A fortune-telling princess

“Anyway.”

Duke Sorpel turned his gaze away from King and back to Duke Sephra.

“I’ve been hearing some interesting rumors lately.”

“I’m glad they amuse you.”

“Let’s cut to the chase. Where did you get those mana stones?”

Duke Jabilon, sitting nearby, immediately perked up as well. It was clear that his presence here was driven by the same curiosity. After all, where on earth had such rare mana stones come from?

“And they supposedly belong to someone else?”

“You, of all people, handling someone else’s business?”

Duke Sephra remained silent, neither answering their questions nor looking toward Camilla, who sat quietly to the side.

“Well then, I’ll excuse myself…”

Camilla stood quickly, her expression strained. If she stayed any longer, she might not be able to keep a straight face.

As she exited the room, she shot a stern look at the divine beasts trailing after her, silently warning them not to follow.

***

The garden was quiet.

The three men strolled through its paths in absolute silence.

Their footsteps were so soft it was almost as if no one was there.

“Why don’t we take a seat over there for a while?”

It was Petro who finally broke the silence, his ever-present friendly smile lighting up his face as he gestured toward a bench in the garden.

“No.”

The rejection was immediate. Walking in silence was awkward enough—why would they sit down and make the atmosphere even more unbearable?

“Haha… I see,” Petro chuckled, though he couldn’t hide the faint irritation in his tone. He glanced at Arsion, who was clicking his tongue as if to ask why he was even here.

“I’m curious about something.”

Arsion’s gaze at Petro was sharp and irritated. If they’d been at school or anywhere else, curses would have likely flown by now. But creating a scene here would be inconvenient, even for Arsion.

‘…I don’t get it.’

What was bothering him? The fact that this was her house?

And that her brother was also here? That thought alone was enough to keep him unusually quiet.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Lady Camilla lately.”

“That’s none of your business.”

“I was just curious.”

Petro’s constant smiling face was more infuriating than ever today.

“Camilla, huh?”

The voice of Ludville, who had been silent until now, cut through the tension.

“Yes, the two seem to have grown quite close recently. Building friendships among peers is a good thing, isn’t it? Haha.”

Ludville’s previously indifferent gaze sharpened, landing on Arsion.

Arsion, in turn, glared at Petro as if he wanted to kill him, while Petro laughed, clearly enjoying the situation.

At that moment, Camilla appeared nearby.

Having fled the reception room, she had heard from the butler, Luve, that the trio was in the garden and had come out of sheer curiosity.

She took a step back, startled by the thick tension in the air.

Camilla was utterly baffled.

***

“Um… My lady.”

“What is it?”

“They’re still following us.”

Camilla had set out for a shopping trip as planned. After meeting with her visitors, there was no reason to stay cooped up in the mansion. She wasn’t about to cancel her rare day-off plans.

With her steward, Dorman, acting as her escort, she ventured into the bustling streets. Though Dorman’s grumpy demeanor annoyed her, he knew her situation better than anyone, making him the easiest to work with.

But there was one problem.

Walking some distance behind her were three men: Arsion, Ludville, and Petro. Her brows furrowed as their presence weighed on her.

“I just happened to want to visit the market,” Petro said with a cheerful smile when he caught her gaze.

“It’s dangerous to be alone,” Ludville added, still overly concerned about safety after the incident with Jude.

Camilla glanced at Dorman, who was chuckling quietly beside her, and sighed heavily.

“Just bored,” Arsion muttered as he looked away.

Camilla was dumbfounded. When had he ever shown interest in something like this? If he was bored, shouldn’t he just go home and sleep?

Clicking her tongue, she resumed walking. She could sense the trio following her but decided to ignore them.

“This market is nice.”

Though it wasn’t as grand as the bustling commercial district she usually visited, this place had its own charm and plenty to see.

“Are you buying that?”

“Yes.”

“It looks like a man’s item, though…”

“I know.”

Camilla had spotted a small silver fox brooch on a vendor’s stall. Its delicate craftsmanship, complete with tiny gemstones for eyes, caught her attention. It didn’t look cheap and would pair well with a formal black suit.

“For the duke?” Dorman asked as she paid for the brooch.

“No.”

“For Sir Ravi?”

“Yes.”

The fox design immediately reminded her of Ravi. Considering the bracelet she had received from him before, this small gift felt like a nice gesture in return.

As she turned away, a chill ran down her spine. She looked back to see the three men staring at her intently, Ludville’s gaze particularly piercing.

When she met his eyes, Ludville immediately looked away.

“You must be very close to your brother,” Petro commented with a bright smile.

Camilla barely resisted the urge to snap at him.

“Why give gifts to family?” Arsion asked, genuinely puzzled.

“…”

Deciding it wasn’t worth responding, Camilla quickly walked away.

***

“Pretty accessories for sale! Come take a look! Hey, beautiful lady, check these out!”

Camilla sighed. She already had a good sense of Lila’s nature.

“Why are you here?”

“Lady Camilla!”

Standing at a market stall, cheerfully selling trinkets, was none other than Lila.

“Seriously, what are you doing here?”

“The old lady seemed so tired, so I’m helping her out.”

Behind the stall, an elderly woman with white hair sat resting.

“Do you know her?”

“No.”

“…”

“You should take a look too, Lady Camilla! There’s so much pretty stuff here!”

“Are you having fun?”

“Yes!”

“Good for you.”

Sell lots. If she’s enjoying herself, who am I to argue?

Camilla turned and walked away.

Trying to get closer for “insurance” wasn’t worth the exhaustion.

“Eek!”

“…”

Camilla froze at the commotion behind her.

Turning around, she saw five thuggish men kicking over Lila’s stall. The other vendors had already fled.

“You think you can sell here without paying rent?”

“Your protection fees are two months overdue, old lady!”

The thugs looked ready to turn violent, but Lila stepped in their way.

“Stop this!”

Camilla sighed. She had expected something like this but wasn’t looking forward to it.

At least Ludville and Lila’s first meeting had happened similarly—in a market, with Lila getting into trouble and Ludville stepping in to help.

She glanced at the three men behind her.

She knew Petro, at the very least, wouldn’t stand idle.

Just as expected, someone stepped forward.

“Of course.”

It was Petro, the ever-smiling knight, striding toward the thugs with purpose.

A head rolled past her feet, followed by the sickening sound of flesh being cut.

“Wh-what the hell?!”

The remaining thugs screamed, only to fall silent moments later.

“Villains always make such a racket,” Petro said with a smile, cleaning the blood off his sword.

He turned to Camilla, his face still bright.

“I hope you weren’t splattered with anything. Your clothes are too fine to be stained.”

Camilla stared at him, speechless.

“That guy smiles even while killing people,” Arsion muttered from beside her.

Camilla couldn’t bring herself to respond.