Chapter v3side1

Since arriving in Garkhain, Rishe has occasionally had tea with Arnold.

His servant, Oliver, asked her, "Despite our advice, His Highness Arnold never takes a break. He seems to stop when Rishe-sama asks him to, so if you don't mind, could you take him out from time to time?"

One day at tea break, Rishe suddenly thought of something and asked Arnold.

"Your Highness, if you don't mind, I'd like to perform palmistry for you just for fun."

"――Palmistry?"

Rishe placed her teacup on the saucer and nodded.

"If you look at the palm of your hand, you will see a variety of lines there. In the eastern continent, they look at these lines and tell your fortune based on them. It's called palmistry."

While waiting for the tea to be prepared and Arnold's arrival, Rishe was playing this "palmistry" game with the maids.

In that vein, she came up with this idea.

If she could see Arnold Hein's palm, she would love to observe it.

Arnold, on the other hand, had a subtle look on his face.

"...Divination of the East."

"Er, this is very popular in my country. It's the kind of topic that attracts a lot of attention at women's social gatherings..."

Of course, it was a downright lie. This divination was something she learned during her alchemist life when she was in the eastern continent.

"I don't think fortune telling has any credibility whatsoever."

"Personally, I'm of the view that it's something to be enjoyed, regardless of its credibility. Then, when you're not sure what to do, maybe it will nudge you to act."

"......."

Well, that may be an idea that Your Highness can't relate to...

Just as Rishe had expected, Arnold raised eyebrows rose higher.

But then he sighed, took off his gloves, and placed them on the table with his right palm facing up.

"Here. Suit yourself."

"Thank you!"

Rishe quickly smiled and examined Arnold's palm.

"...Your intellectual line is deep and long. Awesome."

"..."

"The same goes for your talent line. You also have good fortune with wealth, and there...What the heck is this? I've never seen a palm with plenty of blessed lines!"

"I don't know. Don't ask me..."

Moreover, Arnold's palm showed the so-called "Take over the world phase".

It was a phase that Rishe, who knew what the future held for the next five years, had to pay attention to.

I think this divination is pretty accurate.

Rishe couldn't help but look at her own palm.

The same is true for my palms. Both the left and right life lines are cut off once at about the length of "dying around the age of 20," but another life line extends from the side where it was cut off...

This was exactly the kind of palmistry that was ideal for Rishe, who has been dying at the age of twenty over and over again.

When she first took notice of palmistry, she'd been so excited alone. What pained her, however, was how hard it was to tell anyone that she was right.

She was lost in her thoughts when Arnold asked, "Are you done?"

"Oh, please wait!"

She stopped him from withdrawing his hand and asked him to show her the base of his pinky finger.

"This is your marriage line. The more lines you have, the more chances you have of meeting the right person for marriage."

"..."

At the base of Arnold's pinky finger, there was a single, clear line.

"Mmm-hmm. Since Your Highness has one, it seems you only have one destined mate."

"..."

"Ah! But don't worry, just because it's not much doesn't mean it's bad. See, I have a single marriage line, too."

"..."

After showing her own hand to Arnold, Rishe went back to analyzing his palm.

"And the time for marriage itself seems to be early."

"............"

"The position of the line indicates that you will get married in your late teens or around the age of twenty. So, if my palm reading is correct, Your Highness' marriage will probably be soon."

"............"

"The lines are also long and dark, so it is the phase of someone who has a great love life. So, all in all, Your Highness will soon be united in a great romance with the woman of your dreams! Oh dear?!"

Having said that far, she suddenly registered something strange.

"Rishe."

"..."

And Arnold, who had probably realized it beforehand, looked at her and continued with a straight face.

"It's you. You're my marriage partner..."

Damn, that's rightーーーーーー!!

Heat spread to her cheeks at once, embarrassed in every sense of the word.

"Um, n-no, fortune-telling!! This is only fortune-telling!"

"..."

She ridiculously rattled on and on even though she was the object of the said marriage.

She hurried to excuse herself, but Arnold rested his cheek on the armrest.

"I suppose so."

And then he smirked.

"Now, for one thing, let me read your palm, too."

"H-huh?"

At Arnold's unexpected suggestion, Rishe clasped her hands tightly together.

"W-Why in the world would I show it to you?"

Arnold appeared increasingly amused when saw how flustered Rishe was.

"I believe that's how I can tell if your palm reading is correct or not. I'm supposed to marry you soon, and according to your palmistry, I'm supposed to get married at my current age. Then again, if it's a marriage with intense romance with my destined mate, then the party should have the same phase as well as me, right?"

"Huh, that's..."

"Come on, give me your hand."

"No, absolutely not!!"

Her cheeks were burning, and she hurriedly hid her hands behind her back. There was no way she was going to let Arnold see it now.

Rishe knew very well that her marriage line was as thick and long as Arnold's, because she had seen it countless times.

"They say that palms change, and that fate is not set in stone! Anyway, not now, please, I beg your pardon!!"

Not until the heat on her cheeks has cooled down, but not here.

Rishe felt too embarrassed to let anyone know that she also had matching marriage lines no matter which angle she thought.

"Huh."

However, perhaps Rishe's reaction was too obvious.

Arnold cleared his throat and laughed in amusement.

"It can't be helped. If you say so, I'll let you off for now."

"Oh, thank you..."

"For now."

"!!"

His reminder made her shoulders jerk.

Arnold was satisfied, and for a rare moment, picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Rishe's heart was going pit-a-pat, but she heaved a sigh of relief.

She gently moved her hand from behind her back back to her lap, then glanced at the base of her pinky finger and traced that long, clear line with her fingertip.

T/N: Yes, Rishe, you're made for each other...the only soul mates...hahahah