I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 33

“Do you… know?”

The Crown Princess muttered blankly.

After returning to the dormitory post-class, she had discovered an assassination warning letter.

A mix of irritation, anxiety, and… fear washed over her.

No matter how much of a Crown Princess of the Unified Daehan Empire she was, in the face of the unpredictable fear of death, she was just a single human.

That’s why, disregarding the side effects, she had decided to follow Namgoong Min and press him for answers, but—

“You know everything, don’t you?”

“Is that… because you’re one of the assassins?”

Crack.

Thinking back, that was the only explanation.

From the beginning, his mention of her secret, and even his role as the messenger…

It was all a trap to openly lure her out!

The Crown Princess’s suspicious gaze turned towards Namgoong Min, then into the darkness of the alley surrounding them.

Recalling the moment their hands had briefly touched earlier, Namgoong Min wasn’t physically powerful, but… he had some mysterious skill that he used against Lily White Rose.

Thinking of him made her wary. To divert his attention, she needed to gather her fists—

“No? I’m not!”

“That’s a lie—”

“Why would I be talking so leisurely if it weren’t true?”

“………”

That statement wasn’t wrong.

If this fortuneteller was truly in league with the assassins, logically, he wouldn’t let this opportunity slip.

‘…No, perhaps this is a deliberate ruse to lower my guard and ensure my demise.’

But could that not be intentful behavior too?

The Crown Princess thought…

“Crown Princess.”

“Eek!?”

“You’re suspicious, aren’t you?”

…Only to suddenly let out a small scream at the voice tickling her ears.

The fortuneteller, piercing through her thoughts so effortlessly, was smiling as always.

“I understand. Doubt is like a swamp; once you start, you sink endlessly into it. Just like Liu.”

“…………”

“Doesn’t every word I say seem suspicious to you? My every action, my entire being could be an act, and I may have ulterior motives after all.”

“……….”

His words were too spot-on.

Which is why the Crown Princess couldn’t respond at all.

It felt like every thought of hers was being read by Namgoong Min, sending chills down her spine.

Though she had always been proud, in front of this fortuneteller she felt smaller.

“That’s perfectly normal. It’s only natural.”

“…………”

“But you must trust me.”

“…Why?”

“Because, I am on your side, after all.”

On my side.

As she mulled over that word, the Crown Princess glared at Namgoong Min.

So, he claims to be on my side?

“Then, can you answer my question?”

“Anything.”

“How did you know everything about the assassins?”

That was a question the Crown Princess had.

How on earth does a mere fortuneteller know about the assassins threatening her?

If he was not one of them, how could he possibly know?

Yet Namgoong Min simply continued to smile.

“You know my profession, don’t you?”

“…Fortuneteller.”

“How does a fortuneteller gather information?”

“………No way.”

“Did you read the fortune about it?”

As in, he figured it all out from that?

“Are you mocking me…?”

“What part of me is a mockery?”

“How could you know all that from the fortune telling!?”

The Crown Princess was genuinely furious, shouting at him.

But the fortuneteller remained unchanged. He was still smiling, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“So, is anything else plausible?”

“…Huh?”

“The items in Ms. Liu’s pocket, the prediction from the entrance ceremony, the exit from the maze, how I know your secrets, how I knew the direction from the mountains.”

Namgoong Min spoke as if it were all commonplace, like casually pulling out an object from his pocket.

He said it almost reproachfully, as if scolding the Crown Princess for her seemingly naive questions.

“Do you really think everything is possible through fortune-telling?”

“……….”

That’s—

That’s—

“The answer lies solely in divination, doesn’t it?”

Even though it was endlessly irrational, illogical, and unscientific.

The conclusion was one.

“What do you think, Crown Princess?”

“……….”

“Will you… no, will you believe in me, or rather, in my fortune-telling?”

The Crown Princess thought, and thought again, eventually arriving at a conclusion.

If Namgoong Min truly was an unfathomable existence, capable of gathering all that information through divination…

Then perhaps, he was indeed someone without ulterior motives, stepping forward to assist her.

“…Yes.”

Even if just to not make him an enemy.

She had decided she must take him in as an ally.

“Alright then.”

“Okay… let’s clear things up, I want to hear everything clearly.”

Though many suspicions remained about Namgoong Min, and he was still suspicious,

At least, there was no better choice for her than to trust him at this moment.

