A fortune-telling princess Chapter 56

‘As I suspected.’

That man really had no interest in Camilla.

Just look at his reaction. Despite his younger sister dragging Camilla around everywhere and pulling all kinds of stunts, he was completely oblivious to it.

“Why all of a sudden…?”

Petro asked again.

Contrary to Camilla’s expectations, Petro had some inkling of what was going on. He was somewhat aware that his sister was playing pranks on Camilla.

However, he didn’t think much of it. Camilla had always tolerated Elisha’s antics so far.

And Petro also thought he understood why Camilla tolerated them—it was because she was interested in him.

But now, why? Why was she suddenly at odds with Elisha?

“It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“…”

“There’s no reason to keep trying to stay on her good side.”

Why did those words sting so much?

Petro felt a tightness in his chest at how coldly she dismissed their connection, as if it meant nothing.

“Unni.”

The voice that interrupted them belonged to none other than Elisha, who had fled the party hall just a short while ago.

“I’m sorry, unni.”

Her eyes were moist, and the redness around them suggested she’d been crying for a while. She looked pitiful, anyone could see.

‘What now?’

Of course, Camilla wasn’t fooled by her appearance. The fact that Elisha had come back to her was already amusing.

The Elisha she knew wasn’t someone who would easily admit fault, least of all to her.

“My friends want to apologize too. They think they went too far earlier…”

“Really?”

“Would you come with me?”

“Of course.”

Camilla nodded lightly. Whatever it was, she was more than willing to play along.

“Well then, excuse me.”

After briefly addressing Petro, who remained silent, Camilla followed Elisha. She could feel Petro’s gaze but chose to ignore it.

Elisha led her upstairs, saying her friends were waiting in one of the rooms. As they climbed the stairs to the second floor, Camilla couldn’t suppress a chuckle as she watched Elisha walking ahead of her.

‘She said they wanted to apologize.’

What’s with the fists, then?

‘You could at least unclench them.’

Elisha was walking with her lips pressed tightly together, her fists clenched as if holding back anger. There was no trace of remorse in her demeanor.

“Pfft.”

At the sound of Camilla’s stifled laugh, Elisha stopped abruptly.

“What is it, unni?”

“Oh, just curious.”

“About what?”

“What you’re scheming this time.”

“…What?”

Once again, Elisha failed to hide her emotions.

‘I apologize for calling you a fox.’

Looking at her now, she wasn’t even a proper little fox.

‘You’re already flustered over something this small?’

Camilla clicked her tongue softly. It was almost embarrassing to watch. Maybe she should start giving this girl acting lessons.

“Well, I guess it’s obvious. What could someone with a head full of fluff possibly come up with?”

“You…!”

Elisha’s expression crumpled again. Her gaze burned with rage, and her clenched lips looked ready to spew curses at any moment.

“How vulgar!”

Ah, there it was—the roughest insult someone like her, raised as a noble lady, could muster.

“Sorry.”

Not that it fazed Camilla in the slightest.

“Dealing with vulgar people makes me vulgar too.”

She grinned slyly, further enraging Elisha.

“You… you’re impossible!”

Elisha gritted her teeth.

She was right, though. Elisha hadn’t brought Camilla here to apologize. This was revenge for what had happened earlier in the party hall.

Her friends were currently in her room, their clothes torn and cheeks red from slaps. Elisha planned to do the same to herself once they arrived, and then accuse Camilla of causing the whole scene.

She intended to tell everyone that Camilla had acted out violently despite their heartfelt apologies.

But keeping up the act was becoming unbearable. Camilla’s constant jabs, her sly smirks, and her unshakable calm were driving Elisha to the brink.

‘She’s insane!’

This wasn’t the Camilla she knew. The old Camilla, who’d grovel at her words without hesitation, was nowhere to be found. It only fueled Elisha’s anger and frustration.

That wretch! How dare she!

“Do you even know who I am?!”

“The spoiled brat of the Jabilon family.”

“…”

“The duchy’s sheltered little girl who’s never grown up.”

“Camilla!”

“Oh, and wasn’t it… 117th place in the midterms?”

“You… you!”

Thud!

Finally snapping, Elisha shoved Camilla with all her might—right at the edge of the second-floor staircase.

Camilla could have dodged, but she didn’t. If she had, Elisha would’ve been the one to fall instead. Their positioning made it inevitable.

Camilla didn’t care if Elisha got hurt, but the misunderstandings that would follow were too troublesome. It would be easy for Elisha to accuse her of pushing her, and Camilla knew Elisha wasn’t the type to tell the truth.

‘I’d rather get hurt myself.’

She wasn’t about to let herself be falsely accused.

