A fortune-telling princess Chapter 33

“Is there anything else?”

[Anything else?]

“Like a family treasure only you know about, or maybe a secret location?”

[Nothing comes to mind.]

“Oh, I see.”

Tsk.

Watching Camilla grow visibly dejected, Hershel couldn’t help but laugh.

What an intriguing child. At times, she seemed shrewd and cunning, but at other moments, she was as innocent and straightforward as a child.

Hershel silently observed her for a moment.

[Child.]

“Are you going to give me another errand to run?”

Why was he calling her so gently now? Camilla immediately looked at him with suspicion. Was there yet another task he wanted her to complete after the divine beast’s egg?

Swish.

“…?”

Hershel’s hand moved over her head. Camilla flinched, but when she realized he was simply patting her head, she stayed still.

She couldn’t feel his touch directly, but the expression on his face stirred something in her.

It reminded her of how Ji-Hyun’s grandmother used to look at Ji-Hyun.

[Thank you.]

It was a simple expression of gratitude, but Camilla could sense the sincerity in it.

At that moment, Hershel’s form grew faint and began to dissolve into a soft light. Recognizing what this meant, Camilla quietly committed his fading figure to memory.

This was the end.

Finally, he was freed from all his lingering regrets and could move on.

Hershel smiled brightly at her, but he didn’t say anything more. Camilla stayed where she was, silently seeing him off until he disappeared completely.

‘I need a black magician.’

At school, Camilla held the black mineral in her hand, still lost in thought.

To properly utilize this mineral, she needed the power of black magicians. But in the entire empire, there was only one place where they were organized.

‘And that one place is the problem.’

Duke Sorpel had failed to realize the mineral’s potential and eventually sold the mine to Duke Jabilon at a very low price. Duke Jabilon had been interested in the mine from the beginning.

A year later, having uncovered the mineral’s true use through black magicians, Duke Jabilon amassed incredible wealth. Needless to say, this development greatly irritated Duke Sorpel.

‘This time, I have to be the one to do it.’

There was only one way.

‘A direct approach!’

Camilla stood up suddenly from her desk in the classroom. Leaving the second-year area, she made her way toward the third-year floor.

“Huh?”

“What’s she doing here?”

Her presence immediately drew the attention of students in the hallway. Camilla ignored their stares and walked purposefully toward Class 3-C.

Creak—

When she opened the door, the mild chatter in the classroom died down.

‘Well, it’s only natural for someone like me to attract attention wherever I go.’

However, the gazes focused on her soon shifted elsewhere. This wasn’t the first time Camilla had shown up here.

Their eyes turned toward Petro. Until recently, Camilla had spent every break lingering around him, trying to speak with him. Naturally, the students assumed she was here for Petro again.

But then…

Step.

She walked in an unexpected direction.

The students’ faces stiffened as they realized where she was headed.

Thump!

Camilla approached a desk in the far corner of the room and rested her hand lightly on it.

“…”

The person seated there, who had been indifferent to everything around him, slowly raised his head.

Black eyes, cold and piercing, met Camilla’s gaze. They sent a chill through the air, but Camilla simply smiled brightly.

Leaning in slightly, she spoke in a low, suggestive voice.

“I’ve got something good. Would you like to take a look?”

Her salesman-like grin and casual words left the class stunned.

Even Petro, who had been quietly observing the situation, jumped up in shock.

“…”

The person Camilla was addressing was none other than Arsion Sephra, the son of Duke Sephra.
***

Chapter. Arision

The group of black mages was none other than the House of Sephra. Every head of the Sephra family had been a powerful black mage.

The House of Sephra had played a pivotal role in shifting the perception of black magic—from being reviled to becoming recognized as a legitimate branch of magic.

‘In other words, selling this mineral properly requires the support of the Sephra family.’

The only direct descendant of that family—Arision Sephra.

‘I seriously hate this.’

If there’s anyone who values their life more than I do, step forward now.

Camilla was already well aware of Arision’s cruelty. She had seen with her own eyes what he did when things didn’t go his way.
Approaching him took a considerable amount of courage, even for her.

But money trumps fear.

If it’s something that must be done, then hesitation is a waste. Fear doesn’t disappear just by waiting it out.

‘Besides, I have a little faith too.’

Even if I’m only a nominal noblewoman, surely he wouldn’t kill the daughter of a duke outright?

Still, Camilla held tightly onto the bracelet Ravi had given her.

Despite the way everyone was now staring at her like she was crazy, Camilla didn’t drop her smile as she stood before Arision.

