A fortune-telling princess

As Camilla headed toward the Spirit Lake, one of the most secluded places on campus, she had to stop in her tracks.

Turning her head, she saw the student ghost, Amy, standing there with a faint smile.

“What’s your deal? Why do you keep following me? I told you I don’t want anything to do with you.”

[That’s so mean. I’m just so happy to finally have someone I can talk to after so long.]

“Go play with other ghosts. Ghosts should stick with ghosts, not humans.”

[The ghosts at this school are all boring.]

You’re boring too.

“So, what do you want? What am I supposed to do about it?”

[I just want to chat. I’m so bored.]

“You think I have time for that?”

I’m busy trying to survive and make money!

“Speaking of which, where is he?”

‘Where’s my money?’

[Over there.]

Over there?

Camilla followed Amy’s pointing finger, and her gaze froze. Not far from where she was standing, Arsion was staring straight at her.

‘Since when has he been there?’

[From the beginning.]

As if reading her thoughts, Amy whispered softly.

‘Then he heard me talking to a ghost the entire time!’

Camilla quickly composed herself, trying to appear as natural as possible.

“Oh, I just like talking to myself.”

…Did he buy it?

“…”

Not a chance!

Camilla sighed as she noticed Arsion’s gaze shift briefly toward Amy’s position.

“So, you can see them too?”

See them too?

Arsion’s quiet, musing tone made Camilla lift her head abruptly.

“You can see them too, can’t you? Those things.”

“Wh-what are you talking about seeing—?!”

Wait.

Camilla, who had been about to deny it reflexively, caught the implication in his words and stared at him with wide eyes.

“You said ‘too.’”

Seeing Arsion’s gaze grow colder, she found herself at a loss for words.

A fragment of an old memory.

A memory he could never forget, nor did he want to.

Thud!

The sudden sound made Arsion open his eyes. Standing in front of him with a faint smile was Camilla.

“I’ve got something good. Want to take a look?”

That girl. The one who had caught his attention recently.

‘Why is she here?’

Arsion stared at her, who was standing in front of him with a strange smile.

As if expecting him to say something, she remained silent. Arsion studied her for a moment before standing up.

For a brief second, she seemed interesting, but the feeling quickly faded.

“Huh?”

He caught a glimpse of her surprised expression but didn’t stop walking. His destination was the edge of the Spirit Forest, where few ventured.

“Come to think of it…”

He had seen her there before.

His steps toward the lake faltered slightly.

Should I confirm it? If my guess is right, then she too…

Arsion turned back toward the school building.

“What’s your deal? Why do you keep following me? I told you I don’t want anything to do with you.”

At that moment, he heard her voice.

“Go play with other ghosts. Ghosts should stick with ghosts, not humans.”

Talking into the air, she continued her one-sided conversation. Arsion watched her in silence.

“What do you want? What am I supposed to do about it? Do you think I have time for that?”

Wagging her finger as if scolding someone, she suddenly turned to look at him.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise before she quickly masked it with a smile, trying to appear unfazed.

“I just like talking to myself.”

“…”

It wasn’t talking to herself. Arsion’s gaze shifted toward her side.

“So, you can see them too.”

The smoky black figures.

The ones that had followed him all his life.

“You can see them too, can’t you?”

Her expression stiffened as Arsion reached his hand toward the black smoke.

“What are you doing?!”

The word “too” had briefly stunned Camilla, but seeing Arsion stretch his hand toward Amy jolted her back to her senses.

She quickly stepped between them.

“So, you can see them.”

Did you just try to threaten a ghost to confirm that?!

‘Your killing intent just now was insane!’

This guy’s nuts!

“Sigh.”

Letting out a short breath, Camilla turned to Amy. Amy was genuinely trembling.

Can ghosts even feel fear? They’re already dead, so what’s there to be afraid of? It’s not like humans can actually kill ghosts.

“Are you okay?”

[I… I’m not okay! I thought I was going to die!]

“You’re already dead.”

[I thought I was going to be completely obliterated! I always knew it, but that guy’s my natural enemy!]

