A fortune-telling princess

‘Then why did he eat so well back then?’

The food she had brought for Arsion’s deceased younger brother, Sier, had ended up being eaten entirely by Arsion after the child’s sudden departure.

He had devoured it with relish then, so why now…?

Oh.

‘Well, my family’s chef isn’t bad.’

But Laila’s cooking skills are no less remarkable. Even the ghostly chef Ferrol had given her a thumbs-up in approval.

‘Weirdo.’

Looks like he’s surprisingly picky.

As Arsion tried to suppress the urge to spit out the cookie he had taken a bite of, Camilla handed him some water. She decided not to offer him any more of Laila’s desserts.

“Hm.”

Watching Arsion’s reaction, Lila gave a peculiar smile.

“Oh, by the way, have you heard?”

“Heard what?”

After a moment, Lila changed the subject.

“The hunting competition.”

“The hunting competition?”

“Yes! The Imperial Family is hosting one!”

‘I completely forgot about that.’

That man.

‘The crown prince.’

Another useless figure in her life, rivaling Ravi! A vile man who would smirk and needle at her nerves every chance he got.

“Ugh.”

Did she really have to face him again?

The host of this upcoming Imperial hunting competition was none other than

, the crown prince of the empire. The event was being held to celebrate his birthday.

It was said that many prestigious guests from foreign nations would attend. The problem? That man—the crown prince—had personally sent her an invitation.

It bore his handwriting and the royal seal. The letter was now in her hands.

“What was he thinking?”

Everyone knew how much the crown prince disliked her. He made it glaringly obvious, so there was no room for doubt.

In all the years prior, he had never sent her such an invitation. While Sorpel, Ludville, and even Ravi regularly received his invitations, Camilla’s name was always pointedly excluded.

“This is annoying.”

If it had been anyone else, she might have ignored it.

With Ravi, she could at least smack him on the back of the head. But she couldn’t do something like that to the crown prince.

‘He’d have my head cut off on the spot.’

With his foul temper, he wouldn’t hesitate to charge her with treason and execute her.

‘I thought I’d managed to avoid a death ending for now…’

And yet, here was this unforeseen obstacle.

‘Camilla, Camilla.’

Why are your relationships always like this? Why is everyone around you an enemy?

“Young miss, I brought some refreshing iced tea…”

Just then, her attendant, Dorman, entered the room. He froze in place under Camilla’s sharp glare.

“This is your fault.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s all because of you!”

She suddenly felt a surge of irritation. Her messed-up relationships were all Dorman’s fault—or so it seemed to her in the moment.

‘No, wait!’

It wasn’t just a feeling. It really

because of him! The reason people disliked Camilla so much was because

had botched her soul transfer!

“Uh, should I bring you something other than iced tea?”

“Dorman.”

“Yes!”

At least he had the sense to answer briskly, his posture immediately straightening.

“You’re coming to the hunting competition with me.”

“…Excuse me?”

“I said, you’re attending the hunting competition with me.”

“Me?!”

“I need to bring a shield.”

“A shield, you say…?”

“What if I lose my temper because of that damn crown prince?”

“Pardon?”

“If I snap and try to kill him, and he decides to kill me instead, you’re going to be my shield. You die first, giving me enough time to regain my composure and escape. Got it?”

“Ha, haha… Surely you’re joking…”

“…”

“…You’re joking, right?”

Ignoring Dorman’s increasingly distressed expression, Camilla silently drank her iced tea in one long gulp.

“It’s been a while since we all went out together,” Camilla remarked as the luxurious carriage, adorned with the Sorpel family’s crest, rolled along. Four individuals occupied the space: Duke Sorpel, Camilla, Ravi, and Ludville, all en route to the Imperial Hunting Tournament.

“What are you wearing?”

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

Ravi, seated across from her, had been picking a fight since the moment they boarded. His gaze swept over her attire, filled with disapproval.

Earlier, when Camilla had been about to board, Duke Sorpel and Ravi were already seated inside. 

Ludville, standing outside to assist her, had extended his hand. Though she could have managed on her own, it felt ungracious to refuse his polite gesture, so she accepted his help and climbed aboard.

