I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 128

“………Your Highness the Crown Princess?”

“Speak.”

“Could it be that you, Your Highness, know the Fortuneteller…?”

“What do you mean by Fortuneteller?”

“Oh, it’s nothing! It’s just that this is my first time being alone with you, Your Highness…”

“You’re rambling. How many people do you think can be alone with me?”

“Haha, yes, I suppose you’re right…”

“Just…”

“…Your Highness?”

“You mentioned the Fortuneteller earlier.”

“That was… a slip of the tongue! You can just ignore it!”

“No. At the very least, I think I can say a word.”

“Y-yes…”

“Don’t play tricks on that person.”

“……….”

“Don’t get me wrong, this is──”

“──A warning for your own good.”

*

I had made a decision.

‘I cannot tell His Majesty.’

It would be a grave sin not to report such an important matter in service of the Emperor, but it had happened six years ago.

A major incident where one of His Majesty’s concubines conspired with a relative to assassinate him.

Fortunately, despite the scale of the incident, the matter was handled relatively quietly without spreading to the public, but at that time, His Majesty’s response was truly frightening.

‘Once again, a bloody storm may blow through the royal family.’

And when I think of how that bloody storm involved The Oppressor and how he had dragged the Shadows into it…

… I absolutely must maintain silence.

Then, what should I do?

It was said that the action would take place tomorrow night. Even if I were to meet The Oppressor now, it would be too late.

If I was going to make a decision, and if I was going to act, it had to be immediately.

The Captain, who had been deep in thought, nodded.

“Lieutenant Namgoong Min.”

“Speak.”

“Convey to The Oppressor… that I will follow his wishes. However, the blood price from six years ago must be paid separately.”

“……Understood.”

Tomorrow night. The timing was far too early.

If I had just two more days, I could have sent someone to The Oppressor, but even securing the safety of His Majesty now wouldn’t guarantee peace by tomorrow night.

And obviously, if His Majesty were to leave the royal palace at this late hour… he would undoubtedly be noticed by the seven ministers preparing for the assassination.

By tomorrow morning at the latest, we have to move as naturally as possible.

Before tomorrow night, before The Oppressor ambushes the seven ministers.

“……Ah, there’s one thing I’d like to ask.”

“Please, feel free to ask.”

“Was the Emperor’s foresight… off the mark?”

“………Yes. It seems so.”

“Is that so… understood.”

The fact that the foresight was off the mark.

I wonder what kind of impact that will have on the Captain’s state of mind.

“Then I shall return now.”

“Very well. Make sure to convey a clear reply to The Oppressor.”

“Leave it to me, loyalty!”

“……….”

The Captain continued to salute sharply as he watched Lieutenant Namgoong Min walk towards the side entrance of the royal palace.

Soon, Lieutenant Namgoong Min seemed to finish his stroll and encountered Your Highness the Crown Princess and Shadow Jang Min-ji, engaging in conversation before entering the royal palace together.

Shadow Jang Min-ji, looking somewhat flustered, rushed over to the Captain.

“Captain, what happened?”

“……Details later. For now, we have a priority target.”

“Target? What do you mean…?”

“I plan to escort His Majesty to safety by tomorrow morning. The royal palace will be noisy for a while.”

“……!! Understood. Then I will return to my post….”

“………No.”

“Captain?”

“Shadow Jang Min-ji, you will… follow The Oppressor.”

“Excuse me? You mean the Oppressor Commissioner?”

“Yes, even if you get caught, say it was my orders. Make sure to report if there are any unusual occurrences.”

“Understood!”

“………….”

I can only hope.

I just wish all these worries turn out to be unnecessary.

*

“…That was reckless, Namgoong Min.”

“But it worked, right?”

“That’s not something to take lightly! I could have really lost my head just now…!”

In a secluded corridor on the outskirts of the royal palace, which even servants rarely used, the Crown Princess chastised Namgoong Min, who was grinning shamelessly.

This Fortuneteller seemed blissfully unaware just how dangerous the situation had been moments ago.

“The Shadows are allowed to kill if necessary. To deceive such individuals head-on…”

“The high-level training speaks for itself.”

“…You do know you’re only obliged to follow my father’s orders, right?”

“To be precise, I’m bound to follow the Emperor’s commands.”

“What’s the difference?”

“It’s quite clear. It means that even if it comes through someone else, it’s still the Emperor’s command.”

If the Shadows were to only follow commands directly given by the Emperor, then this kind of deception would have been impossible.

No matter how many lies I told, they wouldn’t move, and they could simply check with the Emperor.

However, they do accept commands in the form of ‘agents’ or ‘writs.’

That’s where the gap appears. Well, organizational flaws are a given.

“But then, if I had messed up, I would have been executed for dishonoring the royal family. No matter how much I’m the Crown Princess, I can’t stop the Shadows.”

