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CHAPTER 17
Cayenne called out to Etisha.
“Miss Etisha.”
For some reason, he felt that he shouldn’t keep watching her smile.
“It’s time we get going.”
“Ah, yes, Your Grace. I picked out way too many things, didn’t I? I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. If there’s ever another opportunity, it would be nice to visit again.”
Cayenne pulled out silver coins and paid for the items Etisha had chosen. When he told the shopkeeper to keep the change, the owner was so moved he was nearly in tears.
“Thank you, dear customer! Please come again!”
Etisha’s arms were heavy as she stepped out of the store. Hugging the bunny plush and carrying a basket full of snacks with cotton candy sticking out, it felt like she had the whole world in her hands.
She offered one of the candies to Cayenne.
“Your Grace, if it’s alright with you, please take this. It’s a golden candy that’s only available during the Founding Festival. They say if you eat it and make a wish, that wish will come true.”
“…”
“Thanks to you, I’ve already escaped the Heinz household, so I don’t really have any more wishes to make. I think it would be better for you to have it.”
Cayenne looked down at the golden candy Etisha held out. It was wrapped neatly in a small, star-shaped wrapper—clearly more special than an ordinary treat.
“I’ll pass. You should eat it, Miss Etisha.”
“Oh… was I acting like a child? I’m sorry.”
“No, that’s not the reason. It’s just that I don’t have any wishes either. And I don’t particularly enjoy sweets.”
Cayenne’s wish was far too big to be granted by something as simple as candy.
“No need to worry about me. Go ahead and enjoy it.”
“Then… I will.”
Etisha began to unwrap the candy. Just then, a merchant came up beside her, calling out to attract customers.
“This way! Delicious Laxen specialties at great prices!”
“We’ve got a rich cream stew with assorted mushrooms! Right this way, my lord!”
It was nearing dinnertime, and more street vendors had appeared. Etisha placed the candy back in the basket and turned her eyes toward the restaurants lining the street.
“There are more people now. I guess most of these are restaurants.”
Her gaze met that of an elderly woman nearby. She wore a purple veil over her head and held a crystal ball in one hand.
“Oh… you two lovers, come this way. I’ll read your fate.”
The old woman beckoned them. There was an open restaurant in that direction—it appeared to be a combined diner and fortune-telling parlor.
She looked closely at Etisha’s face, then narrowed her eyes with a cryptic smile.
“Young lady, you have a destiny that will soon take you far away. Don’t you want to know what your future holds?”
“…Pardon?”
How does she know?
Startled, Etisha glanced back at Cayenne. At that moment, the old woman met his gaze—and quickly bowed deeply.
“Y-you… you don’t seem like someone who belongs in a place like this…”
Seriously. How did she know?
Cayenne looked down at the woman and asked calmly, “What is your name?”
“There’s no need for a noble like yourself to know the name of someone as lowly as me. I’m just an old fortune-teller working in a restaurant.”
“Are you the owner of that restaurant?”
“No, I’m just an employee.”
Cayenne glanced toward the restaurant. It looked desolate and empty—clearly a place that struggled to draw customers.
“Your Grace, should we go in?” Etisha asked quietly. She wanted to know what fate the old woman had seen.
“…Yes. Let’s go take a look.”
Cayenne stepped into the restaurant with Etisha. The faded sign above read Blue Water Pearl. Inside, the old woman guided them to a seat.
“Right this way, the two of you.”
Menus were placed before them, but Cayenne didn’t even open his.
“I’ll have the chef’s recommendation. What about you, Miss Etisha?”
“I’ll have the same.”
In this place, customers who ordered food would have their fortune read while waiting. The old woman lifted her crystal ball before the two.
“Then, I shall read the young lady’s fate first…”
The crystal ball suddenly turned cloudy. The old woman peered into it with dim eyes, then began to speak in a strange, chant-like rhythm.
“Unstoppable… fate… defied… a bright future… yes, very bright… happiness, happiness shall come…”
She turned away from the ball and looked at Etisha, her voice returning to a normal tone.
“I see a trial ahead in your future. But… you will overcome it and find happiness. You need not worry too much.”
Etisha nodded, visibly relieved by the hopeful message. Just then, a server brought out amuse-bouche and neatly placed it on the table. As Etisha nibbled on it, the old woman turned to Cayenne.
