The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 17

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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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He seemed to be testing me constantly, though not like the Guild Members who suspected me personally.

“Carrots.”

So I decided not to give him a straight answer.

The man looked bewildered.

“Carrots?”

“Yes, I hate carrots. So I can’t distinguish between good carrots and bad carrots. To me, they’re all bad carrots.”

“Ah… I see… Carrots. Fortunately, what I brought isn’t carrots.”

“Yes. Please place the non-carrot item here, and your name?”

“Oh, didn’t you hear about me from Michele?”

‘Well, look at that?’

I thought I understood why he kept testing me.

It wasn’t the tone of a regular customer feeling hurt about why I didn’t know him, but rather a confirming tone.

So he wasn’t suspecting me, but rather…

‘It seems like he’s testing whether I know him?’

I narrowed my eyes.

“Yes. If you tell me your name, I’ll look up the records.”

“That won’t be necessary, carrot-hating shop owner. My name won’t be in the ledger.”

“…Weren’t you a regular customer? I thought you were close since you knew Grandfather had a granddaughter. He’s usually someone who doesn’t talk much about himself.”

Of course, considering he’s someone who hid being Duke Rionet even from his granddaughter.

“Well, I did see his face often… Anyway, my name isn’t in the ledger. More importantly, could you take a look at this?”

What the evasive man set down was a square golden box.

It was obviously an expensive item. I picked up a magnifying glass and lamp with a suspicious feeling.

‘No records of buying or selling, but saw Grandfather’s face often. Keeps testing whether I know him. When I ask for his name, he deflects.’

When I opened the lid, what I thought was a box turned out to be a golden music box.

As I carefully examined the music box playing cheerful music, I spoke up.

“Customer.”

“Yes.”

“Could I see the certificate?”

“Hmm, I don’t have anything like that.”

“What about a receipt or auction records?”

“I don’t have those either.”

“Then did you make it yourself? Or did you commission an artisan to create it?”

“Come on, as if I could do that.”

“Is there a story behind how you acquired it?”

“Who knows?”

Now I think I understand.

Why he was testing whether I knew him.

“…Where exactly did you get this?”

“Why? Is it worthless? Did I bring something too small?”

“No, customer. This is a sacred relic.”

This guy, obviously.

No matter who looks at it or how.

“Grandfather, why do you look so upset? Of course you’re always frowning, but today your brow furrows seem deeper.”

“This one always tries to tease this old man whenever there’s a chance… Never mind. There’s a thief who came to sell stolen goods.”

“Wow, what nerve. How dare they try to deceive Grandfather? They must have some guts.”

“Right. At least they got a proper reception for their efforts.”

“Pfft, when Grandfather says it like that, it doesn’t sound like a joke.”

“…”

“…Grandfather…?”

A thief.

And a bold thief who stole a sacred relic at that!

‘Impressive how he’s kept his liver intact until now.’

This case was a bit different from the woman who brought the emerald pendant. This man couldn’t answer anything.

But the thief seemed more shocked than I was.

The thief’s eyes widened when he heard the word ‘sacred relic.’

“A sacred relic, you say.”

When I said it once more like driving in a nail, the thief flinched.

My deliberation wasn’t long.

“Where did you steal this from?!”

I immediately interrogated him.

“H-how did you know it was a sacred relic?!”

Instead of answering, he just asked a pointless counter-question, so it seems he didn’t expect me to recognize it.

Not a chance.

“I can tell just by looking!”

“No, wait, you said you didn’t know me! You said you never heard about me!”

“What does that have to do with anything right now?!”

It was when I was about to press the security magic device button.

The thief quickly snatched the sacred relic music box and bolted outside.

Bang!

The iron bars came down belatedly, and I ended up trapped inside.

“I-I didn’t steal it! I’m not a thief!”

“Are there thieves who admit to being thieves?”

“The world is so vast, there could be such thieves too!”

