Fortune-Telling Lady

Chapter 4

It’s because of how I’ve been acting. Duke Sorphel had already closed off his heart to his stepdaughter, as she seemed to cause problems and damage his reputation at every turn. In the end, Camilla always died because he did not believe in her.

So, step one… Camilla had to win Duke Sorphel’s heart if she wanted to survive whatever sh*tstorm that bastard Ravi had brewing.

But how? I’m sure the duke has already lost all faith in me.

«Look over here,» said the ghost.

After all, I’m not his real daughter. If the duke’s actual kin had run around pulling the same stunts that Camilla had, even his real daughter would have faced consequences. But for Camilla, a stepdaughter, to be causing that kind of trouble…

«You can hear me, can’t you, child?» the ghost asked again.

He probably hates me, Camilla thought. Why did I get into that fight with the other young noblewomen and pull their hair?

«Come on, look at me.»

And at a party in front of so many people, on top of that…

«Helloooooo? Do you hear me? You can, can’t you?» the ghost in chef’s clothing pressed.

What’s the best way for me to move forward? Should I get on my knees and beg for forgiveness?

«You definitely made eye contact with me last time,» the ghost insisted. «You see me, don’t you, young lady?»

“My god! So what? Who cares if I can see you?” she blurted out.

If this ghost keeps distracting me, it’s gonna get me killed! Camilla finally acknowledged the spirit of the elderly-looking man, who had not stopped talking since he found her.

I was hoping to wait him out, but he was showing no signs of stopping. Camilla had a lot on her mind, but the nonstop ghost chatter had become too much to ignore.

«I… I knew it!» Ferrol, a ghost that was still dressed in his chef’s uniform, looked shaken.

“Whatever it is, I won’t do it.” Camilla saw the emotional look in Ferrol’s eyes, and quickly drew a line. Nothing good ever came of getting involved with ghosts. “Don’t ask me to deliver a final message or get involved in your affairs. I don’t do that kind of thing. I can’t.”

Why would I risk getting myself into even more trouble? While it was difficult to tune out the kind of bullsh*t that ghosts would say to her, it was even more tiring for Camilla to try accommodating their requests, both physically and mentally. It really was best to just ignore it.

«C-can you really see me?» asked Ferrol.

“I’m not doing it. Absolutely not.”

«This is incredible! How exciting! You must actually be able to see me! And you can hear my voice, too?» the spirit asked.

He’s not even listening, thought Camilla. She watched as the old chef ran wild with excitement, not even pretending to listen to her. She shook her head slightly.

This cannot be happening to me right now. At that moment, Camilla decided to focus on one problem at a time. Sooner or later, this spirit might just end up wandering into the afterlife on its own. I still have to figure out how to win over Duke Sorphel…

“Ugh! How am I supposed to know what the duke likes or doesn’t like? What am I supposed to do when I don’t even know where to start?!”

Camilla and the duke had not interacted much previously. The only times she really saw him was when she was being reprimanded or scolded. Of course, she had no idea how to appeal to the duke’s tastes.

«What His Grace likes?» Ferrol spoke again. He approached Camilla and smiled warmly at her. «I’m very familiar with His Grace’s preferences. I’ve worked in this mansion since His Grace was a baby, after all.»

Camilla, who had been moping in her chair, leapt to her feet.

“It’s so good to meet you, sir!” she said.

Step One: Survive

“Hmm.”

Duke Sorphel was out on an early-morning stroll. He had been very busy recently dealing with public affairs, so he decided to take advantage of what little leisure time he had.

It’s been a while since I’ve been here, he thought. He was headed to a garden full of baby’s breath flowers in full bloom. The little white blossoms spread out widely across the garden like a light fog settling. It was truly a spectacular sight.

What’s that? While he slowly walked through the flowers, admiring them as they soaked in the morning dew, the duke was struck by a sense of déjà vu. His eyes widened slightly when he spotted a familiar face in the distance.

Is that Camilla? Duke Sorphel narrowed his eyes as he watched Camilla, who stood in the middle of the field of baby’s breath. She was doing something, but the duke couldn’t make out what.

She can’t be… Not again! Duke Sorphel thought with a start. This wasn’t the first time he had found Camilla meddling in the flower fields. She had once dug up one of their finest rose gardens, making a complete mess of it. As she always did when she got in trouble, Camilla kept her mouth shut and gave no excuses or explanations for her behavior. It seemed she had done it for no particular reason. At that time, the duke had let her actions slide—they could just regrow the roses. But not this time. These baby’s breath blooms were different.

“Camilla!” Duke Sorphel ran toward her, calling out in a harsh voice. She was bending down rhythmically in the field. He grabbed her shoulder tightly, and something hit the ground as Camilla dropped what she’d been holding. It was a bouquet of baby’s breath flowers.

“Huh?” Camilla looked up at Duke Sorphel in surprise, and then back down at the fallen flowers as sadness filled her eyes. She bent back down and carefully picked up the flowers, one by one.

“What are you doing here?” Duke Sorphel asked.

“I was collecting flowers.”

“Flowers?”

Camilla sat back up after recovering all of the fallen baby’s breath. She smiled faintly at the duke, who looked puzzled.