Her insides were churning, but she wasn’t inexperienced enough to let that show. She hadn’t become an actress for nothing.

“……”
“……”

But why wasn’t he reacting at all?

If he didn’t like what she was saying, he could’ve told her to get lost—or shown some interest in the item. Some reaction was necessary to continue the conversation.

‘Why is it so quiet?’

Arision simply stared at her in silence, lips firmly closed.

Scrape.

Suddenly, he stood up. The sound of the chair scraping against the floor echoed loudly through the classroom. Everyone inside flinched and held their breath.

To be honest, Camilla flinched a little too.
She thought he might hit her.

Of course, none of that emotion showed on her face.

But then…

‘Huh?’

Arision walked out of the classroom. Without a word, without any response—he just left.

“…What the.”

Did I just get totally ignored?

Camilla stared dumbfounded at the space Arision had vacated.

‘He… just left?’
‘What the heck?’

Meanwhile, the other students in the room couldn’t close their gaping mouths.

Because Arision never let it go when someone annoyed him or hovered near him.
He didn’t make exceptions just because someone was a girl.

‘I thought something crazy was about to happen…’
‘Same here.’

But he left without a word.
It was the first time he’d ever done that.

“Damn it!”

Unaware of the shock behind her, Camilla snapped out of her daze and quickly followed after Arision.

Since she’d already started, she was determined to show him the item and get an answer today.

“Lady Camilla.”

Someone grabbed her just as she was rushing out of the classroom. The gentle hand that took her arm belonged to Petro.

“What’s the matter?”

“What do you mean?”

“You seem to have business with Arision…”

“That’s right.”

Camilla nodded lightly and tried to walk off again.

But then she frowned slightly—Petro still hadn’t let go of her arm.

“May I ask what it is?”

“No.”

“……”

“Do you have anything else to say?”

Only after her gaze flicked toward the hand holding her arm did Petro slowly release it.

“I don’t know what this is about, but I’ll relay the message to Arision for you.”

“Why?”

“…Pardon?”

“Why should you deliver a message I can give myself?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected response, Petro looked briefly flustered, but then he smiled again.

“I hesitate to say this in front of a fellow comrade, but you may be putting yourself in danger.”

“Ah, I see. Thank you for your concern.”

“Then I will—”

“Well then, if you’ll excuse me.”

Without waiting, Camilla turned on her heel and left the classroom, jogging in the direction Arision had gone.

“……”

This felt familiar somehow.

Petro found himself vaguely recalling the time Camilla had ignored his suggestion for a garden walk and walked away.

He stared absently at the spot where she had vanished.

---

“Where did he go?”

It had only been a moment, but Arision was already nowhere to be seen.

[Arision—I know where he went. Want me to show you?]

“Really? That would be—”

Camilla, spinning around happily at the familiar voice, immediately whipped her head back around.
I didn’t see anything…!

[Ah, so you can see me.]

Damn it.

It was a ghost.
And not just any ghost—one she recognized.

The female ghost who always sat at the back of the classroom.

‘So she’s not a spirit bound to the room?’

Camilla had assumed the girl was a restless spirit stuck in the classroom since she was always there. She hadn’t expected the ghost to approach and talk to her—she’d let her guard down.

[I thought our eyes met a few times. I wondered… but you really could see me.]

“Now, where could that guy have gone?”

[You know pretending not to see me won’t work anymore, right?]

Can’t I just ignore you to the bitter end?

With a short sigh, Camilla finally turned to face the ghost girl directly.

“So? What do you want?”

[My name’s Amy.]

“Cool. Nice meeting you.”

Camilla immediately turned to leave.

[I really do know where Arision is.]

That halted her steps.

Turning back, Camilla took a moment to study the ghost girl—Amy—for the first time.

Though they had shared the classroom often, she’d never properly looked at her.

Short bobbed hair. Not strikingly beautiful, but with a pleasant, cute face.
Probably seventeen or eighteen years old.
Her clothes didn’t look expensive.

Camilla’s eyes settled on the girl’s neck. After a brief pause, she turned away again.

[Huh? I do know where he is.]

“Yeah, I believe you.”

[Then why are you leaving?]

“Because I don’t want to get involved with you.”

[Why? Because I’m a ghost?]

“Yup. I’ll find Arision on my own.”

With that, Camilla marched away.
Amy seemed to follow behind, but she ignored her.

‘That guy usually shows up around…’

He hated crowded places, so chances were high he’d be somewhere quiet and secluded.

[That’s not the right direction.]

“Maybe I’ll try over here.”

[Still not it.]

“Okay, maybe this way, then.”

[Definitely not.]

“……”