Is that so? Now that I hear it, that makes sense. The world is wide and there are many people.

No, that’s not what’s important right now!

‘Spray! Where’s the spray!’

I grabbed the security spray magic device and sprayed it.

But I overlooked one fact.

That heavy rain was pouring outside the window.

Hiss, as soon as I sprayed it, the rain and wind blew in…

“Agh, it stings!”

I got hit with all of it.

It felt like showering with pepper. Tears naturally poured out.

As I was rolling around on the floor, I heard the thief’s voice.

“I’m really not a thief! I understand it’s easy to misunderstand!”

“Sob, sniff…”

“…This isn’t a situation to talk. I’ll explain next time!”

“What next time! Don’t you dare leave! Achoo, hah, this is driving me crazy…”

“There! On the right! Above! No, a little below! Yes, there! There’s water there!”

Following the thief’s words, I flailed my hands and caught a water bottle.

But it had no effect at all. I crawled toward the counter with tears streaming.

“Since it’s come to this, rest well today!”

Are you mocking me right now?

I wanted to retort, but sneezing came faster than words.

As I kept sneezing endlessly, the thief shouted as he moved away.

“Really! Alright, I’ll tell you my name. It’s Crescens! I’ll come again next time!”

Don’t come! Why would you come! I don’t care about your name or whatever! I didn’t ask!

Of course, I couldn’t say that either. Because of the sneezing, all I managed to say was “Don’t co- Achooooo!”

I slumped down onto the damp floor and sobbed for a long while.

If anyone had seen me, they would have thought something terrible had happened at home.

“Sob, sniff, huh… Ugh, what is this.”

As I rubbed my eyes while crying, something caught on my hand. It was Alter’s business card.

I couldn’t see properly and must have touched it while groping around, and it stuck to me.

I carelessly tossed the business card aside and barely managed to get up.

I sprayed some of the holy water spray I had stored in the safe, and it felt somewhat better.

‘Thank you, World Tree. I wondered where I’d use this expensive thing, but it’s helpful at times like this.’

I put the rest back carefully, and as I looked at the ransacked shop with my swollen eyes, I realized two things.

One. Even though the magic tool spray is effective, it’s not suitable for security purposes. I need to buy other magic tools.

Two. Where did my towel go?

“Did that bastard take my towel?”

What do you mean no? He’s definitely a thief!

***

Crescens confirmed that the woman wasn’t chasing after him and stopped.

He carefully took out the golden music box.

“It doesn’t seem like Michele ever talked about me.”

Crescens recalled the situation from earlier.

The woman had turned on the light and picked up a magnifying glass. The loupe she used was a ready-made product. In other words, it was simply an appraisal tool.

It wasn’t a magic tool or one imbued with sacred power.

And yet?

“…How did she immediately know this music box was a sacred relic just by looking at it?”

Even Michele, her grandfather, couldn’t appraise sacred relics with the naked eye.

But that woman did it in one go.

How? And why?

More importantly, that woman had spoken as if it was no big deal.

“She said she could tell just by looking…”

Crescens, who had been muttering, ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek.

***

After walking in the rain for a long time, Crescens arrived at the Empire’s state religion, the Temple of the World Tree.

Crescens passed by people who bowed their heads toward him. His mind was filled with thoughts about what had happened earlier.

‘I thought Michele would naturally be there since the pawnshop had reopened.’

Originally, he had planned to ask for an appraisal of other items suspected to be sacred relics.

But at the pawnshop, instead of Michele, there was his granddaughter whom he had only heard about.

‘She looked completely different, but I could tell from the similar atmosphere she gave off.’

Crescens had thought about just leaving, but figured he had nothing to lose.

So he first presented the music box, already knowing it was a sacred relic. Even while testing her, he didn’t have much expectation.

If he left it with Michele, it would take about two days, so his granddaughter would probably take about a month?

However.

The result was exactly as he had witnessed.

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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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