The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 102

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The person who had approached me with a smile was Valerie.

 

But why was Lina asking about Valerie?

 

Lost in thought, I answered evasively.

 

“I held a small seminar at the Ashen Street festival. She was an observer who came there.”

 

“An observer means….”

 

Lina, who had been mulling over my words, blinked her eyes.

 

“A customer then. Not a friend.”

 

“Um, I suppose so?”

 

“Then that’s fine.”

 

Muttering this, Lina flopped down.

 

Since Lina still had her arms wrapped around my waist, my body was pulled along with hers.

 

Lina’s face, now lying down and facing me, was relaxed and soft as if it had never been tense.

 

‘Lina said earlier.’

 

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

 

So my impression that she looked upset at the banquet hall wasn’t my imagination after all?

 

Was Lina worried that I might have made a new friend?

 

‘But like all human relationships, friends aren’t something you can monopolize.’

 

However, it wasn’t something I should say while holding onto Lina, who had shown tears when talking about the Emperor.

 

There’s a time and place for every conversation, after all.

 

She might have been feeling particularly tired and exhausted today and wanted to lean on me.

 

‘Maybe it’s because I’m lying down, but I’m getting sleepy too.’

 

Drowsiness washed over me.

 

As I blinked drowsily, Lina asked quietly.

 

“Sleepy?”

 

“Yes, a little….”

 

“Then you should sleep.”

 

Rustle, rustle.

 

Lina, who had been playing with my hair, whispered in a voice tinged with laughter.

 

“See you tomorrow, Elisha.”

 

Along with Lina’s farewell, my eyelids closed heavily.

 

The last thing I saw before falling asleep was her beautifully curved green eyes.

 

*

 

The Regent King’s Office.

 

With his legs propped up on the desk, Crodil was flipping through papers.

 

…As I mentioned before, I cannot tell you where I am staying. I hope you understand my indifference.

 

Still, it’s good to hear that you, Katarina, are doing well…

 

“How stubbornly you refuse to come over, Your Majesty….”

 

Crumple.

 

Crodil crumpled up the letter bearing the Emperor’s seal and crushed it with the tip of his cigar.

 

The paper quickly burned away.

 

Watching the ashes flutter away, he exhaled a long stream of smoke and muttered.

 

“Well, thanks to that personality of yours, I’ve been able to deceive that child all this time.”

 

The Emperor was a cautious person to the point of seeming stubborn.

 

So much so that he wouldn’t easily let even his own daughter get close to him.

 

It was fine for a retainer. A retainer wouldn’t be hurt if their lord turned away from them.

 

But a daughter was different.

 

A daughter who grew up seeing only her father’s back, and a father who didn’t know how to approach such a daughter and only sent a few letters through secret channels.

 

Wasn’t this the perfect relationship to meddle with?

 

“But this kind of mischief won’t last much longer, Your Majesty.”

 

Crodil smiled.

 

“My mage is on the verge of finding out exactly where Your Majesty has been hiding….”

 

It was truly strange.

 

Someone who left on a pilgrimage to the holy land should be at the holy land. Wasn’t that obvious?

 

But at some point, no matter how much he inquired, there were no reports of anyone seeing the Emperor around the Holy Site of the World Tree Order.

 

The moment he noticed this, Crodil had an intuition.

 

The Emperor hadn’t left because he was heartbroken over his wife’s death.

 

He had some other ulterior motive.

 

“Whether you entrusted me with this position because you trusted me, or conversely, because you distrusted me and wanted to keep me in this seat. How could I possibly understand such grand intentions?”

 

Crodil muttered and let out a low, sneering laugh.

 

“Well, does the reason matter?”

 

It wouldn’t be long now.

 

Eivor, who had intercepted the secret communication line between the Emperor and the Princess and redirected it to Crodil, said he was in the process of reverse-tracking that signal.

 

“Whatever the reason, Your Majesty will come to regret that choice.”

 

The location of the last signal they caught was said to be a mountain village in the north of the Empire.

 

A place where no one was watching.

 

Therefore, a place where no one would know even if the Emperor were destroyed.

 

“But regret never comes alone. So I think I’ll give you one more thing to regret.”

 

There was a knock at the door.

 

Crodil, who had stubbed out his cigar, curved his lips into a cruel smile.

 

“Specifically, the fact that you left your daughter by my side.”

 

Opening the door, Crodil looked down at the brown-haired attendant who was bowing his head.

 

“It seems things went well.”

 

“Yes, Regent King. However, Countess Rosaline had a message for you.”

 

The attendant whispered.

 

Listening to his words, Crodil laughed.

 

“Ah, you mean that purple-eyed young lady is in Katarina’s bedroom?”

 

“Yes. I personally watched her go in.”

