The Fortune Teller Shrouded in Mystery

I decided that what’s good is good. “What the hell is even good about this….”

…The unbearable self-loathing rising inside me made even that difficult. Still, yes, it’s possible to hand over the wrong tarot card. I’m not some kind of card shark, and I was looking the other person in the eye while only moving my hands, so mistakes can happen. But why, of all things, did it have to be that card?

“Why the Lovers, of all cards?”

Did I really give her the Lovers card and then say things like, “Did you understand?” and “Just keep that in mind”?

The moment I realized it, a shuddering wave of self-loathing washed over me and my face turned deathly pale.

…But why hadn’t Lane said anything after seeing the Lovers card?

“Ah, she was going to.”

No wonder she had hesitated before leaving. That must have been why. She probably couldn’t bring herself to say anything because of that whole “strong-weak-weak-strong” dynamic and just walked out. I genuinely felt sorry for Lane.

“But explaining it now would be…”

How could I possibly meet Lane alone and tell her, “Actually, the Lovers card I gave you back then was a mistake. I was trying to give you the Jester card—the one tied to your trauma. Haha.”

Setting aside the fact that I might literally die of embarrassment, showing her that side of me could mark me as “weak” in her eyes. If that was the choice, I’d rather be misunderstood.

“Thank god I’m a guy.”

If I had been gender-bent and thrown in as a female protagonist, it would have been a disaster. The only thing that increased was my murderous intent toward that insane little sister of mine. The second I get back to reality, I’m definitely grabbing her by the collar and dragging her home.

Anyway, since I’m a male lead, all affection levels and events beyond Lovers should be completely blocked. So even if I don’t say anything about the Lovers card, there probably won’t be any major problems… right?

Given Lane’s personality, she probably won’t come ask me directly why I gave it to her. So if I just play it off naturally… it should be fine. Right?

After running every mental victory lap imaginable and finally burying my self-loathing, I finally took a proper look around my surroundings.

Blackout curtains surrounding me on all sides, luxurious-looking floors, a purple tablecloth, a circular table of appropriate size, and candlesticks dimly illuminating the dark interior.

“This is actually a pretty decent fortune teller’s shop.”

When I first received the skill I had been skeptical, but this was good enough to use until I built a real one. The only real downside was the three-hour cooldown before I could enter again after leaving. Still, since it was essentially traveling between separate spaces, three hours was actually quite reasonable.

It would have been nice if I could sleep here, but it was too cramped to lie down comfortably. And since I had already squeezed two hundred million out of kind Mr. Liu, there was no need to get too attached to this place.

“Time to head back out.”

I had been lingering inside for quite a while, afraid that if I left too soon I might run into Lane and die of embarrassment. But now it should be safe to leave.

I pushed aside the blackout curtains and stepped back into the alley. The first thing I did was hide my body and scan the surroundings.

“…She’s not here, right?”

Only after confirming multiple times that Lane was definitely gone did I let out a sigh and step back onto the main street.

The sun was still high in the sky. It was about time to go find my original target.

“I still have one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠skill slot left.”

Out of the three total skill slots, the ones currently filled were my class skill Fortune Telling and the general skill My Own Little Fortune Teller Shop. Since Cleanliness was a passive that didn’t take up a slot, I didn’t need to worry about it. Later on I’d probably replace My Own Little Fortune Teller Shop with something else, but for now it was more than enough.

With only one slot remaining, I had already decided what I was going to learn.

“Let’s go.”

My first stop was the hardware store.

Romance Academy was far removed from any notion of egalitarian education. From the start, the admission requirement was limited to the extremely small percentage of the world’s population who were Job Holders, with only a handful of special exceptions allowed beyond that.

Still, they couldn’t openly discriminate against students, so the official stance was something like, “Whether you’re from the upper class or the lower class, find your own base and attend classes however you like.”

Even so, for a superpower on the level of the Unified Korean Empire—and especially for members of the imperial family—there were dedicated buildings within the academy. On the top floor of one such luxurious facility, where splendor, size, facilities, and staff all soared to the heavens…

‘Fucking hell.’

Kim Eun-ha, Imperial Family member and princess of the Unified Korean Empire, was internally cursing up a storm. More accurately, she was feeling utterly disgusted.

“So… you’re asking me to help you with your love life?”

“Yes. I’m counting on you, little sister.”

What the hell was the idiot standing in front of her saying right now?

At her biological relative’s words—which he was clearly trying to deliver as gently as possible—Kim Eun-ha barely managed to swallow the bile rising in her throat.

