Since It's My First Time Being a Lady, I'll Cause Some Trouble - Chapter 16

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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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Lady’s Trouble — Episode 16
“Tch—! I never said anything like that!”
Tatio cried out, his face redder than his hair.
“Oh, did I mishear? Still, I treated you that way, so I’ll apologize.”
“That’s an apology? It’s an insult!”
Hmm… now that I thought about it, I could see his point.
“All right, fine. I’ll apologize again. But you should apologize too. You lied to me and went to… a club.”
“No, that wasn’t lying, it was—”
“I’m a Lady. An unmarried one, at that. If someone had witnessed me bringing an unrelated man to a place like that—one that every man in High Society knows about—what would have happened to me?”
“But your carriage had no coat of arms on it, so no one would have known—”
“Are you certain? There are so many people in Toglo!”
What if someone had thought, ‘Look, a man just jumped out of a noble’s carriage in such a suspicious manner, and then went into an upscale pleasure house! I’m curious who dropped him off—let me follow them!’ What if that person had been a Yellow Press reporter?
‘Good gods, thinking about it now, I nearly ruined everything.’
Tatio seemed to have the same thought, falling silent and fumbling.
Watching him, I felt that waiting for an answer would take longer than the rebels escorting him to the guillotine.
“Well, then. We’ll do this: on three, we apologize at the same time.”
“Huh? What?”
“One, two, three. I’m sorry.”
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
Having exchanged apologies, I moved straight to the matter at hand.
“We’re on good terms now, aren’t we?”
“Well, I suppose…”
“Then I’d like you to help me gain access to Omerta.”
Tatio fixed me with a peculiar stare.
It made sense, really. Even if we’d made up, we weren’t close, and here was a Lady demanding entry to a gentlemen’s social club.
“I’m not asking to be admitted as a member. I just need to get inside the club for one day.”
Access to social clubs was extremely restricted.
One had to possess wealth of a certain standard or come from a distinguished house even to hope to apply for membership, and three current members’ recommendations were required.
Even a single visit required an introduction from a member who would vouch for one’s identity.
“I’m afraid I cannot help you with that.”
As expected, he refused flatly.
I let my eyebrows droop and pleaded with him.
“Please, just this once. There’s someone I need to find there. Or rather, something I need to retrieve.”
“Something you need to retrieve?”
Yes, something. A Survival Guarantee Certificate, to be precise.
“Couldn’t you simply visit that person’s home to retrieve it?”
“I can’t visit them uninvited, and they’ve refused to see me.”
“Who exactly is this person?”
“Penri.”
The name seemed to catch him off guard; Tatio’s expression went rigid.
I drew out the story I’d prepared beforehand.
“A few days ago, Gordon came to visit. She demanded that I apologize to Penri for my rudeness. But after she left, something important disappeared from my home.”
“Shouldn’t you question Gordon about it, then?”
“I already went to see her. But she said Penri had it.”
Tatio looked unconvinced.
Well, of course he would be.
‘Because it’s a lie.’
Miranda Gordon had indeed come to me and raged about making amends with Penri. But I’d gotten nowhere and was thrown out of the Nether estate.
‘I can hardly go to that lunatic directly and ask him to let me into his club.’
Hey, I’m sorry about shooting you in the thigh last time. As a peace offering, I’ll let you visit my club. First drink’s on me!
The man was insane.
And there was another reason I’d asked Tatio for help besides the fact that he happened to be a member of Omerta.
The Solution Guild had provided a list of suspected conspirators, and Tatio’s name appeared nowhere on it.
According to the Solution Guild’s findings, Penri’s reputation in High Society was in tatters. Simply appearing to defend him or maintain neutrality was enough to be treated as his equal.
I didn’t know what this man’s relationship with Penri was, but given his position as a Court Official, they must at least be acquainted.
‘If I asked him to arrange a meeting with Penri or take me to his chambers, he’d become suspicious.’
My goal was infiltrating Omerta and gathering evidence.
Realizing he might volunteer such an arrangement, I quickly added to my story.
“I pressed his betrothed, Rosemay, and she said, ‘You won’t find it even if you search his chambers.’ That means he either carries it on him or has it stored in his club’s vault.”
“…How exactly does Lady Ulfina know so much about men’s social clubs?”
“A heavy tongue is said to be a gentleman’s virtue, but not every man practices it.”
I parried Tatio’s suspicion with practiced ease, then lowered my voice discreetly.
“That’s not the point. It seems the Earl is planning to use that item for something quite serious.”
“……How did you learn what he’s plotting?”
“I can’t go into details, but it’s a dangerous item if used for anything other than its original purpose. That’s why I’ve been hiding it……. And I can’t very well file a theft report for these reasons.”
There had been a similar one originally, but it vanished when Miss went mad about becoming a pirate.
Tatio’s expression turned grave. From my oblique hint, he seemed to be imagining something akin to terrorism.
“I don’t want to cause a commotion. Especially not at the Imperial Palace. That’s why I want to join the club. Of course, I’ll be in disguise when I enter. I only need to retrieve what the Earl has.”
Fearing another refusal, I quickly added,
“I wanted to ask someone else to arrange my entry, but there’s no one close to him except Gordon House, so this was my only option.”
“Even if you meet him, how will you persuade him? Given his nature, he won’t stay still.”
“Don’t worry about that. I know his weakness. So he’ll hand it over.”
That’s also a lie. If I actually knew his weakness, I’d have sent a blackmail letter already.
“Then wouldn’t it be better for you to tell your father about this weakness so that the Earl can act directly? I don’t see why Lady needs to move at all.”
“Father is terribly occupied with tax increases and estate management—he can’t return to the Imperial Capital immediately. Besides, if he’s seen frequenting a high-society club in Toglo, he’d be tainted by association…….”
He was already notorious as a henpecked man. Contemptible fellows who wanted to drag him down were legion. So rumors of him visiting an upscale pleasure district would be catastrophically damaging to the Earl.
“Still…….”
“And you claim you’re innocent, don’t you? Today would be a perfect chance to prove it.”
I drove the wedge home.
After a moment’s deliberation, Tatio finally raised the white flag.
“Very well. But make sure your disguise is flawless. If it’s shoddy, I’m throwing you out on the spot.”
* * *
We arranged to meet in the dead of night according to Earl Penri’s schedule.
“Lady Ulfina……?”
“Yes.”
I felt a swell of satisfaction at his bewildered expression.
And well I might, for standing before Tatio was not a woman in clumsy masculine disguise, but a perfect man.
Even someone with a keen eye could never have guessed that this impeccable man was the daughter of the Nether Earldom.
After scrutinizing me thoroughly, Tatio finally threw up his hands.
“Lady Ulfina is a foreign nobleman who can’t speak Rodinian but understands it well enough.”
In other words, don’t open your mouth inside. My appearance was flawlessly transformed, but my voice couldn’t be changed.
“And your name is Hans.”
No! What kind of name is Hans! It’s so dreadfully provincial and common! Change it!
I protested vehemently, but Tatio didn’t so much as listen with half an ear.
As the door to the Omerta Club swung open, I saw the reception desk and attendants wearing half-masks.
“I’ve brought a guest today.”
At his words, the attendant with the tight, thin lips turned his gaze toward me.
While his eyes lingered on me, I hid my nervousness and wore the arrogant expression distinctive to the nobility.
The brief inspection ended. Presently, the attendant spoke to me in courteous tones.
“If I may be so bold, would it be acceptable to inspect your person and belongings?”
If I may be so bold, would you care for some candy, sir?

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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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