The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 126

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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 thought Ailren would ask about the circumstances.’

It wouldn’t make sense for me to have defeated four men by myself and escaped.

Still, I thought he’d ask at most who helped me, something like that.

‘To think Alter’s name would come up right away.’

There would be no point in denying it.

He was probably asking with certainty gained from interrogating the criminals.

I hesitated a little before answering.

“Ah, yes. I met… well, it’s hard to say I met him, but it’s true that person helped me.”

“Did you hear anything about how he found you, Lady Elisha?”

Of course I hadn’t heard anything.

‘…It wasn’t a situation for that kind of conversation at all.’

I had some guesses though.

Perhaps he had planted some kind of tracking signal in the dagger he gave me.

Thanks to that I was able to save my life, so it was fortunate, but I couldn’t be entirely grateful.

‘He probably gave it to me to track Grandfather’s hospital with that signal. …Not for my sake.’

“…I wanted to help you.”

Alter’s voice, no, the Duke’s voice echoed in my ears, but I deliberately pushed the thought away.

But I couldn’t tell Ailren about that.

“Yes, I was too flustered to talk about it. I have mage friends, so maybe he got help from them?”

I glossed over it roughly, but as expected, Ailren didn’t look convinced.

Would he press further?

As I watched his reaction, what came from Ailren’s mouth was somewhat unexpected.

“The fact that he saved you, Lady Elisha, is undeniable. However.”

Ailren’s blue eyes remained fixed on my injured left hand.

“At the same time, I believe you understand that man could also be someone who might put you in danger.”

“Uh… Count Airen?”

“So please don’t get too close to him. I know it’s presumptuous of me to say, but I have no intention of taking back my words.”

This was the first time I’d seen Ailren speak so firmly.

It didn’t seem like he was saying this simply because ‘he looks scary’ or ‘he has a rough appearance.’

‘Does Ailren perhaps know that Alter is the Duke?’

I couldn’t gauge how much Ailren knew.

As I hesitated without readily answering, the train arrived at the capital.

We were riding in a carriage together.

‘Someone who could put me in danger… he says.’

I mulled over Ailren’s words.

Was he a threat to me?

Considering only Grandfather’s matter, the Duke was indeed the most dangerous person to me.

But.

‘If you ask whether he’s someone who would put me in danger, I don’t think that’s the case.’

My feelings were complicated when I thought of him.

Yesterday’s memories flashed chaotically through my mind.

Suspecting me, using me to find Grandfather – that was the Duke’s side.

But the warmth of the hand that brushed my eyes and the way he looked at me was the Alter I knew well.

“Count Airen.”

“Yes, please speak.”

“About what you said earlier regarding Alter. I do think he might be a dangerous person.”

I came to a conclusion.

“…But he’s not someone who would put me in danger and then ignore it. He’s not a bad person.”

At least I wouldn’t let others misunderstand him.

“…”

Ailren gazed at me intently.

As the silence lengthened, I smiled awkwardly.

“We’ve arrived. Thanks to you, I was able to go with peace of mind today. Shall we shake hands then?”

I extended my uninjured hand.

The familiar wave of power would come soon.

It was when I squeezed my eyes shut.

Something warm touched the back of my hand.

‘Huh?’

What I saw when I opened my eyes was.

“Yesterday, I wasn’t able to be by your side at that moment.”

Ailren’s face as he pulled my injured hand to his lips and kissed it.

His straight and elegant profile was completely bathed in moonlight.

“…So now, at least, I give you everything I can offer.”

It was healing holy power.

Warmth gradually spread from where he kissed, and the pain noticeably decreased.

“Oh, but healing holy power is…!”

Ailren was in a situation where he should avoid using holy power as much as possible.

Since he was poisoned by magic, using holy power would be painful.

“It’s my joy, not pain. So please don’t refuse.”

However, Ailren’s face somehow looked peaceful.

As if it was enough that I wasn’t hurt.

‘He’s been constantly worried about my injury.’

Ailren cut off the conversation.

His intention not to discuss the magic poisoning was clear.

“Thank you. Then I’ll be going.”

“Yes, I’ll see you next time.”

I bowed my head and returned to the pawnshop.

It was when I was about to open the door. Something was caught.

‘Oh, this is…’

There was an envelope filled with ointment and bandages.

There was no note. Who had brought this?

The first face that came to mind was the Duke’s, but I pushed the thought away.

It wasn’t certain, and anyway, I wouldn’t need to use this medicine.

‘So this is how healing holy power is used in such a direct way.’

I put the medicine in a drawer and was rotating my hand when suddenly a thumping sound echoed.

