A fortune-telling princess Chapter 185

“…Me?”

Now that it was mentioned, the memory returned.

Before Camilla had started chasing after Petro, the person she’d been interested in had indeed been Prince Abihale.

‘I’d completely forgotten.’

It hadn’t lasted long, which was probably why she had erased it so thoroughly from her memory. It wasn’t something she wanted to recall anyway.

When Prince Abihale had made it very clear that he wasn’t interested, Camilla had promptly let go of her feelings.

‘That guy’s surprisingly timid too.’

She was terrified of being hurt. Once someone showed they didn’t like her, she couldn’t keep liking them.

That’s why Petro had bothered her even more.

‘If you have no intention of returning feelings, don’t be so damn kind.’

To knowingly give someone hope while knowing how they felt—wasn’t that cruelty?

Abihale, at least, had been clear in his rejection. That had been better.

“So you came all this way just to confirm that?”

Crown Prince Edsen’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Camilla swallowed hard without meaning to. She knew that smile better than anyone—it was the one he always wore when facing someone he considered an enemy.

“I don’t take kindly to people turning their backs on me.”

Yeah, she knew. She really knew.

She knew how he destroyed those who betrayed him.

He’d smile as if he were forgiving them—then absolutely obliterate them behind the scenes. That was the problem.

‘But I was never yours to begin with!’

Unfair! She didn’t even have a back to turn!

Still, under his icy gaze, Camilla could only keep offering an awkward smile.

Slide—

Suddenly, Arsian rose from his seat where he had been quietly listening.

Camilla stared, wondering where he was going, when he asked in a low voice:

“That guy. He still at the Sorpel estate?”

“That guy? Who?”

“That freeloader staying at your place.”

“Jaynorr? He’s probably there. Why?”

“I’ve got a request for him.”

“A reque—wait!”

W-Wait a second! A request?

“You… You know what kind of person Jaynorr is? Since when? How?!”

No—more importantly, what kind of request? If he was going to ask something of the head of the assassin group Khan…?!

“So he’s at the estate?”

“Arsian! Wait!”

What the hell was happening right now?!

***

“The mana stone discovered this time—looks like we could put it up for a premium price.”

“It’s high quality, no doubt.”

“Personally, I’d like our house to purchase the entire lot, but that would be too greedy, wouldn’t it?”

“Until the mining output stabilizes, we’re planning to offer priority to your house. But the highest-grade stones will go to auction.”

“Smart move.”

The Duke of Sephra finished reading the documents Camilla had handed him and laid them down.

“We’ve got one more added to the mix.”

His eyes drifted toward the ghostly priestess, Arena, standing beside Camilla. Her presence differed from the other spirits that usually lingered around her.

[he really can see us? These people really see ghosts?]

[I told you—watch your behavior in this house.]

Zeno offered another warning to the curious Arena.

He had once wandered around too freely and nearly got obliterated by Arsian. Thankfully, Camilla had intervened just in time—or he would’ve been erased on the spot.

[Who’d dare touch me?]

[Yeah, yeah. You’re so impressive.]

Despite Arena’s sharp glare, Zeno’s deadpan sarcasm had them bickering in perfect sync again—as usual.

“There’s been a lot of noise around you lately.”

The Duke, having sensed that Arena held no ill will toward Camilla, shifted the topic.

“Tell me about it. I’d like to live quietly, but people just won’t leave me alone. Maybe I’m too dazzling?”

“Perhaps.”

“….”

That was a joke, but the way he nodded so seriously was kind of embarrassing.

Camilla sighed softly.

After hearing from Crown Prince Edsen that Empress Javiela was pushing for a marriage between her and Prince Abihale, she’d been plagued with headaches.

If even Edsen had heard of it and come to confront her, then surely the Duke of Sorpel must’ve heard about it too.

She had expected chaos at home—but strangely, things had stayed quiet.

The Duke of Sorpel hadn’t even mentioned it. So eventually, Camilla brought it up herself.

A few days ago, His Highness Prince Edsen visited me.

The Prince? What for?

Regarding Prince Abihale…

Ah.

He nodded immediately, as if he’d already been informed.

But what he said next completely blindsided her.

“Do you know what happens if you respond when a dog barks?”

“…Sorry?”

“It just barks more.”

“……”

“Only respond to sensible people. Not when they dare drag my daughter into a political game. You don’t need to worry about a thing. Unless you actually like Prince Abihale—”

“No!”

