The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 115

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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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Only a very few people at the Duke’s Residence knew that Rugenote had been stolen.

No, there weren’t many people who even knew that such a legendary sacred sword actually existed.

‘Since Rugenote has never been publicly revealed even once since the founding of the Moro Duchy.’

That’s why Tesagh had been searching for it only in the form of a sword, hiding its greatest characteristic as a sacred relic.

After all, ordinary people would only think of Rugenote as a splendid and beautiful sword even if they saw it, not knowing it was a sacred relic.

‘But how did she…’

It wasn’t a lucky guess.

It wasn’t the tone of someone making assumptions like ‘it seems expensive so it must be a sacred relic.’

Elisha was speaking with half-certainty.

Tesagh, who had frozen pale, turned his head at the sound of horse neighing.

“…I apologize for interrupting your conversation.”

It was Ailren.

Getting off the carriage, he continued speaking without meeting Elisha’s eyes, which was unusual for him.

“There was a command from Princess Katarina to urgently escort you to the Imperial Palace. Please accompany me.”

Elisha nodded without asking any questions.

As if she knew what had happened at the Imperial Palace.

Then.

“Sorry, Alter. Let’s have dinner next time.”

She took a deep breath and got into the carriage.

The carriage departed. Left behind, Tesagh squeezed his eyes shut and opened them.

‘If the Imperial Palace needs Elisha for something… surely not.’

Tesagh, recalling ‘something’ other than Rugenote that had been in the treasury, ran to the safe house.

*

While heading to the main palace where the treasury was located, the servants I encountered were going about their work.

There were also maids who smiled and greeted me, seeming happy to see me.

As if they knew nothing.

However, the moment I set foot in the main palace.

“Elisha!”

The atmosphere of the people I saw completely changed.

Lina, who had rushed over urgently upon seeing me arrive, grabbed my hands.

Her hands were trembling slightly.

“First… first let’s go to the treasury. You need to see it yourself.”

The knights standing densely made way and opened the door.

“How could such a thing happen…”

Hearing Lina’s sigh, I faced the display case.

That display case should have contained four pieces of the ruby tablet.

The ruby tablet that had been emitting an ominous black light.

But.

“Why is there only one piece left? Do you know how this happened, Elisha?”

Only one piece remained.

Even though I had heard the general story from Ailren, I was momentarily speechless before putting on gloves first and saying.

“Please prepare lighting and a table.”

The things I had requested from the knights in advance came in as if they had been waiting.

I instructed them to cover the other treasures so light wouldn’t reach them, then took out the appraisal tools I always carried.

First, I examined the seal.

‘No traces of stretching or forgery. This display case has never been opened.’

I carefully removed the seal and opened the display case.

Then, as if it had been waiting, a siren sound loud enough to hurt my ears rang out.

‘The security magic that’s only placed on precious treasures is also undamaged.’

I gestured to turn off the siren and stared at the ruby tablet fragment.

Certainly when I first saw it, it was a sacred relic from which ominously dark light was flowing stickily.

However, now with only one piece remaining.

‘It’s just shining white and warm.’

An auspicious and sacred light that was intense enough to compare to the sun but never hurt the eyes was surrounding the tablet.

It was light I had never seen even once from other sacred relics.

I could tell instinctively.

This ruby tablet was.

‘A divine-grade sacred relic!’

Seeing that such an aura could be felt from just one piece, I couldn’t even dare imagine what kind of majesty this sacred relic would have shown when it was intact and unbroken.

Such a sacred relic had been stolen.

[…One of the sacred relics stored in the treasury of the Presripe Empire’s Imperial Palace has been stolen…]

[…Presumed to be the work of the same perpetrator as the theft of our nation’s divine-grade sacred relic ‘Rugenote’…]

Right away…

[…Mage ‘Eivor’ warrant changed to public manhunt…]

By a mage named ‘Eivor’!

As soon as I heard the explanation about divine-grade sacred relics from Crescenziano, article headlines buried in my memory came to mind.

