The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 127

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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-I’ll go organize the 2nd floor for a bit.”

Chloe, who had been reading the situation, excused herself from the room.

Left alone together. I lowered the blinds and brewed tea.

Except for the sound of the teapot boiling, the pawnshop was quiet, but my mind was noisy.

‘Why did she come?’

Surely she didn’t really come just to have tea.

‘To silence me? Or does she have some other purpose?’

I couldn’t think of anything that made sense.

I handed her the tea and watched Belastard lift her teacup, feeling a bit nervous.

“Hmm.”

Her red lips curved upward smoothly as she swirled the tea in her mouth.

“It’s delicious.”

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

“What’s there to be relieved about. Were you nervous? Worried I might grab the teacup and throw it at you?”

“…Now that you mention it, I’m starting to worry about that…”

Belastard chuckled softly.

“I can guess what you’re thinking, but I have no grudge against the shop owner. I didn’t come to talk about that black-hearted bastard either.”

She dismissed her own son, the Duke, as ‘that black-hearted bastard’ and slurped her tea.

‘From what she’s saying, it seems she roughly knows what happened.’

Did the Duke tell her?

After pondering, I carefully asked.

“Then may I ask what brings you here?”

“I have a proposal for you.”

Belastard, who had removed her sunglasses, gazed at me intently.

“I’ll put it simply. Are you interested in taking on a field assignment?”

“A field assignment?”

“Yes. There’s an item that needs your appraisal. If you accept, I’ll explain the details.”

“…Excuse me, but this is a proposal, not an order, right?”

Belastard snickered.

It wasn’t a laugh of disbelief, but more like ‘look at this cheeky little thing.’

“Of course. Since it’s a proposal, you can refuse all you want. But you won’t be able to turn it down.”

“Hmm, why is that?”

“Because the payment for this request is information about a medicinal herb called ‘Root of Blindness.'”

I froze completely.

Belastard, who had been watching me, propped her chin on her hand.

“So, what’s your answer?”

*

Bella, who left the pawnshop, transported herself through a magic circle.

In the Cardinal’s Office she arrived at, she was flipping through documents when she heard a knock and looked up.

“Border Guard, sir, they report that the disguise magical tool for the appraiser has been completed.”

“Oh, good. Well done.”

“Is that appraiser really accompanying us?”

“When I offered the herb information, she accepted.”

“Then yes. I’ll go.”

As she recalled Elisha’s immediate response, the aide looked surprised.

“How did you know that would work? And how did you know the appraiser needed that information?”

“It’s obvious. Why else would the Duke suddenly be curious about rare herbs?”

When I asked what the Duke’s mages were translating some old texts for, they said it was research the Duke had requested.

What reason would Tesagh, who had never shown any interest in pharmacology or medicine, have to investigate such things?

“It must be because our appraiser needs that information.”

Bella crossed her arms.

“Of course, the Duke probably planned to deliver it anonymously after things settled down, but there’s no need for that. So I created an opportunity to hand it over directly.”

“…Uh, if I may ask, did you discuss this with His Grace the Duke…?”

“When has that bastard ever consulted with me before stirring up trouble? Of course I didn’t.”

Seeing the aide’s face turn pale, Bella shrugged.

“Anyway, Tesagh will agree that the appraiser is absolutely necessary for this job.”

This was a mission to appraise an item suspected to be ‘Rugenote.’

A sacred relic specialist who could quickly distinguish sacred objects was absolutely necessary.

In that sense, Elisha was the optimal choice.

“He just can’t bring himself to ask her to come along.”

Tesagh naturally hadn’t told Bella about the situation either.

She knew about the two’s affair because of Milton’s report, who had been listening to the situation through a receiver.

Bella could understand Elisha’s position.

However, since Rugenote was involved, she decided to brazenly push forward.

“Sh-should I tell His Grace the Duke that Appraiser Elisha will be accompanying us? He probably still thinks the duchy is sending personnel…”

“No, don’t tell him.”

Bella smirked.

“I want to see that guy’s surprised face.”

Maybe she wanted to torment him a little?

Bella was happy to play the villain.

‘She’s really grown on me.’

A smile appeared on Bella’s face as she thought of Elisha, who had spoken clearly and confidently despite being nervous.

