I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 124

……My body feels heavy.

I feel lethargic, tired, as if I’m sinking.

It’s like I’m sinking underwater, letting that strange yet comforting sensation envelop me.

At some point.

She realized that her back was touching something.

“………Ah.”

And then, she opened her eyes.

What came into view was just an ordinary, mundane room.

She, Kim Eun-ha, was lying on the bed there.

“I… was sleeping.”

Her memory is hazy.

She distinctly remembers that everyone had entered <Dream Within a Dream> together.

Due to Namgoong Min falling asleep faster than expected, she leaned on the hero instead of the psychic and rich tycoon.

So their lucid dreams must have connected…

“………….”

…But she hardly remembers anything.

No matter how vivid the memories seem in dreams, they all disappear upon waking.

It feels like they had shared some kind of important conversation, yet she can’t grasp any details.

“Haah…”

I hope I didn’t say anything weird in the lucid dream.

Like a drunk person, worried they did something absurd while blackout drunk.

Kim Eun-ha was also worried about being a burden to Namgoong Min or doing something strange.

‘It’s just a hero…’

They aren’t that close, and even in a lucid dream, they wouldn’t particularly engage in conversation.

Thus, the Crown Princess’s worries were solely focused on the fortuneteller.

But it wasn’t a major concern.

Because she had a lingering feeling unconsciously.

‘It was… quite refreshing.’

In her faint memory, there was a sensation of euphoria, as if her insides had cleared up completely.

It seems she enjoyed herself quite a bit in the lucid dream, so it’s unlikely she did anything strange to Namgoong Min.

…Still, just staying still only complicates her thoughts, so it would be better to ask Namgoong Min directly—

“Crown Princess? Are you awake?”

“──Kyaah!?”

“…Kyaah?”

“W-What’s going on?”

Just as she resolved to find Namgoong Min, he walked in, making her let out a small scream.

Even though she had finally made up her mind, the fact that Namgoong Min came looking for her makes her anxious.

‘He didn’t really say anything weird, did he??’

But if nothing had happened, would Namgoong Min really need to come find her first?

Unlike the psychic or rich tycoon, who had never approached her first?

What could be the purpose…?

“Crown Princess, I apologize for coming to you right after you just awoke, but…”

“Uh, yes? What is it?”

“Would you like to sleep with me again?”

“………Eh?”

Thump.

Is it just her imagination?

That line from Namgoong Min…

Due to some still-unknown feelings.

Her heart… seems to be racing.

*

Consent was obtained from Scarlet Redfield.

After explaining the strange happenings inside <Dream Within a Dream>, he casually granted permission for her to enter for further investigation.

However, there are still risks involved, so the time granted is a mere 10 minutes. After that, he would forcibly wake her up and take her away, just as before.

‘I left out the Crown Princess’s story, but well…’

When I explained that a fake version of me had caused chaos, he seemed to roughly comprehend.

Why he was looking at me so intently while nodding, I have no idea.

Though I heard him say to speak and act moving forward!

Anyway, since there were no victims, and after we exited, there had been others who entered but no unusual findings were reported.

While I labeled the academy a fake, I also had to consider the existence of another me…

…And I need to resolve Kim Eun-ha’s issues as soon as possible.

[Character Event: <The Infamous Stigma> – Kim Eun-ha

Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha was born blessed but ended up causing her mother’s death due to <Desire to Kill>.

That fact is a shackle that will follow her for life, and Kim Eun-ha desperately tries to forget it.

Because if she doesn’t, all that remains is pain.

However, she does not realize that her <Desire to Kill> and her mother’s death are all not her fault.

Despite having killed someone through her own violence, she’s a paradoxical princess unafraid to use violence.

She knows that if she doesn’t periodically use violence, she could go insane, which is why she does not hesitate to swing her fists. But what lies beneath?

There is a shadowy figure that has made her this way. Someone who has intentionally pushed a life into a pit.

You are the only one who can unveil it.

