Chapter 51 – The New House and the Fortune Teller (3)
“I-I didn’t do anything…! I didn’t do it!”
Seris said as if it was really unfair.
“Calm down, I know you didn’t…”
“Really, I didn’t!”
“Seris…”
To calm the weeping Seris, he held her in her arms.
“Are you okay. Because I believe in you So calm down.”
“I’m sorry…”
Seris wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly. She stroked her hair Her tremors subsided little by little.
Then Kara came in through the open door.
“What happened… Huh?!”
When Kara entered the room, she was surprised twice: once when she saw the fallen old man, and once when she saw Seris and me.
I spoke first before Kara could speak.
“Kara, I’m out.”
“Uh..!? No, brother…”
“Kara.”
“…Okay.”
Kara, knowing the seriousness of the situation, went out without saying anything. I calmed her down and asked her out.
“What happened?”
“That is…”
Ceris described what happened with the old man in her room.
* * *
Seris, who entered the room alone with the old man, was a little uneasy.
‘Screaming when you feel strange… Why did you say that?’
There was no way Yoosung would say anything useless. She sat on the bed, ready to scream at any moment. The old man sitting opposite her took something from her bag.
‘Card?’
What the old man took out was a paper card. The old man laid the cards out on the bed.
“I’m going to do fortune-telling from now on.”
Saying that, the old man put something in Seris’ hand. It was a small purple marble.
– Can you hear me well?
The old man’s words replayed in my head. Startled, Cerys looked at the old man, and the old man tapped her on the mouth with his index finger. It was a gesture to be quiet.
-I heard that that nasty guy outside has bright ears. So I wrote beads.
Seris looked at her marbles with her curious eyes. Then she opened her mouth at the old man. She was to ask how to use beads.
– The way to use marbles is simple. Squeeze your marbles and make a sentence in your mind. And just think of it as passing it on to marbles.
Seris followed the old man’s words. She thinks of making a sentence in her mind, passing it to the marble…
-D, can you hear me..?
– Yes, it sounds good.
– Wow… It really works. Cool!
Hearing Celis’ excited voice, the old man smiled. Her innocence was like watching the childhood of her students. Although she has become a smirk now.
“You said her name was Seris, right? Seris, what do you usually do?”
“Yes?”
She suddenly asked in words other than her marbles, much to Ceris’ dismay.
-It’s to deceive the guy outside. Don’t be too surprised.
-Ah… But do you really have to hide it from Yooseong?
-You don’t know. And above all, he is not cheap.
-Uh… Is that so?
What does it have to do with hiding something? Seris was curious about that, but the old man didn’t give him a chance to ask.
-Anyway, while continuing to speak, the point is a beaded skirt. If you say it in words, you can answer roughly. Got it?
-Yes? Yes…
It was a bit difficult to communicate with the mouth while conveying the intention with beads. Seris tried to make both as smooth as possible.
The old man pointed to the card.
-So, would you like to pick three of these cards first? It doesn’t matter which one you choose.
Anything? Seris looked at the card. Then she picked out two sheets at either end and one in the middle.
– Turn it over.
Seris turned over the cards one by one.
In turn
A card in which a man wearing a crown holds his sword high.
A card with a man in armor kneeling in front of a man wearing a crown.
It was a card with a man wearing a crown sitting on a throne.
Seris looked at the card and tilted her head, but the old man exclaimed. The old man rummaged through his bag again and this time pulled out a crystal ball the size of his head.
She touched the crystal ball and said something to herself. Not through the mouth, but through the beads. Thanks to that, Seris had to listen to all that self-talk.
Ugh-
Suddenly, beads began to glow. The old man stopped talking to himself and took the marble to Ceris.
-Would you like to put your hand on the marble?
– Isn’t that strange?
– No. Why would I do something bad to you Don’t worry, put it on.
Seris shook her uneasy mind and placed her hand on her crystal ball. A small red light bloomed in the center of the crystal ball. The small light grew little by little and soon covered the entire crystal ball.
-Also…
The old man looked at the crystal ball as if he knew that and nodded his head. The old man looked at Seris with a gentle expression.
