Carrying all the bags and parcels, Leon followed behind Rossweise as they left the clothing store.
"What's our next stop? Lunch?" Rossweise turned and asked him.
"Yeah, lunch."
Rossweise raised a hand to shield her eyes, looking toward a tall building on the shopping street with a large clock on it. It was only a little past ten in the morning.
They were moving through their date itinerary quite quickly; it wasn't even close to lunchtime yet.
Leon also noticed this and suggested, "How about we do some more shopping?"
Rossweise smiled, looking Leon up and down, his arms full of shopping bags. "If you're not tired, then sure, let's shop some more."
Leon shrugged and didn't respond, simply heading deeper into the shopping street on his own. Rossweise crossed her arms and called after him, "Hey, do you need me to carry some of those?"
"No need. These things are light," Leon said, striding forward without looking back.
Back then, whenever his Mistress went shopping, she bought much more than this. And Leon would still manage a faint smile and praise, "Mistress has such excellent taste."
But sometimes, Leon also wondered: since she bought so much every time, why not just bring the donkey from home? Compared to a captive or a bag carrier, a donkey was far more suited for this job, right?
.
.
.
The couple continued strolling through the shopping street. As they neared the exit, they noticed a storefront completely different from the clothing and jewelry shops.
With its dark color scheme, peculiar decorations, and various mysterious, incomprehensible symbols, it exuded an eerie and mysterious atmosphere.
Upon getting closer, they saw it was a fortune-telling parlor.
Leon only gave it a cursory glance before wanting to leave. He wasn't particularly interested in fortune-telling or divination.
However, his Master and Mistress had been quite addicted to this stuff back in the day. Every month, they would seek out different fortune-tellers for sessions.
A few times, they had insisted on dragging Leon along. Unable to refuse, he went. It was these experiences that instilled in him a deep bias against the entire "fortune-telling" industry.
Fortune-teller A would say, "Your son is naturally gifted, born with the holy body of a scholar. With a little cultivation, he will surely become renowned in his field."
Fortune-teller B would claim, "Your beloved son excels in the ways of governance and strategy. If he enters politics, he will undoubtedly achieve greatness."
Fortune-teller C, the real heavyweight, would ominously predict, "Your son may face a disaster next month. Pay me 100 gold coins, and I can ensure his safety."
The result? His Master nearly flipped the fortune-teller's table on the spot.
It was no wonder Leon harbored such a bias. Demanding 100 gold coins upfront? Why not just go rob someone? It was best to just observe these little tricks as entertainment and not take them seriously.
Just as Leon was about to leave, he noticed Rossweise hadn't followed.
Turning back, he saw her gazing up at the signboard and introduction of the fortune-telling parlor, seeming very interested.
As expected.
"Let's go in and take a look," Rossweise suggested. "We still have some time before lunch. Why not?"
When the Bunny Girl says so, why not oblige? Condemned prisoners get a good meal before execution; this was no surprise!
Leon shrugged. "Suit yourself."
The couple walked into the fortune-telling parlor.
The atmosphere inside was just as mysterious and eerie, with the dim lighting, thick carpets, and strange wall decorations all adding to the mystic vibe.
There weren't many people inside. They easily spotted the female fortune-teller sitting at the very back.
She wore a wide-brimmed witch's hat, a black gown, and had long, manicured nails—each one painted differently. Her features under the hat were delicate, but her makeup was a bit too dramatic, making her look rather unconventional.
"Welcome. Please, have a seat," she said calmly.
The couple sat down across from her.
The fortune-teller remained composed, first assessing Rossweise and nodding thoughtfully before turning her gaze to Leon—
And shook her head.
Leon was taken aback. "Wait, why are you shaking your head at me?"
"I can see at a glance, sir—"
Leon sucked in a quiet breath. He could feel the crackle of lightning elemental energy gathering under the table. If this woman directly revealed he wasn't a dragon, then sorry, as a fortune-teller, she should have foreseen her own disaster today!
"—you have an extraordinary demeanor and a radiant countenance. You are truly a son of destiny, far beyond the comparison of ordinary male dragons!"
"…"
The lightning in his hand flickered out awkwardly. Leon coughed lightly and nudged Rossweise's shoe with his own, signaling her to take the lead.
"That's an exaggeration. My husband is just somewhat good-looking, nothing so grand," Rossweise said smoothly. "May I ask for your name?"
"You may call me Sibyl," the fortune-teller said. "What aspect of your lives would you like me to divine? Marriage? Career? If you're unsure, I offer a comprehensive divination package."
Wow, this industry is getting more and more sophisticated. They even have packages now, Leon thought.
Sibyl then produced a wooden board covered with various divination methods: astrology, bamboo sticks, tarot cards—you name it. Each had its own price listed.
While Rossweise was just here for fun, she didn't want too much hassle. "Let's try astrology first. It should be simple, right?"
"Yes, just provide me with your birth dates," Sibyl said confidently.
"October 25th," Rossweise offered.
"Ah, that makes you a Scorpio."
Sibyl elaborated, "Scorpios are a sign that often lacks a sense of security but possesses keen observational skills. They are highly sensitive to changes in their environment."
"When a Scorpio asks someone a question, they often already know the answer but still want to hear it from the other person."
Rossweise nodded slightly, a look of understanding on her face.
Leon, however, still viewed it all with distrust.
Sibyl continued, "Of course, Scorpio women have a typical personality trait: cold on the outside but passionate and unrestrained on the inside."
"They are fearless in love and hate. Once they fall in love, it's a pursuit of 'all or nothing.'"