Natural enemy?

Camilla’s gaze shifted back to Arsion.

“You, can you actually obliterate ghosts or something?”

“And you, you actually talk to them?”

“…”

“…”

The two of them stared at each other in silence for a moment before Camilla spoke again.

“You can’t just go obliterating ghosts for no reason. They all have their stories. Once their regrets are resolved, they ascend on their own. Don’t waste your energy on unnecessary things.”

“Why would I bother with something so tedious?”

Wow. You’re the one who just radiated killing intent to attack a ghost!

“Didn’t you see her face pale just now?”

“…You can see her face?”

“What?”

Camilla frowned, caught off guard by his sudden shift in tone. One moment he was talking about seeing ghosts; now he was asking about their faces?

“What are you talking about?”

“Can you see it?”

“Of course I can. Can’t you?”

“…”

Wait.

“You can’t see them?”

“All I see is black smoke.”

Black smoke?

Camilla turned back to Amy, scrutinizing her anew. She didn’t look like black smoke to her.

‘What does this mean?’

Does this mean he can sense ghosts but not fully perceive them? He can tell they’re there but can’t see their actual forms?

“Hey!”

Camilla snapped at him.

“Then that’s all the more reason not to unleash killing intent on them randomly! You don’t even know what kind of ghost they are, so why do that?”

She wasn’t a malevolent spirit, after all.

“You can’t just act like that toward a normal ghost. She’s just a student! Look at how terrified she is because of you!”

I can’t believe I’m defending a ghost, but this is too much. Even if they’re dead, they’re not all bad.

Her mind wandered briefly to Derin, Ferrol, and Hershel—all ghosts who had been kind to her in their own ways.

“…”

“…”

Camilla’s rant was interrupted by Arsion’s icy black gaze.

“…Sorry.”

Realizing she might have gone too far, Camilla quickly lowered her eyes. She had forgotten how bad his temper was. Why had she yelled at him like that?

“Do you see this one too?”

Arsion’s voice was quieter now. Camilla followed his gaze to a spot right next to him.

Her eyes met the figure she had been deliberately avoiding since earlier.

Camilla bit her lip.

The reason she had avoided looking wasn’t just because the figure was a ghost.

The child’s frail body had no trace of flesh, his large, sorrowful eyes brimming with unshed tears. His tattered clothes hung loosely on his bony frame.

The pitiful sight of the young boy clutching Arsion’s sleeve made her heart ache.

‘Who are you?’

Who could you be to end up like that?

****

‘Who are you, really?’

Even after returning home, Camilla couldn’t shake the question from her mind.

She had told Arsion the truth about the black smoke she saw around him.

It was the spirit of a young boy, no older than seven, whose frail and emaciated figure haunted her memory.

‘But…’

The cold and detached Arsion had shown a rare reaction to her words. His expression had briefly crumbled, revealing raw emotion before he left as if fleeing.

‘Why did he react like that?’

Could he have known the child?

“Sigh.”

Camilla sighed, her thoughts drifting back to the boy’s gaunt face.

How could a child die in such a state? The image of his skeletal frame wouldn’t leave her mind.

“Ugh.”

This is why I hate kids! They’re so small and vulnerable, you can’t help but worry about them.

[king?]

At her grumbling, the little white tiger—King—looked up at her and chirped softly.

Still too young to conceal itself, the divine beast remained in its summoned state. While Camilla was at

school, Duke Sorpel had been looking after him, since bringing him to school wasn’t an option.

“King.”

[king!]

For something so young, he already understood her perfectly.

She had named him “King” on Duke Sorpel’s suggestion, wishing for him to grow into the greatest of all divine beasts.

Though Ravi had mocked her lack of naming creativity, wasn’t it better than calling him something ridiculous like “Chocolate”?

[king!]

“You like it too, don’t you?”

Camilla scratched King’s head gently, earning a happy purr in response.

As she watched him, her thoughts returned to Arsion.

‘I guess it’s too soon to approach him again.’

His reaction earlier was too intense. If she pushed further, she had a feeling something disastrous might happen.