 

“Haha… I never thought things would work out this easily.”

 

Crodil spoke ominously.

 

“Yes, the Countess knows too. Every job always needs at least one suitable scapegoat. Choosing who that will be is a matter of one’s own capability.”

 

The attendant bowed deeply.

 

“Then I shall take my leave, Your Majesty.”

 

The ring fingernail on the left hand of the attendant, who closed the door while keeping his head bowed, was unusually small.

 

*

 

Chirp chirp―

 

Having woken up to birdsong in a very princess-like manner, I was startled.

 

“Lina, when did you wake up?!”

 

“Just a moment ago. Did you sleep well?”

 

“I slept well, but what are all these maids doing here…?”

 

It was because of the maids surrounding my bed.

 

Lina, who was having her hair done by a maid, tilted her head.

 

“Huh? You have to put on a dress, don’t you? I thought you might need help, so I called the maids.”

 

The maids who confirmed I had woken up showed no mercy.

 

They said they had brought a dress from the luggage in my original quarters, and half-listening to my protests, they dressed me up.

 

Thanks to that, it was quite an ordeal trying to hide the sword strapped to my thigh.

 

The maids who finished touching up my hair and makeup wore wistful expressions.

 

“Our Princess finally has a friend….”

 

“And such a cute and lovely friend at that….”

 

‘I’m grateful, but this is too overwhelming…!’

 

Do high-ranking people usually enjoy saying such things to your face?

 

I got goosebumps.

 

‘But I’m not used to this kind of treatment.’

 

I was mumbling and giving a rough greeting as I came out.

 

Suddenly, I noticed a vase on the console that I hadn’t seen yesterday because it was dark.

 

“…Lina? This flower….”

 

There were dried flowers in it.

 

More precisely.

 

‘They’re completely black. Just like the ones that were in our shop back then.’

 

They were dried flowers that had turned pitch black.

 

I asked in surprise, and Lina’s voice dropped.

 

“I saw them this morning too, and they were all withered like that. I must have done something wrong in taking care of them. It was a gift from you….”

 

“Your Highness, please don’t say that!”

 

“It’s my fault for not taking proper care of your friend’s flowers!”

 

Suddenly the maids started making a fuss. I panicked and quickly waved my hands.

 

“It’s okay. They’re dried flowers anyway, I’ll bring you more next time.”

 

Then the maids’ eyes became moist again.

 

“Oh my, how sweet….”

 

“Such a good personality too…. As expected of the friend His Highness chose….”

 

I felt like I was trapped in a prison of compliments.

 

‘Quick escape! Let’s escape!’

 

“Well, um, I’ll go ahead first, Lina. I’ll be watching and cheering you on, so don’t worry!”

 

“Yeah, see you later.”

 

Having barely escaped the wistful bombardment of compliments, I headed to the garden where the event was being held.

 

Even during that time, an uneasy doubt lingered in my mind.

 

‘But what really happened to those dried flowers? The color was too strange to be just a care issue.’

 

But the moment I saw the courtyard, all thoughts about the flowers completely vanished.

 

A soul-shocking number of people were packed densely throughout the courtyard.

 

They all seemed to be citizens of the Empire who had come to see the Founding Festival, which was being held for the first time in a long while since the Empress’s state funeral.

 

‘They said the garden entrance area would be open to ordinary citizens too. Though the tables for invited guests are separate.’

 

On the way to the invitation seats.

 

I hid in a corner and scanned the people.

 

Almost all the nobles whose names I’d heard were there.

 

‘There are palace officials too, and those people in robes must be priestesses from the Temple of the World Tree? Oh, the Duke of Alchemiya and her butler are here too.’

 

The faces were diverse, but there was one common point.

 

Except for the priestesses, everyone was there with a partner.

 

My gaze stopped at one place.

 

‘And over there, Rosaline and Hugo are there.’

 

Rosaline was sitting at a table not far from the spot I had marked out.

 

‘I’ll stand out if I occupy one side of a table all by myself, but it can’t be helped.’

 

I wonder if Alter is feeling a bit better?

 

I was glumly preparing to enter when suddenly there was a commotion at the entrance.

 

“Are you really here as this person’s partner as written here?”

 

The suspicious voice of a knight.

 

And?

 

“What, do you think I came here because I was bored and had nothing to do?”

 

“But….”

 

“I went through the magic item inspection, got body searched, and handed over my belongings. What more do I need to do? Move aside. My partner must be waiting.”

 

This rough and prickly tone that turns people’s insides upside down?

 

I called out his name happily and ran over.

 

“Alter!”

 

The knights turned around and a path opened up.

 

It was when our eyes met.

 

“….”

 

Alter’s mouth, which was about to say something, closed shut upon seeing me.

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