A fortune-telling princess

“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.