episode_0051

“Well, I didn’t do anything..! I didn’t do it!”

Seris said as if she felt truly unfair.

“Calm down, I know you didn’t do it…”

“Really, really, I didn’t do it!”

“Seris…”

I held the crying Seris in my arms to calm her down.

“It’s okay. Because I trust you. So calm down.”

“ugh…”

Cerise wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly. I stroked her head. Her trembling subsided little by little.

At that time, Kara came in through the open door.

“What happened… Huh?!”

Kara entered the room and was surprised twice: once when she saw the fallen old man, and once when she saw me and Seris.

I spoke first before Kara could speak.

“Kara, I’m out.”

“Huh..!? No, brother…”

“Kara.”

“…I understand.”

Kara seemed to know that the situation was serious and left without saying anything. I calmed Cerys down and asked her.

“What happened?”

“That…”

Cerise explained what happened with the old man in the room.

* * *

Seris, who entered the room alone with the old man, felt a little anxious.

‘You scream when you feel something strange… Why did you say that?’

There was no way Yooseong would say something for nothing. She sat on the bed, ready to scream at any moment. The old man sitting across from her took something out of his bag.

‘card?’

What the old man took out was a paper card. The old man spread the cards out on the bed.

“From now on, I will tell fortunes.”

The old man said so and placed something in Seris’s hand. It was a small purple bead.

-Can you hear me clearly?

The old man’s words played back in my head. When Cerys looked at the old man in shock, the old man tapped his mouth with his index finger. It was a gesture to be quiet.

-That cheap guy outside seems to have bright ears. So I used beads.

Seris looked at the bead with eyes that saw something strange. Then he opened his mouth towards the old man. It was to ask how to use beads.

-Using beads is simple. Hold the beads tightly and make sentences in your mind. And you can think of it as passing it to the beads.

Seris followed the old man’s words. Think of making a sentence in your mind and passing it to the bead…

-Can you hear me…?

-Yes, I can hear you well.

-Wow… that really works. cool!

The old man smiled as he heard Cerise’s excited voice. Her innocence was like seeing her students’ childhood. Although it has now become a snide snake.

“You said your name was Seris, right? Seris, what do you usually do?”

“Yes?”

Seris was taken aback when he suddenly asked in words instead of beads.

-This is done to deceive the people outside. Don’t be too surprised.

-Ah… But do you really have to hide it from Yoosung?

-You may not know. And above all, he is not a cheap guy.

-Uh… Is that so?

What does being rude have to do with hiding something? Seris was curious about that, but the old man did not give her a chance to ask.

-Anyway, keep saying it with your mouth and make your fortune beaded. It is okay to give a rough answer verbally. got it?

-yes? yes…

It was a bit difficult to convey one’s intentions through beads while also speaking with one’s mouth. Cerys tried to make it as smooth as possible for both of them.

The old man pointed to the card.

-Then, would you like to choose three of these cards first? It doesn’t matter which one you choose.

anything? Cerise looked at the cards. Then I chose two sheets at either end and one sheet in the middle.

-Turn it over.

Cerise turned over the cards one by one.

In turn

A card showing a man wearing a crown holding his sword high.

A card showing a man in armor kneeling in front of a man wearing a crown.

It was a card showing a man wearing a crown sitting on a throne.

Ceris looked at the card and tilted her head, but the old man let out an exclamation. The old man rummaged through his bag again and this time took out a crystal ball the size of his head.

I touched the crystal ball and said something to myself. Not with your mouth, but with beads. Thanks to that, Seris had to listen to all that self-talk.

Ugh-

Suddenly the bead began to glow. The old man stopped talking to himself and took the orb to Seris.

-Would you like to put your hand on the bead?

-It’s not strange, right..?

-No. Why would I do something bad to you? Don’t worry, just put it on.

Seris shook off her anxiety and placed her hand on the crystal ball. A small red light bloomed from the center of the crystal sphere. The small light grew bigger little by little and soon covered the entire crystal ball.

-also…

The old man nodded, looking at the crystal ball as if he knew that would happen. The old man looked at Seris with a gentle expression.