Event Objective: Enter the Underground Prison of the Crown Princess Palace (Once the objective is achieved, the next one will be unlocked!)

Remaining Time: ???

Caution!: This event requires high combat power. A fortuneteller alone can’t manage, so gather companions!

Completion Reward: Max Favorability with Kim Eun-ha, Max Favorability with the Royal Family, Gain General Skill <Absolute Power>]

My first character event, <The Infamous Stigma>.

I had hesitated due to the difficulty, but now there’s a reason to clear it.

No need to dawdle, it’s best to move swiftly.

This was part of that.

“…Hey, are you really going in, fortuneteller?”

“Of course, Liu.”

“They say a fake version of you came out from inside; doesn’t that sound eerie? And you’re going in, alone with the Crown Princess?”

“I won’t do anything you think is inappropriate, Liu.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“…Take care, Namgoong Min.”

“You wicked girl! You…!!”

“Did you forget the promise we made, Liu?”

“………Damn it. Do we really have to go just the two of us?”

“Yes.”

“Be sure to come back; I don’t want to be a widow.”

Despite grumbling, Liu hands me various artifacts, while Rain smiles at me, showing that she believes in me.

With their send-off, I enter <Dream Within a Dream> along with the Crown Princess.

Of course, she was still in a daze.

“…Namgoong Min, what on earth happened in the lucid dream?”

“I have a lot to say. For now, let’s sleep together, and once everything is settled, I’ll explain everything.”

I calm down Kim Eun-ha, who is anxious about her forgetfulness, and close my eyes in the dream.

A space where rainbow colors ripple and the concepts of up, down, left, and right dissolve.

Inside, I pulled the Crown Princess into my embrace.

‘This should be enough.’

For some reason, I could only pray that she would not swing her fists at me as she trembled slightly.

Just don’t kill me, okay?

With her face flushed crimson, Kim Eun-ha let out a quiet breath and leaned her face against my chest.

“…What is happening?”

“This time, we’re right here.”

When I opened my eyes, I was in the Underground Prison.

And before me stood Kim Eun-ha, dressed in a blood-red crown and black attire.

Her face and voice were the same as before she had fallen asleep.

However, to prove that this was a dream, her clothes and the blood tears remained unchanged.

“The Crown Princess Palace and the young me… It serves as a sort of defense mechanism.”

“A defense mechanism, you say.”

“This Underground Prison is the deepest truth residing in my heart. That’s why I block anyone from coming here. But for you, I want to express only my true feelings, which is why we came here.”

“I’m honored.”

“…So, why did you fall back into this lucid dream again? I expected you to avoid it.”

Though she was flustered, she soon smiled sadly again.

I couldn’t say anything when we met last time, but after seeing her a second time, I became accustomed to her change in personality.

After all, it’s a scene I’ve seen in the game, albeit a bit different.

“You said you wanted to kill me.”

“That’s right; it’s my true feelings.”

“Then why not go ahead and try?”

“…Are you mocking me? I can’t kill you due to my contract with <The Mediator>. And I decided to deal with that after seeing you in reality…”

“That’s not true.”

“………Huh?”

“You’re afraid, aren’t you?”

I stepped closer to Kim Eun-ha, who was crying blood.

She smiled as if asking what I was talking about.

“I mean fear of loss.”

“……….”

“Death row inmates are treated as if they’re already dead, so that’s one thing, but don’t you remember what you realized after killing your mother?”

“When someone dies, they don’t come back.”

Having learned that, Kim Eun-ha accepted the shackles and seals placed upon her.

Because she knew she could never meet her mother again, and that the reason was herself.

“And there’s something else you’re afraid of.”

“…Is there more?”

“Yourself, Crown Princess.”

“………….”

Yesterday, I considered her <Desire to Kill> to be akin to being born without limbs.

However, there was something I overlooked.

Disabilities are recognized through the eyes of others, leading one to self-awareness.

If everyone in the world was born without limbs, then that would be normal, but since that isn’t the case…

Naturally, as she grew, the Crown Princess would have come to realize that she was abnormal.