At that time, I had been shaken.

It wasn’t simply because I was shocked that a mage had broken through all those defenses and stolen the Empire’s sacred relic following the Moro Duchy’s sacred relic.

‘I saw his wanted poster and the theft articles just before I died. …It was something I only saw after more than two years had passed from now. But why…’

Because the future I knew had changed.

I clenched my fist and bit my lip.

‘No. Get a grip, Elisha. Obsessing over why the future changed right now isn’t wise.’

The future can change at any time.

Even I had changed the fate of dying miserably and having Grandfather stolen by Rosaline.

I took a deep breath and carefully lifted the tablet to move it to the table.

‘Stay calm. Just do it like you usually appraise things. I’ve confirmed it’s a sacred relic, so now I need to confirm if this ruby is genuine.’

After finishing examining the ruby’s color with a loupe and film, I removed my gloves to check the texture and hardness of the cut surface.

It was when the ruby brushed my fingertips.

‘Huh? …Why is it hot?’

I felt a burning heat sensation as if I’d been burned by fire.

And.

「Leave.」

“Ugh…!”

Someone’s voice suddenly pierced my ears.

That voice with such great resonance that it made my body tremble – I couldn’t readily distinguish whether it belonged to a man or woman.

I looked around in surprise, but the people were quiet. There was no disturbance whatsoever.

“What’s wrong?”

“Sir Knight, didn’t you hear any sound?”

“Sound… I don’t know what you mean.”

Even Ailren seemed not to have heard any sound.

He had been keeping his head down ever since bringing me to the treasury, and was just narrowing his brows as if worried about me.

‘Then does that mean the word “leave” was only heard by me?’

When I stroked the ruby again, this time I felt no heat, nor did I hear any voice.

Cold sweat trickled down.

‘But strangely, compared to the word “leave,” the voice didn’t seem to carry much hostile emotion…’

Just then, Lina’s anxious voice cut through my thoughts.

“Elisha, did you find anything?”

I gulped and nodded.

“The seal shows no signs of damage, there are no remaining fingerprints, and this ruby tablet is indeed a holy relic. At least it means whoever stole the tablet didn’t leave behind a fake to mock the imperial family.”

“Then… someone took only three pieces of the tablet? Without even opening the display case, passing through the protective magic?”

Lina rubbed her face as if confused.

“It’s so, so strange. Why didn’t they steal everything and leave one piece behind? It’s fortunate that even one piece remains, but…”

According to the knight I saw in my previous life, Eivor had stolen all four pieces of the tablet.

But this time, why did they leave only one piece behind?

Because the criminal in this life isn’t Eivor but someone else?

‘No.’

I voiced the thoughts I’d had while riding in the carriage.

“Perhaps the culprit intended to interfere with the initial investigation?”

Ailren looked up.

“Everyone would think ‘Why did they leave only one piece behind? Something’s strange.’ Just like Your Highness. Naturally, they’d focus intensively on investigating the remaining piece. Rather than tracking the three missing pieces.”

I looked at Ailren as I spoke.

“After dispersing the investigative efforts like that, perhaps the culprit planned to quickly hide or dispose of the other three pieces?”

“…That makes sense. The Royal Knights were planning to examine the remaining piece in detail first.”

“Yes, it’s a precious holy relic, so that would be even more likely. But while the fact that this tablet is a ‘holy relic’ is certainly important, I think you should also consider the psychology of a ‘typical’ valuable goods thief.”

Thud, thud.

Hearing footsteps, I continued speaking.

“If it were someone who knew the value of this holy relic, they would have taken all four pieces, but they didn’t. This means the culprit is either someone who doesn’t really know how important this holy relic is.”

The person who appeared where the knights had stepped aside was.

“Or someone who knows the value of this treasure all too well, but has some other greater purpose.”

Crodil.

He smiled coldly.

“Ah, I wondered who the temple had sent. So it’s that appraiser young lady?”

I stared straight at him and said.

“…It must be one of the two.”

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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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