I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 97

“Well… Anyway.”

For a moment, Liu Yan gazed at Namgoong Min with the eyes of a predator before shifting the topic.

There was still quite a bit of time left before the “showcase” was completed, and she didn’t want to arouse suspicion from this oddly intuitive fortuneteller.

Liu examined again the “Art of Conversation” that Namgoong Min provided, resting her chin on her hand.

“I still don’t know who the culprit is.”

“Hmm…”

“There are testimonies saying that the blonde idiot, the fat idiot, and the phone idiot all did strange things, but that’s about it. There’s no mention of anyone actually going into the control room, and there are no other pieces of evidence, so here we are.”

“Then what should we do?”

“What do you mean what should we do? We have to interrogate the remaining distant royal family…”

…Huh? Wait a second.

This fortuneteller’s way of speaking is a bit… strange.

Recalling the “Art of Conversation,” Liu scrutinized Namgoong Min, who was still smiling.

“Hey, you.”

“Yes?”

“Do you know who the culprit is…?”

It felt like a very vague notion. A kind of uncertain intuition.

Had she not just heard and read Namgoong Min’s conversational skills, she wouldn’t even have thought of that assumption.

But…

“Um…”

“Hey, fortuneteller?”

“You catch on quickly, don’t you? That’s right.”

…Oh.

Really?

“Are you saying… it’s true?”

“Isn’t that why you were suspicious in the first place?”

“Oh, no, but! So you do know who the culprit is? Then you should have said so earlier!”

“Haha, I only found out just after our conversation ended. I don’t have any physical evidence either, though.”

“That means…”

“It means I have a gut feeling about it.”

“…Huh.”

Is this guy messing around with me?

Liu, who had considered herself quite clever, felt utterly outmatched against this devilish-tongued fortuneteller.

As if sensing her ill disposition, Namgoong Min waved his hands with a smile.

“Don’t misunderstand too much. I just know information that you don’t.”

“…Misunderstand? What misunderstanding?”

“You just compared my brain to Liu’s, didn’t you? I merely have a bit of expertise in reading people’s minds.”

“How do you know that…?”

Is there a skill among his that reads minds? Is he perhaps some hidden second <Saint> or something?

…No, I believed only a select few <Saints> could read minds.

In any case…

What’s important is something else.

“So, who is the culprit? Let’s resolve this quickly.”

“Right. Um… First, could any of the three seniors I talked to be the culprit?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Oh, you sound sure?”

While this also lacked concrete evidence, the prior conversation and gut feelings were sufficient grounds for her belief.

“The trio of idiots all pointed fingers at each other. Usually, when it lines up so perfectly, it means they coordinated amongst themselves… But looking at those idiots, it seemed more like they would try to frame someone else rather than be in cahoots, so no go.”

“And then?”

“For instance, the blonde idiot suspected the phone idiot. They said he was loitering near the control room, right? If that was a genuinely suspicious behavior, the fat one would have said something too.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Okay, let’s say one of them might not have seen anything. But there’s not a single overlapping testimony among the three? They probably just inflated ordinary behavior in an unusual situation.”

Just a regular passerby wearing a hat and carrying a bag could suddenly seem suspect if they hear talk of a terror attack or a murder nearby.

The three of them are getting too suspicious over something trivial.

…She couldn’t say it, but Liu had experienced it a few times herself.

“This could change if physical evidence emerges, but considering that, I still don’t think those idiots are the culprits.”

“Is that so?”

“Those idiots are under Crown Princess Kim Ha-neul. Unless there’s an internal enemy who’s trying to take down Kim Ha-neul, would they pull something like that while she’s around? They might try to eliminate someone else when they’re alone, sure.”

Assassinations and plots among subordinates occur when the king isn’t present; if Kim Ha-neul is right there with her eyes wide open, there’s no way any incompetent would do something like that.

It would simply be absurd for someone so inept to orchestrate a mystery of this level.

In every regard, the third-year trio falls out of suspicion.

“Then… who could the culprit be?”

“…And that’s the problem. The only remaining suspect is Crown Princess Kim Ha-neul, but there’s no reason for her to do such a thing…”

Knock. Knock.

“First, please stay inside for a moment.”

“…Understood.”

