The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 124

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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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*

“…Your Grace, Duke Tesagh Alister Moro.”

Tesagh stood there in a daze, shocked and confused.

Elisha was smiling, but it wasn’t the smile he knew.

She looked sad, and also seemed disappointed.

And a little… she seemed to fear something as well.

「Your Grace, what that woman just said! Don’t tell me she knows your true identity—」

Crack.

Tesagh barely managed to open his mouth after taking out and crushing the receiver from which Milton’s shocked voice could be heard.

“Elisha, I…”

He should have asked how she found out, and since when she had known.

But the moment he saw what Elisha picked up from the floor as she staggered to her feet, that thought completely vanished.

What she had picked up was a red cigarette that hadn’t been completely burned.

The cigarette he had used during their first meeting to interrogate Elisha.

“When someone is hiding their identity, it’s natural to find it hard to trust them.”

He recalled what Elisha had said at the festival.

And also her words about how it would be even harder to trust someone who had been hiding their identity for a long time.

Ah, then the emotion Elisha was feeling was…

“I didn’t mean for it to be like this.”

It must be a sense of betrayal.

It was enough for her to think that he had hidden his identity because he didn’t trust Elisha.

On top of that, if she knew that the cigarette was a magical interrogation device, she had every right to be angry that he had used such a thing on her.

Though he didn’t know how a magical device made exclusively for him by the duchy’s mages had ended up here.

The moment he realized Elisha’s emotions, how she had found out no longer seemed important.

“I didn’t hide my identity to deceive you, I just…”

What a pathetic excuse this was.

Tesagh wanted to bite his own tongue.

‘Elisha knew about Rugenote.’

If she had learned that ‘Alter,’ who had been staying by her side all this time, was actually the Duke who had changed his appearance to retrieve Rugenote.

If this wasn’t deception to Elisha, then what was it?

But staying by Elisha’s side wasn’t solely because of Rugenote.

When had it started?

When had he begun to care about her?

“…I wanted to help you.”

Was it when she calmly and resolutely revealed the truth at the Founding Festival?

Or was it when her eyes lit up as she talked about wanting to protect the street at the festival?

Or perhaps when she told him about her childhood while eating cherry cake?

Or maybe…

“I wanted to keep seeing you. That’s why…”

Was it when he first saw her?

When she greeted him in that wood-scented pawnshop.

When he saw certainty in her clear, strong pale violet eyes as she countered his words.

If that was the case, then I…

‘From the moment we first met, I’ve been… Elisha…’

But the moment he heard Elisha’s words, Tesagh’s mind went blank.

“I understand why you kept your identity secret all this time. I also fully understand that you had no choice but to suspect me.”

Tesagh asked Elisha, who had lowered her eyes, in a trembling voice.

“Then?”

Then why was she disappointed?

Then why, even while saying she understood, wouldn’t she look up and meet his eyes?

Unable to understand, Tesagh took a step toward Elisha.

“I don’t mind you suspecting me, but…”

However, Elisha took a step back.

“…Trying to find my grandfather isn’t something I can just overlook.”

Elisha bit her lip.

‘Is she talking about Milton going to find Stefan, the street doctor?’

It was true that Tesagh had tried to find her grandfather, Michele.

However, after visiting Stefan, there were no more leads, so he had focused on investigating Michele’s past rather than finding his current whereabouts.

‘But Elisha has particularly deep affection for her grandfather.’

He thought that for Elisha, even just one visit to Stefan would have felt threatening.

After all, it was true that he had investigated Michele.

Tesagh said urgently.

“I understand your feelings. But it was only once, and after that…”

“Only once?”

But the moment he saw Elisha’s expression, he was at a loss for words.

“I know. Your subordinate visited the old hospital where my grandfather was staying.”

The old hospital?

Was she talking about Stefan?

But with what followed, Tesagh couldn’t bring himself to ask.

“Someone who even used an interrogation magical device on me wouldn’t just leave my grandfather alone. I understand that finding the sword is urgent for you, so…”

“Elisha.”

“…Please understand my desperate feelings as well.”

Elisha bowed deeply, placed the clip on the table, gathered her seal and bag, and turned to leave.

She left behind the dagger that had helped track her location without taking it.

Tesagh, who had been staring blankly at Elisha’s retreating figure, ran after her.

But once he blocked her path, he didn’t know what to say.

He also didn’t know how to change Elisha’s mind.

“…I’ll take you home.”

That was all Tesagh could say.

He spoke desperately.

“You’re hurt. It’s dangerous. …I won’t say anything, I won’t ask about anything, so please just let me take you home.”

Elisha looked up.

Just the fact that she was meeting his eyes seemed to offer a glimmer of hope.

Tesagh, who had been desperately waiting for Elisha’s answer, froze at her next words.

“Don’t worry.”

Elisha forced a smile.

“I won’t tell anyone about Your Grace’s identity.”

Having said that, Elisha brushed past him.

Left behind, Tesagh felt as if his heart was being shattered into pieces.

Elisha’s eyes had clearly…

“I’m not really scared…”

Because they had looked as if she feared him.

“Ha…”

Tesagh covered his face with trembling hands.

He had once told Elisha that forgiveness came too easily to her.

Tesagh instinctively realized.

This time, it would never be easy.

*

As the dawn light began to brighten.

A shadowy figure flickered on top of the warehouse.

Eivor, who had been stroking the ravens, rested his chin on his hand.

Watching Elisha leave the warehouse and then Tesagh following her from a distance, Eivor’s lips curved upward.

“I told you so.”

To Eivor, the men sprawled inside the warehouse were not a consideration.

The fact that the men had spectacularly ruined the plan didn’t matter at all either.

What mattered to him were only the two people who had left the warehouse.

“I know, I said. The weakness.”

Tesagh’s weakness was Elisha.

And Elisha’s weakness was her grandfather.

“I’m never wrong…”

Eivor’s green eyes glinted eerily as he smiled with satisfaction.

*

The next day.

I was on a train, looking out the window.

My face reflected in the window looked somewhat haggard. It was because I hadn’t slept properly.

Rather than aftereffects from the kidnapping.

‘…I had too many thoughts.’

My mind was complicated because of the matter with the Duke.

‘No. Stop thinking about it, it’s in the past. Focus on what’s happening now.’

I deliberately turned my eyes to gaze at the passing scenery outside the window, then lowered my gaze to my lap.

To the Duke of Alchemiya.

In my hands were the letters that the Duke of Alchemiya and Grandfather had exchanged.

They were what the Duke of Alchemiya had sent me last night.

As I carefully turned through the letters with my uninjured hand, I heard a voice from across from me.

“If it wouldn’t be rude, I’d like to help you.”

The person sitting in front of me was Ailren.

I smiled at him as he looked at me with concern.

“It’s fine, Count Ailren. My right hand isn’t injured.”

“But…”

“More importantly, Count Ailren, are you sure it’s alright for you to come with me to Rionet Duchy? Aren’t you busy?”

The place where Ailren and I were currently traveling together by train was none other than Rionet Duchy.

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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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