The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 139

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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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Ailren was running through the hospital corridor.

Unlike his usual calm demeanor, he showed an anxious and urgent attitude, but Ailren was unaware of this fact.

Arriving in front of the largest hospital room, he threw the door open forcefully.

What he saw was.

“…Lady Elisha.”

Elisha’s figure lying with her eyes closed as if dead.

Thump.

His heart sank.

“What on earth is this… how did this…”

The scattered words couldn’t even form complete sentences.

As Ailren approached step by step, his eyes filled completely with Elisha.

Her bandaged arms, her pale complexion, her lips that offered no greeting…

“…”

Thud.

Blocked by something, Ailren only then realized that someone was beside her.

The person who stretched out his arm and silently restrained him was.

‘Tesagh Alister Moro.’

The Duke of Moro Duchy.

The Duke, not ‘Alter.’

His body was also wrapped with bandages here and there, but that was not something Ailren needed to consider at least.

Ailren spoke with a sharpness that surprised even himself.

“What happened at Count Delphia’s manor?”

Ailren is the Captain of the Royal Knights of Presrife.

He does not use honorifics with nobles from other countries. He only maintains courtesy. He has someone else to respect.

But even considering that, Ailren’s interrogating words were beyond common sense.

Considering the Duke’s temperament he had heard through rumors, fierce words like ‘If you want to hear a report from me, you’ll need a higher position than now, Sir’ would come back.

However, Ailren asked despite knowing this. His heart simply wouldn’t calm down.

‘How long has it been since the kidnapping incident occurred!’

He had been there at that very place, and had clearly seen Elisha injure her hand yet left it alone.

The situation from a few days ago overlapped above him.

‘The Duke was by her side with the purpose of using Lady Elisha. Today’s incident must also be because of that!’

But his continuing thoughts were cut short by the Duke’s answer.

“As you can see.”

“…”

“She won’t wake up.”

What was contained in that extremely rough and monotone voice was.

“Because of me.”

Despair.

Only then did he see other things besides the bandages on the Duke.

A face drained of all color, empty eyes, and hands that couldn’t even be hidden as they trembled.

The deep and vivid hell that was binding the Duke.

“…Did Your Grace send me the emergency code?”

Ailren barely managed to ask.

The reason he could know about the incident in Count Delphia’s domain and come here was because of emergency codes that arrived consecutively through direct line.

He could understand the general situation from the emergency telegram sent by Cardinal Crescenziano, but the telegram that arrived before that was somewhat different.

‘There was no content except for the location.’

Paradoxically, from that telegram with no content, Ailren could feel the sense of crisis on his skin.

‘It means the situation was that urgent.’

But now that he looked at it, apparently that was.

“…”

It seemed to have been sent by the Duke who gave no answer.

Ailren sighed inaudibly and bit his lips.

Right now he didn’t have the luxury to speculate about his circumstances.

He had duties to perform as Captain of the Royal Knights immediately.

He had to collect testimonies and evidence, and also take custody of the criminal Count Duie.

Moreover, he didn’t even know why the Duke was at the dedication ceremony of another country where the accident occurred in the first place.

But, vaguely.

‘It wasn’t planned… I see.’

He could tell that Elisha getting hurt was not his intention.

“…Let’s talk about it next time.”

Hearing the Duke’s sunken voice, Ailren nodded.

He didn’t know if the Duke saw his movement, but his words would be heard.

As Ailren turned to leave, he muttered.

“If it were me, I wouldn’t have done that.”

Ailren decided not to think about how his words with various meanings would reach the Duke.

*

After Ailren left.

Tesagh remained sitting in that same spot.

As if frozen, just like at the manor.

In his eyes that couldn’t even perceive the darkening twilight and brightening dawn, only Elisha was visible.

The words of people worried about him, who wouldn’t move, eat, or sleep, just passed by.

Except for two times.

“Patient Elisha has no additional external injuries except for the laceration on her arm. From examination, there don’t seem to be any internal injuries either. But why she can’t wake up…”

“She was originally someone whose health wasn’t very good. Could that have an influence?”