"Oh, and speaking of love, the signs most compatible with Scorpio are Pisces and Cancer. Your synergy with them would be excellent."
Rossweise nodded, seeming to take it in. "And which sign is the least compatible?"
"Leo."
"Alright," Sibyl turned to Leon. "And what is your birth date, sir?"
"August 5th."
Having heard Sibyl's earlier mystical description, Leon couldn't help but ask, "So, what's my sign?"
Sibyl's expression turned strange. She glanced at Rossweise, then hesitantly replied, "Sir, you are… a Leo."
"…"
Oh. Well, that explains it. No wonder they constantly found each other irritating; it was written in the stars!
The couple exchanged a brief glance, then simultaneously looked away.
Seeing this, Sibyl grew flustered. She quickly explained, "Oh, please don't take it too seriously! Astrology is just a reference, it's not always accurate."
"I think it's remarkably accurate," Leon said, his voice suddenly filled with devout belief.
Leon's thoughts: This stuff is just for tricking kids!
…Wait, it says I'm incompatible with Rossweise? This is profound wisdom!
Observing the couple's reactions, Sibyl wasn't sure what to do. "To apologize, I'll give you both a 30% discount on your next divination here. How does that sound?"
Rossweise glanced at Leon and nodded. "Sure."
Whether they got a discount or not was irrelevant to her; she wasn't short on money. However, she had a feeling the next divination might be "unfavorable" for Leon.
As the saying went, what was unfavorable for the dragon slayer was favorable for the dragon.
This divination was a must!
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.
.
Sibyl pulled out a crystal ball from under the table. "Sir, please place your hand on the crystal ball. I will establish a connection with your life force, allowing me to glimpse your past and future."
Leon hesitated but eventually placed his palm on the crystal ball. It felt cold and unremarkable.
After a moment, Sibyl spoke softly, "Sir… You are naturally endowed with exceptional leadership abilities. You possess unique insights and perspectives… Many people have admired and followed you…"
Leon was slightly surprised. That was unexpectedly on point.
"But!" Of course, there had to be a twist after the praise. How else would she secure more payment?
"Sir…You seem to have a calamity looming."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "A calamity?"
He subconsciously glanced at Rossweise beside him. Besides this dragoness, what other calamity could he possibly have?
"Well… I see… I see iron bars… Weeds… Hiss! —Sir! I've got it!"
Leon held his breath. "What is it?"
"You are going to face jail time!"
"Hahaha—"
Rossweise finally couldn't hold it in any longer. She burst into laughter, clutching her stomach, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
Leon, on the other hand, wore an expression of utter speechlessness, as if saying, "You have got to be kidding me."
Sibyl looked at their reactions, blinked, and for the first time, doubted her own skills. "D-did I say something wrong…?"
Leon lowered his voice, gritting his teeth. "No. You're right. You're absolutely right."
Scratching her head, Sibyl continued since she seemed to be on a roll, "So, sir, would you like to dispel this calamity?"
Leon's face darkened even further.
Next will be, 'Pay me 100 gold coins, and I'll help you avoid disaster,' right? You fortune-tellers all use the same script.
But is there a chance my 'jail time' is already in the past? Now it's the latter part: the captive's disaster. Sister, you're a little late to the party.
"No need," Leon stated flatly.
Sibyl peered deeper into the crystal ball, her brow furrowing. "Wait... there's more. It's shifting... I see... children. So many children. A whole crowd of them, surrounding you both." She looked up, her dramatic makeup unable to hide her genuine surprise. "Your future... it's filled with the laughter of many, many children."
Leon and Rossweise exchanged a look of pure disbelief.
"Okay, we're done here," Leon said, withdrawing his hand from the crystal ball and standing up. He nudged Rossweise's shoulder. "Stop laughing. Let's pay and get out of here."
Rossweise nodded, struggling to contain her mirth as she paid. She then left the fortune-telling parlor with Leon.
"Leon Cosmodeous."
Outside, Rossweise placed a hand on Leon's shoulder, her face a mask of mock seriousness. "You'll face jail time."
Leon shook off her hand, turned, and briskly walked toward the exit of the shopping street.
Rossweise caught up to him, running a few steps behind, laughing. "If you need financial support to avoid this disaster, I'm willing to provide it!"
"Shut up, you evil dragon!"
As their bickering faded, Rossweise managed to catch her breath, a thoughtful, amused smirk playing on her lips. "Is this even possible, Leon? What that fortune-teller said about... all those children?"
Leon didn't break his stride, his voice flat and dismissive. "Impossible."
Rossweise chuckled, shaking her head in agreement as she fell into step beside him. "Impossible."
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.
.
At that moment, Noah and Muen, hiding in the shadows, peeked out and watched their parents' retreating figures.
"Mommy looks so happy," Muen observed.
"Yeah, even though that last activity was short, it must have been exciting. It's rare to see Mommy that happy," Noah remarked.
"Sister, should we keep following them?"
"Of course."
"Yay~"
The two little dragon girls wiggled with excitement and quickly scurried past the fortune-telling shop's door.
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.
.
Inside, Sibyl looked puzzledly at her crystal ball, scratching her head. "Could the crystal ball be malfunctioning?"
She placed her hand on it again, attempting to divine more about the man she had just predicted would face imprisonment. However, the result of this divination was completely unrelated to her earlier vision.
Sibyl's eyes snapped open wide, and she muttered to herself in disbelief, "How can a man facing jail time… be surrounded by… so many children?!"