A fortune-telling princess Chapter 194

As if she were used to it by now, Elisha quietly munched on the snacks Lyla had brought.

‘Do they really enjoy playing around like that?’

She couldn’t understand why those two stuck to Camilla’s side every day and got so worked up about things like this.

‘Hmm, that one’s well-printed.’

That particular print—she’d have to ask them to make a copy for her.

Before she realized it, Elisha had joined the other two, watching the photo prints with them.

“This one… I bet Lord Arsion would love it.”

“Huh? Who? Why would we give it to that guy?”

“Arsion collects Camilla videos too, you know.”

“No way! Why would he do that? This one’s going to my brother.”

“…Lord Petro?”

Lyla’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.

“Why would he want it?”

“Doesn’t Camilla and my brother make a great pair?”

“Not even close.”

The unusually firm reply from Lyla, usually so mild, left Elisha speechless for a moment.

She stammered, trying to defend her position.

“W-why not? You used to say my brother was decent.”

“That was back when I didn’t know him well.”

“What’s wrong with my brother?”

“Lord Petro is a no-go. You can’t trust a guy who flirts with every girl he sees. I’d never let him near our Camilla.”

“F-flirt?! When did he ever do that! If anything, Arsion Sephra—that man is the one we should be worried about! That jerk… anyway, I’m against him! Absolutely against!”

“He’s kinder to Camilla than anyone.”

“My brother is really good to her too!”

“That’s the problem. He’s good to everyone! That smiley flirt—absolutely not.”

“Ugh! So mean!”

“You know…”

Elisha, who had been quietly listening, casually chimed in.

Aside from those two, there was someone else recently buzzing around Camilla quite a lot.

“How about His Highness Edsen?”

“Absolutely not!!”

“Absolutely not!!”

…RIP eardrums.

As if they hadn’t just been arguing, the two of them screamed in perfect unison.

And just like that, they returned to arguing over Arsion and Petro, brushing Edsen off as not even worth discussing.

Unable to take the endless bickering any longer, Elisha once again cut in quietly.

“But… does Camilla have to date someone?”

“……”

“……”

“Doesn’t it feel like she’s too good for anyone?”

At those words, the two girls paused.

Then, exchanging a brief glance, their eyes sparkled as if they’d just had a great epiphany.

“You’re right. No need to pair her up with some jerk.”

“Exactly. No need to waste her on someone who smiles at everyone like my brother.”

“Shall we get back to this?”

“Yeah.”

Clap!

They high-fived, and as if the argument had never happened, went right back to evaluating the prints.

“Oh my gosh! Isn’t she adorable in this one?”

“I know, right? Look at this! This is one of my favorites…”

Watching the two giggle and squeal, Elisha merely continued chewing her snack in silence.

Well, this kind of thing wasn’t new, so she let it be.

“……”

“……”

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, two others had been silently listening to the girls’ conversation.

“…Should I kill them?”

“She’s my sister. And they’re all familiar faces.”

“That’s why you get called ‘flirty.’”

“And you can stop calling me ‘jerk’ anytime.”

It was Arsion and Petro.

The two had come to see Camilla, but ended up standing still for a long time, unable to even approach her.

****

Elsewhere…

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Camilla?”

They were having a rare family tea time.

Camilla had brewed the tea herself, and everyone—Ludeville, Ravi, and Duke Sorpel—was waiting eagerly.

“……!”

“Hey!”

They’d sensed something was off—and sure enough, it happened.

Water overflowed from the teacup as Camilla, wearing a dazed expression, kept pouring long after it was full.

“Ah!”

Only when hot water spilled toward her did she snap back to her senses and try to stand—but Ludeville moved faster.

“You okay?”

“Brother! Your arm!”

He’d blocked the scalding water with his arm.

Camilla quickly reached for his sleeve.

“That’s a stupid thing to do.”

Clicking his tongue, Ravi cast a quick spell to cool Ludeville’s arm.

“Even in romance novels these days, stuff like this is considered cringe. People would drag you online for being outdated.”

A swordsman shouldn’t be risking his arms like that!

Once he confirmed there was no burn, Ravi sighed and shook his head.

Why did someone so composed become so reckless whenever Camilla was involved?

