A fortune-telling princess

 

“Have you heard?”

“About the Gracia Empire?”

“They say a new emperor will be crowned soon.”

“So, the second prince won in the end.”

The three dukes had gathered together for the first time in a while, and their primary topic of interest was the Gracia Empire.

The prolonged civil war there had finally ended, and the coronation of a new emperor was significant news.

Though currently allied, the Gracia Empire and the Fableur Empire had a history of clashing repeatedly for dominance over the continent. As protectors of Fableur, it was only natural for the dukes to remain vigilant about Gracia’s movements.

Gracia Empire?

Camilla, once again confined as a plaything for divine beasts, perked up her ears at the conversation.

She knew a fair bit about the Gracia Empire, not by choice, but because she’d lived through so many lives where people constantly discussed it.

Nothing’s changed this time either.

Camilla already knew that the second prince would ascend to the throne. However, unlike the dukes, it wasn’t something that interested her much—until she remembered something important.

Oh, right!

The Gracia Empire wasn’t entirely irrelevant to her anymore.

Magic stones!

She’d completely forgotten about them.

It made sense. After all, the top-tier magic stone currently in her possession had once belonged to Duke Jabilon.

“Heh…”

A sly smile spread across her lips as she realized that a very wealthy buyer would soon be knocking at her door.

“Camilla?”

Ack!

Camilla hastily wiped the greed from her face. Arsion had already warned her not to make that kind of expression in front of others.

“Is something the matter?”

Noticing the three dukes’ gazes fixed on her, she tried her best to answer naturally.

“No, it’s just… King is so cute.”

[Kyuu?]

She quickly scooped up King, who had been napping beside her, and began petting him as he blinked at her in confusion.

“Isn’t our King just adorable?”

[Kyuu-kyuu!]

King seemed to understand her praise, lifting his head proudly. Camilla couldn’t help but laugh for real this time.

“Speaking of which, I heard a new mineral was discovered at the mine,” Duke Jabilon said, his eyes narrowing.

“Oh, yes. I have something for you three,” Camilla replied.

She picked up three small boxes and handed one to each duke. Curious, they opened the boxes to find heavy rings designed for men.

The platinum rings weren’t overly flashy, but their craftsmanship was exquisite. Most striking of all was the gemstone embedded in the center.

“Is this… a diamond?”

It certainly looked like a diamond, but the color was unique.

“What an incredible color!”

It shimmered with a captivating hue, predominantly blue, yet indescribably complex. It was the kind of shade that seemed impossible to recreate artificially.

“This is a blue diamond,” Camilla explained.

The rings were crafted from a newly discovered mineral at her mine. This was the first time anyone in the continent had seen it.

“This… This is really a diamond?”

“Yes. Isn’t the color lovely? It’s being mined sparingly, so I plan to reserve it for VIP clients only.”

That was a lie. While the yield wasn’t enormous, it wasn’t nearly as scarce as she implied.

However, Camilla had decided to keep that fact under wraps. Terms like “rare” and “exclusive” naturally heightened desire—and prices.

“…So, this is the new mineral?”

“Yes.”

Duke Jabilon couldn’t take his eyes off the ring. His expression shifted as he clenched the ring in his trembling hands, likely recalling how he’d narrowly lost the auction for the mine.

“Want one of mine?” Duke Sorpel offered, sliding his ring toward Jabilon with a smug grin.

“…”

Duke Jabilon’s body shook harder.

“Shall I give you mine too?” Duke Sephra added, though his tone was devoid of malice, making it all the more infuriating.

*****

“A message from the royal palace has arrived,” Chris announced.

“As expected.”

“You anticipated this?”

“Well, roughly.”

The moment Camilla stepped into the office, Chris presented her with a new matter.

“It’s about the trade of magic stones with the Gracia Empire, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.”

Chris’s usually composed face faltered. Despite not having reported the details yet, she already knew. It was disconcerting.

Though he had personally witnessed her foresight during the mine auction, he still hadn’t fully adjusted.

“They want to purchase our magic stones.”

A smile spread across Camilla’s lips. A very lucrative deal was on the horizon.

The Gracia Empire, known for its frigid climate, relied heavily on heating systems, which required magic stones to maintain.

“I heard Marquis Gaviel lobbied hard on their side.”

“Of course he did.”

Having lost his previous market, the marquis must have been desperate to secure a new one. Gracia was the ideal customer.

“But they’re no fools.”

It was only natural for their attention to shift from low-grade to top-tier magic stones.

“Long-term, it’s a smarter choice for them.”

Magic stones weren’t permanent fixtures; they were consumables that needed regular replacement. It was more cost-effective to use high-quality stones that lasted longer.

“Top-tier stones are in demand for a reason.”

If the cost of replacing ten cheap stones equaled that of one top-tier stone, the choice was obvious.

“They’ve asked for a swift response.”

“Hmm.”

Camilla was satisfied that the royal family had contacted her directly rather than going through Duke Sorpel. It was recognition that she was the rightful owner of the stones.

“I’ll reply to the palace myself.”

“Understood.”

Chris nodded and moved on to other matters, though his gaze occasionally drifted toward Dormann, who was brewing tea nearby.

“You brought Dormann today?”

“Planning to put him to work at the café.”

“…Excuse me?”

Dormann, who had been silent until now, looked up, startled.

“The café?”

“Prove your worth there,” Camilla said matter-of-factly.

“I already do plenty here!”

“Really? When? Where? How?”

“I clean diligently!”

“The other staff clean better these days.”

“I brew excellent tea!”

“My tea is better.”

Well, technically, the tea was better when brewed according to Darin’s instructions.

“I even assist with bathing!”

“Want to die?”

Why bring that up?

“This is too much!” Dormann protested.

“From now on, when I’m not home, work at the café.”

Business had picked up lately, thanks to word-of-mouth about the desserts. While they initially needed some publicity stunts, the quality had spoken for itself, and demand grew rapidly.

Seeing Laila struggling with the influx of customers, Camilla decided to send idle staff to help.

“If you can’t prove your worth there…”

“…What happens?”

“Curious?”

Camilla’s slight smirk sent Dormann scurrying backward instinctively.

“My new heels have particularly sharp points, you see.”

“I’ll give it my all! Really, I will!”

“Good. Off to the café with you now.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Watching Dormann dash off, Camilla clicked her tongue in annoyance.

He’s been slacking ever since the other staff stepped up their game. Catching him napping under a tree today was the last straw.

“Not on my watch,” she muttered, turning back to her paperwork with a satisfied expression.

Chris, observing silently, shook his head.

****

“A delegation?”

“Yes.”

After Camilla confirmed the deal with the Gracia royal palace, Duke Sorpel brought news of their next request.

“They want to meet you in person.”

The Gracia Empire wanted to negotiate directly with Camilla, the owner of the magic stones.

“You’re adding me to the delegation?”

The coronation of Gracia’s new emperor prompted Fableur to send an official delegation.

That’s not unusual,

Camilla thought.

What surprised her was being included.

“I’d prefer if you didn’t go,” Duke Sorpel said, his displeasure evident. He didn’t like the idea of Camilla traveling so far.

“You could appoint a representative instead.”

“That’s an option, but…”

If this were an ordinary trade deal, Camilla would have agreed. Sending Chris or another representative would suffice.

“But it’s the royal family.”

Declining a request to meet in person, especially from Gracia’s royal family, wasn’t an easy decision.

“I’ll go,” she said.

“Do you have any idea where you’re going?!”

Unable to hold back, Ravi shouted. Though silent, Ludville’s expression mirrored his displeasure.

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