-You must have been a supremacist. I’m glad, I’m really glad Because he’s a good kid… Um? Then, the Cheonsalseong is the one who doesn’t have that savagery?
The smiling old man’s expression softened. The old man shook his head.
– No, there were other wives besides him. He could be that kid. Hmm. He must be that kid. He can’t be that nasty bastard. It can’t be.
-Uh… Yes?
When Celis was bewildered, the old man smiled again.
-It’s nothing. You can let go of the crystal ball now.
Seris removed her hand from her orb. The red light that seemed to burn her hand faded. The old man put the crystal ball and card back into the bag.
-Is the divination over?
-Yes, it’s over.
-Really? How did the results come out?
– Hee hee, you must be curious.
-Yes.
The old man took Seris’ hand. Celis was a little surprised, but didn’t let go of her hand. Because her wrinkly hands somehow reminded her of her father’s twisted hands. The old man met Seris’s eyes and said.
-Hey, you were born with the destiny of the king.
-Paewang…?
Seris opened her eyes wide and tilted her head. She looks great, but I don’t know what. The old man continued her words with a benevolent smile.
-Supreme King refers to a person who reigns with great strength and charisma.
-To..?
I didn’t understand even more. I know how strong it is. Seris, because she was stronger than the others. But what about charisma?
‘Did I have anything like that?’
It wasn’t what she thought. Rather, Yooseong has more charisma…
-You look at me in disbelief.
-Ah, that’s…
– It’s okay. It’s no wonder you don’t understand right away. But there will come a day when you will experience it yourself.
– How do you feel? How?
– Hmm… It’s hard to say. That’s because I haven’t seen it myself. But I don’t know that That you can have anything you want if you put your mind to it.
-Everything you want…?
Seris thought about what she wanted. She didn’t have to think too long. Because there was only one thing that came to mind right away.
Seris, as her old man said, imagined herself when she became the ruler. It was hard to imagine her to be honest, but wouldn’t she be wearing roughly fancy clothes and putting on an arrogant face?
Also, she is sitting on a fancy chair, and Yoosung takes off her top next to her…
Ho…
-Are you kid?
“Yes yes?!”
Cerys said with her mouth in her bewilderment. The old man laughed.
“Calm down.”
“Yes…”
– It looks like you have something you want.
-Uh, well, um… Yes…
Seris lowered her head. Her old man’s eyes narrowed.
– Can you tell me what it is?
-…
Seris didn’t answer. Her eyes slipped to her door. The old man noticed the meaning of those gazes. The old man opened his eyes wide and chuckled.
-Do you like that sleazy guy?
Seris wondered if it would be okay to talk to the old man. But she soon decided to confide in her. The old man communicated well, and through his marbles, he did not have to speak directly with his mouth.
More than anything, the mentally difficult these days played a part.
-Yes…
Seris’ face turned red. The old man looked at it and smiled. I thought what if I had a huge ambition, but it was only related to love.
-But isn’t that guy a man from another wife?
-…
-Well, that doesn’t matter. What is there to get in the way of the owner of the planet? Just take it away
-No!!
Seeing Celis’ determination, the old man widened her eyes.
-…My sister.
-Ah, that’s…
The old man looked at Celis with her pitiful eyes. Seris couldn’t lift her face.
– Then what, do you want anything else?
– I want to be able to read.
-It’s written… It’s a good wish.
The old man rummaged through his bag again. He took out a slightly worn-out book and handed it to Celis.
– What is this?
– It’s a book that helps you learn to write. I used to use it to refer to my disciples in the past, but I brought it just in case.
The old man explained how to use the book. Celis lowered her head with her brightened face.
-Thank you!
She put the book under her bed and climbed back up.
– Is there any reason for hiding it?
– I’m going to surprise you later.
Seris smiled brightly. Even the old man laughed.
-Let’s see. I think I’m almost done with what I’m about to say… Um, can this grandmother do some fortune telling?
-Yes? The thing is, you’ve seen it before.
-It’s different from before. It’s about looking into the future.
– What about seeing the future?
-Okay. Even if not precisely, you can know it abstractly. Would you like to try it?