“Darkness… ah… pain, it brings… war… the war is not yet over…”
Her hand trembled as she held the crystal ball. Her face went pale as if struck by a wave, and the trembling worsened.
“Alone… fighting… vengeance… still… such agony…”
Finally, the crystal ball slipped from her fingers and rolled away across the floor. The old woman sat in a daze, her eyes unfocused, mumbling incoherently.
“The sun… ripped apart… by the sword… aagh…!!”
“Are you alright?”
Etisha reached out to steady her trembling arm. The woman blinked rapidly and then collapsed to the floor.
“Oh, heavens…”
Her legs seemed to have given out. She hadn’t even managed to finish Cayenne’s fortune properly and just rambled.
“M-my deepest apologies…”
Limping, she quickly fled the restaurant, almost as if running away. Etisha, stunned, picked up the crystal ball she had dropped and asked,
“What in the world did she see?”
Something about it left a lingering discomfort.
But unlike Etisha, Cayenne’s expression remained unreadable, calm and cold. He took the crystal ball from her hand.
“Doesn’t seem like a real prophecy. Pay it no mind.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“Anyone can say things like that. Besides, look here.”
Cayenne held the crystal ball—and like before, it turned cloudy.
“A tool used by frauds.”
“My goodness… You’re right. I thought it was amazing, but it was all fake…”
“There wouldn’t be a true prophet working in a place like this. I didn’t expect anything to begin with. Still, since we’re here, we should at least eat.”
“Yes… Let’s do that, Your Grace.”
Etisha glanced toward the empty entrance of the restaurant. The old woman’s hurried retreat still lingered in her mind. Even if the crystal ball was fake and the prophecy false, something about it stuck with her.
‘A war that isn’t over… fighting alone… revenge…?’
It sounded far too specific and grim to be random nonsense. If she’d wanted to fake it, wouldn’t she have said something vague and pleasant, like she had to Etisha?
‘Does His Grace have some hidden secret…?’
Etisha looked across the table at Cayenne. His black eyes were as unreadable as ever, his expression cold and flawless.
‘Even if he did… would I ever be able to know?’
To be honest, Etisha didn’t know Cayenne well. She only knew him in fragments—as the Duke of the North, a war hero, a man who had a mistress but was searching for a bride. She didn’t truly know who Cayenne Wintel was.
‘I wish I could learn more about him…’
What kind of man he was. What kind of life he’d lived. What he was thinking. What he wanted…
‘I want to know.’
The server returned and placed a dish of steamed goose with mussels in front of them. It was cooked in white wine and cream—soft and elegant in both appearance and aroma.
Etisha watched Cayenne quietly as he gracefully cut the goose meat.
Even in such a modest place, his table manners were impeccable. Watching him made the restaurant feel like a grand banquet hall in a noble estate.
‘…Ah.’
The candlelight on the table illuminated his features—his high nose bridge, deep eyes, and unwavering gaze. He looked truly dignified.
‘I see now.’
The weight that had pressed on Etisha’s chest since the carriage ride began to feel lighter. Perhaps, that weight hadn’t been a stone at all—but the seed of something.
She felt as though the stone in her chest cracked in half. And from within it, a tiny, green sprout emerged.
It was her growing feelings for Cayenne.
‘I want to get closer to him…’
Back when she saw him with Dité, that feeling had been like a bothersome, heavy stone. But now, it felt different. Like a cherished seed, ready to grow into something beautiful.
‘I want to be by his side. I want to know him better.’
At first, she had chosen the north simply to escape her home. But now, she genuinely wanted to go there—with Cayenne.
It had only been a few days since they met, but that no longer seemed important. Because this was the first sincere desire Etisha had discovered since leaving the House of Heinz.
A small, sprouting hope.
After finishing her meal, Etisha wiped her lips with a napkin. She hadn’t eaten dessert yet, but it didn’t matter. She had a different dessert in mind.
From her basket, she pulled out the golden candy she hadn’t eaten earlier. Unwrapping the shiny foil, she popped it into her mouth. The transparent, gem-like candy spun across her tongue with a delightful sweetness.
“…Wow. It’s much sweeter than I expected.”
With the candy in her mouth, Etisha made a new wish, born from her newfound hope.
Whether or not it would come true… only time would tell.
