Chapter 61
“Thank you. My child is diligent. He believes he should earn the money for his own snacks.”
“You really raised him impressively.”
The woman smiled, seemingly pleased by my sincere compliment.
Her demeanor was warm, but she didn’t meet my eyes directly. I guessed she understood the meaning of us wearing our hoods low. Usually, people who wear their hoods like this don’t want to reveal their identity or face.
“Whose fortune shall I read?”
“Oh, mine.”
“Alright, could you please take five beads from this jar? You can either look at them with your eyes or choose them by feel alone—it doesn’t matter.”
I glanced at the jar on the table, wondering what it was. Inside were colorful, glittering beads.
Was my future supposed to be revealed by these beads? Was it some kind of tarot-like method?
Curiously, I looked into the jar and picked out the beads one by one. When I handed over all five beads, the woman examined them carefully.
Now that I looked closely, the beads were all slightly different in shape and size—some translucent, some entirely black.
She stared at the beads for a moment, then finally lifted her gaze to meet mine. With the hood slightly lifted, I made eye contact with her for the first time.
Her eyes were clear and bright, almost unnervingly so, and she finally spoke.
“You were born under the destiny of the stars.”
Then, she placed the first blue bead I had picked back into the jar.
Startled by the mention of “the destiny of the stars,” I flinched as she then returned the second bead to the jar as well.
“It seems you’ve taken on a destiny meant for someone else. Because of it, many will respect and love you, but your own path will be a difficult one.”
The woman looked troubled, as if she were truly seeing my future unfold.
She placed the third and fourth beads into the jar simultaneously.
“Currently, two stars are approaching your side. Both shine brilliantly, but their darkness is deep; if you’re not careful, they could engulf you.”
The two beads were slightly different in shape, but both were jet black and frighteningly intense.
“Be cautious of the two stars that have come near you. They might cause you to lose what you truly desire.”
She returned the final bead to the jar, her words carrying a warning.
The clinking of the beads in the jar suddenly grated on my ears.
“Stars, destiny… it’s all just vague words.”
Jade, who had been quietly observing without a word until now, interjected.
Her ashen eyes glared coldly at the woman, unfamiliar and piercing. Even under Jade’s icy gaze, the woman simply shrugged, as if she had expected this, and smiled lightly.
“This is a traditional method of fortune-telling passed down in our family. I merely convey what the beads reveal. How you choose to interpret it is up to you.”
The woman shook the jar lightly, mixing the beads, and spoke casually.
“Shall I read your fortune as well?”
She even boldly suggested Jade try it.
I was taken aback. It was obvious that Jade had no interest in fortune-telling and seemed somewhat displeased. Perhaps, as someone devoted to the gods, Jade couldn’t accept the idea of predicting the future through divination.
“No, I—”
“Right. Shall I pick the beads then?”
Huh?
Before I could refuse on Jade’s behalf, he interrupted me and answered.
I glanced in surprise and saw that Jade had already reached into the jar, picked five beads, and held them up.
By doing so, he casually dismissed the polite facade I had been keeping up, pretending to be a commoner. There was no chance to comment.
Fortunately, the woman made no mention of it and took the five beads Jade offered, examining them with curiosity.
Then, just as she had done with me, she fixed her gaze on Jade’s eyes. Up to that point, it was just like with me—but her reaction afterward was unusual.
She frowned slightly, hesitated as she rolled the beads in her hand, and glanced nervously at Jade.
“It’s okay to speak honestly.”
Jade seemed to notice this and encouraged her to speak frankly.
The woman cleared her throat softly and finally spoke.
“This guest of yours was also born under the destiny of the stars. From birth, they are destined to sit on a throne above others, commanding respect and awe. I’ve never seen a star with such immense and dazzling light—it’s astonishing.”
As Jade returned the first bead to the jar, the woman spoke to him with an expression of wonder.
Her eyes didn’t reflect mere admiration for his face beneath the hood—they seemed truly awed by his very presence.
“But…”
She fidgeted with the second bead, hesitating again.
After several glances at Jade and me, she finally mustered the courage to speak.
“You may not achieve what you desire. The more earnestly you wish for it, the further it will drift away.”
Unlike before, she paused briefly and returned the third bead to the jar.
“Right now, you are walking down the wrong path, and at its end, nothing will remain. All the brilliance and splendor from the past up to now will crumble to dust.”
The fourth bead clinked as it rolled in the jar.
“If you don’t stop or turn back from this wrong path now…”
Bang!
Jade slammed a gold coin onto the table roughly.
“I think that’s enough.”
Then, as if there was nothing more to hear, he rose without a trace of hesitation.
The fortune-telling had originally cost 8 copper coins. But the unusually large gold coin caught the woman off guard, and she fumbled nervously.
“I-I’m sorry, but I don’t have change for this…”
“Let’s go, Liz.”
“Huh? Oh… okay.”
Jade ignored her and motioned for me to follow. I, still dazed, rose and trailed behind him.
“Wait, customers!”
The woman, flustered, hurried after us. Seeing this, I spoke for her.
“You can keep it. Thank you for reading our fortunes.”
“But…”
I reassured her with a smile and followed Jade, whose brisk pace looked oddly precarious.
‘That fortune-telling was harsh.’
The predictions were almost cruel—never obtaining what one desires, nothing remaining at the end. Though the woman had merely spoken honestly, it wasn’t easy to just laugh it off.
I quickened my pace, worry etched on my face as I approached Jade.
“Jade, are you… okay?”
“Liz.”
As if he had been waiting for me, Jade suddenly turned sharply.
Startled by how close we were, I froze, answering nervously.
“Huh? Y-yeah.”
“I didn’t intend to talk here, but I have a question.”
Jade’s hands gripped both of my arms firmly.
“Is it true that you are engaged to Duke Luhanes?”
We were standing in the middle of a crowded square. I hadn’t expected to hear such a question here, and I looked flustered.
“Even the temple heard about this?”
I deflected with a question of my own, causing Jade’s expression to harden.
“Could it… really be true?”
His gray eyes trembled with unease.
I shook my head, feeling an obligation to answer clearly.
“No, absolutely not. I don’t know where that rumor came from, but it’s definitely not true.”
Hearing a definite denial from the person involved, Jade’s expression relaxed slightly.
But he wasn’t finished.
“I also heard that you stayed at that man’s mansion for a long time.”
Jade’s gaze seemed to challenge me. I felt a little guilty and glanced away.
“Ah, that’s true, but there were circumstances.”
“Circumstances? What kind of circumstances?”
“Well, you see…”
