A fortune-telling princess

“What’s all this?”

Returning to school after some time away, Camilla tilted her head at the sight of her desk piled high with gifts. Boxes upon boxes of presents.

“Is it my birthday today?”

No, that couldn’t be it. There was no way she’d receive this many presents at school for something as mundane as her birthday.

Her brows furrowed slightly. Could this be a prank? Maybe the boxes were filled with trash or something worse.

“Uh, Lady Camilla?”

A timid voice interrupted her thoughts. Looking up, she saw a young girl standing hesitantly in front of her—someone she didn’t recognize.

“This is for you!”

With a slightly flushed face, the girl held out a small gift box.

Camilla didn’t immediately accept the gift, making the girl’s face turn an even deeper shade of red.

“Th-thank you so much for saving my brother!”

“Huh?”

Camilla’s confusion only deepened.

“I heard my brother received so much help from you during the hunting tournament. If it weren’t for you, he might not have survived…”

“Ah.”

It finally clicked. While Camilla herself had no memory of it, Zeno must have stepped in and helped her brother out of a dangerous situation during the tournament.

“I see.”

The gifts on her desk must have been the same—thank-you presents from young noblemen she had saved, or their families expressing their gratitude.

The atmosphere around her had completely shifted. Where once she was met with apathy or disdain, her peers now looked at her with noticeable warmth. Not everyone, of course—there were still those who regarded her coldly—but the proportion of friendly gazes had undeniably grown.

Camilla felt flustered at the sudden change.

[“You know this is all thanks to me, right?”]

Zeno’s voice was triumphant as he beamed with pride.

[“Feel free to rely on me anytime.”]

Camilla glanced at him, shaking her head slightly as he glowed with self-satisfaction, like a salesman showing off a prized product.

****

[“Are you really quitting?”]

“Yes.”

[“Why? Why? WHY?”]

“Stop shouting. You’re giving me a headache.”

Not long ago, the school’s fencing instructor had summoned Camilla. Having heard about her swordsmanship during the hunting tournament, he had shown a sudden interest in her, offering to give her formal lessons.

She had barely been able to suppress her laughter. His eagerness was transparent—he wanted to capitalize on her growing reputation to boost his own prestige.

So, she informed him of her decision to leave the fencing club. His stunned expression as he stood there with his mouth agape was oddly satisfying.

[“You have talent! Your physique is perfect for fencing!”]

“Sure, sure.”

[“Aren’t you wasting your potential by quitting?”]

But if she said that out loud, he’d just keep arguing.

“I’ve got Zeno, don’t I?”

[“What?”]

“Why would I need another instructor when I have you?”

Zeno went silent, then grinned as if he hadn’t been angry moments ago.

[“True! With me around, you don’t need anyone else!”]

With the fencing club behind her, Camilla began to ponder her next move.

Since the school didn’t have an acting department, she’d need to explore her options.

“I-I’m sorry!”

Lost in thought as she walked, Camilla accidentally bumped into someone. The student, a boy, dropped everything he was carrying onto the floor.

Looking at the scattered items—thick books and an assortment of snacks—it was clear why he hadn’t seen her coming. He had been carrying far too much.

“Sorry… Ah!”

When Camilla crouched to help him pick up his belongings, the boy flinched, his eyes wide in surprise.

“T-thank you.”

“Want me to help carry these?”

“N-no!”

He shook his head frantically, hastily stacking the items back into a towering pile before hurrying off.

Camilla watched as he struggled to carry the precariously balanced load. It looked as though it might topple over at any moment, but she refrained from offering further assistance. His earlier reaction to her offer made the reason clear.

[“What’s with that guy? Why is he carrying all that by himself?”]

“Because no one’s helping him.”

[“Why not?”]

“Because they’re bullying him.”

[“What?”]

Kevin Bryan. Camilla knew him well—not because he came from a prominent family or was particularly talented, but for the opposite reason.

The Bryan barony was a name in title only—devoid of wealth or influence. They were barely better off than commoners.

Camilla thought. Unlike her, who was merely gossiped about and ignored, Kevin endured outright hostility and abuse.

He was often beaten, forced to run errands without rest, and subjected to every imaginable form of humiliation.

Camilla knew exactly who that was.

“Why, Lady Camilla, it’s been a while.”

A sweet voice interrupted her thoughts. Turning, Camilla saw a girl with a beautiful smile.

