The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 110

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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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After Duke of Alchemiya and Elisha had left.

Ailren examined once more the attendant who was still unconscious in the prison.

‘Indeed, just as she said, there are traces of holy power on his hands.’

Setting aside the holy power detection brooch that was blinking blindingly bright, he flipped back the attendant’s eyelids to reveal light brown pupils.

The eye color was different from the description Ailren remembered.

That’s why he had initially excluded this person from the list of suspects in the hourglass case.

However.

‘He’s the perpetrator of the tiara theft. There’s plenty of possibility he’s involved in other crimes.’

He would know after interrogating the attendant once he woke up.

Including the question of how exactly he had disguised his eye color.

‘…More than that, this guy is an attendant I’ve occasionally seen by Crodil’s side. If that’s the case.’

The clues fit together.

The person Rosaline wanted to harm was ultimately Elisha. She didn’t harbor direct resentment toward the Princess.

Nevertheless, she deliberately chose the Founding Festival hosted by the Princess to carry out her plan. In a way that would cause the Princess the greatest damage.

The person who would benefit most if the Princess fell from grace was.

‘Crodil.’

If the attendant’s mastermind was Rosaline, then Rosaline’s mastermind was Crodil.

He intended to completely destroy the Princess’s authority in front of everyone and seize control of the Imperial Palace.

Ailren gritted his teeth.

If Elisha hadn’t prevented today’s events, just how much worse could the situation have become…

“Um, Knight. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance.”

His expression softened instantly as he thought of Elisha.

He had been sincere when he told her she had nothing to apologize for.

The Presripe Empire, and Princess Katarina, had been saved by Elisha today.

‘And I too… was saved by her.’

“I will make this clear here and now. The person who condoned the theft was not Princess. That person is actually…”

Because the person Ailren had been about to point to as the mastermind was none other than himself.

He was the Captain of the Royal Knights who had to protect the Princess.

He was prepared to do anything to protect Presripe.

But Ailren couldn’t do something like framing Elisha as the culprit to cut off loose ends for the Princess’s sake, knowing she wasn’t the criminal.

Unable to hand over either the Princess or Elisha to Crodil’s grasp, Ailren had tried to take the disgrace upon himself.

He too had entered the treasury with those two.

But then, Elisha had said firmly.

“No, Knight. The person you’re about to mention isn’t the one. You know that.”

As if she knew that Ailren was trying to shoulder all the dishonor.

‘I couldn’t even save her.’

When Rosaline charged, Ailren had been by the Princess’s side to protect her.

He hastily hid the Princess behind him and swung his sword, but something faster than Ailren’s blade had cut Rosaline’s hand.

It was probably the power of the magical device Elisha had brought.

Ailren felt ashamed and pathetic.

‘She always helps like this, but how should I repay her…’

Looking back now, he finally realized.

How blind and foolish the choice he had tried to make was.

And… how wise and right the choice Elisha made to stop him was.

Thinking of her made his heart suddenly race. Sensing the heavy pounding of his heartbeat, Ailren lowered his eyes.

‘She seemed to suspect that Rosaline had someone behind her too. She probably stopped there simply because there was no clear evidence.’

The Elisha that Ailren had observed was a person with remarkably good insight.

But he shouldn’t ask for her opinion.

He never again wanted Elisha to be involved in Imperial Palace affairs where she would have to risk danger.

That’s why he hadn’t bothered to ask more about the mage who could be an important witness.

Proving Crodil’s crimes was his responsibility.

Ailren, who had taken a deep breath, paused as he tried to get up.

‘…Alter, where did that man disappear to?’

Elisha’s partner, the man who had rushed out recklessly even knowing it was impossible to stop Rosaline due to distance.

The man who had disappeared by the time he returned after seeing Elisha off.

‘I saw him stop the attendant’s escape attempt. That wasn’t the level of force of a street mercenary.’

When Ailren first saw Alter, he felt an instinctive sense of unease.

It wasn’t simply because of his fierce appearance.

It was as if he was hiding something. His knight’s intuition was telling him.

What was that man hiding, and for what purpose was he by Elisha’s side…

Ailren’s brow furrowed sharply as he recalled Alter’s face, which had seemed different somehow today.

‘Could it be.’

Eye color.

Just like the attendant, if it weren’t for the eye color.

‘Excluding only the ash-gray eye color, that face is…!’

Ailren hurried to his office and summoned his aide.

“Check immediately whether Duke Tesagh Alister Moro of the Moro Duchy is currently staying at the Duke’s residence.”

“Yes, understood.”

