A fortune-telling princess

“Kill anyone who pisses you off by burying them in the shadows,” Arsion said flatly.

The divine beast’s gem could make someone disappear without a trace.

“Anyone who pisses me off?” Camilla asked, amused.

“The Crown…!”

The Crown Prince, that bastard Crown Prince, or anyone remotely like the Crown Prince!

As Arsion fumbled for words, Camilla’s curiosity turned into laughter.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile.

Arsion sighed, running a hand gently over her head.

“Don’t get hurt.”

Her smile deepened, its warmth a quiet reassurance.

“A-Ah, my lady… A-Are you alright?”

You look worse than me.

Camilla sighed as she saw Dorman’s trembling chin and frostbitten expression. Even her breath, visible as frosty mist, seemed frozen.

“How is this even possible?”

She shook her head at the icy air enveloping them.

“Can the weather really change this drastically across a single border?”

The moment they crossed the Gracia Empire’s border, the searing summer of the Fable Empire turned into an unbearable winter.

“Why is there no middle ground?”

Shouldn’t there be a transition between hot and cold? How could something be so extreme, like Africa meeting the Arctic?

“This is why the Gracia Empire is called the cursed land of eternal winter,” said Edsen, suddenly appearing at her side.

“You should have known this before coming.”

“I didn’t think it would be

this

bad.”

Though she’d packed winter clothing, it seemed laughably inadequate.

‘I hate the cold.’

Why didn’t my brothers try harder to stop me?

She was already regretting her decision.

What luxury was I chasing by coming here? I should have been satisfied with what I had.

Thud.

“…?”

Edsen threw her a small, stone-like object that radiated warmth.

“Oh.”

It’s a magical item?

“Let’s move,” he ordered briskly.

“Yes, sir!”

Before Camilla could thank him, Edsen strode away, issuing commands to the party. She watched for a moment before climbing into her prepared carriage.

While they had used teleportation magic to reach the border comfortably, there was no direct teleportation point to the Gracia capital. They would have to travel to the nearest city with such a portal.

Inside the carriage, Dorman let out a long breath.

“Would you like some tea?”

He held up a nondescript wooden container that concealed a magical item capable of temperature control. Ravi had insisted they bring it, and it was proving to be a lifesaver.

[It’s just like before,] remarked Zeno, the ghost who had accompanied her. He glanced out the window with a resigned shake of his head.

“You’ve been here before?”

[Yes, when I was searching for the Sword of Protection.]

“The Sword of Protection was here?”

[Don’t you know? Mars disappeared after defeating those fanatics who worshipped the false god Eva—right here, in the Gracia Empire.]

Camilla had skimmed through books on the Sword of Protection but hadn’t delved into the details.

“Must’ve been freezing.”

[It was, but the place where the sword rested wasn’t cold at all. Just shrouded in mist.]

“Odd.”

Was the Sword of Protection somehow shielding the area from the cold?

“My lady…” Dormant’s voice quivered.

“What is it now?”

“Is there… someone else here with us?”

“Yeah.”

“Hiiik!”

What’s wrong with him now?

Camilla stared at Dormant’s trembling form.

He’s supposed to be a spiritual manager, but he’s terrified of ghosts?

“Well, since I’ve been human for so long… and I mentioned before, my spiritual abilities were stripped away. I can’t even see spirits anymore.”

He offered an awkward smile before quickly changing the subject, glancing outside.

“At least there’s no wind. If it were snowing heavily on top of this cold, we’d all freeze to death!”

Later, the worst-case scenario unfolded.

“Camilla!”

“This is all your fault!”

“What did I do?”

“The blizzard!”

“So now the weather’s my fault?”

“You jinxed it!”

Dormant’s earlier joke about snowstorms had seemingly come to life. Wind and snow became so severe that they had to halt their journey.

Though the Gracia guides accompanying them quickly set up tents, the cold seeped through every layer of protection.

“Let’s stop for now. Traveling further in this weather would be too dangerous,” advised Count Alton, who was escorting them.

Edsen agreed without argument. Ignoring the advice of a local in unfamiliar territory was never wise.

“Apologies for the inconvenience on your first day. Please, this way,” said Alton, gesturing to a tent.

“Though it’s small, it’ll be warmer than your carriage.”

Camilla entered, finding the tent surprisingly cozy. Whatever material it was made from blocked out the biting wind entirely.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” she said politely.

“It’s an honor. Marquis Kaise eagerly awaits meeting you.”

Kaise Esclaire—he was one of the key figures responsible for securing the 2nd Prince’s throne.

‘A bit temperamental, huh?

“I look forward to meeting him.”

She had a simple goal: complete the deal and leave, no matter what kind of person Kaise turned out to be.

*****

When they finally reached the capital, the journey had been exhausting but manageable.

“Welcome,” greeted the 2nd Prince, meeting them at the palace entrance. Despite his war-torn history with the 1st Prince, he looked remarkably gentle for someone who had endured so much.

“Make yourselves at home during your stay.”

“Thank you for your kindness,” Edsen replied, his polite mask firmly in place.

Meanwhile, Camilla’s attention was drawn to a man standing close to the prince.

‘Is that him?’

The middle-aged man’s cold, commanding aura made him impossible to ignore. Even the prince’s subordinates seemed more cautious around him than the prince himself.

Kaise Esclaire.

According to Chris’s report, Kaise was a ruthless villain who spared no one—not women, not children.

As she stared, his icy gaze locked onto hers, making her shiver involuntarily.

‘What was that?’

Even as she moved to follow the group, she could feel his gaze lingering on her, unsettling and unrelenting.

****

“Miss! Miss Camilla!”

Dormann burst into the room, his face alight with excitement. Camilla, curious about the commotion, lifted her head just as something was thrust in front of her face.

“A snowman.”

“…….”

“A snowman, in this weather! Ha!”

Why did I even bring this guy along? she thought, exasperated. I should’ve just left him back at the café to work himself to the bone. But no, I brought him along because I was worried he’d slack off!

“Isn’t it cute? I made it myse—”

Plop. Plop. Drip.

Before Dormann could finish his sentence, the small snowman in his hands began to melt rapidly under the warmth of the room.

“Clean up that water.”

“Y-yes…”

Should I just send him back now? She sighed inwardly. But in weather like this, throwing him out would basically be sending him to freeze to death.

Another sigh escaped her lips as her eyes drifted to the window. Outside, snow continued to fall thick and fast, blanketing the world in white.

[Did you know something?]

Camilla turned to see Zeno, the ghost, sidling up to her. He gazed out at the snowstorm with an air of nostalgia.

“Know what?”

[It wasn’t always like this.]

“You mean it wasn’t always this cold?”

[That’s right. They say it all started one day. The day Mars passed away.]

That name again?

[Since then, people have called this perpetual winter Mars’ Curse.]

“Seriously?”

In one empire, he’s celebrated as a hero, but here, he’s the source of a curse? Could anything be more extreme?

“What kind of curse?”

[Some say he was betrayed by a close friend. Others claim he was killed by the woman he loved.]

“Why do you know so much about it?”

This was the first she’d heard of such a story. Even the books she’d skimmed hadn’t mentioned anything about it.

[Because he was the person I respected most in my life.]

Camilla blinked in surprise at the unexpected reverence in Zeno’s tone.

 I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter !

If you can't wait to know what happens next, don't forget to check my Patreon for discounted advanced chapters . (you can either subscribe or check the collections tab for more affordable one time purchases)