The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 100

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

“Am, am I allowed to be in a place like this?!”

 

Of course, getting to see the Imperial Palace vault has always been a dream opportunity!

 

It feels like someone suddenly handed me gold while I was walking down the street.

 

Am I really allowed to receive such kindness?

 

When I asked in bewilderment, Lina laughed as if I was cute.

 

“Of course. Just keep it secret that you saw it first. Count Airen will keep it secret too, right?”

 

So in principle, it’s not allowed?!

 

But Lina looked so proud as she said that, I had no choice but to swallow my words.

 

Ailren stood guard at the door inside without answering.

 

After reading the room, I thought, oh well, whatever.

 

‘Right, it’s good to see it in advance. It’s also an opportunity to figure out what tricks Rosaline might have pulled.’

 

The vault was dark.

 

It must be because there are many treasures sensitive to light.

 

I felt somewhat chilly. I squinted as I examined the interior.

 

“Does Lina have the key?”

 

“Yes, I inherited it along with the pendant and keep it safe. Since it’s an uncopyable key, I’m the only one who has this key. Last year during the Founding Festival… His Majesty had it.”

 

Last year’s Founding Festival was right after the Empress’s death.

 

I remember most of the Founding Festival events were omitted due to the national mourning period.

 

As if remembering that time, Lina paused to catch her breath, then gave me a general introduction to the artifacts that would be displayed tomorrow.

 

While listening with my ears and looking with my eyes, they were clearly precious treasures at first glance.

 

“…What I’ve told you about so far are the treasures for the charity auction, and the treasures for display rather than auction are here.”

 

Lina stepped back slightly and gestured.

 

“You’d be more interested in the display treasures, right? You can look closely. You can’t touch them directly since they’re sealed, but.”

 

“Wow, thank you!”

 

“You can look at other things too, not just the display treasures. That’s why I brought you here.”

 

As she said, each treasure had a seal attached to it.

 

It was in the form of cloth woven with thread as thin as spider webs, with the appraiser’s and Emperor’s signatures written on it.

 

If someone opened the display case lid, the cloth would stretch, so you could immediately tell if it had been tampered with.

 

‘It’s dark so I can’t see well, but to the naked eye, none of the cloths seem stretched.’

 

Even Rosaline wouldn’t be able to steal Lina’s key.

 

Then is she planning to cause trouble at the venue on the day of the event?

 

‘I definitely saw an article about treasures from the Imperial Palace vault in my past life. What artifact would catch Rosaline’s attention? It must be something very precious, surely…’

 

As I looked around the vault, I stopped in front of the treasure located at the very back.

 

“Lina, this is…”

 

“Ah, as expected, you recognize it. Isn’t it beautiful?”

 

Lina murmured dreamily.

 

However, I didn’t stop because the treasure was beautiful.

 

‘Why is it glowing?’

 

It was strange.

 

A ruby tablet broken into four pieces, as large as a child’s torso, was glowing.

 

Of course, glowing itself wasn’t strange.

 

‘Why on earth is it… glowing black?’

 

What was strange was that it wasn’t sparkling warmly and evenly like a holy relic, but was emitting a pitch-black light.

 

Thump. Thump.

 

My heart beat anxiously.

 

As if warning me.

 

I wasn’t the only one trembling.

 

‘The sword is vibrating.’

 

The sword on my thigh, which vibrates when it detects a threat, was trembling.

 

‘So this ruby is a threat?’

 

As I stared at the ruby rippling darkly as if it would devour all the surrounding light, I heard Lina’s voice.

 

“It’s a holy relic that the Pope gifted to the royal family at the first Founding Festival as a symbol of unity and blessing. Don’t you feel holy just looking at it?”

 

‘This is a holy relic? Something that emits this kind of light?’

 

As I gulped, my eyes suddenly widened.

 

[…One of the holy relics stored in the vault of the Imperial Palace of Presripe Empire was stolen…]

 

[…Suspected to be the work of the same perpetrator…]

 

An article I saw in my past life flashed through my mind like lightning.

 

I asked stammering.

 

“Li, Lina. Will this ruby also be displayed tomorrow?”

 

“Oh no, it won’t. This is too precious to be shown to the public.”

