Chapter 318: An Ominous Divination Result
Natsume quietly observed the glowing bride and groom-to-be sitting across the table. Her gaze lingered on their smiling faces as the memories of this specific plotline surfaced in her mind. A heavy, tragic case was destined to unfold tonight.
This was the infamous arc marking Bourbon's first official appearance. While the details of many other minor incidents had blurred in her memory over time, this particular tragedy remained etched into her mind. It was one of the few cases from her past life that had left a lingering, bitter taste in her mouth. She still remembered the sheer shock she felt when the truth about the couple's hidden relationship was finally revealed.
[So, Traveler, are they actually twins? You really cannot tell just by looking at them,] Paimon's voice echoed softly in her mind, laced with disbelief.
"Indeed," Natsume murmured under her breath, giving a subtle nod of agreement.
She scrutinized the couple again. There were virtually no obvious similarities in their facial features. Only by staring intently and breaking down their bone structure could one barely notice that the contours of their faces shared a faint resemblance. It made perfect sense that their mutual friends had never suspected a thing.
"I heard the two of you fell in love at first sight?" Ran asked, leaning forward with a bright, gentle smile. A spark of youthful curiosity and eager anticipation danced in her eyes, clearly hoping to be swept away by a romantic tale.
Raita chuckled, wrapping an arm around his fiancee. "Yeah, you could say that. The very moment our eyes met, it felt like a grand arrangement of fate."
'Well, that arrangement is nothing short of a cruel joke,' Natsume thought dryly, keeping her expression perfectly neutral.
As the couple happily recounted their romantic history, Natsume offered a polite glance before lowering her head to focus on her meal. However, her chopsticks paused when Raita proudly listed their bizarre coincidences. He boasted about how their birthdays, blood types, and even their early childhood experiences were completely identical. He even joked about how they sometimes shared a strange, telepathic connection.
Natsume looked up at them again. Her lips parted slightly. A strong urge to intervene swelled in her chest, but the words caught in her throat. She wrestled with the conflicting thoughts swirling in her mind. Ultimately, she swallowed the warning, opting to take a slow sip of her iced drink instead. She lowered her gaze back to her plate, masking her inner turmoil.
Sitting directly across the table, Conan caught Natsume's subtle hesitation. His sharp eyes narrowed behind his oversized glasses, studying her unusual behavior.
'Strange,'the young detective mused to himself.'Why is Natsume so quiet today? She has barely spoken a single word since we sat down. And just a second ago, she looked like she desperately wanted to warn them about something.'
"Speaking of fate," Hatsune chimed in, resting her chin on her hand, "I recently heard about a certain Astrologer who is supposedly incredibly accurate. Since the wedding was approaching so fast, I specifically went out of my way to get a reading from her."
"Oh?" Ran tilted her head, her interest instantly piqued. "What was the result of the divination?"
The mention of an Astrologer immediately sent Ran's thoughts drifting back to the mysterious fortune teller Sonoko had dragged her to visit shortly after Shinichi had vanished. She wondered if Hatsune was talking about the exact same girl.
Looking back, Mona's astrological readings had been frighteningly precise. Sonoko really had met Makoto during their summer trip to the beach, just as the stars had predicted., the Astrologer had confidently stated that Shinichi was not far away at all, hinting that he might even be right by her side.
For some inexplicable reason, even though Ran had not seen a single trace of Shinichi in months, a deep part of her firmly believed that Mona's divination was the absolute truth. She felt a comforting warmth in her chest, trusting that Shinichi had never truly left and would always watch over her from the shadows.
Completely lost in her nostalgic thoughts, Ran failed to notice the way Conan's entire body went rigid beside her.
An Astrologer.
A cold bead of sweat slid down the back of the little detective's neck. It had been quite a while since he last heard that specific title. If given the choice, Conan would happily go the rest of his life without ever crossing paths with that terrifying woman again. He had zero desire to relive the chilling sensation of having his deepest, darkest secrets effortlessly peeled away and laid bare by a single glance at a water scrying pan.
Prompted by Ran's innocent question, Hatsune shot a deeply annoyed glare at her fiance. "Miss Mona, the Astrologer, warned me that if I stayed with Raita, I would end up getting severely hurt. She even claimed that our wedding would never take place at all."
Raita rolled his eyes dramatically and waved his hand in the air, a helpless scoff escaping his lips. "And because of that ridiculous prediction, she refused to give me a single good look for days after she got back. It really ticked me off, let me tell you. If you ask me, all that astrology garbage is nothing but a cheap scam. The only reason that charlatan said those things was to scare gullible girls like you into coming back for more readings. It is just a trick to squeeze more money out of your purse. Look around! We are having our wedding eve party right now, and the ceremony is tomorrow. That Astrologer claiming we cannot hold the wedding is just absolute nonsense."
In truth, Hatsune did not entirely believe Mona's grim divination either. But seeing Raita dismiss it with such arrogant confidence rubbed her the wrong way. She puffed out her cheeks and argued back indignantly, "Many of my friends swear that Miss Mona's divinations are terrifyingly accurate! I think she gave me that warning because she could sense that you are way too fickle, Raita. She knows you will end up breaking my heart!"
[Wow! I definitely did not expect Miss Kamon to have crossed paths with Mona for a reading,] Paimon chimed in Natsume's mind, floating in an invisible circle above her shoulder. [But wait, the divination is not entirely accurate this time, is it? Did you not say that Miss Kamon is supposed to commit suicide tonight? That goes way beyond just getting 'hurt.']
The little guide sounded genuinely perplexed. It was incredibly rare for the Great Astrologer Mona's hydromancy to miss the mark.
'Actually, her reading is perfectly accurate,'Natsume replied silently, keeping her face buried in her glass of juice.'Since I am sitting right here, how could I possibly stand by and let Miss Kamon succeed in taking her own life? The moment she makes her move, I will simply find a way to intervene and save her.'[But Miss Kamon will be in a terrible amount of emotional pain even if she survives, will she not?] Paimon asked, her voice laced with heavy concern. [What if she still tries to seek death even after you save her?]'It takes an immense amount of courage for a person to actively choose death,'Natsume reasoned, her thoughts calm and methodical.'Miss Kamon will likely be overwhelmed by the sheer shock of the DNA results hitting her all at once. Her suicide attempt is a tragic act of pure impulse. We will save her life tonight. After that, we just need to find a way to stop Conan from publicly exposing the true biological relationship between her and Raita. Once the immediate danger has passed, we will step back and let the two of them resolve their tangled fate behind closed doors.'She paused, watching the couple bicker playfully across the table.'By then, the situation will have nothing to do with us. We can lend a helping hand to prevent a tragedy, but ultimately, it is their life. They have to make their own choices and find their own path forward. It is never wise for outsiders to interfere too deeply in matters of the heart.'
While the bride and groom continued to playfully argue over the merits of astrology, Natsume took another slow, deliberate sip of her juice, quietly finalizing her rescue plan with Paimon in the safety of her own mind.
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