‘What is she thinking about, it’s scary…!’

She didn’t know that the aide was interpreting that smile differently.

*

“…So I’ll be away for two days. Tomorrow happens to be our regular day off anyway. I’ll put up the closed sign, so you don’t need to worry about it, Chloe.”

“I see…”

The Border Guard said that tonight, if I went to the end of the street, there would be a black carriage waiting.

The carriage would have action guidelines and disguise tools prepared.

‘I’ll be going alone, right? She didn’t mention any companions.’

I was using the remaining time to teach Chloe how to do the bookkeeping.

“Is this how you do it?”

“Yes, that’s exactly right! Well done, Chloe.”

“Thank you…”

Chloe, who had smiled shyly like a child, suddenly asked.

“Um, but what are these flower petals?”

“Oh, those.”

There were two petals in the drawer.

One was a petal that had been on the floor when I first opened the pawnshop, and the other was a petal that had turned completely black.

‘Right. I was thinking I should ask Emma or Chloe about this.’

When I explained, Chloe’s face turned pale.

“If a petal was on the floor even though you didn’t touch it, doesn’t that mean someone secretly broke in?”

“Yes, I was suspicious about that too, but nothing was actually missing. So…”

“Yes, I was suspicious about that too, but nothing was actually missing. So…”

“I-I’ll check it!”

Before I could stop her, Chloe grasped the pitch-black petal in her hand and closed her eyes.

After a long while.

“I can’t see… anything…”

That was unexpected.

If anything, I thought the pitch-black petal would be more suspicious.

Was it just simply withered?

“Then is it just a withered petal?”

“No, no… Not seeing anything is even stranger. Since it’s a flower, I should at least see bees or butterflies, but seeing nothing at all…”

So that means something is hidden?

Chloe furrowed her brow and set the black petal aside.

“I’ll investigate this one more time with Emma. It might be that my power is insufficient to see it.”

“Ah, yes. Would you do that?”

“And this one…”

Chloe, who held the second petal in her hand, suddenly opened her eyes wide.

Then she looked at me once, then looked at the petal once.

Why is she reacting like this?

I asked, puzzled.

“What’s wrong, Chloe?”

“Uh, um… This one is strange too.”

“You can’t see this one either?”

“No… I can see the tall man who came with you to the Founding Festival.”

‘Huh?’

Alter, no, the Duke had even secretly infiltrated our pawnshop?

I was biting my lip when.

Chloe slowly shook her head.

“But… he didn’t do anything.”

“He didn’t do anything?”

“Yes. He just stared at you sleeping… then read the memo under the counter and left.”

The memo under the counter.

Those were things I had put up for Grandfather when we lived together, for when his memory disappeared.

Notes with contents like ‘go straight to the kitchen when you wake up.’

Chloe looked at me carefully.

“…You didn’t know about it, did you?”

“No, I didn’t know. I had no idea that person would even infiltrate the pawnshop.”

“Are you scared…?”

I let out a hollow laugh.

“I don’t know why I’m like this either, but… No, I’m not scared.”

‘Why did he come in but not ransack the shop or steal the ledgers?’

I was more curious about the circumstances and reasons behind his actions than the actions themselves.

He had approached me hiding his identity because of ‘Rugenote’ from the beginning.

He had even broken through security magic and infiltrated quite seriously, so why did he leave without doing anything?

“I’m just curious about the reason. Strange, isn’t it?”

Smiling bitterly, I realized it was almost time for my appointment.

I was packing my things to say goodbye and leave when Chloe cautiously spoke to me.

“Then how about… trying to have a conversation?”

“A conversation?”

Chloe hesitated.

“I-I shouldn’t presume to say this, but… at least I didn’t sense any hostility from the petal.”

“I see.”

I smiled slightly at her.

“I’ll think about it. Thank you, Chloe.”

I answered that way for now, but having a conversation would be difficult.

‘We won’t have any more occasions to meet anyway.’

Walking with mixed feelings, I spotted a black carriage.

I strode over and opened the door.

“…”

“…”

No more occasions to meet…

There are?

“…Elisha?”

And this quickly too?

I stared at Alter, no, Tesagh, half out of my mind.

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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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