The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 103

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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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“Alter?”

Even when I waved my hand in front of Alter’s eyes, there was no reaction.

He was just staring at me intently.

“The first moment you see this appearance must be at the Founding Festival!”

Why did the boutique madam’s words come to mind right now of all times?

I found myself staring at Alter as well.

‘Wow, Alter’s atmosphere today is…’

He was always someone who wore just a single shirt with even the front unbuttoned.

But today was different.

His buttons were fastened all the way up, and wearing a vest and jacket, he was in a perfect suit.

Not only that. For some reason he was even wearing glasses, so to summarize.

“You really look like a ruthless evil corporate executive!”

He looked like a master of beating down supply prices, whose hobby was embezzlement and specialty was breach of trust.

It was pure admiration, but Alter seemed to come to his senses at those words.

“You spoke your thoughts out loud again.”

“What are you talking about, it was a compliment. Anyway, knights, this person is with me, so I’ll take him with me?”

After greeting the knights, I grabbed Alter’s sleeve and dragged him along.

Alter, who was being dragged along without resistance despite his large frame, asked quite seriously.

“When is calling someone a ruthless evil corporate executive used as a compliment? …Don’t tell me that’s your type?”

“Oh come on, I know Alter isn’t actually that kind of person.”

As we headed to the table seats, I winked slightly.

“I meant the disguise worked well. And it suits you incredibly well too. You look cool today.”

I was worried Alter’s Information Guild member identity might be revealed, but with this kind of disguise, people wouldn’t easily recognize him.

Though honestly, even without a disguise, others probably wouldn’t have recognized him.

‘There probably aren’t many people bold enough to stare intently at Alter’s face.’

He looked quite handsome to my eyes, but the people we passed while looking for our table openly showed discomfort and turned their gazes away after seeing Alter.

Paradoxically, we were able to avoid people’s attention thanks to that.

I wonder if I should be happy about this or not…

As soon as we sat at a table located in a corner yet close to the dais, music announcing the opening ceremony rang out with perfect timing.

“Wow, it’s Lina!”

When the curtain was drawn back, Lina walked out onto the dais. A few steps behind her was Ailren.

While clapping, I whispered to Alter.

“I’m telling you this now, but the customer who came wearing a hood last time and sent away the knight was the Princess.”

“I know.”

“How did you know? You’re really quick to catch on. Anyway, isn’t she amazing? So dignified and elegant.”

“Well, she looks nervous to me.”

As he said this while passing the champagne, I caught a glimpse of a bandage on Alter’s wrist.

‘Oh, that’s the one I put on for him?’

While listening to Lina’s opening speech, I observed Alter.

“More importantly Alter, how are you feeling? How are your injuries?”

“They’re all healed.”

“I saw that they weren’t wounds that would heal in just two days. You still haven’t taken off the bandage I put on. If they’re not fully healed, even now…”

“I’m keeping the bandage on because you put it on me. …To act spoiled.”

Alter’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he cut off his words.

“So don’t worry.”

Looking at Alter like that, I asked carefully.

“If you’re acting spoiled but telling me not to worry, what am I supposed to do…?”

“…Just let it slide.”

I smiled slightly at Alter who was rubbing his face, and decided to let it slide as he said.

I felt both sorry and grateful to him for keeping his promise despite being injured.

Before long, the opening ceremony ended and the auction event began along with lunch.

I was watching the auction items I saw yesterday being presented when Alter suddenly spoke.

“Where did you get the dress?”

“I bought it a few days ago. To be precise, I received it as a gift. Why, is it not good? That can’t be right.”

“…There’s a word that bothers me but setting that aside, what’s with that confidence?”

“Because I chose it myself. If you say this doesn’t look pretty, I’ll question Alter’s aesthetic sense.”

When I smiled demurely, Alter’s brow furrowed.

“Who said it’s not pretty?”

“Yes, so you’re saying it’s pretty?”

“…It’s not much different from usual.”

I put effort into today and this person!

I thought about making Alter’s expression crumple with nonsense like ‘So you’re saying I usually look pretty to you?!’ but I couldn’t because of what he said next.

“I asked about the dress because that person is watching you like she wants to tear you apart.”

While pretending to put down his champagne glass, Alter subtly pointed to one spot.

Following his gesture, my gaze arrived at a place where.

‘Rosaline.’

Rosaline was looking at me.

She wasn’t even trying to hide the malice in her eyes.

“Unless you stole that dress from that woman to wear it, is there a reason you should receive such looks?”

“Yes, well. That person has her own reasons. Though I can’t understand or forgive those reasons.”

I didn’t avoid Rosaline’s gaze and met it directly.

It was Hugo who broke the continuing eye contact.

