Celebrity Lady - Chapter 97

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Celebrity Lady
Chapter 97
[Sigh…….]
Rubetria soon broke the silence with a weary sigh and spoke in an exhausted voice.
[Father, you’re busy, so I’ll cut to the chase. Starting today, I’m not actually being kidnapped—I’m only going to look like I am. There’s a villain who really wants to kidnap me, and the Crown Prince is trying to stop him by getting ahead of the situation.]
“What?”
[I can’t tell you anything beyond this, and you just need to know one thing: it’s apparently dangerous for me to move about openly in Jedo now that my Exile Sentence has ended.]
“The Crown Prince said that? And you believe him?”
[Yes. I do.]
…….
[You saw how ten of our family’s knights were helplessly subdued by just one person, didn’t you? Of course, that person is on my side. But there are people with power just as terrifying as theirs targeting me right now.]
“What in the world!”
It was utterly incomprehensible, but Rubetria didn’t sound like she was making it up.
And a single fighter who’d incapacitated ten escorts in the blink of an eye…….
He didn’t know why, but if people of that caliber were seriously after Rubetria, the Diolus Mansion wouldn’t be safe either.
“Who in the world is after you?”
[I can’t tell you because I’m not certain yet. But it shouldn’t take long. I just need to stay hidden and play the part of the kidnapped for a while.]
“Stay hidden?”
[Until the Crown Prince eliminates all the bad people. He’s asking me to wait a little.]
“If that’s how it is, couldn’t he have given me a heads-up beforehand? Are you sure the Crown Prince doesn’t have some ulterior motive?”
[Oh, the Crown Prince asked me to apologize on his behalf. He said that if he’d told you beforehand, you wouldn’t have believed him or cooperated.]
…….
He wasn’t wrong about that.
Leonard slowly closed his eyes, collecting himself before he spoke.
“Just tell me where.”
[It’s inside Jedo and not far from the mansion. Rebecca and Siena came with me, so there’s really nothing for you to worry about.]
…….
[And no one must know that this isn’t a real kidnapping—it’s just a performance. I’m contacting you only because you’d worry anyway, but absolutely, absolutely don’t tell Vio or my brothers.]
“……All right.”
[The Crown Prince is planning to visit the mansion soon as well. You can hear the full details then. And——]
…….
[I miss you, Father.]
Something surged up in Leonard’s chest, and he couldn’t speak for a long while.
[Just wait a little longer. I’ll call again. Bye!]
* * *
“Phew.”
After ending the call for her worried father’s sake, I turned around to find Lark there. And beside him, Ren.
I immediately apologized while gauging Lark’s mood.
“I’m sorry……. My father can be rather overbearing…….”
“No, it’s fine. If it were me, I’d have lost my mind too. I’ll go talk to him more separately.”
“Thank you.”
Right now, this place is in Jedo…….
Actually, I’m not entirely sure where. Ren had switched carriages several times and taken a circuitous route to get here.
What I was certain of was that we were in a residential area for commoners on the outskirts of Jedo.
The building consisted of a first floor and a basement, neither large nor small, and looked like an ordinary home from the outside.
“Lady, allow me to introduce myself again. I am Renewan Sebes. Please call me Ren.”
“Oh, I’ve never heard the full name before, but you look just like royalty. And such distinguished features. Tall, well-built too.”
With the eye of an entertainment casting director, I pulled out a business card and handed it to Ren.
Blanc de Rubis
CEO, Madam Ruby
“……?”
“If you’re interested, give me a call.”
Lark squeezed between Ren—who was staring blankly at the card, blinking in confusion—and me.
“Lady, wasn’t it supposed to be a secret that the two of you are the same person?”
“Huh? It is a secret, but didn’t you already know that Ren knows?”
“He knows nothing. I never told him anything about you.”
“Really? I thought Ren would know everything about you.”
“Can I tell him?”
“It’s not a matter of whether you can—you absolutely should. If we’re allies and can’t even share basic information, that’s inconvenient. You’re being unnecessarily tight-lipped.”
“Wait, wait!”
A startled Ren pushed Lark aside and looked at me.
“If you’re going to share information, tell me another secret too. What exactly is the Second Prince’s motivation for pursuing you with such intensity?”
“Yes, I will.”
“I’ve heard that you’ve kept it secret even from your closest maid and your secretary, but I’m quite trustworthy. I’m on very close terms with the Crown Prince, well, with Lark——”
“Yes, yes. I know. And I trust you. You’re so needlessly kind and righteous that it would be stranger not to trust you, given that you nearly died on a false charge and came close to execution.”
“……What?”
Seeing Ren’s bewildered expression, I extended my hand for a handshake.
“I’m a Contract Holder of the spirit Bista, who can see the future. You wouldn’t know it, but I saved your life—you were supposed to die. Nice to meet you.”
Ren went rigid on the spot, his jaw dropping.
“What is this…….”
“Just what you heard. It’s also the reason Nathan is after you.”