“Um, Your Highness. Can I ask you something?”

“…What is it?”

“When deceiving others, what do you think is the first thing to consider?”

“……….”

The first thing to consider when deceiving others?

That would be…

“…Mixing truth within the lies?”

“Oh, you understand something very important.”

“It’s just something I learned from a certain Fortuneteller.”

“That’s an excellent answer, but there’s something you should consider even before that.”

“What could it be?”

“When deceiving someone, you must also be prepared to handle the risks of being caught.”

Just like the adage, a hunter must also be ready to be hunted.

A deceiver, a scammer, or a Fortuneteller must be prepared for their lies to be uncovered.

You can mislead others as if your lies were the truth, but in the end, a lie is simply a lie.

As if I were deceiving everyone into thinking my fortunes were genuine.

“When it comes to deceiving the Shadows, if successful, I could enter the royal palace without a hitch and cause discord among them, but if I fail, the price will be my life.”

“……….”

“I’m fully aware of that. I came here accepting that risk.”

“…For me?”

“In a way, it’s for myself as well. If this goes well, wouldn’t the Crown Prince or Crown Princess give me a favor?”

“………….”

At least regarding character events, I had never once approached them without risking my life.

If I had mishandled Liu, I would have been in deep trouble.

When dividing up Eileen and the Saint, I nearly ended up dead due to my Job Skills.

And in the duel as Rain’s substitute, I could have died at Hector’s hands.

And with Kim Eun-ha, I was putting my life on the line from the very start.

‘If I could bypass events that normally require numerous game overs…’

It was also because I knew them well.

Or perhaps it was because I charged into everything without a second thought.

I only have one chance, and it’s only natural to give it my all.

Well, it’s an idea made possible because I have succeeded so far.

“In the end, results matter. If I can enter the royal palace safely, isn’t that enough?”

“……That’s true.”

“But don’t you find it curious?”

“Excuse me?”

“How I know about the Shadows, The Oppressor, and the incident from six years ago… and how I’m acting on that knowledge.”

“……You say interesting things, Namgoong Min.”

“……….”

“I’ve already decided to trust you, and there’s no way that decision will waver now. Most importantly…”

“Most importantly?”

“It’s foolish to ask a Fortuneteller how they know something.”

“…Haha, yes, you’re right.”

Just as it would be ridiculous to ask a Fortuneteller how they know the future.

As if it were a common thing for a Fortuneteller to know my past.

The Crown Princess was saying it was okay because I was a <Fortuneteller>.

“Maybe, Your Highness knows more about Fortunetellers than I do.”

“Just empty words.”

“……Well, is it really just empty words?”

“Enough with the nonsense. Where do we go now? Straight to the Crown Princess Palace…?”

“We will, but first, I need to stop somewhere.”

“A place to go…? Is there someone you know inside the royal palace?”

“Someone you’ll get to know now.”

“………?”

*

Knock, knock.

“……Come in.”

A late-night knock.

Only the knock echoed, with no announcement of who it was, which could have been quite rude considering his status, yet the old man reviewing documents granted entry with a heavy voice.

Creeeak.

The simply designed door opened, and a person stepped into a room illuminated by only a single lamp.

He bowed as soon as he saw the old man who relied on the lamp light to read his paperwork.

“I, a humble Shadow, wish to see The Oppressor Commissioner.”

“Skip the unnecessary remarks and come closer.”

“Yes.”

Tread.

Following the old man’s indifferent gesture, he approached the neatly arranged desk and bowed again.

Only then did the old man lift his head to confirm the visitor’s identity. The Oppressor then returned to examining the documents.

“What business does the Shadow have?”

“I’ve come to convey the Captain’s words.”

“Ah, I misspoke. What business does a fake pretending to be a Shadow have?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your face, voice, mannerisms, physique… none of them match the Shadows I know. No matter how much a <Actor> disguises themselves, there’s always a limit.”

“………….”

“How you managed to arrive safely here is interesting, so if you have something to say, go ahead. I’ll listen.”

Rustle, rustle.

Saying that, The Oppressor casually waved the papers in his hand.

Recognizing that he had just been pointed out as a fake, he opened his mouth in acknowledgment.

“On the first day of the Chuseok festival, didn’t you speak with His Majesty the Emperor?”

“His Majesty and I have a close relationship.”

“Even so, would the Rich Tycoon discuss the plight of the poor?”

“…….”

“And didn’t you receive a list of our people right then and there?”

“……I was mistaken. Rather than saying you pretend to be a Shadow—”

“──You are an extreme risk factor.”

The moment the words left The Oppressor’s lips, the room fell silent.

Previously, the only sounds were the wind, the rustling of documents, and the breaths of the two men, but now, they became eerily quiet, almost uncomfortable.