Duke Moro wasn’t someone who enjoyed external schedules.

He had seen his face only once.

‘The Duke’s coronation ceremony, which was held privately.’

Though he had seen it only once from a distance, that face, which remained vividly in his memory, overlapped with ‘Alter’.

Ailren, who had been rubbing his face dry, looked up at the sound of someone running toward him.

His aide couldn’t have finished the mission already. Then?

“C-Captain!”

The knight who came running in breathlessly was the one who had been assigned to search for the tiara in the treasury.

But his face was pale. Somehow he had a bad feeling.

“What’s the matter?”

“We, we found Empress’s tiara. It was near the ruby tablet storage as you said, Captain, but…!”

At the words that followed, Ailren shot up from his seat.

*

“Aaaahhh-!”

Crodil, who had merely acted satisfied that the case was resolved in front of others, revealed his true feelings as soon as he returned to his office.

After smashing objects, he rolled his eyes wildly.

“What the hell happened! What were you doing, Eivor, while everything was falling apart!”

Unlike Crodil who was pouring out his anger, Eivor was calm.

“I had some things to take care of.”

“Things to take care of?! What could be more important than this, if you had just shut that Elisha bitch’s mouth beforehand…!”

“Yes, that would have been good. But how could I have predicted that one person who suddenly appeared would overturn everything?”

Crodil, who was thinking he wanted to strangle that neck spouting such carefree words, shouted.

“What kind of attitude is that? Have you forgotten our contract?”

“Of course I remember. I would provide maximum cooperation to achieve Your Highness’s goals, and when Your Highness was finally satisfied, you would grant me one small request.”

“So, are you telling me that this is your maximum cooperation?”

Whether Crodil was angry or not, Eivor’s lips, who had been responding indifferently, slowly curved upward.

“Although I couldn’t stop that appraiser named Elisha, Your Highness’s name will never come from the mouths of those who were caught. Don’t you know my abilities?”

Crodil, who was about to say something, closed his mouth.

He knew about Eivor’s abilities.

Moreover, there was one more condition in the contract he made with him.

‘Right, that bastard… cannot lie to me.’

Eivor cannot lie to his contractor. Absolutely not.

So his words that no one would be able to reveal his involvement in this matter must be true.

Crodil examined Eivor as if trying to bite him.

Eivor spoke monotonously.

“Wasn’t Countess Rosaline starting to get on your nerves anyway? You’ve gotten rid of a ‘scapegoat’ through someone else’s hands, so in a way, you’ve achieved one small goal. Moreover.”

“Moreover?”

“Think about it. Is Miss Elisha really an existence that only brings harm to Your Highness?”

“What kind of nonsense are you…!”

Crodil’s mouth, which was about to shout out of habit, closed.

Rolling his eyes, he made an “ah” sound.

“If… I could use that girl…”

“Not only could you break down the barriers between the Princess and the Captain of the Royal Knights, but she’s also a resource that could blow away both the Duke of Alchemiya and the Cardinal of the Temple at once.”

Moreover, she was also a capable appraiser.

“Where else could you find such a useful resource?”

Eivor, who had been watching Crodil make a face of realization, smiled broadly.

“So you shouldn’t punish her. You should reward her.”

“Right… there was such a method.”

“You should give her a reward and keep her tied up somewhere visible. Do you understand what I mean?”

“But winning her over with rewards is only temporary.”

Crodil said irritably.

“That girl seemed quite cunning, so what method do you plan to use?”

“You know.”

Eivor’s deeply carved lips rose upward as if they might tear.

Crodil suddenly thought that smile was eerie.

“What moves people isn’t money, but weaknesses. I know her weakness.”

“What exactly is it? That girl’s weakness.”

“That is…”

Eivor’s green eyes suddenly turned toward the door.

“I’ll tell you next time. Someone is coming.”

“What? Who?”

Just then, urgent knocking sounds were heard.

Crodil opened the door so the chaotic interior wouldn’t be visible, and gave the attendant a fake smile.

“What is it?”

“Regent King, they say the Empress’s tiara has been found!”

“Ah, what fortunate news. How sad my deceased sister would have been if it had been lost.”

Crodil, who was pretending to place his hand on his chest, widened his eyes at the following words.

“B-but… they say the sacred Ruby Tablet that was in the treasury has disappeared! Even with all the seals and various security spells on the storage container completely intact!”

“What?! Who on earth could have done such a thing…!”

As he spoke, he realized.

There was only one person who could do such a thing.

Crodil’s head turned with creaking sounds.

The spot where Eivor had been was now completely empty.

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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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