The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 176

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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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“No, this wasn’t what I intended! I, I…!”

Chloe trembled as she covered her ears.

But no matter how tightly she blocked her ears, the voices in her head surrounding her wouldn’t disappear.

「Really? Really wasn’t? Really didn’t expect it?」

「You’ve always made the people around you suffer. This time too, you just did what you do best. Making them suffer!」

The voices that had been sharply piercing her ears suddenly became gentle and coaxing.

「But look. Who knows if the next time will go well?」

「This time, we’ll just cut off the very end of the death memory.」

“…No…”

「So let’s try again.」

“Stop it-!”

Screaming, Chloe realized she was somehow gripping a golden-eyed cat.

The black hands holding the cat were writhing as if they would twist its neck at any moment.

「It’s a failure anyway.」

「Let’s get rid of it. Let’s start over.」

Her vision was turning black.

Strength was entering her hands on its own.

The voice that was gnawing away at her sanity whispered ever so sweetly.

「Let’s forget everything. Let’s start fresh. Let’s try again.」

Try again, again, again…

Ah, what sweet words these were.

Her eyes met with the cat that resembled Tanya.

“Ugh…!”

So, Chloe put strength into her hands…

*

After handing the orb to Elisha.

Chloe stared blankly at Elisha, who was watching her own memories with closed eyes.

She would furrow her brow, and sometimes her cheeks would hollow as if she was biting the soft flesh inside her mouth.

It must be a horrifying experience. It had to be.

Still, the reason she showed Elisha the past was partly because of their promise, but also.

‘Even knowing what kind of person I am, if Elisha wants to erase her memories of Grandfather with the power I have, I’ll help her…’

She wanted to give her a choice.

Because it was something only she could do.

That she didn’t have to grieve and suffer for so long, that there was this kind of method too.

Since I’ve already dirtied my hands with black magic, since I’m someone who has done such things.

That she didn’t need to feel guilt when asking…

“You can erase Elisha’s memories of her grandfather.”

“Not everything, not erasing everything. I can leave only the good memories, only the happy memories. I can do it. If Elisha wants…”

“That would be one option. But.”

What had the Duke said after that?

As she tried to remember, the voice in her head that had been quiet for a while popped out.

「Don’t mind what that man says.」

「You’re trying to help a friend. What’s wrong with worrying and caring because you’re afraid your friend might suffer?」

She felt dazed.

The whispers that had started again a few days ago were gentle, as if they wanted to brainwash her.

Chloe shook her head vigorously.

These were things that urged and encouraged her to use more black magic. She mustn’t listen to these words filled with magical power.

But she felt chills at how similar that voice was to her own thoughts.

…Was this wrong? Was I thinking incorrectly?

“Chloe.”

At being called, Chloe snapped to attention and tried to look into Elisha’s eyes, then quickly lowered her head.

She didn’t have the confidence to meet eyes for long with someone who had seen all her wrongdoings.

She could see that the orb Elisha had been holding had disappeared without a trace.

‘The fact that an orb made of crystallized magical power broke so quickly means Elisha really does have divine-level holy power.’

「So let’s help her quickly. That poor child who will realize it too late. Isn’t it enough that you alone carry such terrible memories?」

As if responding to her thoughts, the voice interjected.

Then.

“Shall we go see Tanya together?”

Elisha’s warm hand took hold of her black hand.

What state of mind had made her agree?

In the meadow they reached by taking the magic circle at the Duke’s safe house, rain was coincidentally falling just like that day.

Chloe, who had been unconsciously stepping backward, was surprised to see Elisha walking forward with big strides without even using an umbrella.

“E, Elisha…!”

“Here it is.”

The place where she stopped was in front of Tanya’s burial site.

Though it had been several years and there were no traces or markers, Elisha found it. It must be because it was a place she had seen in the memories.

Of course, Chloe recognized it immediately too. It was impossible to forget even if she tried.

How could she forget that cold body, the breath that was scattering, and the guilt that poured over it. How could she.

That’s why Chloe had never once come to see Tanya. She didn’t have the confidence to face her.

But.

“Hello, Tanya.”

Kneeling on one knee, Elisha was greeting her as if she were really facing the cat.

“My name is Elisha. You were such a lovely and cute child, so bold and affectionate too.”

Chloe, who had been staying back, slowly began to walk toward that place.

“I think I understand why Chloe loved you so much. Even though I only saw you briefly, I’ve come to like you too.”