Lowering her voice at the sound of the knock, Liu trotted off to the restroom and locked the door.

She pulled out the “Art of Conversation” she had carefully kept, but all that was written were the three third-years.

There was nothing about the person entering now.

Creak.

“Junior?”

“Oh, Crown Princess Kim Ha-neul. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“…You don’t have to be so formal. There are actual Crown Princes and Princesses in our cohort too.”

“Even so, as a citizen of the Daehan Empire, I believe it’s only natural to show respect to the imperial princess. Especially since it’s just the two of us here.”

“Thanks for saying that. Have a seat.”

“Yes.”

“So… what do you want to ask?”

“Oh, I have a simple question for Crown Princess Kim Ha-neul.”

“What is it?”

“Do you know who the culprit in this incident is?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Just as it sounds. I also know who the culprit is, but it seems it’s a tricky situation that you also know about…”

“And?”

“Please coordinate your words with me. Other seniors will take whatever you say as gospel.”

“That’s quite a blunt statement. But… do you really know something?”

“I marvel at your information network, Crown Princess Kim Ha-neul. Considering the recent events, I’m impressed you’re aware.”

“…I’m sure I know something. So, how are you going to phrase it?”

“I suggest we make it a simple incident. Isn’t that the easiest way?”

“What about the captain and co-pilot? How will we gloss over that?”

“Why do you think I mentioned the son of an airline president?”

“…Alright. Let’s go with that.”

“I appreciate your graciousness, Your Highness.”

“Haha, no need for such formalities. So… send my regards to the Crown Prince.”

“What should I tell him?”

“…Tell him I got a big hit thanks to my fortuneteller friend. I want to meet that amazing fortuneteller as well.”

“I’ll definitely deliver that.”

“…Okay.”

Creak.

The door opened.

Creak.

The bathroom door opened too.

“……….”

With a bewildered expression, Liu came out and looked at the smiling fortuneteller as if nothing had happened.

She finally spoke, as if she couldn’t hold it back.

“…It was that kid? That loser?”

“Yes.”

“That loser was… the culprit?”

*

Things became complicated, drastically.

Since I couldn’t stop in the middle, business continued, but…

When I heard that the Rich Tycoon broke down the control room door to enter, my heart sank, despite everything.

Fortunately, while the suspicious figures were interviewing the third-years, I managed to hastily contact the airline company to wrap things up as just an incident…

“…So you mean the captain and co-pilot couldn’t board?”

“Is that true?”

“I just received word from the airline. They said they were busy preparing the plane due to the academy’s request, and they were rather clumsy with it. They didn’t even manage to pack the parachutes…”

“W-wait, then that broadcast?”

“It’s an automatic warning phrase that comes up when something suspicious is detected. The detection was due to a mechanical error.”

“No, can a plane fly without a captain and co-pilot?”

“These days, the autopilot systems are very well-equipped. Of course, it’s impossible to entrust the takeoff and landing entirely to the machines… but it seems we were quite lucky.”

“Luck, huh?”

“At least we didn’t crash while landing, did we?”

“……….”

“Then how do we land?”

“The academy is going to control it remotely.”

“……That’s way too careless, does that really—“

“I get it.”

“Y-your Highness?”

“The airline and academy say so, and what can we do about it? I will complain later, but everything is solved now, right?”

“Y-yes, that’s true!”

“Exactly.”

“Truly, your Highness…!”

“If you understand, just rest until we arrive. You first-years have had a hard time.”

…Was Crown Princess Kim Ha-neul always this casual? I thought she must at least know how to verify things, yet she feels so different from the information I knew.

She might be trying to deceive us, but if that were the case, the backlash she’d face would be immense, so it can’t be some trick.

Was she simply just fatigued? I need to remember that—

“Oh, do you have a moment?”

“—N-Namgoong Min? What’s the matter?”

“I realized you’re the only one I haven’t talked to yet… since I need to write an incident report at the academy anyway, could you spare a moment?”

“Ah, okay… yes.”

Click.

The cabin crew’s door closed, and Namgoong Min sat across from her.

It was a conversation they had to have anyway, and since he was a suspicious figure, she’d just have to pretend to get along.

As she sat down, the smiling fortuneteller opened his mouth with a cheerful expression.