“…Brother. You seem rather unwell right now. I’ll call someone, so perhaps you should rest…”

“No, the only thing suffering is my heart, which is racing like crazy.”

“Ah, haha… Is that so…”

Wait, since when did you talk like some sentimental sap?

Kim Eun-ha seriously considered smashing the head of Kim Seong-il—the crown prince who was standing before ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her with his head slightly bowed. He had said he had something to talk about, so she had naturally assumed it would be about the empire’s position within the academy, the special class, or perhaps the line of succession.

‘Love advice? Has this brother of mine actually lost his mind?’

Maybe she was hallucinating right now. She genuinely thought that would be better, so she tried plucking out a strand of her own hair and even biting her tongue, but the idiot claiming to be her brother remained exactly where he was.

…Alright. Let’s organize our thoughts.

“Brother, is this someone you’ve had feelings for for a long time?”

“No…!! The moment I saw her, this surging emotion made my heart pound violently…!”

‘Don’t say it like that! It’s genuinely disgusting!’

If this were the imperial palace, she would have just beaten him up. But in the academy, where there were far too many eyes and ears, she couldn’t do her usual routine. Barely restraining the fist that wanted to fly out at any second, Kim Eun-ha let out an internal sigh.

Love at first sight the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠moment he saw her? …No way.

“Just hypothetically. You’re not saying you fell for her after the exclusive entrance exam today, right?”

“That’s exactly it…! As expected, consulting you was the right choice!”

Damn it.

A terrible premonition that things had gone horribly wrong hit her. Kim Eun-ha quickly glanced to the side. She had sent the signal, so the servants would prevent any possible eavesdropping or information leaks—both physical and magical.

However, this wasn’t the empire, and since this was Romance Academy where people from all over the world gathered, she couldn’t drag this out too long. She needed to wrap up the conversation as quickly as possible. If it came down to it, she was even prepared to physically knock him unconscious to end the discussion here. With that resolve, Kim Eun-ha looked at Kim Seong-il.

“Tell me everything. From the beginning to the end.”

“It happened right after I passed the exclusive exam and was looking around. The garden wasn’t on the level of the imperial palace, but it was so well maintained that it lifted my mood. Since my valedictorian admission was basically confirmed, I was walking while savoring the garden scenery when suddenly a pigeon landed right in front of me! It was unexpected, but I responded wisely and——”

Crunch!

Kim Eun-ha crushed the apple she was holding into pulp with nothing but grip strength and muttered,

“Summary.”

“After the exam, I was taking a walk.”

“And then?”

“Right! So I was walking like that when suddenly the sunlight grew stronger. I instinctively raised my hand to block the light and looked up—and that was the moment! A female student came running urgently across a building balcony! At first I clicked my tongue at her lack of manners, but that was truly a shallow thought. With her long hair fluttering and an irresistibly captivating charm, she ran forward and then turned her head——”

Crack.

At the ominous sound, Kim Seong-il stopped talking and looked down. A huge crack had formed in the table between him and his little sister. Having learned through countless experiences that the next thing to crack if he messed up might be his own bones, Kim Seong-il hurriedly shortened his story.

“To summarize, I fell in love with her at first sight.”

“The first in line for the succession of the Unified Korean Empire’s imperial family fell in love at first sight with some female student at the academy? What is this, a romance novel…?”

“First in line or whatever, it doesn’t matter! My feelings for her are sincere!”

“Brother, please stop talking nonsense. If I become emperor, I might just exile you to an island first thing.”

“U-understood.”

“…Sigh.”

Kim Eun-ha closed her eyes as if in thought. The moment her mood soured, Kim Seong-il snapped to perfect posture with a nervous expression. Even though he had been born first, the countless “physical lessons” he had received since childhood had turned this into a reflexive, tragic habit.

The princess who had just threatened the future emperor soon opened her eyes again.

“Who is she?”

“Uh, um?”

“That female student. You’ve already investigated her, haven’t you? The imperial authority is strong enough right now, so as long as she qualifies, taking her as a concubine is perfectly acceptable.”

“R-really! Thank you, little sister!”

The moment permission was granted, Kim Seong-il forgot his earlier disgrace and lit up with joy. Kim Eun-ha let out a hollow laugh at the bizarre sight of her own older brother—the future emperor—asking his younger sister, who had been pushed back in the line of succession, for permission to marry.

But as long as Kim Eun-ha remained the shadowy power behind the imperial family’s authority, it couldn’t be helped. The reason her brother Kim Seong-il could even be first in line was precisely because she, who had no interest in the throne, had stepped aside.

