A fortune-telling princess Chapter 195

Whoosh!

Dadadadada!

Kyu!Kyu!

Fwoosh!

Dadadadadada!

Kyukyu!Kyukyu!

You’re wondering what’s going on?

‘Let’s just say I’m calming my worn-out soul.’

In other words, she was playing with King.

Maybe it picked up on her foul mood? Back in the Gracia Empire, when she played with Dive, King had brought over the ball with the world’s most reluctant face. But today, its energy was off the charts.

“King, sit.”

Kyu!Kyu!

“Paw.”

Kyukyu!Kyukyu!

It promptly sat and held out a paw just as she asked.

‘What a good boy.’

Yes, you are my sanctuary.

“Um… Lady Camilla?”

“What?”

“Are you… alright?”

Dormann, who had been silently watching, finally spoke up. Watching her play ball and giggle with King like some old soul who’d seen it all was a little too much.

“Dormann.”

“Y-yes!”

Her quiet voice made him snap to attention.

For some reason, it felt more unsettling than when she was storming around wielding a shoe. What was this ominous feeling?

“Wanna go on a trip?”

“A t-trip?”

“There’s a family villa way out in the Santono region. Or maybe I’ll head back to the Gracia Empire? I kinda miss Dive.”

Kyu?Kyu?

“Of course, you’re coming too, King. Or wait, should you stay behind? Who knows when I’ll be back. You are our family’s sacred beast, after all…”

Kyukyu!Kyukyu!

“Yeah, what does it matter? Let’s just go.”

Cradling King, Camilla rolled around in the dust-covered grass, laughing softly. Dormann gulped dryly.

‘She’s lost it.’

She was smiling. Brightly, no less. At him.

That was when he knew for sure—Camilla had mentally checked out.

‘Is this… burnout?’

He didn’t know how to deal with it, so every time their eyes met, all he could do was chuckle awkwardly.

“Upsy-daisy.”

Just when he was panicking, wondering what to do, Camilla suddenly stood up.

She set King down and dusted off her dirtied clothes.

“Let’s go.”

“W-we’re really going on a trip?”

“What are you talking about?”

“…Huh?”

“I’ve got work to do.”

“…Huhhh?”

“You’re going to the café. I’m going to the merchant guild.”

No matter how the world turns, a girl’s gotta make a living. At the end of the day, it’s all about survival—even if the world ends.

“King, I’m off to earn a lot of money. Keep the house safe, alright?”

Kyu!Kyu!

Leaving a shell-shocked Dormann behind, she even gave King a cheerful farewell. Then she glanced back at him.

“What’s with that stupid look on your face?”

“I-I just…”

“Tch.”

Yeah, her old manager Hyunseok used to look just like that at times like this too. He thought she’d go off-grid for a while, but the break was always way shorter than expected, and she’d be back to working full throttle.

‘So what?’

If you’ve recharged, it’s only natural to get back to it.

Whining is a habit—people only do it when they’ve got someone to listen.

“What’re you doing? Not coming?”

“Ah! Yes! Coming!”

As Dormann scrambled to follow, Camilla resumed walking—waved off by King’s adorable little paw.

***

“These are the new designs.”

“The color’s interesting.”

Juella had brought in new sample outfits.

As always, Camilla was highly satisfied. She even wanted to try them on right away.

“Is this kind of color even possible?”

Beyond the design, she was captivated by the hue—a slightly dark red, but glossy enough not to seem dull.

“It’s from a plant called Ensho. Do you like it?”

“Yeah. I do.”

At Camilla’s answer, Juella allowed herself a small smile.

If Camilla liked it, others surely would too. Her fashion sense had never failed them.

“I’ll bring more soon.”

“Hmm.”

“…What?”

Camilla suddenly fell silent, as if deep in thought, making Juella peer at her curiously.

Then, rising from her seat, Camilla pulled something from her desk drawer and brought it over.

“What’s this?”

“Read it.”

Juella skimmed the document. At first, she read casually—then her expression stiffened in an instant.

“This is…!”

“Mantitz Bakes. Your brother. He’s been gambling.”

