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Someone says.

“Prophecy is something that must come true.”

The moment it’s observed, it becomes something that will inevitably happen.

But some people argue against that.

“They say the future is variable, and it can change with even the smallest thing.”

That’s why countless prophets’ foretold doomsday may never come to pass.

So, I ask.

Is prophecy fixed, or is it variable?

Is trying to avoid a prophecy genuinely avoiding it, or is it just futile struggle toward a predetermined future?

“Frau Winter, do you happen to know the term ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’?”

“Eh? I think I’ve heard of it.”

Self-fulfilling prophecy.

Also known as active prophecy, this refers to the phenomenon where thinking about a prophecy results in it coming true. This social psychological occurrence is used as an example when explaining the importance of one’s belief in oneself, success, and the attitude of dedicating oneself to it. It’s also one of the examples used along with the “Delphic Oracle” when discussing the doomed futures faced by prophets.

“The more intense one’s thoughts about the future, the more they act with it in mind. And through that process, the prophecy comes true. That is the self-fulfilling prophecy.”

When you tell a person not to think of an elephant in the refrigerator, they inevitably picture the elephant.

Prophecies work the same way.

The more you think about and hold onto a prophecy, the more you will act with it in mind.

When a prophecy says you’ll win the lottery, people will buy lots of tickets, filled with anticipation, increasing the chances of that ‘winning the lottery’ future coming true.

If they hear a prophecy that they will get hurt, they become more tense than usual, and that tension makes their bodies stiffen. And that stiffened body could lead to muscle tears over something that would normally just end as a bruise.

This nature of prophecy is referred to in academia as ‘the self-fulfillment of prophecy.’

“And there’s something that always comes with this self-fulfillment of prophecy. It’s confirmation bias.”

Confirmation bias.

The tendency to interpret and judge information in a self-serving manner.

Humans are creatures that act according to their own judgment and judge actions based on the information they accept. Even when they receive the same information, people interpret and apply it in a biased manner, sometimes arriving at completely incorrect conclusions.

“Confirmation bias, you say?”

“Yes. It plays a significant role in readings and prophecies.”

And among these confirmation biases, there’s something called behavioral confirmation.

It describes the tendency for social expectations to lead others into confirming those expectations. This can be considered a form of behavioral induction, where people project their expectations onto others, causing them to fulfill those expectations. It can also be seen as one type of the previously mentioned self-fulfilling prophecy.

“When many expect something, others will respond to it.

Show hostility, and they turn hostile.

Think someone is uncooperative, and they’ll truly become uncooperative; expect cooperation from them, and they will genuinely be cooperative. Academia regards this as evidence that humans are social animals, and it’s said that people can exchange faint emotions from the depths of the collective unconscious.”

“You are all already moving with confirmation bias. And you have impressed a prophecy onto Frau Lentz, making her worried. On top of that… it seems your minds and actions are in different places.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Jinseong smiled at Ella, who looked bewildered as if she couldn’t understand.

“You all went around saying to Frau Lentz, ‘Absolutely do not meet William, and absolutely do not act according to that bastard’s wishes.’ Didn’t you?”

“Yes. Is there a problem with that?”

Ella questioned Jinseong’s inquiry with a puzzled expression.

It felt like a perfectly logical action. How could there possibly be a problem with that?

“Have you ever heard this saying? Excessive denial is not much different from affirmation.”

“Huh?”

“This is because strong denial carries anxiety. It’s said that when people react to a situation with a strong denial, it’s because they are trying to reaffirm themselves against a prospect that seems quite feasible; thus, excessive denial turns into affirmation. Your actions are just like that.”

If they truly believed the prophecy wouldn’t come true, they wouldn’t behave like that.

They would just dismiss it, saying, “That’s just nonsense, I heard something ridiculous,” and move on.

But their actions indicate they know that even if William is only a half-baked prophet, he is a prophet nonetheless, and even if they’ve only seen useless things day in and day out, they are well aware of the weight of a prophecy.