“I wanted to decorate your room, Father,” she said.

“My room?”

“Yes. The last time I visited your office, it looked very depressing in there,” she said.

Duke Sorphel, appearing to be deep in thought, studied Camilla for a moment. Was she really picking these flowers to decorate his office?

What was she thinking? Why all of a sudden? This is certainly out of character for her.

“Am I not allowed to pick these flowers?”

Duke Sorphel remained silent, continuing to study Camilla, her arms full of baby’s breath flowers. Then, curtly giving her permission, he finally said, “Carry on.”

“Thank you!” Camilla’s face brightened.

Duke Sorphel appeared even more confused after seeing her reaction.

“I’ll put them in a vase and bring them to you soon!”

With those words, Camilla left the garden. Her smile grew bigger with every step she took.

“Does His Grace really like baby’s breath this much?” Camilla muttered to herself.

A voice answered.

«He does, Lady Camilla,» said Derrin, the butler ghost. He was so lean and agile that it was hard to believe he was an old man.

Derrin had come to find Camilla not long after she met Ferrol, the ghost of the late head chef. Having already heard the whole story from Ferrol, Derrin readily offered to help. He decided to share some of his useful knowledge with her. Camilla, who had always been an outcast in the mansion, was making an effort to earn her father’s approval. What was the harm in helping?

The first piece of information that Derrin shared with Camilla was about the baby’s breath.

«His Grace’s mother was very fond of baby’s breath. The late Lady Sorphel personally tended the garden while she was alive.»

The duke’s mother had passed away a long time ago.

«That is why His Grace also has an appreciation for baby’s breath flowers.»

Camilla nodded thoughtfully while she listened to Derrin. It seemed he hadn’t been lying. Duke Sorphel seemed to be looking at Camilla in a way she had never seen before. He had always looked at her with indifference, but this time, there seemed to be a flicker of emotion in his eyes.

I’ve laid the groundwork, Camilla thought. Now for the next step.

* * *

“Don’t.”

As soon as Camilla entered the kitchen, the head chef, Gelad, blocked her path, clicking his tongue in annoyance. It reminded Camilla how she was used to being treated in the mansion. But she was still a lady and a daughter of the duke, even if they were not blood related.

Shouldn’t he at least pretend to have some respect? The second that Camilla asked if she could use the kitchen, Gelad immediately shook his head. His gaze burned intensely, and it was clear that he held a grudge against her for turning away his food last time.

“Why not?” she asked.

“It’s dangerous.”

“What’s dangerous?”

“There are lots of dangerous tools in the kitchen. If you get splashed with frying oil, you’ll immediately get burned. It’s no place for a young lady.”

While he wasn’t wrong, the look in Gelad’s eyes did not seem very concerned for Camilla’s safety. It looked more like he didn’t want anyone with not even the slightest bit of knowledge about cooking to enter his beloved kitchen. Which is exactly what she was trying to do right now.

“But I need to use something,” Camilla said.

“It’s too dangerous.” Gelad didn’t bother coming up with a new excuse.

“There’s a dish that I need to make. Get out of my way already,” she commanded.

“If you tell me what it is you’re looking for, miss, I will prepare it for you.”

“You don’t know how to make it.”

“Excuse me?” Gelad’s relaxed expression turned red with anger. He opened and closed his mouth a few times in disbelief, and then finally spoke. “Do you really think, miss, that there is any dish that you can make, but I cannot?”

“Yep.”

Gelad let out a wheezing laugh. There was no dish that he couldn’t cook.

And even if there were, Camilla was certainly incapable of making such a thing.

It’s not possible, he thought. She couldn’t even make the disgusting food that commoners like her were used to eating. Was she trying to make some weird dish that she grew up eating in the countryside?

“So that’s how it’s going to be,” he said.

After assessing the situation, Gelad finally stepped out of the way of the kitchen entrance. He did not know what kind of food Camilla was planning on making, but he was looking forward to laughing until his sides hurt over it.

“Well, in that case… Please, go ahead,” he said.

Gelad guided her toward the cutting boards and the knives, giving a stern look to the other chefs that told them not to get involved. Wordlessly, he made sure they would not help Camilla in any way. In such a big kitchen, surely she would not be able to find the ingredients she needed without help. But even without his silent warning, no one would have come to Camilla’s aid.

Camilla carefully examined a knife sitting next to the cutting board and took it in her hand. The blade was to her liking. She ran her finger along the sharp edge thoughtfully.

“This will do.”

“That’s good to hea— Um, why are you coming this way, miss?”

Gelad flinched as Camilla strode toward him, blade in hand. Was she going to threaten him? Or just skip right to the stabbing? Knowing Camilla’s usual attitude, it was more than reasonable to assume that—

Thock!

Gelad jumped. Against his expectations, Camilla slammed down the knife into a nearby wooden board. Startled by the loud noise, he opened his mouth to speak.

“I want you to make a bet with me,” Camilla said, cutting him off.

“M-me, miss?” Gelad asked in disbelief.

“Yes. I bet that I can make a dish that you’ll want to learn how to make.”

“You, Lady Camilla?”

After a moment, the confusion on Gelad’s face was replaced with a sneer. She couldn’t be serious, could she?