That’s why, despite being surrounded by her parents and prisoners, she remained happy.

Because even someone who was abnormal like her had people who loved her.

It was just…

She was only in pain because she had shattered that love with her own hands.

“Fear of loss, and fear of your own self.”

“……….”

“Violence is fundamental to you, yet it’s also something to be feared.”

That’s why Kim Eun-ha lives a paradoxical life.

She wields violence without hesitation while also being afraid of it.

I recalled the entrance ceremony day.

‘The Crown Princess was apart from those who break the walls.’

That was an action born from the fear of violence stemming from her loss of her mother.

But at the same time, she approached me.

It was because of the violence that was fundamentally part of her. She must have sensed that I wanted her violence to break down the walls of the maze.

In a way, she’s far more complicated and dual-natured than Liu or Rain.

That is Kim Eun-ha, which is why I maintained my friendship with her while not actively seeking her out.

It’s just that it was time to face what I had been avoiding until now.

“…So?”

“Crown Princess.”

“Are you here to chastise me for being a contradiction, for coming here to drill into my soul? The contradiction that has existed since the moment I was born?”

Drop.

Blood tears fell.

Whose are those blood tears, those crimson crowns, and the blood-stained cloak?

At the very least, they don’t belong to her.

They must be the guilt towards her mother.

Dressed in the black attire of mourning, she bears the blood of her mother.

That was the essence of Kim Eun-ha, deeply buried within, embodied in the lucid dream.

The Crown Princess was smiling.

Yet, at the same time, she was becoming more agitated.

“After all, you too.”

“……….”

“Is it that you cannot accept my true feelings…?”

Accepting her true feelings means she wants to die.

Is there anyone in the world who wants to die?

Of course, Kim Eun-ha knows that well.

Yet, she still yearns for love. She desires the love she killed with her own hands.

Lack, and the desire for ownership.

The lack of affection and the desire to possess someone even if it means killing them.

Kim Eun-ha is someone who embodies both.

“When the assassination incident had ended, you told me to trust only you.”

“……….”

“You said that while knowing everything about me, so wasn’t that an invitation to accept me?”

“……….”

“That’s why I endured. I wished for your love, I wanted to possess it, but I held back. Because that would mean killing you. Once I obtained your love, loss would follow.”

“………….”

“And… just simply being told you would accept me was sufficient. But, but…”

──You too, will eventually leave me.

As she slightly lowered her head, wearing a face that was unclear whether she was smiling or weeping.

I opened my mouth.

“Crown Princess, you must listen to the end.”

“………Huh?”

“Why would I leave you? Didn’t I tell you to trust only me?”

That’s right; Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha is a contradictory being. The one who knows that best is me.

But her contradictions were not of her own making.

It was more akin to a wicked prank.

‘The one who gave Kim Eun-ha <Desire to Kill> and led her to kill her mother was the true culprit.’

Since her past has changed, naturally, the true culprit may differ from what I know.

However, I had some suspects in mind.

But right now, that’s not what’s important.

“I will save you.”

“…………What?”

“So once again, I will say.”

I looked Kim Eun-ha squarely in the eyes.

The one who sheds blood tears of guilt, bearing the blood and death of her mother.

“Only trust me.”

“………….”

“All those things, the <Desire to Kill>, loss, fear, death, and love, I will solve them all for you.”

Grgrgrgrgrgr──

I heard a familiar sound. It indicated that the promised 10 minutes had passed.

While I surrendered my body to the rift pulling me away.

I stared directly at the stunned Kim Eun-ha.

Without turning away, avoiding her, or shying away,

I declared that I would resolve all her contradictions.

“Please wait just a moment.”

“………….”

For a moment, there was no response.

Then, the kim Eun-ha in her regal demeanor began to fidget with her fingers, caressing her own hair unnecessarily before trembling slightly.

And finally.

With a smile, she waved her hand gently.

“………Okay, I’ll trust and wait for you.”

That was her farewell to me.