Fortune-Telling Lady

Chapter 1

“Ugh…”

Ooh! That damn ghost! I was wrong! I take back what I said! Ghosts really can hurt humans! How long have I been unconscious? Sia slowly opened her eyes, her body feeling extremely heavy. As soon as she came to, the first feeling that she felt was hatred. Hatred of that ghost she had seen above the chandelier.

The chandelier wouldn’t have fallen on me if it weren’t for that damned ghost! She couldn’t believe how naive she had been to assume that ghosts were harmless. Sia carefully touched her face, anticipating the worst-case scenario. For an actress, looks are just as important as acting talent. She felt around to check if her appearance was okay, and—

What was that?

Something’s wrong. That large, sharp-edged chandelier had fallen directly onto Sia’s head, but she was in much less pain than she expected. In fact, she didn’t feel any pain at all.

Did I just imagine getting hit? Fortunately, her face seemed unharmed. It wasn’t wrapped in any bandages, and Sia didn’t feel anything particularly painful. But that left her with a new question.

Where am I? At first glance, she didn’t appear to be in a hospital. Sia had once collapsed from overwork and been kept in a special VIP ward in the hospital, but even the VIP area wasn’t as spacious as the room she currently found herself in. She was confused by the fancy, fluttering curtains in the room. And what were those antique candlesticks?

This is… Sia felt like the room was familiar, somehow. She had never been here before, but still, it felt familiar.

Where is everyone else? There should have been someone nearby to ask about what happened, but no matter where she looked, there was nobody to be found.

Wow… This is ridiculous. How could there be no one around after an accident like that? Where on earth was Hyunsuk? Sia sat up slowly, expecting to feel her injuries. Fortunately, nothing seemed to be broken, or even out of the ordinary. Aside from feeling a bit tired, she felt no pain at all.

No way. Sia looked down at her flowing sleeves and felt her face get hot with embarrassment. Who had dressed her in all this lace? Was this really a hospital gown? Whose bright idea was it to put a patient in such uncomfortable clothes?

With a disapproving click of her tongue, Sia stood up completely. A bout of dizziness washed over her, and she was quickly brought back down to her seat. The wooziness was accompanied by the feeling of something heavy crushing her entire body. Sia let out a small sigh as she realized there definitely was something wrong with her. Fortunately, the feelings faded quickly.

Just then, a knock sounded on the door, and a person entered the room. It was a young woman, who appeared to be in her late teens. But this woman…

What? Sia’s eyes grew wide as she scanned the woman’s face.

“Oh my goodness! Miss, you’re awake,” the woman said.

Sia stared with a blank expression, before hesitantly saying, “Donna?”

Whoa! Sia’s mouth fell open in surprise, hearing herself speak for the first time since she had awoken. The voice she’d just heard was not her own. No, definitely not… But somehow, it still sounded very familiar.

“Yes? Is there something you need from me, Lady Camilla?”

Camilla? Did she just call me Camilla? Me? Camilla? Why am I hearing that name here?

Camilla. That was the name of the woman Sia saw whenever she closed her eyes. Her name was Camilla.

Camilla Sorphel

“Hmm… I guess she is rather pretty.”

Sia looked at herself in the mirror and shook her head slightly. It was the first time she had observed this face in such detail. Camilla had light pink-blonde hair, sparkling red eyes, and small, plump lips. Her pale skin was flawless and had clearly been well-maintained every day without fail for years.

How could she live such a sad, lonely life with a face as lovely as this?

“So, how badly am I hurt, really?” she wondered aloud.

Typically, Sia would only stay in this world for thirty minutes to an hour before leaving. But there seemed to be no chance of that happening any time soon.

“I’m in full control of her body this time.”

She moved her hands and wiggled her fingers to test her new capabilities. She looked into the mirror and played rock-paper-scissors with her reflection. Why was she suddenly in such control? Until now, Sia had never been more than an observer of Camilla’s actions. She could see and feel everything that Camilla experienced, but could never interfere. But now, Camilla’s entire body was moving according to Sia’s will. Her words, her actions, everything.

Staring in the mirror as she had been for a while, Sia’s expression hardened as a thought crossed her mind. She suddenly remembered the ghost who had been hanging on the chandelier when it fell on top of her. It happened so quickly, and in her panic, Sia hadn’t gotten a clear look at the ghost’s face. But recalling the image now, it seemed that the ghost had had Sia’s own face.

“What? That can’t be,” she muttered.

It was impossible. How could she see her own spirit with her own eyes? Sia—or was it Camilla now?—shook her head slightly. Camilla’s pink-blonde hair swayed gently with each shake of her head.

At that moment, a rough knock sounded on the door and someone entered the room.