“Oh, I have one question.”

“Uh, what is it?”

“Is this the Crown Prince’s order? Or is this your own idea?”

Her heart sank.

“…W-why is the Crown Prince suddenly coming up…?”

“Hey, why act coy among those who already know. Didn’t we meet last time on the top floor of the Daehan Empire’s royal residence?”

“……….”

“At first, I wondered why the new close aide to the Crown Prince was here… but since I was told you were the son of an airline president, I just went along with it.”

“W-well, we were supposed to be at the entrance ceremony…”

“You entered after the reshuffle, and you were only a student in name, right? You weren’t even at the ceremony. Stop this pretense and let’s be straightforward. You know how things are between me and the Crown Prince.”

“…Is that so.”

If he was saying this much, then there was evidently no way to escape.

Using the <Actor>‘s job skill <Actor Search>, he’d confirmed there was no one else in the cabin crew room, and Liu let down her disguise.

Creeeek, creak.

Her small stature grew taller, her physique shifted, and muscles formed on her body.

Her previously hunched back straightened, and soon the image of a boy vanished, replaced by a young man in his twenties at the seat.

“Oh, that’s the same appearance I saw back then.”

“…If you don’t mind me asking, how did you see through my disguise?”

“Well, being a fortuneteller, I might have read a few signs.”

“……….”

Truly, this must be someone the Crown Prince could build connections with.

A highly perceptive individual breaking the mold of the <Fortuneteller> job, someone who could hold conversation with us, the closest aides, as if we didn’t exist.

He truly is a suspicious figure.

“So to answer your earlier question, it’s a command from the Crown Prince.”

“Well, of course. He wouldn’t act independently after the reshuffle where all the former aides were replaced.”

“…That’s right.”

The assassination warning incident towards Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha.

The old Crown Prince’s aides had unilaterally carried out their schemes to sideline the potentially competitive Kim Eun-ha, but… it ended poorly.

To be more specific, it didn’t end well for the ex-aides.

Especially since this fortuneteller played a huge role in that.

After that incident, the Crown Prince and Princess reportedly trusted fortunetellers.

They were now bold enough to speak of such a taboo matter with the current aides.

…He really is a formidable fortuneteller.

“Originally, it was supposed to concern only Crown Princess Kim Ha-neul and her aides.”

“And then, we were caught up in it.”

“…That is correct. It was my side’s fault.”

Initially, it was supposed to end with a warning to the suspicious Crown Princess Kim Ha-neul.

An inexplicable incident occurring on a plane only carrying Kim Ha-neul and her aides.

He was supposed to lurk, disguised as the son of an airline president, to keep watch and send a warning.

However, having the Rich Tycoon and the suspicious individual show up here meant he had to hastily camouflage as a student and board the plane.

That was what led to the complicated situation present now.

“Would it have resolved itself if Liu had stayed silent?”

“…That’s unlikely. It was the Crown Prince’s order, so I had to stir up trouble.”

“Unlucky, huh?”

“To be honest… that’s correct.”

Though this first mission was concluding in such a way, with a suspicious figure involved, the Crown Prince would not likely issue a punishment.

Yet still, the mission of “warning Crown Princess Kim Ha-neul” ultimately failed, meaning there would likely be some consequences.

The known Crown Prince was someone who believed in clear rewards and punishments.

“I will personally inform the Crown Prince of this matter.”

“Yes… yes?”

“I will tell him that the aides did their utmost but that we fell victim to bad luck. Then, you should not face any punishment.”

“Ah…! Thank you!”

“Ah, that’s just the least I could do. Oh, but instead…”

“Instead? What is it?”

“Could you do me a tiny favor?”

The whisper was truly cunning.

Even someone who had spent their life as an <Actor> would have liked to take a few steps back at that moment.

With an air of mischief and a twisted undertone felt throughout.

He hesitated but ultimately decided…

*

“Tada! That’s how it went!”

“…This is more than I anticipated.”

After the Rich Tycoon, or rather, Kim Sung-il the Crown Prince’s aide, stepped out.

Liu, who peered out from the bathroom, sat down and stroked a ring on her finger.

<Lightless Shadow>. Despite having hidden in the restroom, no one noticed her; it seemed this artifact had been quite helpful in masking her presence.