-You were a king. Thank goodness, I’m so glad. Because he’s a good kid… hmm? Then, is Cheonsalseong that cheap guy?

The smiling old man’s expression became subtle. The old man shook his head.

-No, there was another wife and son besides him. It could be that kid. hmm. It must be that kid. There’s no way he’s that cheap guy. You can’t do that.

-Uh…yeah?

When Seris looked confused, the old man smiled kindly again.

-It’s nothing. You can let go of the crystal ball now.

Seris took her hand off the crystal ball. The red light that seemed to burn my hands disappeared. The old man put the crystal ball and card back into his bag.

-Is the fortune-telling over?

-Okay, it’s over.

-really? What were the results?

-Hehe, you must be curious.

-yes.

The old man held Cerise’s hand. Seris was a little surprised, but she didn’t take her hand away. This is because the wrinkled hands somehow reminded me of my father’s dead hands. The old man made eye contact with Seris and said.

-Child, you were born with the destiny of the king.

-The king…?

Seris opened her eyes wide and tilted her head. It looks cool, but I don’t know what it is. The old man continued speaking with a kind smile.

-A king refers to a person who reigns with great power and charisma.

-to..?

I didn’t understand it even more. I understand strong power. Seris, because she was stronger than others. But charisma?

‘Did I have anything like that?’

Not that she thought. Rather, Yoosung is more charismatic…

-You look like you can’t believe it.

-Oh, that’s…

-It’s okay. It’s natural that you don’t understand right away. But there will come a day when you will experience it for yourself.

-How do you feel? In what way?

-Hmm… it’s hard to say. Because I haven’t seen it myself. But I know that. That you can have anything you want if you put your mind to it.

-Everything you want…?

Cerys thought about what she wanted. There was no need to think for a long time. Because there was only one thing that came to mind right away.

As the old man said, Seris imagined what it would be like when she became the king. To be honest, it was hard to imagine, but wouldn’t he be wearing flashy clothes and making an arrogant face?

Also, Yoosung is sitting on a fancy chair and next to him is shirtless…

Ho…

-Are you a kid?

“Yes, yes?!”

Cerys was so embarrassed that she ended up speaking. The old man laughed.

“Calm down.”

“Yes…”

-It seems like there is something you want.

-Uh, that’s, um… yeah…

Seris lowered her head. The old man’s eyes narrowed.

-Can you tell me what it is?

-…

Seris did not answer. Her eyes glanced towards the door. The old man noticed the meaning of that gaze. The old man opened his eyes wide and laughed.

-Do you like that cheap guy?

Seris wondered if it would be okay to tell this old man. But I soon decided to tell it. This was because the old man could communicate well and did not have to speak directly through the beads.

More than anything, I’ve been having a hard time mentally these days.

-yes…

Cerise’s face turned red. The old man smiled happily when he saw that. I wondered if he had any grand ambitions, but it was only related to love.

-But isn’t that guy your other wife’s man?

-…

– Well, that doesn’t matter. What would be a problem for the master of Paeongseong? Just take it away.

-No!!

The old man’s eyes widened at Cerise’s determination.

-…I mean, she’s my younger sister.

-Oh, well…

The old man looked at Seris with pitiful eyes. Seris couldn’t raise her face.

-Then, is there anything else you want?

-I want to be able to read.

-Written… That’s a good wish.

The old man rummaged through his bag again. I took out a slightly worn book and handed it to Ceris.

-What is this?

-It’s a book that helps you learn to write. It was something I used to refer to my students in the past, so I brought it with me just in case.

The old man explained how to use the book. Seris lowered her head with a brightened face.

-thank you!

She put the book under the bed and came back up.

-Is there a reason for hiding it?

-I plan to surprise you later.

Cerise smiled brightly. The old man also burst into laughter.

-Let’s see. I think I’m almost done with what I have to say now… Hmm, would you like this old woman to read your fortune?

-yes? You saw the point earlier.

-It’s different from before. It’s about looking into the future.

-What about looking into the future?