That man… It was a face that Camilla knew all too well. How could she forget a face like that? Sia had always had an eye for beauty, and even she was impressed by this man’s handsome looks.

“Hey!” He called Camilla with a voice full of irritation, frowning heavily. “I told you to be on time for breakfast. Come on.”

He turned to leave without waiting for an answer. He seemed confident that Camilla would not dare to disobey him. Watching him wordlessly, she slowly stood from her seat. The corners of her mouth pricked up slightly.

That’s right… I still don’t understand how any of this is happening, but there’s something I’ve always wanted to do, since the first time I saw that face.

The man’s heavy footsteps echoed as he strode through the halls. Camilla’s delicate footsteps followed behind him. She quickened her pace to catch up. By the time she reached him, she was practically running. And…

Smack!

What a satisfying sound. Camilla smiled brighter than ever at the man’s stunned expression. His eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his skull. She had just smacked him on the back of the head with all of her might.

“Whoops,” Camilla said lightly.

That’s what you get, you son of a b*tch!

* * *

This was the dukedom of Duke Sorphel, the place Camilla called home. When Camilla’s mother married Duke Sorphel, Camilla suddenly became one of the few ducal ladies in the land. Camilla’s brother, the man she just smacked on the head, moved into the mansion alongside her.

“I’m telling the truth, I’m still half asleep. I thought I was still dreaming,” said Camilla. “I’m sorry.”

What is he going to do, just keep staring? I said it was an accident, what more can he do? Asshole. He should be thankful I only hit him once.

This was Ravi Sorphel, Camilla’s older brother and member of the mage tower. He’d shown great talent for magic from a young age, and was now considered the greatest young wizard of his age. He had it all: a good personality, a prestigious family background, and talent. But even so…

What good has it ever done? This man had never once bothered to help his sister. It felt great to give him a taste of his own medicine.

It’s all because of this jerk! Every time Camilla died, it had been Ravi’s fault. How dare he look so shocked, so offended, when he would push his younger sister into danger just to ruin his stepbrother? Internally, Camilla pouted. She was neither a fan of her stepbrother Ludville Sorphel, nor of her biological brother Ravi. Her expression suddenly darkened when Ludville’s face came to mind.

Camilla and Ravi’s stepbrother, Ludville Sorphel, was the biological son of Duke Sorphel. He resembled his father in both appearance and in talent. Anyone could see that such a powerful figure would surely be the one who would become the next duke. Ravi, who felt that he was in competition with his stepbrother, worked himself almost to ruin trying to surpass him. Beating Ludville became Ravi’s entire goal in life.

At first, he tried to earn the duke’s approval by demonstrating his skills. However, Ravi’s talent always paled in comparison to Ludville’s natural abilities. Ravi always felt like the loser. Every time he achieved something on his own, Ludville somehow topped the accomplishment. At every turn, Ludville was there to block Ravi’s shot at success. At some point, Ravi’s competitive desire to beat Ludville transformed into twisted hatred and jealousy, spurring him to attempt to assassinate his stepbrother.

That’s where it became my problem. That assassination attempt was when Ravi had involved Camilla in his evil deeds.

The last time, too, had been exactly the same. In the last death that Sia observed, Camilla had been caught conspiring to assassinate her stepbrother on Ravi’s orders. She ended up having her head chopped off by Ludville’s own sword. She had seen it countless times. The circumstances were slightly different each time, but every one of Camilla’s deaths was the result of getting caught up in one of Ravi’s schemes and taking the blame alongside him.

I always wondered what the look on his face would be like. It’s a shame that I only hit him once. I should have gotten in as many hits in as I could!

“I guess you must be half asleep,” Ravi finally said. He seemed more taken aback by the fact that Camilla had dared to hit him than he did by the pain.

What’s with that look in her eyes? he wondered. She’d apologized, but Camilla’s face said something entirely different. She seemed angry with herself. Was that even possible? Camilla, angry?

That can’t be, Ravi thought. His sister had always acted angry and violent toward those below her, but she could scarcely raise her head in the presence of her more powerful family members. Ravi knew this all too well and said nothing more.

“You made us late, you know. Hurry up.”

Camilla wasn’t sure how the back of that bastard’s head could look just as annoying as the front. She clenched her trembling fists and glared as Ravi walked ahead.

Well, I guess there will be another opportunity. I just need to be patient. I’ll hit him even harder next time! Will we be dining with the duke today? Camilla, following closely behind Ravi, kept clicking her tongue internally.

In reality, Ravi didn’t care whether his sister made it to breakfast. He just pretended to be doting in front of the duke. It seemed like he wanted to show off how much he cared for his siblings.

What a shameless liar.