She surveyed the available seats and, without hesitation, chose the one beside Duke Sorpel. Ever since then, Ravi had been acting up, uncharacteristically allowing his foxlike nature to surface, despite the Duke’s presence.

“Are you seriously planning to hunt?”

“Why else would I go to a hunting tournament if not to hunt?”

Camilla feigned ignorance of his meaning, even though she understood perfectly well.

Hunting tournaments, after all, were little more than social gatherings for the ladies. While the men engaged in actual hunting, the women would convene for tea and conversation under the guise of fostering camaraderie.

These gatherings were notorious for their backbiting, with Camilla often finding herself the target. Her mistakes, however minor, provided endless fodder.

The moment her participation was confirmed, she decided to join the actual hunt. She had never hunted before, but it seemed far preferable to sitting idle and becoming their prey.

“I’ll catch a bear for you,” Camilla teased.

“You lun—!”

Ravi almost called her a lunatic but bit his tongue, glancing at Duke Sorpel. Her slight smirk did not escape Ravi’s notice, but he said nothing.

Soon, they arrived at the tournament grounds, where Duke Jayvillan greeted them warmly. It seemed like she had been running into him more often than usual lately.

“Are you feeling well?” he asked, looking genuinely concerned.

“Yes, thanks to your care, I’m fine,” Camilla replied politely.

Duke Jayvillan nodded, then turned to call his daughter.

 “Elisha.”

Elisha, who had been standing quietly nearby, hesitated for a moment before approaching Camilla.

“I’m so sorry, Sister. I made a terrible mistake last time,” Elisha said meekly, bowing her head in an apologetic gesture.

Though Camilla couldn’t tell whether the remorse was genuine, she responded with a warm, forgiving smile. In a public setting, with so many eyes watching, showing disdain was not an option.

“It’s fine. I wasn’t hurt badly, so don’t worry.”

Relieved, Duke Jayvillan beamed and patted his daughter’s head affectionately.

“Are you unwell?”

“Did you eat something strange?”

Ravi and Arsion leaned in, whispering simultaneously, their curious gazes fixed on Camilla.

Camilla thought, startled to see Arsion.

The two men locked eyes.

“You—” Ravi began.

“Why are you acting familiar with my sister?”

“Sister? Ah, the one who claimed to dislike her,” Arsion replied smoothly.

“What? You two discussed me? Didn’t I tell you not to get close to him!” Ravi growled.

“Isn’t it overstepping to interfere in her personal relationships?” Arsion countered.

“You have no right to comment on that!”

Camilla, tired of the pointless bickering, quietly slipped away. Neither man noticed her departure as they continued arguing.

Standing at a safe distance, Camilla observed them with mild amusement. It was rare to see Arsion, a man who solved most problems with his fists, engaging in a verbal spat.

As Camilla retreated further, another voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Are you planning to participate in the hunt?”

Turning, she saw Petro, dressed in practical hunting attire. He looked as impeccable as always.

“Do you know how to shoot a bow?”

“More or less,” Camilla replied casually. She had learned archery for a historical drama and had practiced enough to be decent, though hunting live animals would be a different matter entirely.

“If you do hunt, stick to the outskirts. The deeper areas are dangerous,” Petro advised.

“Got it,” she said, brushing off his concern as she walked away. Petro seemed like he wanted to say more, but she paid him no mind.

“Why hasn’t it started yet?” Camilla muttered, feeling the weight of curious gazes.

The noblewomen whispered behind their fans, clearly judging her hunting attire. If she had worn a dress instead, they would have found fault with that too.

Determined, she decided to simply do as she pleased.

“The Crown Prince has arrived!”

Suddenly, murmurs rippled through the crowd as the First Prince, Edsen, made his grand entrance. Camilla instinctively moved farther back, avoiding attention.

Standing near Duke Sorpel would have been both the safest and the most dangerous spot, as the Crown Prince was sure to greet him first.

[Kyuu?]

“Huh?”

As she stepped back further, a faint, peculiar cry caught her attention.