And that was that.

As her father compared the imperial family to barking dogs, all Camilla could do was smile awkwardly.

“When something isn’t worth your time, don’t waste it.”

“…That’s refreshingly simple.”

“Because it is simple.”

The Duke of Sephra also seemed to understand the situation and offered similar advice—ignore it.

Honestly, she wasn’t too bothered by Prince Abihale’s calculated affection. The problem was the two people behind him.

Emperor Fabler and Empress Javiela. Their true intentions remained a mystery, and that’s what caused the real headache.

“Your Grace.”

“Call me Father.”

“…Sorry?”

“Yes? You had a question?”

…Did she just imagine what he said?

“When were divine beasts first banned from entering the palace?”

That was the question that had struck her the moment she saw Emperor Fabler.

The heads of the three ducal families, who owned divine beasts—had none of them ever found the Emperor’s condition strange?

“It’s been a very long time. I can’t say exactly, but I believe it was around the time the Tower of Guardians was established.”

“That is a long time.”

“Yes. A single divine beast possesses power equal to hundreds, even thousands of soldiers. So just summoning one in the palace was seen as near-treason. Something like that.”

That explained it.

They couldn’t summon their divine beasts in the Emperor’s presence, so the beasts—who would normally react to dark presences—couldn’t act.

‘That must be how Lord Hershel ended up poisoned in the palace.’

If his divine beast had been with him, that wouldn’t have happened so easily.

‘Now that I think about it, wasn’t that suspicious too?’

If the Emperor back then was already that guy, then maybe… he was the one who had Lord Hershel killed?

“You’re aware of how many dead cling to the Emperor, right?”

Camilla had been most puzzled by the Duke of Sephra.

The other heads, lacking divine beasts, could be forgiven for not sensing spirits.

But he wasn’t like that.

He couldn’t see spirits in detail, but he could sense them. And yet none of the past heads of Sephra had ever questioned the dead that clung to the Emperor?

“There are quite a few, yes.”

“So you have seen them.”

“It’s hard not to.”

Then why had no one ever said anything? Didn’t they sense anything strange?

So many ghosts—yet no reaction?

“The throne isn’t exactly a comfortable place.”

“…What do you mean?”

“All emperors have enemies. And His Majesty has endured countless wars to hold his position.”

“…Ah.”

Just that brief explanation was enough for Camilla to understand.

This was the Emperor of an empire. Naturally, countless people would hate and curse him.

People assumed the ghosts were just victims of that long history—nothing unusual about it.

“Why do you ask?”

“No reason…”

Honestly, she wanted to tell someone everything.

But the words just wouldn’t come out.

It wasn’t just that it was dangerous to speak out against the Emperor—it was that doing so would force her into direct confrontation.

‘I’m scared.’

Yes, she was afraid. Terrified, even.

‘Why should I have to face off against people like that?’

People who treated human lives like toys. How was she supposed to go up against them?

‘And those sacred relics…’

Sure, maybe she should be telling people how dangerous they were.

But once the truth was out—could she handle what would follow?

There’d be no more pretending not to know.

‘I feel like I’m standing in the eye of a storm.’

It was still, and quiet… but far from safe. And she couldn’t simply walk away from it, either.

“The last time I saw His Majesty, I noticed so many dead clinging to him…”

And so, once again, she dodged the real issue. But how much longer could she keep looking away?

If they ever touched the people she cared about—she wouldn’t be able to stay still.

Eventually, she would face them.

But for now… she wanted to delay that moment.

Thud.

“Take it.”

At that moment, a stack of large and small boxes was placed before her. They had been sitting in the corner of the office when she entered.

“What’s all this?”

Had he been preparing this for her in advance?

“Herbs.”

“Herbs?”

All this… was herbs?

Now that she looked closer, a fragrant, slightly sharp scent was wafting from the boxes.

So that’s what that smell was.

[Wow, this house is rich. That’s a super rare herb!]

Arena immediately perked up at the mention of herbs.

Having spent her life using divine power to heal others, she had also developed deep knowledge of medicinal herbs.

It was even recorded in historical texts—she had made major contributions to the field of herbal medicine.

[Eat that one right now! It’s amazing for stamina! Your weak body will get a boost instantly! That’s a Snowblossom Berry! So hard to find! And what’s that one? Whoa! Eat it! Shove it in your mouth immediately!]