“By the way, I really shouldn’t dig any deeper.”

“…That’s true.”

“If the Crown Prince’s aide tried to threaten Kim Ha-neul in a warning format… that would be a power struggle I cannot get involved in. I don’t want any ties to the Daehan Empire’s royal family’s darkness.”

That’s why Liu had kept her distance from Kim Sung-il and Kim Eun-ha as much as possible.

Building rapport with them would definitely yield great benefits, but the presence of a <Rich Tycoon> could be too alluring in a royal power struggle.

Rather than get caught up in a dirty and troublesome tug-of-war, it was better to maintain some distance from the get-go.

In that sense, Liu had to praise Namgoong Min.

“Sure, Crown Princess is one thing, but since when did you become personal friends with Crown Prince Kim Sung-il?”

“Haha, it’s not much different from you, Liu. It just kind of happened.”

“There’s probably no one in this world who has both a <Rich Tycoon> and <Royalty> as friends other than you.”

“There are the Special Class folks, aren’t there?”

“Are those guys your friends? They’re just acquaintances you’ve known since childhood.”

Two princes, a saint, a hero, a warlock, a psychic.

While they’d known each other since childhood, calling them friends was rather a stretch.

How could one call someone they barely knew a friend…

Wait a second.

Do I actually know Namgoong Min?

Now that she thought about it…

Huh?

I know a lot about Namgoong Min… his address, past, history, family relations, alma mater, even the place where he worked part-time.

But that was all obtained from behind-the-scenes investigations.

Had she ever heard a word from Namgoong Min himself?

…None. Not a single word.

The realization hit her suddenly.

Liu Yan had been half-interested in recording and remembering everything about Namgoong Min when they met, but it dawned on her that he had never spoken about himself to her.

‘…How could that be?’

Maybe it was a given, something she hadn’t noticed due to her investigations.

But as soon as she realized that, she felt like she was losing Namgoong Min.

Even though this fortuneteller sat across from her, smiling just like before.

Even with the physical proximity unchanged, the psychological distance seemed to widen immensely.

No, no… that’s not it.

It was only now that she felt this way.

‘Was it always… that distant?’

Although they called each other friends and treated each other like it…

Namgoong Min had never asked about Liu, and Liu had never asked about Namgoong Min either.

Because they could discover everything through their investigations, there were no questions needed.

But what about Namgoong Min? Could this fortuneteller not do the same?

Didn’t he not ask because he simply didn’t care?

“………….”

“Hey, Liu Yan?”

Namgoong Min is smiling. He tilts his head, speaking with the same pleasant expression and tone as always.

Is that genuine?

…She recalled the conversation that occurred earlier with the third-years and Namgoong Min.

That was definitely an act. Just a deception to gain the desired information from the other party.

But the third-years did not know that.

What they saw of Namgoong Min was all there was.

‘What makes me different from them?’

Is it just that I’ve seen more of him, maybe a little over half a year longer? That we’re considered friends?

Shouldn’t that be easily repeatable with more acting? Friendships can just be treated as acting as well.

Could that sincere expression Namgoong Min seemed to wear be genuinely sincere?

Just like she had gossiped about the third years, could he have laughingly ridiculed her with someone else’s company?

“……….”

“This way isn’t right. During the first rock climbing class, I had also stopped him when he was about to confess. At that time, I was confused, yet I chose to watch over and trust him.”

I swore not to harbor doubts.

But once doubt had sprouted, it blossomed far too quickly.

‘If he approached me pretending to act, what’s his true aim?’

That’s clear…

It has to be money.

In fact, Liu had lent Namgoong Min a considerable amount of money without interest or collateral, and he had received and shared artifacts valued at 120 billion and thousands of billions respectively.

If she viewed all that as the result of over six months of acting…

Isn’t that enough?

“…Liu Yan?”

“Uh, uh? H-huh?”

“Why are you staring off into space all of a sudden?”

“…Oh, it’s nothing.”

“…?”

Doubt, suspicion, and more suspicion.

Like a dam that had burst, the doubts towards Namgoong Min flowed endlessly.

“………….”

Liu could not bring herself to look Namgoong Min in the eye.

That had become her final shred of conscience.