Chapter 58
“……”
Sue clenched her fists, speechless.
Five years at most. It wasn’t as long as she had expected. She could graduate from the academy safely and it would only be three years at most after that. If she could prevent Fritz and Halo from getting together at the academy, and endure Enzhe’s tyranny for three more years after graduation, she would be free. It was an ideal scenario, theoretically.
‘…But realistically…’
Sue bit her lip hard.
Halo would be enrolling at the academy next year. She knew the story from the novel, but that didn’t guarantee she could prevent it from happening. And even putting aside all those worries, the fundamental problem was the clueless fortune teller humming in front of her.
He seemed skilled. But she didn’t know how skilled he really was, or if he was actually a former Imperial mage. And even ignoring all that, the question was, could he really dedicate five years to helping her? Her other self chuckled and answered, ‘No’.
‘…And he said five years if he does it. How many years would it take if someone else did it?’
Her eyelids drooped heavily.
She had finally found a clue about the curse, but she was even more lost now. She had no idea how to deal with this mess.
Should she cling to this unknown fortune teller’s pants leg, or should she find another, more reliable solution? But did such a solution even exist?
Her head felt like it was about to explode. She groaned, and then she heard the fortune teller’s voice.
“Shall I remove it for you? In five years.”
It wasn’t his usual raspy, unpleasant voice, but a clear, melodious voice. A husky voice, high for a man, low for a woman. She suddenly realized that he was speaking casually to her, and his tone and voice had returned to ‘normal’.
Sue looked up, her body stiff. Her eyes met his, the most striking feature on his face, hidden behind his white beard.
“…Are you serious?”
“Of course, if you pay me enough.”
The fortune teller grinned, resting his chin on his hand. His smile was hidden behind his beard. Sue tapped her fingers on the table, then spoke reluctantly,
“You really are a skilled mage, right?”
“Sigh…”
Not this again.
He sighed deeply.
“Believe it or not, I don’t care. I can always make more money by telling fortunes.”
“……”
Alright, let’s do it.
She couldn’t bring herself to say those words. She hesitated for a few seconds, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly. And the fortune teller knew it. She was a potential long-term customer, someone he hadn’t encountered in a while. He decided to make a move before she changed her mind.
“Well… believe it or not, that’s your choice. Here, take this.”
He said, taking out a small piece of parchment from under the table and scribbling something on it with a quill. He handed it to Sue.
“The Apricotty Forest, east of the outer wall, outside the canal…”
Sue read the words on the parchment aloud. It was filled with an address and a name: ‘Jean’. And there was a line of unknown characters at the bottom, which she couldn’t read.
“That’s where my workshop is.”
“Workshop.”
“Ah, the name is Jean Emilia. Don’t tell anyone, okay? …Anyway, it’s your curse, and it’s your money, so make your own decision.”
Sue tightened her grip on the parchment as he used a professional term. But Jean didn’t give her time to dwell on it and gestured for her to leave.
“Now get out. You’ve been here too long.”
He’s being so cold, even though I gave him three gold coins.
She had indeed been here longer than the other customers, but Sue was annoyed by the way he was shooing her away.
“Good luck.”
The fortune teller saw her off, ignoring her glare.
Sue, speechless, left the tent. She walked a short distance away and unfolded the parchment again. The address of the workshop, written in neat handwriting, stared back at her, and she felt a sense of reality sinking in.
She had stumbled upon an unexpected lead at a fortune-telling stall she had considered a gamble. Or was it a lead? What if the fortune teller was an Imperial spy, and the workshop was a laboratory? What if she was going to be used as a lab rat the moment she arrived?
‘…That’s actually possible.’
She would have to think about it carefully.
Sue’s face darkened as she was convinced by her own pessimistic thoughts. She tucked the parchment into her velvet pouch.
“Lady Sue Byron.”
A shadow suddenly loomed over her. It wasn’t a single shadow, but a long, gray shadow cast by multiple figures.
“You are…”
A woman with glasses, her expression intelligent and slightly intimidating. Sue knew who she was. It was Anna, one of Enzhe’s personal maids. She was standing with several male servants, looking down at Sue coldly.
“The Lady requests your presence.”
As her cold, lifeless voice reached Sue’s ears, the fortune teller’s words suddenly came to mind.
‘Your future is filled with darkness! You have no future!’
***
“Ah~ What should I do?”
“Are you sure about this?”
Sue grimaced at her reflection in the mirror.
Her body was covered in bruises, her face was scabbed, and her lips were swollen and cracked. As if to remind her that it wasn’t a hallucination, a sharp pain shot through her calf.
“Ow!”
“That’s why… it would be better if you didn’t go…”
Nine clicked her tongue. She dabbed some powder on Sue’s calf, and the wound disappeared. It was magic makeup that temporarily concealed injuries. But it made the wounds sting even more. Sue winced, but she couldn’t help but admire Nine’s skillful application.
“I’m done with your legs. Please rest for a bit. I’ll do your arms and face next.”
“Okay.”
Nine left the room to take a break.
Sue leaned against the wall, her knees pulled up to keep her feet off the ground.
Her legs, concealed by the powder, looked flawless. But the pain was still there. But she wanted to go to the September Festival, so she ignored her body’s protests.
In short, the fortune teller’s prophecy had come true. The dashing detective who would cut the red wire of the time bomb hadn’t arrived, and all her bombs had exploded.
Sue had experienced firsthand, two days ago, that even the lifeless Enzhe could still beat someone up. And she had done it physically, without using the curse.
She had once wished that Enzhe would just hit her instead of using the curse, but pain was pain, whether it was from a fist or a curse.
It was nothing new for the devil incarnate to be malicious, but to have a meltdown the day before the festival… Even Enzhe, despite her strange behavior, would have known that Sue was looking forward to the festival. The fact that her injuries were concentrated on her face, arms, and legs suggested that it was deliberate.
Sue wanted to strangle her past self for worrying about her master.
‘There’s nothing to gain from worrying about her, except for bruises.’
Ten and Nine had tried to dissuade her from going to the ball after seeing her condition, but Sue, whose mind was still intact despite her injuries, was even more determined to go.
But even with the makeup, her face still looked a little off. She wanted to use a disguise spell, but it was a type of magic that required special permission.
‘I’m so glad the theme is a masquerade ball.’
Sue picked up the mask she had placed on the bed. It was a full-face mask, designed to create a mysterious effect, matching her dress. The dress she had chosen was a unique design with a camouflage pattern of black and white. For the masquerade ball, the students, including Sue, preferred unconventional dresses to traditional ones.
“Alright, let’s continue, Miss.”
Two hours had passed since Nine had returned. She finally stood up, enduring the pain that shot through her body. The clock on the wall showed six in the evening. The ball started at seven. But she was so excited that she left the entrance hall earlier than planned.
***
Full Bloom had its own ballroom. The September Festival and the graduation ball were all held there, and even some nobles rented it out for their own balls.
“We’re here, Miss. Please be careful. I’ll be waiting in the servants’ quarters. If you’re not feeling well, just send a maid to call me.”
“Okay.”
The entrance to the ballroom was already crowded with masked guests. Most of the students were wearing small, feathered masks that covered only their eyes, but some, like Sue, were wearing full-face masks. The dress code was varied. Some students were wearing flamboyant dresses, while others, like Sue, were wearing dresses with unique patterns.
“Have fun, Miss.”
The carriage door opened. As Sue stepped onto the stairs, the butlers who had been waiting rushed over to escort her. It was something she was used to, both at the Byron residence and at her own townhouse, but she felt a strange sense of elation.