 

That was a relief, but I still felt uneasy.

 

Wondering if it had already been switched, I looked at the seal but found nothing strange.

 

Perhaps finding it odd that I was circling around the ruby examining it, Lina asked.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Oh, um, well. The light of this holy ruby seems unusual.”

 

“The light is unusual…?”

 

“Doesn’t it look a bit black?”

 

“I’m not sure. Maybe it looks that way because it’s dark?”

 

Looking at Ailren, he also didn’t seem to agree with my words.

 

‘So only I can see the black light?’

 

How is that possible?

 

As I bit my lip, Ailren said quietly.

 

“Your Highness, forgive me for saying this, but it’s getting late. To prepare for tomorrow’s event…”

 

“Yes, I understand. Have you seen everything, Elisha?”

 

Though confused, I tried to feign composure.

 

“Yes, thanks to Lina, I got to see the treasures this close. It’s what every appraiser dreams of.”

 

“…Because that’s something only I can do for you.”

 

Lina’s voice seemed momentarily choked.

 

It was quite different from her usual tone.

 

When I looked at her, Lina smiled as if nothing had happened.

 

“As Count Airen said, it’s late, so let’s go back. I also want to hear what your secret story is.”

 

The secret story was just something I said to persuade Ailren!

 

As we left the vault, a bronze-haired attendant who seemed to be in charge greeted us.

 

After briefly acknowledging the greeting, I hurried my steps.

 

I was too preoccupied with other things to squeeze out a non-existent secret story.

 

‘Is she planning to steal a holy relic from the auction to cause a commotion and ruin the event? That would make sense, since the auction items weren’t sealed. But what about the article mentioning the “same perpetrator”?’

 

Since I hadn’t paid close attention to articles unrelated to Rionet, I couldn’t recall the overall content.

 

But I definitely remembered the phrase “same perpetrator.” It wasn’t completely unrelated to the holy relic theft incident.

 

Combined with thoughts about the ruby emitting black light, my head was throbbing.

 

It was partly because I was tired from work, and probably also because I was near Ailren who was walking ahead.

 

‘First, let me ask Ailren to strengthen security.’

 

I nodded slightly to Lina and headed toward Ailren.

 

When I whispered that it would be better to increase the number of knights stationed at the auction house, he nodded.

 

He said they were already planning to deploy twice as many knights as usual.

 

‘Good, that’s settled for now.’

 

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the Princess’s Palace.

 

I should say goodbye to Lina and return to my quarters to organize my thoughts, I thought, when I paused at the hand tugging at my sleeve.

 

“Um, Elisha.”

 

Lina was fidgeting with my sleeve.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Well, you see.”

 

Lina, who had been biting her lips, opened her mouth slightly.

 

“…Want to sleep together tonight?”

 

Uh oh, I think I just heard something I shouldn’t have….

 

While I was half out of it, I heard Ailren’s voice.

 

“Your Highness, what do you.”

 

Seeing how he couldn’t continue his words, Ailren seemed just as flustered as I was.

 

Lina’s face turned bright red in an instant after looking at me stuttering once, then at the bewildered Ailren once.

 

“N-not like that! I mean, I! Friends sleep together while talking, right? I wanted to try that kind of, that kind of thing….”

 

“…I see….”

 

“A-and I haven’t had any secret talks with Elisha yet! Right?”

 

Looking at Lina who was staring at me with sparkling eyes as if asking for help, I said seriously.

 

“Lina.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“You really don’t know how scary women can be, saying such things so carelessly….”

 

“Huh?”

 

Looking at Lina with an innocent expression as if she didn’t understand, and Ailren who also didn’t seem to get it and was furrowing his brow, I burst out laughing.

 

“Alright. I wanted to try sleeping with a friend too.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Of course. Knight, you trust me, right?”

 

When I playfully winked, Ailren finally seemed to understand what I meant.

 

He pressed his forehead and nodded, then called the knights standing guard.

 

As I watched him seemingly explaining how some commoner ended up entering the Princess’s bedroom, I suddenly felt someone’s gaze.

 

‘…Who is it? An attendant?’

 

However, because Lina pulled me into the room, I couldn’t see who was watching.

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