“……….”

No, it wasn’t just the sound that disappeared.

The visual began to warp slightly, turning to pitch darkness.

My nostrils were suffocating, and it became hard to breathe.

My tongue shrank, making it impossible to even move.

Though I could feel temperature or wind through my skin, it felt as if all my skin had been peeled away, leaving me empty.

All five senses were oppressed, and everything was under The Oppressor’s control.

It was not only that, but my heartbeat, muscle movements, lies, pupil changes, and blood flow were all laid bare to The Oppressor.

A person was being dismantled meticulously, with every single piece on display.

That was the power that allowed him, despite being older than other Commissioners, to remain in his position.

“I’ll loosen your tongue a bit; being completely mute won’t do. Now, go ahead and say something.”

“………….”

“You can say whatever you wish, just hurry.”

“…Then let me speak.”

At a time when all my sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell were dancing according to The Oppressor’s will, I could only move my tongue enough to barely continue speaking.

“The Captain… plans to escort His Majesty and flee the royal palace.”

“……What?”

“The operation is set for tomorrow morning. It’s been said that all Shadows will accompany His Majesty outside the palace.”

“What’s the reason?”

“The Captain received information from a certain informant. Given the recent unrest within the royal family, the situation from six years ago could repeat itself.”

“………….”

“The Captain, worried about him…”

“Is he trying to take preemptive action?”

Creeeak.

With a grip that could crush a pen, The Oppressor’s voice turned low and intense.

He truly was a foolish, dimwitted individual.

In such an important situation, he would move like that to find his own escape?

‘Does he truly wish to repeat the events of six years ago?’

He knows well. That it was The Oppressor himself who had drawn the Shadows in six years prior.

Because of that, all Shadows except for the Captain died, along with the Captain’s old mother and younger brother.

Yet, was that just some trivial pain?

That he merely lost all family and subordinates?

“What must be prioritized, no matter the situation, is His Majesty!!”

Even if three of his family lines were extinguished, or his entire clan eradicated, it should always be His Majesty above all.

Is he truly planning to threaten and abduct such a person?!

Did he think he could preserve his own life by doing such a thing?

It had always been bothersome, but I had spared his life for the Emperor’s sake…!

“……To disclose all this, is quite an achievement.”

“That was just my obligation.”

“But it’s also clear that among the Shadows I know, you aren’t one of them.”

“……Indeed.”

“Of course, now that I’ve heard what you said, I don’t care who you are. What you conveyed is undoubtedly the truth.”

The special skill <Suppression>.

The ability to manipulate the senses of a target at will and potentially eliminate them completely.

It is without a doubt a powerful skill, but the price paid is equally clear, and it’s assuredly useful for either combat or other purposes.

Especially so in moments such as this.

When having a conversation with someone.

‘There are no lies, only truth.’

<Suppression> ensures that the target cannot lie.

To be precise, the lie won’t reach The Oppressor.

Through <Suppression>, he could tell if the other was speaking truth or lies.

There were those who occasionally tried to counter this skill by manipulating their minds to believe the lies were truths, but that would be futile.

The designation of ‘special skill’ is not merely for show.

‘…It is indeed truth.’

Absolute lies can be discerned through <Suppression>.

If someone were to declare, ‘A will become B,’ no matter how they sincerely believed it to be true, <Suppression> would identify it as a lie.

The criteria for judgment, the rationale, and the method are all mysteries to The Oppressor.

Regardless, the judgment remains absolute.

Therefore, there was no need to interrogate the man who claimed to be a Shadow.

Once the information was judged as true, there was no hesitation to be had.

“The operation is supposed to be tomorrow morning, you said.”

“Yes.”

“Then it’s only right to move first. You should go to a safe place.”

“I apologize, but may I safely go to the Crown Princess Palace?”

“The Crown Princess Palace?………Ha, so you’re one of the Crown Prince’s people. Trying to incite discord between me and the Shadows or His Majesty’s faction, are you?”

“…Yes, that is correct.”

Special skill <Suppression> judgment.

Judgment result: ‘Being one of the Crown Prince’s people,’ ‘Inducing discord’ are both truths.

“I see. Well, that doesn’t bother me. The most terrifying thing is the enemy within, and you’ve even provided the justification to deal with the troublesome ones. I should actually be thankful to you.”

“Thank you.”

“I promise that even if the Crown Prince loses in the conflict with His Majesty, I will still save you. Just stay safely in the Crown Princess Palace.”

“In that case, I will head straight to the Crown Princess Palace.”

Special skill <Suppression> judgment.

Judgment result: ‘Going to the Crown Princess Palace’ is true.

“Good. Make sure to hide well.”

The Oppressor smiled satisfyingly, and the man who had shared the information also smiled.

Now.

Everything is prepared.