The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 119

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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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*

I returned to the pawnshop and collapsed halfway onto the floor beneath the counter.

I was tired, but sleep wouldn’t come easily.

It was because of the thoughts filling my head.

‘The pearl sword that Alter was looking for was Rugenote.’

According to the knight I briefly saw in my previous life, ‘Rugenote’ had been stolen long before I died.

It was just that the public announcement had been delayed.

‘Since it was revealed that the culprit was the same as the Ruby Tablet theft case, the wanted order must have finally been issued.’

However, what made my heart complicated wasn’t just the fact that the Ruby Tablet’s theft timing had been moved up significantly.

‘Then Alter… might not be an ordinary Information Guild member.’

The fact that it had been stolen hadn’t even been disclosed to the public yet.

In other words, the fact that Rugenote was stolen was state classified information of the duchy.

I didn’t think they would entrust such an important mission to just an Information Guild member.

Like how Ailren was assigned to investigate the Ruby Tablet, he would at least be a knight of the duchy.

‘…Or maybe someone even higher.’

The words he used to interrogate me fiercely when we first met.

His appearance that felt somehow familiar once the tattoos and scars disappeared.

And.

“The pearl sword Alter is looking for, is it perhaps a sacred relic of the Moro Duchy?”

“…What?”

His expression that had noticeably hardened when I asked about Rugenote.

Recalling all of that, I bit my lips.

‘The day Alter appeared injured, the dark brown-haired man who was in the house at the end of the alley.’

“Are you saying he’ll arrive soon? Yes, understood! I’ll prepare!”

Alter had appeared right after the man who was speaking while looking out the window went inside.

I couldn’t question him properly because he was injured, but I hadn’t forgotten that fact.

‘If the man who was investigating Grandfather’s background that the doctor mentioned was that brown-haired man… Then could it be…?’

Was Alter pursuing Grandfather?

Did he suspect that Grandfather was hiding the sword?

But.

“I was sorry about that time.”

I also recalled his appearance when he seriously apologized, saying he was sorry for suspecting me.

“Hah.”

I couldn’t readily reach a conclusion.

I let out a small sigh while looking at the dagger I had laid out.

‘Why is my heart so complicated? Normally, I would have been able to reach a conclusion easily.’

That night.

I tossed and turned for quite a long time, unable to fall asleep.

*

“Damn, why won’t this work either?”

Crodil, who was trying to light his cigar, got annoyed when the lighter wouldn’t ignite.

Just as he was about to take out matches.

Flick—

A hand that suddenly popped out from the darkness produced a flickering flame.

Crodil, who had been inwardly startled, snapped when he realized whose hand it was.

“Why don’t you stop suddenly appearing without warning, Eivor?”

The corner of Eivor’s mouth, who had lit the cigar, went up.

“I’ll consider it. More importantly, did the appraiser accept Your Highness’s proposal?”

“Yes. When I mentioned the duchy title, she bowed her head. That arrogant little girl…”

He didn’t think Elisha would obediently submit.

That’s why he had dangled the duchy title as bait to monitor her every move from close by.

It was worth it.

The statement about being a card that could take down the princess, the Captain of the Royal Knights, the Duke of Alchemiya, and the temple all at once was still valid.

‘Of course, Michele too.’

As Crodil was thinking about Michele who had disappeared, Eivor’s voice reached his ears.

“Were there no other demands?”

“There were. She asked for the abandoned mine of the duchy.”

“The abandoned mine?”

“Yes. To think she would talk back so persistently to get something so useless.”

Crodil pushed away the evening newspapers that featured Elisha on the front page as if they were bothersome.

‘I looked to see if she had said any nonsense about me in the interview.’

Judging by how only her face photo appeared prominently instead of an interview, she seemed to think of it merely as an opportunity to promote her shop.

It was fortunate for Crodil.

“She doesn’t seem to be as smart as I thought.”

“Aha…”

Crodil stared at Eivor, who made a sound that could have been either a listless sigh or admiration.

“More importantly, stealing the Ruby Tablet, are you in your right mind?”

“There was no other way. To make the appraiser stay within Your Highness’s grasp without suspicion and with no other choice.”

Eivor continued slowly.

“And the current person in charge of that matter is the princess, and the investigation chief is the Captain of the Royal Knights. Could there be a more appropriate method to scatter their attention than this?”

“…Right. Seeing how the princess invited priestesses to the Founding Festival, she seemed to want to cooperate with them, but this incident will make the temple distrust the princess as well.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Still, you should have informed me in advance.”

“I apologize for that. I was contemplating the timing to steal it, so I was late in telling you.”

Crodil grumbled and asked.

“So what do you plan to do with the three pieces of the Ruby Tablet? You’re not thinking of destroying them, I assume.”