He had been trembling, whispered something to Rosaline, then left his seat.

Sighing inwardly, I looked at Alter.

I thought he would ask more about what kind of relationship I had with that woman, but he was unexpectedly quiet. He had an expression like he was thinking about something.

‘Come to think of it, how did he hide his scars and tattoos?’

Both the scar on his cheek and the tattoo on his nape were cleanly erased as if they had never existed.

Did he cover them with makeup?

I don’t know whose handiwork it was, but they seem more skilled than the Imperial Palace maids.

‘Without the scars and tattoos, he somehow seems to resemble someone I know.’

As I looked over Alter’s clothes that unusually had no clips and even his glasses, I paused.

Wait, come to think of it.

“That’s interesting, Alter’s glasses. Your eye color looks different?”

“…What did you say?”

“But aren’t magical artifacts not allowed in because of the inspection here? Is there some treatment on the glasses lenses?”

I was about to turn away casually when Alter suddenly grabbed my hand.

“Say that again.”

Did I say something wrong?

“Um, should I have said first that the glasses suit you better than I thought?”

“Not that.”

“I said it’s interesting that your eye color looks different from usual. Why, normally it’s like gray with a drop of red paint fallen in, but now it’s just gray.”

Are those glasses some kind of disguise tool used secretly only among Information Guild members?

As I answered bewilderedly, Alter rubbed his face and asked again.

“So. You’re saying that from the first time you saw me, you perceived my eyes as… gray with red?”

“Yes, I thought they were mysterious and pretty because they looked like tiger’s eye stone.”

Alter’s face turned pale.

After biting his lips, he asked urgently.

“What did you see yesterday?”

“Yes?”

“I’m asking if you saw something while staying at the Imperial Palace. Something so extraordinary that it made your heart race the moment you saw it, or perhaps an extraordinary person. You’ve seen it, haven’t you? What was it?”

If it was something extraordinary, I had definitely seen it.

‘The ruby tablet broken into four pieces.’

But how could Alter know about that?

I was about to ask when.

“Kyaa-!”

“H-how did this happen!”

According to the schedule, the auction had ended and it was time for the exhibition treasures to be displayed.

However, screams echoed from the direction of the Main Palace behind the dais.

Soon after, attendants rushed out with panicked faces, and one of them ran toward the dais.

Ailren immediately blocked his way.

“What’s the matter?”

“C-Captain of the Royal Knights! The thing is…! The exhibition piece, the sacred tiara of the late Empress, has been stolen!”

‘What?’

Because the sound was amplified for the auction proceedings, the attendant’s shout about the missing tiara rang out loudly.

I shot up from my seat.

“The display case was covered with velvet so we didn’t know, but when we pulled back the velvet to bring it from the treasury, the seal was torn to shreds, and the tiara, the tiara was gone…!”

“Stay calm.”

“Except for this time, I had the key with me the whole time, so how could such a thing happen…”

Lina’s trembling voice could be heard.

The unfortunate thing was that as her voice was amplified, everyone present became aware once again of who owned the treasury key—that is, where the responsibility lay.

Ailren, also realizing this fact, spoke in a low voice.

“Please calm yourself, Your Highness. I will immediately summon the knights and search the entire Imperial Palace.”

“…No, there’s no need to search the entire Imperial Palace, Captain of the Royal Knights.”

Another attendant with dark brown hair, head deeply bowed, clasped his hands and walked onto the dais.

Behind him followed a cart with an empty display case.

‘That person is?’

I recognized him.

He was the attendant who had opened the treasury door for me.

“As the person in charge of the treasury, I saw it myself. I know who dared to enter and leave His Majesty the Emperor’s treasury.”

“Huh.”

Over the attendant’s somber voice, Crodil’s voice mixed in.

Crodil, who had been sitting at the front table but had somehow gotten onto the dais, asked with feigned concern.

“Who is it?”

“B-but…”

“Why do you hesitate to speak? Is it a fellow attendant? Or perhaps a high-ranking noble?”

When the attendant couldn’t immediately open his mouth, Crodil urged an answer in a coaxing tone.

“I promise you, whoever did this will be severely punished according to national law without discrimination. So there will be no consequences for you.”

While saying this, he turned his head toward Lina.

“The Princess would of course agree as well, wouldn’t you?”

Ailren’s blue eyes flashed for a moment as he listened to the conversation.

“Wait!”

Just as he was about to intervene.

“It’s that woman right there!”

The person the hesitating attendant pointed to while sobbing was.

“I clearly saw that woman with purple eyes entering the treasury!”

It was me.

While everyone was left speechless.

“Haha…”

Rosaline’s cold laughter pierced my ears.

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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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