A fortune-telling princess Chapter 24

The faces of Jude’s group paled as they met Ludville’s gaze. As nobles themselves, they were well aware of who Ludville was.

The youngest Swordmaster, second only to the Duke of Sorpel.

Such a man was now glaring at them with a cold gaze.

“Is it because of them?”

Ludville’s eyes shifted back to Camilla. For a moment, Camilla stared blankly at his piercing blue eyes.

She had no idea why yesterday’s incident was being brought up here all of a sudden, but for now…

“Yes.”

She nodded.

At Camilla’s response, Ludville’s cold gaze returned to Jude’s group. His slow, deliberate approach looked reassuring only to Camilla.

Watching Jude’s group retreat as quickly as she had a moment ago, Camilla couldn’t help but smirk.

‘What in the world were you scheming?’

What if Ludville hadn’t appeared? No, what if she hadn’t stopped Jude’s actions beforehand? What would have happened to the woman he was about to drag away?

Camilla let out a short sigh, then finally turned her gaze toward where the woman was lying.

“Thank you.”

The woman was lying flat on the ground, almost as if crawling. She must have been trying to approach Camilla to seek help.

“Are you hurt anywhere? I’m really sorry. Because of me….”

Camilla’s steps halted as she walked toward the woman. Seeing her face properly, Camilla couldn’t say another word.

What was this sudden encounter now?

“Thank you so much for helping me. Are you sure you’re not hurt anywhere?”

Camilla couldn’t tear her gaze away from the woman who repeatedly expressed her gratitude and concern.

Golden hair that looked incredibly soft, paired with violet eyes. Even in plain clothes, her beauty shone through.

“My name is Lila.”

It was a name she knew all too well.

Lila Hestum. The true protagonist of this region. A woman who captivated not only Ravi but countless men at the same time.

That very woman was now smiling warmly in front of her.
***

---

SIDE STORY. Another Story

“Ludville, come say hello.”
It was the year I turned twelve. The seventh year since my mother had passed away—and the year a new family entered my life.

“So you’re Ludville?”
The new stepmother had a very pleasant demeanor. I’d heard my father had met her by chance while traveling in search of the divine beast.

She had cared for him with great devotion after he collapsed with a sudden high fever, and that care eventually led to marriage.

“What are you doing? You kids should greet each other too.”
Two children stood behind the new stepmother. A boy who looked about a year or two younger than me stepped forward first and greeted me politely.

“I’m Ravi. I hope we get along well, big brother.”
“Okay.”
I replied simply with a nod. Naturally, my gaze shifted to the other child.

A young girl, clearly much younger than me, stood hiding behind her mother, peeking out timidly.

“Camilla, what are you doing?”
The new stepmother’s voice, warm just moments ago, now rang sharply. Flinching at the tone, the little girl reluctantly stepped forward.

“C…Camilla,”
she said in a tiny voice before bowing her head deeply. Watching her, the stepmother let out a short sigh.

“Sorry about that. She’s still quite young…”
Strange. If she knows her child is young, why treat her that way? Is that how mothers are supposed to be?

I couldn’t understand why the stepmother kept sending reproachful glances at her own daughter. Wouldn’t that only make her shrink back even more?

“S-sorry…”
Just as I expected, the child lowered her head again, completely at a loss.

Another long sigh escaped the stepmother.
Flinch!
As the girl cautiously lifted her head and made eye contact with me, she visibly jolted and quickly lowered her gaze again.

Seeing that, I stopped looking at her entirely.

---

The stepmother died.
A year had passed—a long time, or a short one, depending on how you look at it.

But perhaps because I never grew attached, I didn’t feel particularly sad. The news of her death simply weighed down my mood because someone had died.

‘Is there something wrong with me?’
I wasn’t sure.

Even from a young age, I’d always felt numb to the world around me. Grief, joy… I never quite understood when I was supposed to feel them.

But my father was deeply grieved by her death.
He locked himself in his study and drank for days.

Then, after a week, he emerged and reaffirmed his intention to treat the stepmother’s children as his own.
That shut up the retainers who had started murmuring about expelling them from the household.

“Eat up, everyone.”
Our first meal after her passing.

“Yes…”
Even after a whole year, Camilla still glanced nervously between Father and me. When I looked at her…

“…!”
She flinched again.

So I did my best not to look at her.