Tesagh recited the name of Elisha’s illness that he knew.

“Uh, um, that kind of… Yes, I’ll check once more with that in mind.”

The medical staff, who had been making a somewhat puzzled expression, carefully added.

“That, the guardian should also rest a bit… You’re also injured…”

“No need.”

After the medical staff left, the next person who came was.

“Tesagh.”

Border Guard Bella.

Having already grasped the situation before coming, she didn’t ask about Rugenote.

She just quietly looked back and forth between Tesagh and Elisha, then said softly.

“Saying I’m sorry would be meaningless.”

Tesagh also answered briefly.

“Yes. I’m not the one who should receive an apology.”

That was the end.

From the faintly heard words of people, the passage of time felt distant.

It had been one day, two days since Elisha couldn’t wake up…

It was when it had become the 53rd hour.

“Haah…”

Along with the sound of a door opening, someone’s sigh was heard.

The hospital entrance was guarded by his people.

So the person who entered the hospital room would be someone with confirmed identity, related to this matter, and harmless to Elisha.

“Sister.”

On the surface.

Tesagh slowly raised his head.

Before the hand extending from between the cardinal’s robes could reach Elisha, Tesagh blocked it.

“Hmm, could you move aside?”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not? Where else would you find someone as safe and reliable as me?”

A hearty laugh came from beneath the hood that swayed as if tilting.

Tesagh, who had been watching that sight, spoke coldly.

“I wonder if Elisha would think the same, ‘Crescens’.”

The figure in the hood that had been swaying leisurely froze at that name.

After a moment.

“Hmm…”

The figure’s eyes, having pulled back the hood himself, stared at Tesagh.

“What does it matter? One can have multiple names, just like ‘brother’.”

Though his voice carried laughter, his face did not.

“What were they again… Lord Ris, Alter, Duke Tesagh? That’s quite a lot. Congratulations. Brother wins in terms of quantity.”

The cardinal’s—no, Crescens’s—expression was as rigid as hardened wax.

“How did you know? That ‘Crescens’ and brother met… let’s see, wasn’t it just once when you were spying on that goateed man’s pawnshop?”

“Your attitude is exactly the same.”

“Haha, I must have been quite irritating to brother back then.”

“Didn’t you speak up because you thought it wouldn’t matter if I knew? Instead of that pointless vow of silence.”

“Why would it be pointless? Thanks to that, I could have fun playing with our sister.”

“Wasn’t it only fun for you? The reason you deliberately revealed yourself to me—is it because I also have a history of hiding my identity, so you want me to keep your secret?”

It was in the midst of an exchange where neither side yielded an inch.

Crescens hesitated at Tesagh’s last words.

“…Well, I can’t say that wasn’t part of my intention.”

Rather than deliberately trying to gain the upper hand, a hesitant silence flowed.

“There was another reason too.”

“What reason.”

“I came to check on our sister because I was worried… but it seemed like written messages wouldn’t work on brother.”

Crescens spoke with an awkward smile.

But instead of agreeing with those words, Tesagh spoke in a low voice.

“You were worried.”

“Yes. Since they said our sister couldn’t wake up… I thought maybe my holy power could help, so I came. So if you could just move aside…”

“Then why were you just watching.”

Tesagh, cutting off his words mid-sentence, glared at Crescens.

“Why were you just standing there watching at the manor until Elisha broke the spell herself.”

Over Crescens’s sullen expression, the image Tesagh had seen at the manor overlapped.

Crescens, who had been in the rear, definitely had an opportunity.

When Duie was distracted, there was a chance to grab his arm and stop him.

But he did nothing. Until Elisha took action.

That was clearly…

“You waited. On purpose.”

It was intentional behavior.

Crescens’s pale green eyes rolled upward as he quietly listened to Tesagh’s cold words.

Looking up to meet Tesagh’s gaze, he twisted the corner of his mouth.

“You caught me.”

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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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