Lark lifted Ren’s fallen jaw with his hand as he spoke.
Ren stood in a daze for a long moment, then murmured.
“Do I……die from execution……?”
“Not anymore. We already removed all the traps Nathan had laid to frame you back then.”
“Wow, so that’s why you believed me without question or hesitation back then?”
When Lark nodded, Ren took a deep breath and bowed toward me.
“Thank you, Lady. I’m alive because of you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“But how did the Second Prince find out your secret in the first place?”
“Ah, that.”
Lark rubbed his forehead with a tired expression.
“It’s a guess, but it seems Nathan’s spirit, Poze, broke a Taboo. Poze revealed a secret that only spirits are supposed to know to Nathan, his Contract Holder.”
“Is that even possible?”
“If the price is paid.”
“What kind of price?”
“Usually, summoning becomes restricted. The spirit can’t be called.”
Ren’s eyes went wide.
“That’s incredibly severe, isn’t it? That’s essentially giving up being a Spirit Contractor. Breaking a Taboo just for that doesn’t seem worth it.”
“The summoning restriction isn’t permanent. Depending on how grave the Taboo broken was, it can range from a few hours to several decades.”
“Ah!”
“I’ve broken Taboos myself that cost me a day or two of restricted summoning.”
This was something Lark had already told me. That the Second Prince apparently broke a Taboo and forcibly learned my secret.
Since I’d already deduced the same thing, I wasn’t surprised by his conjecture.
“Anyway, I’m going to be busy from now on. There’s a two o’clock meeting, so let’s get some work done before then.”
Lark pulled his mask up to cover his face. For some reason, he was dressed in the same kind of dark garb as Ren.
Leaving me standing there dumbfounded, Lark and Ren began checking the sharp weapons they had concealed on their persons.
“Ren, how many hours did you sleep yesterday?”
“Two hours.”
“Same as me. You’ve had it rough. Let’s do this half-heartedly, grab some shut-eye, and once I’m back from the palace, we’ll head out again.”
“Got it.”
“Hold on. Wait a moment.”
I cut into their conversation, stepping forward.
“Where are you two going right now?”
“To catch the assassins Nathan hired.”
“You’re going personally, Your Highness?”
“Of course. To finish this as quickly as possible, I need to move too. Outside of my official hours, I’ve been hunting with Ren the whole time anyway.”
“I see.”
“Sorry.”
Lark smiled sadly and rested his chin on top of my head.
“I know it’s inconvenient, but bear with me a little longer. I’ll make sure you can move around Jedo safely soon.”
“No, Your Highness. I’m the one who’s sorry.”
I’d only decided to help Lark and saved his sister Lisbet once.
Because of that, I’d caught the Second Prince’s eye, become a target, and ultimately become a burden to Lark.
I’d meant well in revealing the future, but what a butterfly effect this was…….
“Do we really need to hunt down the assassins one by one? We already know who’s behind it, so why can’t we just take the Second Prince’s head, like that?”
…….
…….
At my sinister suggestion, Lark and Ren exchanged glances wordlessly.
“Hmm, it’s a reasonable approach, but the truth is, it’s difficult to get close to Nathan. Because of the spirit’s power he possesses.”
Right. If we tried to rush him, I’d be put on pause right in front of him.
As I nodded in understanding, Ren spoke up.
“And even if we somehow eliminated the Second Prince, the risk to us would be too great. The Crown Prince and the Second Prince are in a competing situation over the next succession. Even if we succeeded in an assassination without evidence——”
“Public opinion wouldn’t be favorable.”
“Exactly.”
“Don’t worry. We’re steadily gathering evidence of Nathan’s wrongdoings. Once we have enough proof to execute him legally, we’ll bring it all out.”
“I see.”
Lark really does have everything thought out…….
Watching Lark and Ren, who’d only slept two hours, prepare to go work again, I felt terrible.
I scratched my cheek and spoke.
“I’m sorry. Because of me, you can’t even sleep, and you keep getting blood on your hands…….”
Lark opened his eyes wide.
“Why are you apologizing? This danger you’re in is entirely my fault.”
“That’s right. Don’t worry about it. And the assassins are from the Illegal Guild—the kind who’ll do anything for money—so eliminating them is something we were going to have to do anyway.”
“But still…….”
“I’ve stationed guards discreetly around the area, so don’t worry. Since I can only relax when I’m watching directly, I’ll always come back here once work is done.”
“Okay.”
“Then I’m off.”
Not hesitating for a moment, Lark grinned and slipped out of the room.
……How can I possibly deal with this guilty, burdensome feeling.
Ren, about to follow Lark, drew two Short Swords from his lower back in a practiced motion.
At my startled reaction, he spoke to me with eyes fuller of loyalty than ever before.
“This life, which you saved, Lady! I shall burn it for you! Thank you!”
“Wait, hold on!”
And then he vanished before I could stop him.
“Sigh…….”
I couldn’t seem to laugh or cry, so I just let my shoulders sag.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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