I reflexively flinched as memories of being kidnapped came back, but what I heard was a familiar voice.

“Manager! Manager!”

“Oh, Hanna?”

It was Hanna, who had promised to give me materials related to ‘Root of Blindness.’

There was still some time left before our appointment though?

I tilted my head as I opened the door, but Hanna’s expression looked strange somehow.

“What should I do, Manager!”

Come to think of it.

Hanna’s hands, which should have been carrying materials, were completely empty.

I had a bad feeling.

At Hanna’s next words, I froze completely.

“The materials I was working on, sob, they’ve all disappeared!”

*

I flipped through the notebook.

“I was just finishing up some work and dozed off for a moment! It was really just a moment…!”

This was the story I heard while comforting Hanna, who was sobbing with apologies.

She said the original and the transcribed copy that were definitely on the desk had vanished without a trace.

Shocked, she searched through the entire workroom as if she was going to turn it upside down, but nothing came up.

As if they had never existed in the first place.

“I’ll at least write down what I remember, Manager. I’m really sorry, I don’t know how this happened…”

“No, Hanna. Don’t apologize.”

The notebook in my hands contained what Hanna had written down by wracking her memory.

She tried her best to recall and write it down, but there were many gaps here and there.

‘Hanna is the only one who has the key to the archives workroom. But for the ‘Root of Blindness’ materials to disappear…’

I have a sense of déjà vu.

The ruby tablet that vanished without a trace from the treasury where no one could enter.

The ancient document that vanished without a trace from the archives where no one could enter.

‘…It can’t be a coincidence. It absolutely cannot be a coincidence. Then could this also be Eivor’s doing…?’

But why on earth would Eivor steal materials related to the ‘Root of Blindness’?

‘That thief has gone so far as to covet ancient documents now?’

As I bit my lip, I heard a cautious voice.

“Are you alright, Lady Elisha?”

It was Chloe.

She was looking at me with concern as I chewed my lip while looking at the notebook. I forced a smile.

“Yes, I’m fine. I just had something to think about.”

When Emma and Chloe heard the news that I had been kidnapped, they were shocked.

Chloe, who was so surprised she nearly collapsed,

“I, I’ll protect you, Lady Elisha! I might not be much help, but…”

had been sticking close to the pawnshop for the past few days.

I was grateful for her feelings, and in a way, it worked out well.

“Can you tell which of these two is the emerald, Chloe?”

“Yes, yes! The one on the right looks like an emerald… I caught a glimpse of someone reading the certificate…”

“Wow, that’s right. It’s really great having Chloe help out, isn’t it?”

Emma had said there was nothing more to teach Chloe about magic, and she just needed training.

She was overflowing with talent, but it seemed like she had put a lid on herself.

For Chloe to train her memory magic without resistance, and to view her abilities positively.

Reading the thoughts left in objects rather than people’s memories was the best approach.

‘A pawnshop full of objects filled with memories is the optimal training ground.’

But if I openly suggested training, she might get intimidated and not be able to use her abilities.

So I discussed with Emma to create an environment where she could use magic naturally.

‘That’s why I said the pawnshop needed help.’

Chloe would naturally use magic in the process of helping me.

As a bonus, I gained a trustworthy employee.

“It’s thanks to your good teaching, Lady Elisha…”

Seeing her blush and fidget with the jewel, it seemed like Chloe was enjoying it too, which was fortunate.

Since she wore gloves in this environment, her black hands weren’t exposed either.

‘But what about the ‘Root of Blindness’?’

Hanna said she would look again, but if Eivor had stolen it, there was no way we could find it.

‘I was planning to find the materials and visit Grandfather.’

I had told the Duke that I moved Grandfather’s hospital.

But in reality, Grandfather was still at Belcato Nursing Home.

He wouldn’t come back to a place he’d already searched, and there was no place with better security.

‘It was a clever strategy, but what good does it do? I don’t have the materials.’

I was letting out a small sigh when.

Ding-a-ling, the bell rang.

“Welcome…”

The moment I looked up.

“Hello.”

When I saw the customer’s face, I drew in a breath.

“Can I have that tea we couldn’t finish last time today?”

A red-eyed woman looking at me with her sunglasses lowered.

Over the face of the woman who had stopped Rosaline’s tyranny, I could see the face of someone I knew overlapping.

‘Ah. So that’s why this customer seemed familiar somehow.’

I remember now.

After catching my breath for a moment, I bent my knee.

“I greet Border Guard Belastard Moro, Your Excellency.”

“Oh my.”

The Border Guard of Moro Duchy and mother of Duke Tesagh Alister Moro.

Belastard smiled with an unreadable expression.

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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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