The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 186

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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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Crescens, startled, hurriedly examined Elisha.

‘Why does she look so pale?’

Her head was bowed low so he couldn’t see her face clearly, but her complexion was poor, as if she had been suffering mentally for several days.

That wasn’t all. She was already on the thin side, but today her arms looked like tree branches.

Crescens, rarely flustered, asked whatever came to mind.

“Is someone bothering Manager again? Did some difficult customer come to the pawnshop? Are you exhausted from emotional labor?”

“…”

“Ah, or is it because there’s too much work? Are you struggling because you’re working alone? Even though the mage helps, you’re the only one who does appraisals.”

“…”

“Or, or is it tiring being called here and there? To the Imperial Palace, the Duke’s residence, and the Temple…”

As he spoke, he realized.

‘Well now, there are quite a few possibilities.’

Thinking that he might have contributed somewhat to Elisha’s sudden retirement declaration, Crescens was momentarily speechless.

But that was a secondary issue for now.

He wanted to help Elisha, who was just sighing deeply, regain her spirits.

“L-let’s eat something first and talk? Not this carrot cake! I’ll buy it for you!”

But what was this?

There were only two types of cake in the showcase.

Carrot cake and blueberry cake. Of all things!

“Are there any other cakes?”

The employee seemed to be away too.

Not knowing what to do, Crescens wandered around the empty counter and just grabbed some sugar cubes for coffee.

“Sorry, it looks like there’s only blueberry cake. Want to drink some sweet coffee at least? I’ll put this here.”

Plop. Plop.

Crescens dropped sugar cubes into the coffee and pushed the cup toward her.

Even so, his mind was complicated.

He couldn’t readily think of what to say.

‘Even though counseling is something I’ve done routinely with believers and priests.’

Worries are like burning logs. If you leave them alone, they naturally go out and become ash.

So don’t try to extinguish them hastily.

Flames make life more colorful, and you might grab oil instead of water when trying to pour it.

That was true. But it wasn’t something he could say to Elisha.

If he did that, Elisha might really retire.

‘If someone who loved pawnshop work so much is saying such things… surely not.’

Had Michele’s condition worsened?

If she was trying to retire to take care of him.

‘But our sister’s devoted heart might make things harder for both of them.’

Did Elisha still not know about Michele’s illness?

“Michele. Hmm, it wasn’t like this when I first saw you. …Lately I’ve been sensing holy power from you. Very unstable at that. Why is that?”

“They say it’s good for health, so I drink a cup of holy water daily. Seeing the Cardinal recognize it makes it worthwhile.”

“Don’t joke around.”

“Does it sound like a joke?”

“…I’m asking because I wonder if you need help.”

Michele, who had been staring at Crescens for a while,

“Well. This must be God’s will too.”

Someone who didn’t even believe in God said that.

Crescens didn’t ask further. He could only vaguely guess.

Until he saw the granddaughter whose eyes looked exactly like his.

‘That’s when I knew. That Michele couldn’t hold on any longer.’

At first he thought it was a mistake.

Because he couldn’t sense anything from the granddaughter who had supposedly poisoned Michele, who possessed immeasurable magical power, with holy power.

But the moment he saw her appraise holy artifacts, and saw the grade of holy artifacts she had touched increase.

Crescens realized. That the magical power Michele had been pouring out all this time was hiding Elisha from the world.

Now that Michele was gone, her awakening was just a matter of time.

Crescens had to report the saint’s existence to the diocese.

But he didn’t.

“This must be God’s will.”

Because he remembered Michele’s expression when he muttered that.

The World Tree would surely prioritize a grandfather’s sorrow over his granddaughter rather than the Church’s petty authority.

…And Elisha smiled with genuine happiness when doing pawnshop work.

That’s why. For the first time, Crescens followed his heart.

It was none other than Elisha who saved him from the anguish of self-reproach for breaking Church rules.

“You’re a person before being a seeker. I thought it would be okay to follow your heart a little.”

Because clergy are people, not tools.

Crescens carefully began.

“Manager. …Is this because of Michele?”

“…Because of Grandfather?”

Elisha responded for the first time.

“Yeah. Michele, I mean, his health wasn’t good.”

“…”

“I understand our Manager’s worry. How upset you must be. But you know.”

Elisha must not go near Michele.

