A fortune-telling princess

“Why are all the black magicians associated with that place?”

The Sephra duchy, Arsion’s family, was an exceptionally secretive one, even keeping the imperial family’s interference at bay.

This was supposedly for the sake of their power and the dark divine beast they served, a justification no one dared to challenge.

‘That’s why I approached Arsion in the first place…’

It was unrealistic to reach out to the Sephra duchy directly. That’s why she had targeted Arsion, the most accessible member, to propose a business deal.

Of course, she hadn’t even managed to present her idea, let alone show him the mineral.

‘But what does it mean to “rule over darkness”?’

The Sephra family’s divine beast was a black wolf. Though she had never witnessed its power firsthand, she had heard countless rumors.

People claimed the Sephra duke’s divine beast held immense strength, and wherever its power was unleashed, only death remained.

Camilla glanced down at King, who was currently licking her hand. His toddling steps seemed smaller than ever today.

“Maybe I gave you the wrong name.”

[king?]

King tilted his head, blinking his big eyes, as Camilla let out a short sigh.

The greatest of all? It’ll be a miracle if you don’t die in a fight.

“Just run away.”

If you ever encounter something like that, don’t fight—just run.

“Yes, survival is winning. Remember that.”

[king?]

Camilla stroked King’s head again, her touch softer this time.

“Look at her!”

“What the…”

Today, more than ever, people’s eyes were glued to her.

‘What? Why? I look great, don’t I?’

She was wearing a white shirt paired with dark brown flared pants—an outfit she found both comfortable and stylish.

Her hair was slicked back neatly into a ponytail, and she had accessorized with non-prescription glasses to add a subtle touch to her appearance.

“What’s she wearing?”

“Yeah, what is that?”

“Pants? Like that?”

It was incredibly rare for women to wear pants as casual attire, and for a noble lady to do so was unheard of. To make matters worse, Camilla’s pants were a design no one had ever seen before, making her the center of attention.

‘But why does it look so good on her?’

‘Pants shouldn’t look this elegant!’

As Camilla confidently strode through the halls, her unique outfit left everyone around her captivated. The women, in particular, stared at her with shining eyes as if they had discovered a new fashion trend.

[Wow, you look so cool today!]

‘I was cool yesterday too.’

The first to speak to Camilla when she entered the classroom wasn’t a student but the ghost, Amy.

‘You used to sulk in the corner, and now you’re talking to me like this?’

The fact that a ghost was the first to greet her each morning made her reevaluate her social life.

With a short sigh, Camilla opened her book to prepare for the upcoming midterms. Having earned extra credit for retrieving the divine beast, she intended to bolster her grades further with a strong performance on the exams.

No matter how many times she had taken these tests in past lives, complacency was not an option. This time, she resolved to give it her all.

Creak—

Just then, the classroom door opened, and everyone’s attention shifted forward.

“Gasp!”

Gasps echoed through the room. Curious, Camilla looked up and froze in surprise.

“…What are you doing here?”

It was Arsion.

His sudden appearance left the entire class frozen in fear, holding their breaths.

‘I’m scared too.’

He seemed to be searching for someone, and his gaze soon landed on her. Without hesitation, he began walking toward her with purposeful strides.

Camilla swallowed hard as he closed the distance.

‘I take it back! I’ll never complain about my social life being full of ghosts again! I don’t want someone like him in my life!’

Thump!

Just as she had done the previous day, Arsion placed his hand lightly on her desk, the sound echoing loudly.

“Let’s talk.”

His deep voice sent a shiver down her spine. Camilla forced herself to smile out of habit.

“What do I get in return?”

“What?”

Arsion’s brows twitched, clearly not expecting such a response.

Her heart skipped a beat, but Camilla maintained her nonchalant expression.

“If you’re going to take up my time, I should be compensated.”

After all, you’re the one who came to me today.

The sound of people holding their breath filled the room, but Camilla didn’t look away from Arsion.

“Anything.”

“What?”

“Anything you want.”

Gasps of shock rippled through the room, and Camilla herself felt uneasy.

‘What could you possibly want from me to say something like that?’

It felt suspicious. Very suspicious.

***

“So, you can communicate with them?”

The place they ended up was, as expected, the Spirit Lake—an area devoid of people.

Once they arrived, Arsion immediately posed his question.

‘Of course they can talk, so why wouldn’t I be able to communicate?’

She kept that thought to herself, knowing it would earn her a scolding.

“If you mean talking to the dead, then yes, I can.”

That seemed to be the answer he wanted. His gaze changed, emotions swirling in his eyes.

“Ask.”

“Ask what?”

“Who they are.”

Arsion turned his head slightly, and Camilla followed his gaze. The same young boy from before was still clutching Arsion’s sleeve.

‘Tsk.’

The boy was a pitiful sight, with golden hair, deep green eyes, and a frame so thin it was heart-wrenching. With some weight, he would have been an adorable child.

Camilla took a step closer.

[…!]

The boy flinched and hid behind Arsion, clutching his sleeve even tighter.

“Hi there.”

She waved gently, trying to appear friendly, but the boy only shrank further.

Looking for a way to break the ice, Camilla rummaged through her pocket and found some candy she had brought for herself.

“Want some?”

Peeking out from behind Arsion, the boy stared intently at the candy.

[What’s that?]

After a long pause, the boy finally spoke, his voice as sweet as his appearance.

Camilla smiled, feeling her heart soften, and crouched down to meet his eye level.

“It’s candy.”

[Is it food?]

“Yup.”

Her eyes drifted to the boy’s frail body again.

Candy was a foreign concept to him.

Hiding her dismay, Camilla unwrapped a piece of candy and held it out.

Slowly, the boy reached out, and a faint light surrounded the candy as he placed it in his mouth.

“What are you doing?” Arsion asked, his voice curious.

“He seemed hungry.”

“Can ghosts eat?”

“Not really.”

The candy in her hand crumbled into dust and disappeared into the air.

“They don’t eat it. They absorb the energy from food. It’s better than nothing.”

Unlike Arsion, who seemed startled, Camilla remained calm.

“Does it taste good?”

[Yes.]

“Want more?”

The boy nodded enthusiastically, and Camilla unwrapped the remaining candy, handing it to him. This time, he took it without hesitation, a small smile spreading across his face.

Seeing his smile, Camilla finally asked the question she had been holding back.

“What’s your name?”

At her question, Arsion visibly tensed.

The boy glanced at Arsion before turning back to her.

[Sier.]

“Sier?”

The boy nodded.

Camilla straightened up, not needing to repeat the name. Arsion had clearly heard it.

His gaze fixed on the boy, more intense than ever.

After a moment of staring, Arsion dropped to one knee and extended his hands.

“Sier.”

[Brother.]

The boy threw his arms around Arsion’s neck.

‘Brother?’

Camilla watched them in stunned silence.