I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 117

Is the holiday truly a holiday?

Rain closed the window as she looked down at the lively streets beyond the royal palace, filled with decorations.

…Yesterday, the conversation in the Crown Princess’s private chamber consisted solely of trivial matters.

There was no mention of Namgoong Min, just ordinary daily stories.

However, Rain found it impossible to speak comfortably.

The more they sat and chatted in the private chamber, the more she was distracted by the abyss yawning beneath them.

‘I should probably tell Crown Prince Namgoong Min.’

Having gathered her thoughts to some extent, Rain took a sip of the prepared tea.

It was quite a good brew, considering it was made by her older brother.

But seeing her older brother—who sat across from her—made it hard for her to give any compliments.

“…What kind of state is that?”

“Don’t even mention it. I thought the bed would be just a bed, but the royal bed is way better than the one back home. It must be an artifact or something.”

“Well, at least you could have done something with your hair.”

“What does it matter? We’re family, after all.”

Family or not, it was just plain unattractive.

Rain sighed as she looked at her silver hair, which was all messy and sticky.

‘He wasn’t always like this.’

How did that cold-blooded meritocrat end up acting so foolishly?

…It was a rather silly thought.

It was she who had changed far more than Lucas had.

“By the way, this is surprising.”

“Huh?”

“I didn’t think we could sit here so comfortably together and drink tea.”

“…That’s true.”

Rain lightly nodded as she caressed the still-warm teacup.

Lucas Arthur and Rain Arthur.

The two siblings of the Arthur Family were, to be frank, not on good terms.

After having seen each other briefly as children, Lucas was sent away under the guise of education, resulting in a lack of familial affection and a mismatch of personalities.

Especially for Rain, who had been dominated by the strong versus the weak, Lucas saw her as nothing more than a detestable existence, a display of mercy reserved only because she was his younger sister.

Even if she begged for help or longed for family bonds, Lucas remained unresponsive.

Though that was ultimately a story from the past.

Because they were family, Lucas and Rain could now toss aside their formalities and speak freely in each other’s presence.

“…How is it, brother?”

“Huh?”

“Am I passable in your eyes now?”

…She was aware that she had grown beyond her past self.

Having broken free from the leash that constrained her, she was beginning to pursue her own individuality.

As evidence, she had taken her father’s arm and carved out a place for herself within the family.

Whenever she caught sight of her father’s mummified arm on display in one corner, a thought flashed through her mind.

Have I truly escaped from all my bindings?

It was just her own thought after all; she wondered if others might see her differently.

‘…Of course, as long as my brother treats me this way, I must have passed in some way.’

If she had still remained in the past, Lucas’s attitude toward her would have been unchanged. But as family, Rain knew him well.

While Lucas seemed to be treating her more comfortably now, she still craved validation from others, not just self-approval.

And that validation would come from Lucas, who had once been a significant wall to her.

“…Wouldn’t you just ask Namgoong Min about that? You like him, right?”

“──Pfft!?”

“If you listen to Namgoong Min, he ought to have confessed to you already and been rejected. Just watching you at the academy is clear as day.”

“Th-that’s….”

“It doesn’t matter. If you’re going to do something, just try it with Liu. I welcome Namgoong Min entering the Arthur Family.”

Seeing Rain’s face turn crimson, Lucas chuckled as he propped his chin on one hand.

Rain shot him a fierce glare, annoyed at the irritating expression he wore.

“Namgoong Min has done enough already, why should I lean on him for this too?”

“Hmm… are you saying you’re embarrassed?”

“…It was him who won in the duel against my father, and it was him who trusted me and freed me from my shackles. If I’ve received this much help from him, I should, at the very least, handle things on my own afterward.”

“Well, if that’s how you put it, Lucas’s answer was preordained.”

For a moment, he recalled his close fortuneteller friend and a certain prince before he began to speak again.

“Of course, you failed.”

“………Huh?”

Failed?

Could it be that I still haven’t escaped from being dominated by the strong over the weak? Was my perception of having broken free just an illusion?

Am I still trapped in my past──

“Given that you’re my younger sister, you’re bound to fail unequivocally.”

“──Huh?”

“Ah, I sometimes find the Crown Prince admirable. How does he manage to get along so well with such a younger sister? Even in the wizard group that I lead, those with younger sisters share this unbearable pain…hey.”

“………….”

“It’s as though I’m seeing a person who’s no more than an overgrown monkey. Hey, have you seen the movie Planet of the Apes? Those monkeys are awfully intelligent; I think you could have a good match with them.”

“…………….”

“If it were a psychic monkey, you could even post it online and make a fortune──”

“Just die.”

“Uh, uh!? Hey! Rain!”

“Die already!!!”

Whack, bang, crash!

As an enraged Rain hurled objects using her telekinesis, Lucas recalled the words of the fortuneteller.

His close friend, and the most skilled fortuneteller of them all, had said:

“Keep Rain close; her mind is bound to be in turmoil.”

‘Well, you seem to have the most complicated mind of all…’

Still, it was true that Rain had been busy within the family during the holiday.

No matter how much her father’s support was there, she had managed to establish her own faction within the Arthur Family, which had begun merely as a means for political marriage.

Perhaps her political skills were superior to his.

‘Rain and Namgoong Min would make a perfect match.’

Can one acquire a capable fortuneteller, an astute adviser in politics, and a friend you can converse freely with all at once?

Stopping the flying chair magically, Lucas smiled.

‘Sorry, Namgoong Min.’

Enter the grave of your life for my sake!

A truly wicked plot crafted by Lucas, but soon he stopped his thoughts.

Once the sofa flew straight into his head, his thinking came to an abrupt stop.

“Die!!!”

“…………….”

It was just Rain who seemed to forget that they were currently within the royal palace, causing a scene.

