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Chapter 7
Too Competent a Fortune Teller Is Not My Type
I rang the bell and called for Benji. As before, she appeared with a polite attitude.
“I will guide you through the Imperial Palace.”
Benji spoke in a calm voice—somewhat stiff, but not unfriendly—and was about to leave the room with me.
“Ugh—”
At that moment, I grabbed my head and swayed. I then recalled the time I had stood before the Emperor a few days ago and turned pale.
And if I added a little hyperventilation to the act—
“Lady Rani! Are you alright?”
The other person had no choice but to be completely fooled.
I even staggered toward Benji, and as expected, the experienced maid quickly caught me before I fell.
“…I’m fine. I just… remembered something.”
If I said that with a face that clearly looked anything but fine, it would work perfectly. I frowned as if my head was pounding.
Benji, completely convinced by my acting, supported me to the sofa.
“I will call a doctor. Please wait here.”
‘No? We can’t call a doctor.’
My acting had worked too well. I broke into a cold sweat in panic.
I grabbed Benji’s wrist as she turned to leave.
“No! I’m fine. I just need a little rest. More importantly, sit here for a moment.”
I made her sit next to me. Her expression grew even more serious.
“You’re sweating too. We should really call a—”
‘This is just nervous sweat.’
I answered her in my head and pulled her back down when she tried to stand.
“I really am fine. I just had a vision.”
“…A vision?”
Benji looked serious.
Following her reaction, I looked around as if checking whether anyone was listening, then gently took her hand.
“Benji, this vision is about you.”
“…Someone like me can also have their future seen?”
Doubt appeared on her face. Yes, it did sound unbelievable. But she would believe it.
What matters here is confidence.
“What does rank or status matter when it comes to visions? If it did, there’s no way someone as lowly as I, the lowest in the Empire, could see them.”
At my words, Benji’s expression softened slightly. Then she returned to her formal palace maid demeanor.
“…Lady Rani is not the lowest in the Empire. You were appointed as the Imperial fortune teller.”
I gave a bitter smile inside.
‘Right. Why was I even given that position…?’
Wait—“Lady” Rani?
I tilted my head at the unfamiliar word, then suddenly realized it was my name.
‘So my name is Rani?’
I was shocked that I hadn’t even known my own name until now.
But outwardly, I smiled calmly.
“Thank you for saying that.”
“It is only the truth.”
“By the way, Benji, is there anyone sick around you?”
At my words, Benji’s expression stiffened slightly. It looked like she was thinking of someone.
After hesitating, she finally spoke.
“…My mother is ill.”
I hardened my expression upon hearing this. Of course, it was just acting.
“Benji, listen carefully from now on.”
She still seemed doubtful, but she listened since I held her hand firmly.
I took a deep breath and spoke slowly, as if delivering unfortunate news.
“Your mother… will be standing at the edge of death within two months.”
“…What?”
Her face darkened in an instant. She bit her lip anxiously.
“My mother’s condition hasn’t improved, yes… but it’s not that severe!”
“It is not now. But in two months, her condition will suddenly worsen, and she will be in critical danger.”
“…Then what should I do?”
Benji asked desperately.
For a moment, I saw my past mother in her, and I fell silent.
My stomach turned. I felt disgusted, as if I were no different from the fraudulent shamans who used to take my mother’s money.
“Fortune teller…?”
Benji called me again, snapping me back.
“Ah… right. A way to cure her? Of course there is.”
‘Get a grip. I’m actually trying to help her in the end. That makes me different from them.’
I forced myself to push away the unpleasant thoughts.
Then I became calm, like someone doused with cold water, and continued.
“Just keep her away from the forge.”
“A forge?”
The reason her mother’s condition would worsen was simple. She had pneumonia, but kept going to the forge where Benji’s father worked, believing it would chase away illness.
The Carcisel Empire had only recently developed medicine.
‘Until recently, they thought illnesses were caused by demons or evil spirits.’
Because of that, all kinds of superstitions and strange folk remedies existed.
One of them was taking the patient to a forge, and having a blacksmith pretend to strike a large hammer to scare away the demon. Of course, it was an old belief, but some people still followed it—Benji’s mother included.
That belief had become poison.
A person with pneumonia, already suffering lung problems, breathing in toxic fumes and metal dust all day would never recover.
“Just trust me, even if only a little. For two months, stop going to the forge. Not only will she not die, but her condition will improve.”
“…Alright. I will believe you, Lady Imperial Fortune Teller.”
“And drink at least one cup of honey-lemon tea every day. Make sure your mother boils the water herself.”
The steam from boiling water would at least help ease her lungs.
‘The best would be medicine, but that’s difficult here.’
Benji still looked uncertain, but she no longer seemed to fully reject my words.
Meanwhile, I choked slightly at the heavy title.
“Benji, just call me Rani.”
“I will, Lady Rani.”
She nodded easily.
I had thrown my first bait.
I left the room to give Benji space, though in truth I just didn’t know how to wrap things up properly.
To clear my mind, I headed toward the garden she had mentioned earlier—but the gazes around me were painfully sharp.
“That’s her, right?”
“Yes. The Imperial fortune teller!”
“The Imperial ‘fortune teller’? How disgraceful.”
“What is the Emperor thinking?”
“Hey, it’s His Majesty’s will. He must have his reasons. Let’s just go back to work.”
‘Reasons my foot. The Emperor must be losing sleep.’
I silently responded to the maids whispering about me.
I wondered how rumors could spread so fast in just half a day.
‘No, actually… if something this interesting didn’t spread fast, that would be stranger.’
The whispers and stares continued.
At first I tried to ignore them, but eventually I found myself walking faster with my eyes fixed forward.
And then—I got lost.
“Where am I?”
I looked around. It was completely unfamiliar.
I had definitely followed the path Benji told me… but my terrible sense of direction struck again.
While I was confused, I heard footsteps approaching.
‘Anyone is fine as long as it’s not the Emperor!’
And that wish was immediately destroyed.
Thankfully, it wasn’t the Emperor. But as if fate was mocking me, someone even worse appeared.
“Who are you?”
It was the Borodi Duke.
‘Cancel that. I’m including him too.’
My facial muscles twisted before I could stop them.
This was my first time seeing him in person. He was likely Perion’s biggest enemy right now.
I forced myself to stay calm and greeted him politely.
“I am Rani, the Imperial fortune teller.”
“Ah, so you are the famous Imperial fortune teller?”
Coldness settled in the Duke’s eyes.
He probably already knew. That the failure of the recent assassination attempt was somehow related to me.
He scanned me from head to toe with a chilling gaze, as if inspecting an object rather than a person.
It sent chills down my spine, but I didn’t show it.
After a long silence, he let out a small scoff.
‘Wait… a scoff?’
His expression was one of disbelief.
He muttered:
“Of all people… tsk.”
So he thought I was just a useless, insignificant fortune teller.
Well, that was actually fortunate. If I stood out to him, I might disappear without anyone noticing.
I shrank my body and lowered my head to look even more insignificant.
Then the Duke placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Fortune teller. If you want to keep living long, you’d better choose your words carefully.”
“Yes…”
‘Where do you think you’re touching?’
I hated his touch so much I almost flinched violently, but I answered obediently.
And then—another voice came from behind me.