“I heard your performance at the tournament was incredible.”

Lady Merize Gaviel, daughter of the Marquess of Gaviel. Wealthy, beautiful, and academically gifted, she was also the academy’s student council president—a favorite of the headmaster and professors alike.

And, of course,

Camilla returned her smile, perfectly mirroring the other girl’s expression.

[“Wait, you’re telling me the entire school is bullying one student?”]

“Not the entire school. A few are exceptions.”

Someone like Petro, for example, would never participate in such nonsense. He probably didn’t even know it was happening.

He wouldn’t care either way. Other people’s suffering didn’t interest him.

“They exclude anyone who might interfere.”

[“How is the student council president allowed to get away with this?”]

“Don’t you think it’s

she’s the student council president?”

Her position made it easy to conceal things from the faculty.

[“And everyone just lets it happen?”]

“It’s not happening to them.”

[“What?”]

“If they’re not the target, why should they care?”

To most, it was just another form of amusement. A harmless game. Those who felt uneasy about it simply looked the other way.

[“How can no one step in?”]

Of course, some found the bullying unpleasant but stayed silent for one reason:

“If they speak up, they might be next. Who’s willing to take that risk?”

‘What’s this?’

‘Why act all noble by yourself?’

‘So annoying.’

That’s how it starts.

[You could step in and help, you know!]

“Thank you.”

[For what?]

“For thinking I’m that kind of virtuous person.”

She wasn’t about to join in bullying anyone, but she also had no intention of stepping up to help.

Like she’d just said, stepping in meant getting entangled in something incredibly bothersome.

‘It’s impossible for a lone student to go against the entire student council.’

It wasn’t just the president, Merize, but the entire council beneath her that worked as a single, tight-knit unit.

In other words, opposing them meant opposing the people who essentially controlled the entire school. If you got involved, your school life could turn into hell.

[But still, this is too much!]

“Calm down. The boy we saw today will leave the school soon.”

Unable to endure the bullying, Kevin Bryan would ultimately drop out.

Despite wanting to graduate, his parents would learn about the harassment and advise him to quit. They would take him away from the city to live quietly in the countryside, leaving everything behind.

‘He couldn’t even think of reporting it.’

The harassers came from families too powerful to touch.

Merize, the student council president, was a marquis’s daughter, and the rest of the council members were children of the Empire’s most prominent noble families.

Kevin and his family knew all too well that complaining would only bring harsher retaliation.

When he left, the council members celebrated.

‘Finally, he’s gone.’

‘He stuck around longer than I thought.’

[Those scumbags!]

“They did cross a line.”

But that didn’t stir her heart. Camilla still had no intention of involving herself in student council matters.

The problem, however, was the next target.

“Soon, they’ll choose someone new to torment.”

[A new target?]

“Kevin’s gone, so they’ll pick someone else.”

[Those crazy bastards!]

And Camilla already knew exactly who the next target would be.

***

“Kevin was too soft.”

“Right.”

In the student council room, accessible only to its members, a group gathered around Kevin Bryan’s resignation letter, chuckling.

“Who should be next?”

At the head of the table, Merize, the student council president, smiled as she raised the topic.

“Have you decided on the next target?”

“Yes, here.”

“Who is it this time?”

At Merize’s question, one of the council members handed her a piece of paper with a single name written on it.

“It seems like the students in their class chose this one as a group.”

“Probably with some encouragement.”

“Hmm.”

Merize’s lips curved into a soft smile as she read the name. The game was about to begin.

****

“Huh?”

Returning to her desk after lunch, Laila’s eyes widened at the pile of notes stacked there.

“What’s this?”

Tilting her head in confusion, she began unfolding the notes and reading them one by one.

As Laila read through the notes, every student in the classroom watched her.

Some giggled, while others avoided looking, seemingly uncomfortable. Most, however, seemed to revel in her reaction.

“Wow…”

That was Laila’s response after reading all the notes. She looked genuinely impressed, her mouth slightly agape.

“You guys sure know a lot about me!”

“…”

“Thanks for caring so much!”

Smiling brightly, Laila spoke with an air of sincerity that left the classroom momentarily silent.

Unperturbed, Laila sniffed at her sleeve.

“I do wash my clothes often… Sorry, I’ll try harder. I do grow a lot of crops, though.”

“Laila.”