“So who is she? It would be best if she’s from the empire, if possible.”

What Kim Eun-ha was worried about was exactly that. If the girl was from a distant foreign country, there would be little political benefit even if she became a concubine. If she were Japanese—given their recently improved relations—it would be a decent choice. But if she were Chinese or Russian, things would get far too complicated.

Well, considering the current strength of imperial authority, there was nothing they couldn’t force through regardless of who she was, but they would have to brace for significant internal backlash and political shock.

Still, he was her brother, after all. The position of empress would be a political marriage, but she could at least help him with one woman he truly loved, setting political calculations aside.

She was about to take another sip of her black tea, impressed by how wisely he had come straight to her for advice instead of causing unnecessary trouble, when—

“I don’t know!”

“………Pardon?”

“No, to be honest, I don’t want to know. I fell for her herself, not her background or origin! Love can overcome such things without needing to investigate!”

“…Wow.”

At Kim Seong-il’s courageous declaration, Kim Eun-ha let out a genuine gasp of admiration. After all, he had found the courage to say something that would get him beaten to death by her.

“Brother?”

“Yes?”

“Then you can overcome this with love too, right?”

“What do you———Guh!”

Before he could even answer her question, her fist shot out in a flash and slammed squarely into his abdomen.

BOOM!!!

He shot backward like a cannonball and embedded himself in the wall, leaving a massive crack.

She had stood up to hit him a few more times, but after seeing him slumped lifelessly inside the wall after just one punch, she clicked her tongue.

“Tsk. To think someone who calls himself a man is this weak.”

“You… monster…”

BOOM!!!

…Yeah, he’s definitely unconscious now.

After rotating her cracking knuckles a few times, Kim Eun-ha left the crown prince—who now looked like a piece of modern art—behind and stepped onto the balcony.

It was a situation that needed to be resolved somehow, but the more she thought about it, the more she could only sigh.

“First… I need to investigate that female student. As for the wall, I can just say I misjudged my strength and the academy won’t make a big deal out of it… and while I’m at it, I should give my brother some mental re-education…”

There were definitely multiple reasons, but after seeing how competent her brother was and yielding the throne to him, why did it feel like her workload kept increasing? Was it just her imagination?

She was pretty annoyed. Maybe she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠should hit him one more time?

After careful consideration, she decided on exactly three more hits. The moment she clenched her fist again—

“…Ah.”

Fortunately for Kim Seong-il, a person who had been on her mind in many ways recently caught her eye.

A male student wearing a red dress shirt, black suit, and white gloves, carrying something on his back as he walked somewhere.

The fortune teller, Namgung Min.

“Academy… second place.”

When you were part of the Unified Korean Empire’s imperial family, you were expected to produce outstanding results no matter where you went. That was exactly why she had trained that idiot brother of hers so harshly for years before the Romance Academy entrance exam was confirmed. After all, the future emperor of the empire had to at least take first place.

“He’s also the one who beat me.”

Yes. Since she had deliberately stepped back in the line of succession, she couldn’t afford to outperform her brother or people would talk. But that didn’t mean she could half-ass the entrance exam either. So Kim Eun-ha had naturally aimed for second place.

Crown Prince Kim Seong-il in first, Princess Kim Eun-ha in second. They were supposed to make a dazzling entrance like that and further elevate the imperial family’s authority.

“…It’s suspicious.”

She had timed her exam perfectly to secure second place, yet by the time she finished, Namgung Min had already disappeared somewhere. That in itself wasn’t a huge problem. After all, Namgung Min was also from the empire, and since Crown Prince Kim Seong-il had taken first, her second-place admission was merely a nice bonus.

What made her suspicious was Namgung Min’s ability.

“Second place… as a fortune teller?”

Among the extremely rare Job Holders, the class treated as the biggest piece of trash was none other than Fortune Teller. Its core class skill was so pathetic that the job essentially ended at having slightly better physical abilities than a normal person. And yet he had gotten second place with that?

Princess Kim Eun-ha’s eyes gleamed coldly.

The fortune teller Namgung Min. He would now be her classmate, but at the very least, he was someone worth remembering.

Her gaze, which had been following Namgung Min’s steps, suddenly stopped.

“……Hmm?”

There he was—suddenly pulling a shovel and pickaxe out of the luggage on his back and starting to dig up a perfectly fine flowerbed. Passersby stared at him like he was crazy. After digging for a while, academy security guards came running and got into an argument with him. In the end, they grabbed both his arms and physically dragged him away.

“What on earth…?”

Both his ability and his behavior.

He truly was a fortune teller shrouded in mystery.