Seris was troubled by the old man’s words. Can you see the future, albeit abstractly? Doesn’t that mean that we can know what kind of relationship we will have with Yoosung in the future!
Seris made up her mind and nodded her head. The old man smiled.
-Then… Let’s see… Ah, before that, could you take off the mask?
-A mask?
-Okay. You have to see your face to cast fortunes properly.
– Uhm…
Seris looked reluctant and the old man asked.
-Hey, is there any reason why you shouldn’t take off your mask?
-…Yes. Yoosung told me not to take it off.
-But if you don’t take off the mask, the exact fortune won’t come out.
– Uhm…
Seris thought seriously. She knows she shouldn’t take off her mask, but she’s really curious about the future. What happens to Yoosung and her, Kara.
Especially these days, my mind is agitated, so it’s even more so. Seris glanced at the old man and said.
– Grandma, please promise me. Even if you see my face, I won’t tell anyone.
-It looks like there’s a story behind it… Yes, I swear on my life as a fortune teller. Don’t tell anyone
– You promised.
-Okay.
It was only after the old man nodded her head earnestly that Seris grabbed her mask. Even before she took it off, she thought about it three times, but soon she took off the mask and put it down.
Seeing Seris’ bare face, the old man was at a loss for words.
-Grandma..?
-Huh? Uhh… Yes… Can I ask you something..?
-What is it?
-Why are you covering your face? I don’t understand. Why such a pretty face…
-…Sorry. I can’t tell.
Seris said with a stiff face. The old man also wondered what was going on, and she moved on. The old man turned his gaze toward the door for a moment.
‘Blessed guy tsk tsk.’
How could that ignorant bastard treat a woman like this? The old man clicked his tongue, saying it was the last days. He turned back to Seris.
– Now you will see the dots. Take a good look at this
With those words, the old man closed his eyes. He didn’t speak out, he just kept his mouth shut. A white aura began to flow around the old man. A white aura soon covered the old man.
‘And…’
For a moment, Seris had the illusion that the old man had grown huge. The old man, who had been muttering the whole time, opened her eyes. The white energy gathered in the old man’s eyes, and the old man’s pupils disappeared.
‘Scared…’
Seeing the old man’s grotesque appearance, Celis pulled her body back slightly. The old man looked at Seris and opened her eyes wide. The white aura has disappeared. The old man fell flat on the floor. With his eyes closed.
‘…Uh?’
Seris did not understand the situation for a moment. She stood there blankly for about three seconds and then approached the old man who had collapsed in fright.
“Grandma, why are you suddenly like this?!”
Seris shook the old man. At that time, Yooseong opened the door roughly and entered.
* * *
Hearing Seris’ story, I couldn’t help but be very embarrassed.
‘Seris is the king?’
What does this mean? Obviously, there was no such story in the talent tester.
…No, it seemed that there was something similar. She said she obviously had a great pedigree.
‘Why are you twisting things like this?’
If it wasn’t for that fortune teller, I almost would have missed it.
‘Then should she learn the Celestial Magic from Celis?’
If he had the qualities of a king, there was no reason not to learn it.
‘No, how can I trust that old man’s words?’
Couldn’t that old man just be a quack?
I frowned at that thought. When Celis saw my expression, she trembled with a pale complexion.
“Do I have to go to that prison…?”
“Prison? What are you talking about. Why are you going to jail?”
“I’ve been thinking about it, but it seems like he died because of me. My, it happened like that while looking at my point. So, that… Black… What should I do, Mr. Yooseong?!”
I hugged Seris tightly again. She patted her back and calmed her down.
“It’s not your fault. Because that old woman was doing fortune-telling on her own and she died.”
“Really..?”
“Yeah, so there’s no way you’ll get caught. Calm down.”
“Huh…”
It was only after I told them clearly that they seemed relieved. The power drained from Seris’ body. I leaned over her a little to support her.
Seris was silently held in my arms for a while. She then looked up and she said.
“Then what will Grandma do now?”
“What the heck.”
I looked at the old man’s corpse.
“You should bury it.”
Stealthily.