William’s prophecy will come true.

But they don’t want it to.

William’s prophecy has a high chance of coming true.

But they want to deny that possibility.

This mindset is exactly what the attitude Ella displays originates from.

“You seem to hope the prophecy will not come true, yet at the same time, you are convinced that it will. That’s probably why you are making such a fuss. Maybe William might have known this fact. The strong impression a prophecy leaves stored in both the conscious and unconscious minds will inevitably lead to its realization.”

Jinseong said this to Ella.

Then he tilted his head, reconsidering what he had just said.

“No. I take it back. I think it’s more likely he didn’t know. At least, while he might have had a gut feeling from experience, I can’t believe he consciously understood or utilized this fact.”

If he had known, he would have had many better options.

Jinseong assessed William with precision as he looked at Ella.

Ella, wanting to reject Jinseong’s remarks, seemed to have been partially persuaded by what he said. Therefore, the anxiety reflected on her face was likely greater than before.

“Then, Frau Winter, if you truly don’t want the prophecy to unfold, it would be wise to adopt a composed attitude instead of this nervousness and nonchalantly brush off what he says. The more you project the image of the prophecy to Frau Lentz, the higher the likelihood that future will materialize.”

Jinseong gently held Ella’s anxious hand.

As soon as her hand was grasped, Ella jumped in surprise, looking at him with a startled expression, her previously anxious face now wide-eyed in shock.

Ella stared at Jinseong like a startled rabbit when a leaf brushed past her ear as she quietly nibbled on the grass. Jinseong smiled reassuringly as he held her hand, guiding her toward the restaurant.

“Chef, please prepare a sweet dessert for Frau Winter.”

“What kind of dessert would you like?”

“Something sweet, fluffy, and quick to make.”

“Understood. In that case, I have something prepared already, so I’ll serve that. Is tiramisu alright for you?”

“Yes, that’ll do.”

“Got it.”

He lightly held one of Ella’s hands, guiding her to sit at the table and requested dessert from the chef. The chef took out the tiramisu he had prepared in advance for Anastasia, who constantly requested sweet desserts, and sliced it into an appropriate size.

Then he took a suitable-sized coffee mug and placed the tiramisu in it to keep its shape from collapsing, decorating it with cocoa powder and sugar powder in the shape of a leaf as if creating latte art. Next, he piled a generous amount of whipped foam sauce on top.

“Here is the ordered tiramisu. The foam sauce on top is made of blueberry and raspberry flavors using molecular gastronomy.”

The tiramisu he made looked no longer like the usual tiramisu but rather resembled a café mocha piled with whipped cream that one might expect to find in a café. It looked so much like coffee that if the chef hadn’t said it was tiramisu, one might have mistaken it for coffee and tried to drink it.

Jinseong turned to Ella, who was presented with this peculiar tiramisu.

“Frau Winter, excessive worrying does not resolve situations; instead, it worsens them and brings you closer to a bad future. So, discard such thoughts and enjoy the present. Besides, unless the prophecy is catastrophic, it just ends with saving one person from a crisis, right? Thus, neither the future where the prophecy comes true nor the future where it doesn’t will harm Frau Lentz, so it’s best not to worry too much.”

“That makes sense….”

“Therefore, forget to fill your head with worries by eating something sweet and simply act as you normally would. Nothing will go wrong with Frau Lentz, so you needn’t worry.”

Jinseong urged Ella to eat the tiramisu, stating that relieving her concerns would distance her from the prophecy. Then, Ella, unable to resist Jinseong’s persuasion, began eating the tiramisu. After taking one bite, as if she became addicted to the sweetness, she started moving her hands to devour it, even without Jinseong’s urging.

Seeing Ella earnestly enjoying the tiramisu, Jinseong stood up, claiming he had something he needed to do, and returned to his room.

Preparations for the time of prophecy were necessary.

 

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