes, speechless.

Camilla turned her gaze to the vanity. The ghost bound to it—Julia—had said she wanted to act again, to perform The Heart of Evil one last time.

‘If only her wish was something other than acting.’

Camilla didn’t particularly care about fulfilling the ghost’s desires.

But having experienced the intoxicating pull of acting herself, she couldn’t entirely ignore Julia’s longing. Once you tasted the stage, it was hard to let it go.

“Getting on stage isn’t that hard,” Camilla said.

“What do you mean? Of course it’s hard!”

Elisha’s interest was piqued, her voice rising. Camilla chuckled.

“I’m thinking of renting a theater for a day.”

“Renting… a whole theater?”

“As you know, I’m rich.”

Renting it wouldn’t be a problem. She could buy the entire theater if she wanted.

“Of course, there’ll be no audience.”

Mixing a rookie actress like Elisha with a ghost on stage was one thing, but involving an audience or other performers would be too much.

Still, giving the two a chance to perform seemed doable.

“On stage…”

“Why? Interested?”

“On stage…”

Elisha repeated the words, her eyes dazed. After a long pause, she finally asked hesitantly, “Could I… could I really be on stage?”

“Of course, but your co-star will be limited to one person.”

“Who?”

“Me.”

Elisha’s eyes widened even more as Camilla smiled.

There was no real reason for Camilla to involve Elisha. She could’ve just taken Julia to the theater to fulfill her wish. But…

Her gaze shifted to a battered script and book lying on a nearby table, filled with annotations and character analyses.

Clearly, Elisha had poured her heart into them.

Seeing that made Camilla change her mind. If she was going to rent the theater, she might as well let Elisha live out her dream, too.

“What play will we perform?”

After a long hesitation, Elisha finally asked. Camilla’s smile deepened.

“The Heart of Evil.”