“……”

“See the amount?”

It was, in short, a debt statement.

Her brother, the heir of House Bakes, had borrowed money from a gambling den under the family name.

“Why under the family’s name? He has his own inheritance and businesses!”

Their father, Count Bakes, had handed over a significant inheritance and several profitable businesses to Mantitz long ago.

And yet, why would he rack up debt in the family’s name?

“Because he already blew all of that.”

“What?”

He’d lost it all. And since then, he’d been borrowing using the family name.

The amount? No joke. House Bakes would have to liquidate most of their assets to cover it.

‘What kind of son…’

This is why coddling the eldest is dangerous. Without fear of consequence, this is what you get.

If you blow your fortune, you should stop. But this guy had the nerve to dig deeper using the family’s name?

She felt like applauding the sheer audacity. Someone who doesn’t fear debt shouldn’t be an heir.

‘Come to think of it, the eldest sons I know turned out well.’

Brother Ludeville, Petro, even Ar—

‘Well, there are always exceptions.’

Still, none of them are gambling addicts.

‘And that’s the scary part—there’s no cure for that.’

Even when they know it’s wrong, they keep doing it.

They don’t just ruin their own lives—they drag down their families too.

“Why do you have this?”

After glaring at the paper, Juella dropped it on the table.

She knew Mantitz gambled. That time when Camilla discovered her secret, it was because Juella had tried to stop her brother from going to the gambling den against their father’s orders.

And their father had blamed it all on her.

“What kind of scene did you cause in front of Lady Camilla?! What must she think of Mantitz?!”

“But Father, Brother was going to—”

“So what?! And you think it’s your place to lecture your elder?!”

“…I’m sorry. I overstepped.”

“Tch.”

Everyone in the household knew Mantitz gambled.

Just… not that he’d sunk them this far into debt.

Juella gritted her teeth.

She wanted to storm over and grab him by the collar. This is the future of their family?

“How did you find out?”

“Your mother told me.”

“My mother?”

Camilla’s offhanded reply made Juella’s eyes widen in shock.

Her mother adored Mantitz to the core—she would never reveal such a thing.

“The previous one. Not the current one.”

“What?”

“Let’s just say… that’s how I found out. Anyway, most of your family’s businesses were about to get seized, so I paid it off—for now.”

Camilla casually avoided her stare.

“But that wasn’t all.”

“There’s more?!”

Juella’s fists clenched.

“How much debt does he have?!”

“There are seven more places. This was the biggest one, but the others aren’t small. Your brother’s long past the point of no return.”

“You’ve got to be…!”

She swallowed her curses.

That bastard—eating and sleeping at home like nothing’s wrong?

“I haven’t covered the rest yet. Just handled the most urgent fire.”

“Why you, though?”

Juella’s face hardened.

She didn’t want to owe Camilla for this. Not because she disliked her—but because…

“This isn’t your problem.”

She wanted to stand as her equal. To be someone Camilla could rely on, too.

That way, she’d always have a place at her side.

Tears welled up—until Camilla’s next words shut them down fast.

“It’s not free.”

“What?”

“I hate wasting money.”

“Then…”

“I’m changing the revenue split. I’ll be taking more. Talk to Chris for the details.”

“That’s what I suggested! I told you my cut was too high!”

“And I refused, remember?”

“You…”

“I told you before—don’t sell yourself short.”

Juella couldn’t say a word.

Even a 50/50 split had been too generous to her.

Camilla and Ghost Merchant Group handled everything—startup, operations, marketing, material sourcing. All Juella did was design and make clothes.

And now, Camilla was going to cover this disaster for just a minor adjustment in revenue?

Why?

“Camilla, this is…”

She shook her head in disbelief.

Camilla clicked her tongue.

“I told you—I hate wasting money. I’m not some charity case.”

“Then why go this far for me?”

“Because you’re worth investing in. And also…”

Her next words made Juella’s eyes tremble violently.

“Go raise hell.”

“…What?”

“With that so-called brother of yours.”

“What do you mean—?”

Camilla’s lips curled into a beautiful arc.

“Crush him.”