A group of girls approached her, led by Lady Grace—the one who had previously tried to copy Laila’s homework, only to be chased off by Camilla.

“Do you know something?”

“Hm?”

“Your mother gets work from my family.”

A smug smile spread across Grace’s face.

It was a lie, of course. But Grace had heard rumors that Laila’s mother earned money by taking sewing jobs from nearby noble families.

“Really?”

“Of course! Why would I—”

“Thank you!”

Laila beamed and grabbed Grace’s hands tightly.

“My mother’s been upset lately about not having enough work. Please keep giving her jobs!”

“…”

“I help her with sewing sometimes. Could you give me some work too? I’m pretty good at it. Grace, I’m counting on you!”

Grace had meant to mock her, to embarrass her.

“You really are such a good friend, Grace!”

But Laila’s reaction hit her like a brick wall, leaving her flustered. She quickly backed away, her face red.

The other students, equally dumbfounded, stared at Laila.

“Do you mind if I throw these notes away? There are too many to keep.”

Unbothered, Laila began clearing the pile of notes off her desk.

‘Pfft.’

Nearby, Camilla watched quietly. Passing by Laila’s classroom, she couldn’t help but chuckle at her classmate’s unbothered demeanor.

While she knew this was only the beginning and couldn’t fully relax, seeing the dumbstruck expressions on the students’ faces gave her a brief sense of satisfaction.

‘How will this turn out?’

At first, Laila’s innocence and optimism helped her deal with the bullying. But as the harassment escalated, even she would struggle.

‘That’s when people step in to help her.’

Petro and Arsion, specifically.

Two people who initially had no interest in the school’s dynamics would eventually learn everything because of Laila and bring the student council down.

‘But this time?’

Things felt different.

Back then, both had already shown a keen interest in Laila. Naturally, they helped her when she faced harassment.

‘But now?’

Camilla wasn’t sure.

Neither Arsion nor Petro had any connection to Laila this time. Their attitude toward her seemed indifferent at best.

Camilla’s gaze lingered on Laila, who continued smiling as she cleared the notes.

“Let’s observe for now.”

****

…Can she handle this?

“Achoo!”

“Are you catching a cold?”

“No, I’m fine.”

It didn’t look fine.

“My friends accidentally spilled water on me.”

“Those friends of yours seem awfully clumsy.”

“Ha… Haha…”

“Your knees are scraped again.”

“Oh, I tripped over someone’s foot…”

Laila’s laughter grew quieter, her usual bright smile fading.

Even someone as oblivious as her had started to notice something was wrong.

‘Hmm.’

The harassment was intensifying. It had started with childish pranks—notes, jokes, or scribbling mocking phrases on her belongings.

‘Though the content wasn’t childish at all.’

While Laila brushed it off, others would have found the taunts mentally exhausting.

Hushed whispers and giggles followed her wherever she went. Could anyone call that merely childish?

And it was only escalating.

Laila still didn’t fully understand what was happening. She seemed to sense something was off, but that was it.

‘And those two remain silent.’

As expected, Arsion and Petro showed no interest in Laila, nor did they seem aware of her situation.

‘This is so different from before.’

Camilla’s mind raced. Should she continue watching without intervening?

In the past, Arsion and Petro had stepped in only after the council resorted to outright violence.

‘Do I wait for that again?’

Would intervening now complicate things unnecessarily?

Everything had resolved itself naturally before. Was it wise to act now?

“Don’t worry! I brought spare clothes. Isn’t that smart of me?”

As Laila cheerfully laughed off her troubles, Camilla’s concerns deepened.

***

“This one’s… unusual.”

Merize, the student council president, chuckled.

“Her reactions are unique.”

“It’s like she doesn’t realize she’s being bullied.”

“Are we going too easy on her?”

Merize’s subordinates shook their heads.

“It’s not that. She’s just particularly thick-skinned. Apparently, she even laughed it off.”

Laila had smiled brightly and cleaned up the mess without complaint.

“Interesting.”

Merize’s smile grew wider.

“The students must be livid.”

“They are.”

Their repeated attempts to humiliate Laila had been met with nothing but cheerful indifference, leaving the bullies frustrated.

“Maybe it’s time for us to personally scare her.”

“…However.”

Merize’s gaze shifted to Vice President Luhith, whose expression showed hesitation.

“This girl seems close to Lady Camilla.”