“I plan to scatter them here and there to make them difficult for them to find.”

“So you’re going to let them find them?”

“Yes. If the theft case falls into complete mystery, they’ll give up, won’t they? So I need to give them hope that they can find them.”

Eivor smiled, his green eyes gleaming fully.

“In the meantime, I can do my work.”

Eivor saying this looked genuinely delighted.

Suddenly, Crodil thought his smile was quite unsettling.

“What about the girl’s weakness you mentioned before?”

“Ah, don’t worry about that either.”

Pop.

Light sparked from Eivor’s fingertips.

“You’ll find out soon.”

“What? Wait…!”

Crodil cursed as he looked at the spot where Eivor had disappeared.

*

After returning from the Imperial Palace.

For several days, I was frantically busy.

“This must be that pawnshop, right?”

“I saw it in the newspaper!”

Since my photo decorated the front page of every newspaper, customers came pouring in.

Even the numbered tickets I had prepared just in case were running short.

Due to the nature of the business, I couldn’t accept all the customers who came, so countless people had to turn back.

“If you show this stamp when you visit next time, I’ll give you this much discount on the appraisal fee.”

“Oh my, wonderful! It’s not like my jewelry is going to run away in the meantime. With this kind of benefit, it’s worth waiting!”

Fortunately, thanks to having prepared countermeasures, the expressions of the customers who were turning back weren’t too bad.

It was late at night when the customers had finally been sorted out.

‘But I can’t keep operating like this forever.’

Suddenly, I remembered Alter’s words about whether it wouldn’t be better to hire an employee.

It was a proposal I had put on hold at the time due to circumstances, but his expression remained in my memory.

His expression that had somehow hardened when I mentioned needing someone trustworthy.

‘…No. This isn’t the time to be thinking about other things, Elisha. Get it together.’

Shaking my head vigorously, I first sent a telegram allowing an interview to the reporter from 《Press Life Prism》.

The reply came immediately.

It was content thanking me for choosing a small newspaper office like theirs.

‘Thankful? I’m the one who’s more grateful. You took such an incredibly cool photo too, didn’t you?’

Indeed, the photo published in 《Press Life Prism》 was the best.

Unlike other newspaper offices that focused on my face, 《Press Life Prism》 published a photo where the appraisal tools and I harmonized well together.

When they said to do the interview when convenient, I replied that I would go to the newspaper office tonight.

‘If not today, I probably won’t have time, and I have something to say to the newspaper office too.’

Since it was a morning paper anyway, they worked late into the night, so they welcomed it—a response I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad about.

As I was organizing business cards, I tilted my head.

‘Huh, come to think of it, the business cards seem a bit short compared to the number of reporters who came?’

Did multiple people come from one newspaper office?

It was puzzling, but I was just about to close up after turning the lights halfway down.

Ding-a-ling, the sound of the door opening was heard.

“We’re closed for business… Oh, Mr. Luca?”

“Hello, Miss Elisha.”

It was Luca, the owner of the incense shop.

Since there was still some time before my appointment with the reporter, I welcomed him warmly.

“What brings you here?”

“Oh, it’s nothing much, I just collected some newspapers featuring Miss Elisha. I thought you might be curious.”

I already had newspapers from each newspaper office, but since it showed thoughtfulness, I gratefully accepted them.

I could use them to clean windows later, if nothing else.

“Thank you. Would you like a cup of tea?”

“I’d be grateful if you would.”

As I pushed the teacup toward him, my eyes met with Luca’s.

‘Hmm, he seems less shy today?’

Luca was someone who was very shy and timid.

But today he was remarkably calm.

As I looked at his eyes, which appeared closer to dark green rather than mint-colored perhaps due to the darkness, he smiled brightly.

“What’s wrong, Miss Elisha? Is there something on my face?”

‘Oh my, how rude of me.’

I shook my head awkwardly.

“Oh, no. It’s just that Mr. Luca looks a bit different today.”

“Haha, I guess it’s because something good happened.”

“Something good?”

As I approached, Luca’s eyes curved even more.

“Yes, I met a customer from my hometown after a long time and had a chat. It brought back old memories and felt nice.”

“Oh, aren’t you from Presrife, Mr. Luca?”

“Oh my. Didn’t I mention it? I’m from the Moro Duchy.”

He was from the Moro Duchy?

As I looked at him in surprise at this story I was hearing for the first time, Luca took something out of his pocket.

“That customer gave me this as a gift, saying it’s a magical device newly released in the duchy these days.”

What he took out was,

“But I’m not a smoker, you see. I was wondering what to do with it… It seems like the pawnshop handles these kinds of luxury items too, so if it’s alright with you, would you like to have it, Miss Elisha?”

It was a cigarette.

‘This is…’

It was the red cigarette with mint scent that Alter had smoked when he first came.

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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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