Regaining her composure, the Crown Princess gazed steadily at Namgoong Min.

“Who’s the assassin?”

“Hmm, I see.”

If Namgoong Min really knew who the assassin was, then that should take precedence.

However, if he claimed he knew through ‘fortune-telling,’ it did diminish its credibility… but at least so far, this fortuneteller had never been wrong.

Thus, the Crown Princess was inclined to believe his words—

“However, do you really need to know, Crown Princess?”

“──What?”

What was that supposed to mean?

Is there a need to know at all?

“…Can you explain what you mean?”

“What could you do if you knew the assassins, Crown Princess?”

“Ha! Of course, I would…!”

“Catch them? Grab hold of an assassin who hasn’t assassinated anyone yet?”

“……….”

Assassins are such strange criminals.

If they haven’t assassinated someone, then they’re not assassins. What grounds do you have to arrest them, then?

One cannot simply be called an assassin just for wanting to kill a bothersome superior in their mind.

“Ah, the warning letter came, didn’t it? If that’s the justification, I could catch them.”

“But then…”

“As you know, you wouldn’t be able to apprehend the mastermind. The tail will be cut.”

“……….”

“Do you now understand? Why you don’t need to know about them, Crown Princess.”

The Crown Princess had stopped asking how he knew about the assassination warning letter. After all, he would have figured it out through divination.

…Just as Namgoong Min had said, she wanted to know not just about the assassins, but also the one pulling their strings.

Her overtly emotional reaction to the talk of the Crown Prince’s guard was due to that. If someone was using assassins within the Crown Prince’s guard, it was certainly serious business.

Sorting her thoughts, the Crown Princess continued to observe Namgoong Min, who was still speaking.

“Additionally, the assassination is in three days. So, if you were to know the assassins and be wary of them, you might just arouse suspicion.”

“………….”

He knew not only who the assassins were but also the date?

The Crown Princess let out a hollow laugh. It seemed impossible to keep a straight face.

What could this fortuneteller possibly not know? Surely, there must be something, right?

Having already experienced the accuracy of his divination, she knew well of his high hit rate, but.

Even so, it felt necessary to verify it once more right before her, to feel assured. That way, she could trust his words and spend the three days in peace.

Suddenly struck by a curiosity, the Crown Princess picked up a stone from her feet.

“Namgoong Min. Please give me one more chance to trust in your divination.”

“…Huh?”

“Which hand is this stone in?”

Fidget.

Hiding a hand behind her back, she placed the stone into one of her hands and extended both fists towards Namgoong Min.

He was still smiling.

“You said, the assassination is in three days, and if I know the assassin, they could suspect me. But that’s just your divination, isn’t it?”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

“So I want to check your faith in that fortune again. Though this may seem like a trivial question… please trust me.”

If his divination, which seemed to grasp all information, couldn’t solve this much, then it would hint more than just the simple question she had posed.

The Crown Princess couldn’t help but smile at the idea of testing him on such an easy question.

Namgoong Min pondered for a moment before raising his hand with a smile.

The Crown Princess, keeping an eye on his choice—

“No, I was being childish. If I’ve decided to believe, I should believe till the end.”

“……………I’m glad to hear that.”

—She reflected on herself and tossed away the stone she’d been holding in her right hand.

Somehow, Namgoong Min’s hand had seemed to point left, but that must have been just her imagination.

“Alright. If I don’t need to know about the assassins, what will we do next?”

“Ahem, cough cough. Tomorrow, I’ve made an appointment with the Crown Prince. Everything will be sorted out there.”

“…In just one day?”

“Of course. Compared to picking a stone, this isn’t difficult at all.”

“…What a boring joke.”

Did I really give such a simple problem to a person like him?

With Namgoong Min’s bold declaration, the Crown Princess found herself gradually beginning to trust him.

Perhaps it was because he resided in the realm of the illogical that he felt more trustworthy. Knowing that the source of his unwavering confidence was his unchanging divination.

The Crown Princess, who had dominated the palace with her quick wits and intuition, nodded her head.

“I’m anxious, but I leave it to you, Namgoong Min.”

“I will definitely take care of it.”

Thus, the Crown Princess remained oblivious.

…To the fact that the fortuneteller was drenched in cold sweat.