*

Before long.

The last morning of the Chuseok holiday dawned.

‘Though it was only a few days, it felt like the eye of a storm…’

Remembering the events of the last two days, Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha pressed her forehead.

The royal family’s rude treatment, the collision between the Emperor and the Crown Prince, the explosion in the slums.

She poured cold water on her aching head and headed to the reception room.

They had decided to talk there on the last morning of Chuseok.

Anyone who wished to return could head back to the academy first.

Having resolved to return quickly to finish her assignments since she had nothing else to do, the Crown Princess opened the door to the reception room.

Now, everyone who could gather there was already assembled.

…Which meant there was only one person.

“…Abel, are you alone?”

“…………Yeah….”

“Where are the others?”

“The Crown Prince… is going… somewhere else….”

“I heard about that in advance.”

The clash between the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

It was a significant political and physical incident that could easily split the Daehan Empire, but oddly enough, things seemed quiet now.

Although both had begun to show clear hostility towards each other, they remained silent.

Perhaps it was due to the holiday, or maybe because they would soon return to the academy.

Ever since the first day of the Chuseok holiday, the Emperor and the Crown Prince hadn’t met, and this continued until the day they had to return to the academy.

‘…Kim Ha-neul said she’d come with me.’

Kim Ha-neul.

To be honest, from her perspective, she was a royal that held little relevance. Just someone she could acknowledge as existing.

However, there was no doubt that Kim Ha-neul had caused some sort of incident.

Her older brother, who had previously lacked any interest in Kim Ha-neul, had begun to move.

…Although he hadn’t said anything to her.

‘This is right. I must remain neutral.’

The reason the only one who could spend their days doing nothing during the clash between the Emperor and Crown Prince was that she had long abandoned the competition for the throne.

Supported by the faction led by the oppressive ‘The Oppressor,’ she neither involved herself in any faction nor was involved with any faction.

Though she would publicly support Crown Prince Kim Sung-il, she had to remain silent in formal situations.

So, it made sense why Kim Sung-il hadn’t said anything…

‘…Sigh.’

…Still, feeling a bit lonely was unavoidable.

Resigning herself to this fact, Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha continued speaking.

“So, what about Liu?”

“Liu… went wild in the slums… and is currently… under special treatment….”

“So she’s locked up….”

I heard she went to Namgoong Min’s birthplace, but why on earth did she cause a ruckus…

Although Liu had devastated a third of the slum due to her antics, everything had somehow been smoothed over.

It was on the outskirts of Seoul, and since the destroyed area was closer to the mountains, it didn’t cause any damage to Seoul.

Furthermore, she had thrown money on the citizens who were startled by the sudden loud sounds and flashes under the guise of an apology, so they probably let it slide.

Though she did receive a formal confinement, the reality was she would be heading back to the academy today.

“How about the Saint?”

“…The Saint… is discussing… with the Archbishop… and is going back separately….”

“Ah… the Saint is leaving as well?”

“From what I heard… she’ll stay for one more day….”

“I see.”

Saints are saints; being a Christian saint, she’d likely have matters with the church to attend to.

Now that she was finally in the Daehan Empire, there would be no issue talking with the local clergy.

…However.

“So then….”

“…Rain… messed up the guest room… and was too embarrassed to come out….”

“…And what about Lucas?”

“…He’s hospitalized….”

“Hah….”

No matter how she looked at it, among this group, wasn’t she and the Hero the only ‘normal’ ones?

Still, at least there was the Hero, so it wouldn’t be boring on the return journey──

“…I… haven’t fully… enjoyed the sightseeing yet….”

“…Pardon?”

“I… haven’t seen… the food festival….”

“…Are you saying…”

“I’m going back first… I want to see it… during dinner….”

Life.

The Crown Princess despaired over reality.

*

“Did you find the diary? An unexpected visit from a Rich Tycoon!”

“Truly, the world is joyful like this. It’s amusing because it doesn’t go as expected, and it’s delightful that it doesn’t turn out the way one hopes, and it’s fascinating when unimaginable events occur!”

“Isn’t that so, usurper?”

“…………….”

“You’re too silent, which is problematic. If I approach your brother one more time, will that heavy mouth of yours finally open?”

“…Shut up.”

“Haha! How dare you call me shut up! Such irreverent words, yet in this fallen state, they fit perfectly!”

“………What are you thinking?”

“What am I thinking? What kind of ideas do I have? What kind of imagination do I possess?”

“You were the one who told me to interfere as little with reality as possible.”

“Ha ha, I merely shared some tips for managing the world as an elder. Tips can be obeyed or ignored, depending on one’s choice. If one can bear the consequences, that is!”

“And that’s why the crack has grown deeper? It feels like it could shatter at just a light touch.”

“Oh! Are you not aware that you must be cautious even with the slightest gesture in your current state? This is why usurpers are treacherous, tsk tsk.”

“………….”

“However, what you just said is indeed correct.”

“……….”

“To think that merely conveying ‘words’ could lead to this level of chaos? It’s quite a poignant reminder, isn’t it? Yet, it brings me joy.”

“…………….”

“Even rulers of men are, in the end, mere creatures.”

“…Disgusting, huh.”

“Oh, there you go. You still bear the effects of having traversed time and speak so freely. Is this the worry of a younger sister for her older brother? Truly heart-wrenching.”

“………….”

“Well then, just watch from afar… Ah, there they are.”

“My Saint, my telephone, my receiver, my loudspeaker.”

“Your deity speaks to you.”

“Properly fulfill your duties.”

“Persecute the fortunetellers, oppress the fortunetellers, kill the fortunetellers.”

“Exterminate the heretics! Seize the diary!”

“If possible, of course. Hahaha!!”