-okay. Even if it’s not exact, you can know it at least abstractly. Would you like to give it a try?

Seris was troubled by the old man’s words. Can you see the future, even if only abstractly? Doesn’t that mean you can know what kind of relationship you and Yooseong will have in the future?

Cerys made up her mind and nodded. The old man smiled.

-Then… let’s see… Oh, before that, will you take off your mask?

-A mask?

-okay. You can only accurately tell fortunes if you can see the face.

-Uhm…

The old man asked as Seris looked reluctant.

-Hey, is there a reason why you shouldn’t take off your mask?

-…yes. Yoosung told me never to take it off.

-But if you don’t take off your mask, you won’t get an accurate fortune telling.

-Uhm…

Seris thought seriously. I know I shouldn’t take off my mask, but I was really curious about the future. What happens to Yoosung, her, and Kara?

It was especially so these days because my mind was in turmoil. Cerys glanced at the old man and said.

-Grandma, please promise me. Even if they see my face, I won’t say anything to anyone.

-There seems to be some story… Yes, I swear on my life as a fortune teller. Don’t tell anyone.

-You promised.

-okay.

Only after the old man nodded seriously did Cerise grab the mask. I thought about it three times before taking it off, but I soon took it off and put it down.

When the old man saw Cerise’s bare face, he was momentarily speechless.

-grandma..?

-huh? Uh… okay… can I ask you something…?

-What is it?

-Why are you covering your face? I don’t really understand. Why such a pretty face…

-…sorry. I can’t tell you.

Seris said with a stiff face. The old man thought there must be something going on and moved on. The old man turned his gaze toward the door for a moment.

‘Blessed guy, tsk tsk.’

How could that cheap bastard treat a woman like this? The old man clicked his tongue, saying, “Say nothing.” I looked back at Seris.

-Now we are going to see the fortune. Look right here.

With those words, the old man closed his eyes. I didn’t make a sound and just kept my mouth shut. A white energy began to flow around the old man. White energy soon covered the old man.

‘and…’

For a moment, Seris felt as if the old man had become huge. The old man who had been speechless opened his eyes. White energy gathered into the old man’s eyes, and the old man’s pupils disappeared.

‘scared…’

Seeing the old man’s bizarre appearance, Seris slightly leaned back. The old man looked at Seris and opened his eyes wide. The white energy disappeared. The old man fell to the floor. With my eyes closed.

‘…uh?’

Seris did not understand the situation for a moment. I was dumbfounded for about 3 seconds, then I got scared and approached the fallen old man.

“Grandma, why are you doing this all of a sudden?!”

Cerise shook the old man. At that time, Yooseong roughly opened the door and came in.

* * *

After hearing Cerise’s story, I couldn’t help but be very embarrassed.

‘Is Cerris the king?’

What does this mean? Obviously, there was no such story in the talent discriminator.

…No, it seemed like there was similar content. I heard you clearly have a great pedigree.

‘Why are you talking so twisted?’

If it weren’t for the fortuneteller, I would have missed it.

‘Then should I have Ceris learn the Heavenly Demon Art?’

If you had the qualities of a supreme king, there was no reason not to learn.

‘No, how can I trust what that old man says?’

Couldn’t that old man just be a quack?

I frowned at that thought. When Cerise saw my expression, her complexion turned pale and she trembled.

“I have to go to jail..?”

“Jail? What are you talking about. Why are you going to jail?”

“I thought about it, but I think he died because of me. Well, that’s what happened when you looked at my mole. So, what should I do, Yoosung?!”

I hugged Cerise tightly again. He patted his back and calmed him down.

“It’s not your fault. Because that old lady died while telling fortunes on her own.”

“Really..?”

“Yes, so you won’t get caught. Rest assured.”

“Hmm…”

He seemed to feel relieved after I told him clearly. The strength drained from Cerise’s body. I leaned in a little to support her.

Cerys sat in my arms in silence for a while. Then he looked up and said.

“Then what should Grandma do now..?”

“Whatever.”

I looked at the old man’s body.

“I have to bury it.”

stealthily.