“She’s quick on her feet. She would’ve dodged fine. Don’t coddle her too much. She’ll grow up spoiled.”

“You, too…”

“Huh?”

“You, too, should get spoiled once in a while.”

“…What?”

“I mean, I want you to be a little spoiled.”

Ravi blinked.

“…What are you talking about?”

“Because you’re my brother too.”

“…!”

The simple, deadpan delivery of those words rendered Ravi momentarily stunned.

What kind of person says something like that so casually?!

His eyes flickered with emotion, and then, ever so faintly, his cheeks turned red.

Flustered, he quickly shifted the attention elsewhere—namely, to Camilla.

“Hey! What the hell are you spacing out for?!”

“Sorry.”

But Camilla’s reply wasn’t what he expected, and once again Ravi was thrown off.

That’s not how she usually reacts!

“You sick or something?”

“What the— You should be the one apologi—!”

She clamped her mouth shut when she noticed Duke Sorpel watching.

“Something on your mind?”

He, too, had been quietly observing her odd behavior.

“Just… something.”

Camilla let out a long sigh.

Lately, one thought had consumed her, making it hard to focus on anything else.

Even at night, she couldn’t sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, that moment would come rushing back—

“The Mirror of Truth… My younger sibling was the Mirror of Truth.”

Ever since Dormann told her that, she’d felt deeply unsettled. It was so unexpected.

The Mirror of Truth wasn’t an object—it was a person. And Dormann’s sibling had been one.

“…Your sibling was the Mirror of Truth?”

“Yes. They served closely under Mars.”

“So you knew from the start, didn’t you? About Rania, the attackers at the Jabilon estate… Even at the hunting tournament—you were there when those immortal bastards showed up!”

“Yes. I recognized them immediately.”

“And you said nothing to me?”

“Getting involved in human affairs adds penalties and delays reinstatement. I had no choice.”

“So why are you talking now?”

“Haha, who knows?”

Camilla had been annoyed at first. He’d known all along, watched her get tangled in all of it—and said nothing.

But if it was for his reinstatement… well, she couldn’t really argue.

“Right, that’s important. I lost my lifelong career thanks to someone, after all.”

“Still, I did soak myself in reaper blood for you.”

Remembering how much effort he’d actually made for her, she let it go.

Still, the timing was weird.

Why come clean now, after being so insistent on getting reinstated?

“Even if I pressured him… he could’ve kept quiet.”

And what he said afterward made her even more speechless.

“I too was once taken by the Eva cult.”

“What?”

“My sibling was also eventually captured and killed by them. Their soul was completely destroyed—not even the reapers could retrieve it.”

After Dormann became a reaper and searched for their soul, he learned that it had been lost entirely.

“The Eva cult made sure the Mirror of Truth could never rise again.”

“How?”

“They possess an artifact that reveals when the Mirror of Truth is born.”

“An artifact?”

Every time the Mirror of Truth was reborn, Eva found the child first and killed them.

There wasn’t a single recorded case of the Mirror safely reaching adulthood.

“So… the Mirror doesn’t exist anymore?”

Dormann didn’t answer.

He only gave her a faint smile.

Camilla didn’t press further. She could see it in his eyes—

Even after all these years, the pain hadn’t dulled.

Because they were family.

“If your sibling’s soul was never saved… it’s no wonder you’re still grieving.”

Camilla looked up at the three people sitting in front of her.

Maybe now, she could understand Dormann a little better.

“Haaah.”

She sighed again.

Was she worried about Dormann’s trauma?

‘No. We’re not like that.’

Was it the fact that they hadn’t found the Mirror?

‘That’s even less likely.’

Her eyes glazed over again.

‘This is driving me nuts.’

It was his final words that haunted her.

“My sibling could always distinguish those possessed by the Eva cult.”

“How?”

“They could read true names.”

“True names?”

“They could see the real name of whoever was possessing the body.”

“Is that what the Mirror of Truth does?”

“Not all of them. The abilities vary. But all of them… see what others cannot.”

They could see those who had been possessed.

That line stuck with her.

“See what others cannot…”

There was only one conclusion she could reach.

One conclusion she’d been trying to avoid.

Even though people would worry if she admitted it, she couldn’t control her expression anymore.

“…I think it might be me.”