Clink.
Well, not that I could help it every time. My eyes drifted when I saw Camilla picking something out of her salad.

‘Apple?’

She was gently separating tiny apple chunks and only eating the vegetables, all while glancing anxiously at Father.

“……”
“……”

Our eyes met.

Startled, she looked like she’d just been caught committing a crime.
Poke!
Camilla quickly stabbed one of the apple pieces with her fork and popped it into her mouth, swallowing it with water without even chewing properly.

‘She must hate apples.’

I saw it again a few times after that.
Whenever a dessert with apple in it was served, she barely touched it, picking at it slowly.

‘If you hate it, just say so.’

Why doesn’t she say anything?

It baffled me. If she didn’t like apples, she could just ask for a different dessert. Why force herself?

I was curious, but I didn’t ask. No—I couldn’t.

Whenever I got close, her whole body tensed up.
The only thing I could offer was distance.
Indifference.

---

“Why did you do it?”
“……”
“Camilla!”
“…I’m sorry.”
Father let out a deep sigh.

Camilla had suddenly wrecked the rose garden.
Sure, it could be fixed, but why had she done such a thing?

Father’s question went unanswered—Camilla just kept her lips tightly shut.

“You may leave.”
“Yes…”
She bowed her head and quickly left the office. I quietly followed after her.

‘Shouldn’t that be treated?’
Her hand was scratched by rose thorns.

‘Would she hate it?’

I hesitated.
Would she be uncomfortable if I approached her with an offer to help? Maybe it’d be better to just pretend not to notice.

“Sigh…”
Suddenly, Camilla let out a deep sigh.

“What am I even…”
Unaware of my presence, she muttered softly to herself.

“That woman… she stood so proudly there…”

“That woman?”
Who was she talking about? And where?

I stared at her in silence for a moment, then stepped closer. Her injured hand still bothered me.

“…!”
Camilla finally noticed me and opened her eyes wide.

“Your hand…”
As I looked at it, she hurriedly hid it behind her back.

“S-sorry.”
Sorry? For what?

As I tilted my head at her sudden apology, she bolted from the spot like she was running away.

That was the last time.
The next day, as planned, I left the duchy to suppress a rebellion.

---

The day after returning home, even after staying late at the banquet, I woke up early. The building was quiet, so I went for a walk for the first time in a while.

And… I saw her.

I followed her without thinking, toward the mistflower field.
If I spoke to her now, she’d surely run again.

So I just watched.

Her face changed constantly as she picked flowers, lost in thought.
I didn’t find it boring to watch her.

“…!”
Then she stumbled on a muddy patch. I instinctively reached out—

Catch!

But she immediately straightened herself as if she didn’t need any help.
Then, placing her hands on her hips, she gave a proud smile.

I stared at her, momentarily dazed.

“……”
“……”

Our eyes met. I slowly lowered my outstretched hand.

Seeing her flustered, I turned away.
Better for me to leave before she could run.

“Brother.”
But she called out to me.

It hadn’t even been six months since I’d last seen her.
And in that time, she had changed.

“A welcome gift.”
She’d changed a lot.

Brother.
It was the first time Camilla had called me that.

“I…”
“Well…”

Whatever had happened in the meantime, she was no longer the same.

She now called me ‘brother’ and no longer shrank before our cold father.

“Hey. You asleep?”
Even her relationship with Ravi seemed different.
Though siblings, they had always been distant.

But the two sitting across from each other in the dining hall late at night seemed unexpectedly close.

‘Strange.’

I’d stumbled on the scene by accident.
Without thinking, I stepped in.

Before Ravi could move, I was the one who picked up the sleeping Camilla.
I ignored Ravi’s offer to carry her and left the kitchen with her in my arms.

Then—

“Sniff…”

She had been fidgeting quietly in my arms, but suddenly, she began to cry.
Why was she crying?

“Don’t kill me…”

What?

“I want to live… sniff…”

What was she talking about?

“Please don’t kill me…”

Seeing her sob like that, I responded without thinking.

“I won’t.”

I didn’t know if she heard me, but a bright smile appeared on her face.

She drifted peacefully back to sleep as if nothing had happened.
I watched her for a moment before continuing on.

Even as I laid her down on the bed, she didn’t stir.

Pat pat.

After tucking her in, I quietly left the room.
Then I turned back for one last look.

“…Sleep well.”
It was the first greeting I’d ever given Camilla, my sister.