Karma Doesn’t Sleep The Revenge Queen Rises novel Chapter 669

Ryan frowned, clearly not thrilled about leaving Amelia alone. He followed the monk up ahead but kept glancing back at her every few steps.

“Don’t wander off. The stone path is slippery, so take it slow,” Ryan called out, totally unconcerned about the stares they were getting. He sounded just like a parent fussing over a kid heading out on her own.

With his good looks, it was impossible not to draw attention. A few visitors nearby openly stared. Amelia quickly tried to hide her face with one hand and gave Ryan a little wave with the other.

Once Ryan and the monk turned the corner, Amelia finally let herself relax. But before she could catch her breath, a friendly older lady tapped her on the shoulder. When Amelia turned, she caught the woman’s surprised and admiring look.

“Oh my, you’re gorgeous, dear. And you and your husband look so sweet together! What a perfect pair!” the woman gushed.

Amelia smiled politely. “He’s not my husband, not yet. We’re not married.”

The woman grinned knowingly. “That’s only a matter of time! You can’t fake love like that. The way your boyfriend looks at you… I swear, you could search through thousands of people and never find eyes that devoted.”

Amelia didn’t deny it. She glanced in the direction Ryan had gone. “He’s… a really, really good person.”

The woman’s eyes sparkled. “Have you ever tried getting your fortune told at the south gate? There’s a fortune teller under the ginkgo tree outside. They say he’s incredible—especially with love! People come from all over just to see him.”

Amelia was a scientist, so she’d never been one to believe in superstitions, but she also knew it was arrogant to dismiss them completely. Usually, she kept her distance.

But today, something tugged at her. After thanking the woman, she headed straight for the south gate.

On the way, she passed an ancient tree, its branches strung with bronze bells, each one tied with a red ribbon. Amelia paused, taking in the sight, when a young priest sidled up to her.

“Miss, would you like to tie a Thousand Knots Bell on the tree?”

“A Thousand Knots Bell?” Amelia asked, curious.

“They say every heart has a thousand tangled wishes. When you hang one of these bells on this thousand-year-old tree, your wish might just come true,” the priest explained. He looked around, then leaned in and lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret. “For years, one man reserved this whole tree. Every single bell belonged to him. It was only recently, after his wish finally came true, that he let others hang their bells here again.”

Amelia’s interest was definitely piqued. “He reserved the entire tree just for himself? That’s pretty intense. I guess his wish must have been nearly impossible.”

The priest smiled mysteriously. “It was more than impossible. He wished to reverse fate itself, to come back from the brink. And somehow, it worked. So you can imagine how powerful these bells are.”

“Excuse me, I’d like a love fortune,” she said.

The old man looked up, and Amelia noticed he was blind in one eye.

“One hundred for a reading. Only one chance,” he said, handing her a bamboo tube full of fortune sticks. “You’re in luck. After you, I’m closing up shop for the day.”

Amelia closed her eyes and gave the tube a careful shake until a single stick slid out. She handed it over, and as the fortune teller read the inscription, his expression darkened, his brow creasing with concern.

Not far away, Ryan had just come out from the corridor. He immediately spotted Amelia and smiled at the sight of her, eyes closed and seriously shaking the fortune tube. He took out his phone and snapped a quick photo, not in any hurry to go over just yet.

He leaned against a nearby pillar, watching as she handed the stick over, her face a mix of hope and nerves.

But whatever the one-eyed fortune teller said, it wiped the smile right off her face. Amelia paid and left without another word.

Ryan’s expression tightened. He pushed off the pillar, his stride purposeful and a little dangerous, heading straight for the old man who had just started packing up his stall.