Whether it was because of the raindrops, her vision blurred, but Chloe continued walking.

Not toward the noisy voices in her head, but toward Elisha’s voice that served as her guide.

“…I know that you loved Chloe just the same.”

Elisha, who had paused for a moment, whispered with a heavy heart.

“I saw you looking at Chloe with those pretty golden eyes until the very end…”

Chloe knelt down.

The fact that Tanya was watching me… I didn’t know.

If Elisha, who observed the situation as a third party, hadn’t told me, I would never have known until the end.

“I see. …You were watching me, Tanya.”

I should have looked at you one more time.

“…You too, must have missed me, knowing you’d never see me again…”

Instead of letting time pass meaninglessly, instead of clinging to memories, instead of whispering apologies you could no longer hear.

I should have looked into your eyes and said I love you one more time…

“Sniff, sob.”

Chloe wept.

Elisha quietly patted her back.

That touch was neither hasty comfort, nor defense or criticism of past actions.

It was compassion.

It was staying quietly by her side until her tears stopped.

The Duke’s words that hadn’t come to mind before finally echoed in her ears.

“But I guarantee it. Elisha won’t want that.”

“Even though it would leave only good memories?”

“Good memories and bad memories can’t be easily separated to begin with. …Don’t you know that Elisha isn’t someone who easily gives up and turns away just because things are difficult.”

“…”

“What you should do as a friend is wait until she overcomes it, or until she finds the courage to overcome it. Just as Elisha did for you.”

Ah.

So this was what he meant.

She felt as if the black fog that had been clouding her mind was lifting.

As her thoughts became clear, Chloe finally realized.

“Tanya.”

As Tesagh said, Elisha might be sad, but she would never choose to erase bad memories.

“…She must miss you so much.”

And that she herself had been turning away from an even deeper longing, chasing only guilt all this time.

The mysterious voice was no longer heard.

“I’ll come often now…”

Chloe began her belated farewell.

*

After creating Tanya’s grave with Chloe and returning, it was dawn.

We planted a pretty flower brought from the Duke of Alchemiya’s residence and placed a wooden piece with writing next to it.

『Tanya』

It wasn’t a grand tomb, but Chloe seemed to like it, so that was fortunate.

She didn’t harm the cat that resembled Tanya.

Just like how she would rather stab her own throat with a painting knife than harm Nicholas.

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry…”

Chloe, who had pulled away her hand that moved on its own as if hypnotized, using superhuman mental strength while coughing up blood.

She extracted and cast away all the memories of glimpsing death in the cat and memories of Tanya.

So they could never be used again.

The last memory I saw of Chloe was her whispering apologies to the small cat that was moving away after coming to her senses.

‘Though I can’t easily defend what she did, I understand what Chloe must have felt.’

She must have thought she should never forget that sin.

In doing so, she must have buried even her happy memories with Tanya, considering them sinful.

In that sense, today was the first day Chloe purely mourned for Tanya.

‘I’m glad I stayed with her.’

Perhaps exhausted, Chloe was sending a telegram somewhere without even drying her hair properly, then collapsed and fell asleep in front of the telegraph.

I covered her with a blanket and sat on the sofa.

‘Just before falling asleep, Chloe told me she would stay by my side too. What did she mean by that.’

My mind was complicated, but my thoughts wouldn’t connect well.

I felt nauseous like motion sickness after using the magic circle.

The symptoms seemed worse than when I went to the Duke’s residence before.

I decided to rest my eyes for a moment too.

‘I need to go to Moro Duchy soon.’

But for some reason, my heart was pounding.

Was this also an aftereffect of using the magic circle? After tossing and turning several times, I forced myself to close my eyes.

*

At that moment.

Tesagh, who had just arrived at the Duke’s residence, headed straight to the Magic Tower.

It was to receive a report from the mage.

Tesagh paused while reading through the report.

“…As you can see, based on the symptoms and clues Lady Elisha mentioned, there’s only one conclusion.”

The mage’s tone, usually scattered, was serious.

Tesagh, feeling the gravity of the situation anew from that changed manner of speaking, opened his mouth.

“So. According to your investigation results, the exact illness of the former Duke of Rionet is.”

The mage swallowed and nodded.

“Yes. I’m certain. …’Divine power poisoning.'”

Divine power poisoning.

The one term he had hoped it wouldn’t be had returned.

Tesagh sighed deeply.

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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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