There was only one way to persuade her without telling her about Michele’s illness.

“If it’s Michele, I don’t think he’d be happy if Manager gave up everything and only stayed by Grandfather’s side.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Huh?

She agreed more easily than expected.

‘That’s fortunate, but…’

Crescens, who had been tilting his head inwardly, widened his eyes at the following words.

“Besides, I shouldn’t be by Grandfather’s side anyway. It’s holy power poisoning, our Grandfather.”

“…Huh? How do you…?”

Then.

Elisha suddenly raised her head.

“‘How do you’ means you knew about it. I’m the one who wants to ask. How did a Temple errand boy know that?”

“Huh?”

“And how did you know Chloe is a mage? I only said she was a newly hired employee, I never said she was a mage.”

“Huh huh?”

“Being called to the Temple is one thing, but how did you know I was called to the Imperial Palace and the Duchy?”

“Huh huh huh?”

“Most importantly.”

Huh? Huh huh? Huh huh huh?

Crescens, who had been stammering under the barrage of questions, gasped at the final question.

“Why did you apologize for only having blueberry cake?”

“Huh, what?”

“I told you I don’t eat carrots, but I never told ‘Crescens’ that I don’t eat blueberries.”

“…Didn’t I mention it…?”

“No, you didn’t. The person who knows I don’t eat blueberries is ‘Crescenziano’, not ‘Crescens’.”

There’s no way he would have gossiped about someone else’s food preferences in such detail, and Elisha, who had been muttering, suddenly raised her eyes sharply.

Crescens’s heart sank.

What would Elisha say?

It wouldn’t be unreasonable for her to lash out asking if it was fun playing with her all this time.

What if she left in disappointment? What if that’s why she tested him with the word ‘retirement’?

…If he could never see Elisha again. If Elisha truly hated him…

Crescens’s long-standing anxiety was about to consume him.

“You’re sorry, right?”

Huh?

Coming to his senses, Crescens hurriedly answered.

“Ah, yes, I’m sorry. I should have apologized to you first, Sister, no, Manager. I was wrong.”

Elisha, who had been staring intently at the apologizing Crescens, surprisingly raised one corner of her mouth.

“But someone told me that apologies aren’t just made with words.”

Crescens asked seriously.

“Should I kneel?”

“No, what good would that do? I can’t even brag about it to others – if I said I made a Cardinal kneel, I’d get stoned.”

“Then…”

“So I’ll receive useful and productive compensation. Please answer all the questions I ask you.”

Crack, crack.

Elisha cracked her knuckles and grinned.

At the same time, someone walked out of the employee room that had been closed and stood behind Elisha.

‘The Duke?’

It was Tesagh.

The sight of Elisha cracking her knuckles with a man as big as a door standing behind her looked like, well.

“You’d better answer well.”

She was no different from a ruthless loan shark.

‘Our Sister really is Michele’s granddaughter for a reason…’

Crescens, who had been thinking this, paused at the words that followed.

“First, Cardinal, you’ve met Eivor before, haven’t you? Let’s start with that story.”

Could this also be God’s will?

*

“Cough, cough.”

This time I pushed coffee toward Crescens, who was choking.

Things went well as planned.

‘I thought using my retirement as bait would be the best way to catch Crescens off guard and strike at his weakness.’

I also choked while sipping my share of coffee.

“Cough, ugh, why is this so sweet? How many sugar cubes did you put in, cough, it?”

“Cough, five…”

“Cough, what?!”

“I always drink it like that, cough…”

Tesagh, who ended up listening to a coughing duet, shook his head and brought two glasses of water.

Tesagh placed one carefully in front of me and roughly in front of Crescens, not caring if it spilled, then crossed his arms.

He looked like he was barely restraining himself from lashing out at Crescens, remembering what I had asked him.

“I’ll give you a signal. Until then, no matter what Crescens says, don’t react and just watch him carefully.”

“You’re telling me to keep my mouth shut so we don’t fight before extracting information.”

“No, I didn’t have such aggressive intentions?”

“That’s roughly what you mean anyway. I’ll try to endure it as much as possible.”

That’s right.

Following the gambling den, this was season 2 of the so-called loan shark and lackey duo.

Of course, this time the debt to collect was owed to me, so I was the loan shark…

“Cough!”

The debt collection started much later due to the sugary coffee.

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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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