‘Look at this brat.’

Didn’t it occur to her that pushing me here would leave no room for excuses? You really are hopeless, you little fox.

Even as she fell, Camilla clicked her tongue in disbelief. She caught a glimpse of Elisha’s face, now filled with panic as she realized what she’d done.

‘At least I’ll get a few weeks’ worth of recovery time.’

Camilla shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the impact. Hopefully, it would be nothing more than a fractured arm or leg.

‘…Huh?’

But the pain never came. Instead, she felt herself caught by solid arms, accompanied by a faint, pleasant scent.

“Are you all right, my lady?”

It was Petro. Somehow, he had appeared in time to catch her as she fell, his eyes filled with both concern and alarm.

“…Thanks to you.”

At her words, Petro let out a short sigh, his expression quickly hardening.

For the first time, Camilla saw Petro’s face twist in anger.

“Elisha!”

His voice boomed, startling everyone. Even Elisha, who had never seen her brother so furious, began to tremble.

‘See? You’re still a long way off.’

Watching Elisha shrink back in terror, Camilla clicked her tongue internally once more.
****

 

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Chapter. Sword of Protection

An official letter of apology arrived from House Jabilon—accompanied by lavish gifts.

Elisha was put under house arrest and forbidden from leaving her room for some time. Naturally, she couldn’t attend school either.

‘Swift response.’

Then again, she had pushed a guest—none other than the daughter of a duke—down the stairs.
What excuse could possibly justify that? There was no room for explanation.

Especially when there had been a direct witness to the whole thing.

‘Petro.’

That the witness happened to be Elisha’s older brother, Petro, didn’t matter at all.
Petro was not the type to turn a blind eye to wrongdoing—even for family.

So Elisha had no way out and was forced to take her punishment as it was.

Of course, Duke Sorpel still felt the punishment was far too lenient and voiced his dissatisfaction openly.

‘Why did he react like that?’

Petro—who’d kept a smile even while committing murder—had truly shocked her with the way he lost his temper.

And the fact that the person he got angry at was his sister was even more surprising.
He was known to be more doting than even Duke Jabilon when it came to his little sister.

‘Elisha used to brag about it all the time.’

That Petro had filled the void left by their late mother ever since they were young.

‘For someone like that to get mad at her for the first time…’

It must have been a real blow.

“Well, not my problem.”

Camilla walked leisurely through the quiet school.
Classes were long over, and dusk was beginning to settle.
There was only one reason she remained at school this late—to chase down a lingering question.

‘When I get curious, I can’t sleep.’

Ever since her visit to House Jabilon, something had been bothering her mind nonstop—so she decided to investigate.

She headed toward the academy’s training grounds, designated for swordsmanship.
As expected at this hour, the place was completely deserted.

‘Not completely deserted, though.’

Camilla stopped and looked up at the single large tree growing within the training field.

And there, just like always, sat him.

A young male ghost in his early twenties—gazing silently at the training ground with a sword impaled through his chest.

He remained unmoving, fixed to that one spot.

“Just as I thought.”

Camilla looked at his face properly for the first time and nodded to herself. The sword stuck in his chest was unmistakable.

Step.

She strode toward him with confidence—no longer avoiding his gaze like she used to.

Thump.

Stopping directly in front of his line of sight, Camilla stared at him silently.

[……]

Then, for the first time, he looked up and met her gaze.

Locking eyes, Camilla spoke slowly.

“You’re Jeno Jabilon, aren’t you?”

Jeno Jabilon.
The man from the portrait hanging in House Jabilon.
The one who established the family’s swordsmanship.

[You know me?]
“……”

[Yes. I’m Jeno Jabilon.]

And there he sat before her—Jeno Jabilon—his chest pierced by what appeared to be the Sword of Protection.

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* * *

“Jeno is really amazing.”
“Seriously. To accomplish so much at that age…”
“Did you hear? Jeno Jabilon retrieved the Sword of Protection!”
“That legendary sword?!”
“Truly worthy of leading the next generation of the house!”

Back then, Camilla had avoided even looking ghosts in the eye—let alone talking to them.

So at first, she wasn’t sure what to make of it.

And when she realized the man haunting the academy’s training field was the same one from the portrait, a huge question had arisen:

‘Why would a head of House Jabilon be haunting the school?’

Anyone who saw him in that state would wonder the same.

‘And why with a sword through his chest?’

She had done a bit of digging. As the head of a prominent house, he must’ve had enemies.
Perhaps he’d been murdered.

Even having a divine beast didn’t guarantee protection.

‘Look at Herssel.’

The former head of House Sorpel hadn’t foreseen that he’d be so easily poisoned either.