The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 198

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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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Tesagh, who had handed over Eivor’s hair to the mages, sat in front of his desk with a troubled expression.

Tesagh, who had been looking at documents expressionlessly, finally pressed his forehead only after everyone had left and the door was closed.

“Why do you look like that, Duke?”

It seemed not everyone had left after all.

Tesagh answered without even lifting his head.

“Border Guard.”

“It is a bit strange that there’s no movement from the Empire. I thought that bastard Crodil would immediately try to seize control of the Imperial Palace. But well… it doesn’t really matter to us who wears Presrife’s crown, does it?”

The sound of the Border Guard’s footsteps could be heard.

“Rather, having someone as greedy and blinded by immediate gold as Crodil in the neighboring country is a great blessing. It’s an unprecedented opportunity for Moro. It’s easy to coax him gently, easy to incite them to fight among themselves, and if necessary, it would be easy to declare war using legitimacy as a pretext.”

“…”

“So, which would be better?”

Tesagh, who had lowered his hand, stared at the Border Guard.

“None of the three.”

“Why? Are you going to give me some principled talk about how peace is good?”

“If that were really the easy path, the former Duke of Moro would have done so long ago. You, Border Guard.”

It was during a prolonged eye contact.

Bella chuckled.

“This kid gives an irrefutable argument. You even brought up my reign to prevent follow-up questions?”

“So don’t try to test my capacity as a ruler with such questions and answers. I won’t suddenly go mad and start a war. Who says war is easy? Starting one might be easy, but is ending it also easy?”

“Oh, quite a pleasing answer.”

“If you keep this up, I might abdicate again.”

“What do you mean?”

Bella, who had been disgusted, slumped back against the sofa.

She, who had been gulping down wine, spoke in a hoarse voice.

“So, why do you think Crodil is being quiet?”

“Simply thinking, he’s probably watching me. He’s trying to gauge how much I know.”

Even though there was no need to receive Eivor’s corpse, Tesagh had brought up negotiations to assess the political situation in the Imperial Palace along with Crodil.

Those who appeared in the recording stone were dressed as knights but weren’t knights. You could tell just from their swordsmanship. They were probably Etewirn’s private soldiers.

This meant it was a suppression operation that Crodil had executed independently without informing the Royal Knights.

Also, while Crodil claimed he had discovered Eivor by chance during a patrol of a crime-prone area, there were too many personnel for a simple patrol.

Seeing that they had deliberately brought a recording stone, it was a setup planned from the beginning to know Eivor’s exact location and film the scene of killing him.

“But I think the problem isn’t that bastard Crodil.”

I could tell just from watching the recording.

However.

“The Captain of the Royal Knights being quiet is a bigger problem.”

How could the Captain of the Royal Knights not know something that even a duke from a neighboring country knew?

Ailren must have known too. Yet he was maintaining his silence.

Having private soldiers who should be in the duchy roaming around the capital was illegal from the start, and impersonating knights’ uniforms was also wrong.

Just from the scenes in the recording, there were more than one or two things to take issue with.

“There are two possibilities. Either he eventually turned and sided with the Regent King.”

However, these things were somewhat insufficient to bring down the Regent King.

Unless solid evidence emerged that Eivor and Crodil had joined hands, there was room to excuse it as ‘I had no choice but to break regulations because I judged that eliminating the Empire’s threat was the priority.’

Moreover, they were ‘Etewirn’s’ private soldiers. The head of House Etewirn wasn’t officially Crodil. There had been no head since the former head, that is, the dead Empress.

If Crodil had manipulated documents, trying to strike him down might drag in the dead Empress and current Princess, who were also from Etewirn.

Above all, the person who had appointed such a Crodil as regent was none other than the Emperor. If they presented a half-hearted reason, the Emperor’s judgment would undoubtedly also come under scrutiny.

Then.

“Or, he’s prepared to take all the infamy upon himself and get blood on his hands.”

Ailren might try to tie up loose ends by killing Crodil with his own hands.

“Considering his nature, it’s probably closer to the latter than the former.”

“He does seem like the type who would break rather than bend. Such a thing shouldn’t happen.”

“I agree. I wanted to have a talk with him, but he won’t respond to my calls.”

Tesagh had called Ailren several times during his journey. But there had been no response to any of them.

That said, he couldn’t just barge into the Captain of the Royal Knights’ office and interrogate him.

‘He didn’t seem like such an emotional person.’

What was fortunate was that Elisha had spoken with Ailren.

If Ailren’s abnormality was visible to his eyes, Elisha must have noticed it too.

He could only hope that her words had reached Ailren.

Though he hated to admit it, Ailren revered Elisha’s words like faith.

‘…Is the Princess’s situation that bad?’

What was the Princess, who had seemed to be keeping her uncle in check fairly well, doing now?

Tesagh, who had swallowed a sigh, spoke dryly.

“At this point, there’s only one way to calm the Empire’s chaotic political situation. If the Emperor doesn’t return soon, it will be irreversible.”

“Yes, that would be so. Let’s try expanding the search personnel for Mount Cartan. By the way, where the hell did that damn bastard put Rugenote…”

After exchanging a few more words, Bella, who was about to leave, stopped for a moment and stared at Tesagh.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I was thinking you finally seem like a duke.”

“Only now?”

“Yes, only now.”

Bella smiled slightly.

“The old you only tried to assess and judge people, but you never tried to understand them.”

“…”

“You’ve learned something good.”

Left alone, Tesagh wondered if that had been the case.

Understanding, understanding.

Though Bella would have lamented to hear it, it didn’t really resonate with him. It’s not easy to notice changes in oneself.

Instead, he thought he understood why she had suddenly tested him with those out-of-the-blue questions and answers.

‘Mother was also considering the possibility that I might be manipulated. Just as I tested Mother’s reaction with the word ‘abdication.”

Would I be able to distinguish Eivor wearing the face of someone familiar?

As Tesagh sighed with mixed feelings, Elisha’s photo placed on one corner of his desk came into his view.

‘What are you doing now, Elisha?’

If he had really changed as Mother said, the catalyst would be Elisha.

Tesagh, who had been stroking Elisha’s brightly smiling photo with his fingertips, looked up at the sound of knocking.

“Duke!”

It was the Duke’s Residence’s doctor.

There was only one reason he would visit at this hour.

“Duke Lionet, Lady Elisha’s grandfather, has awakened!”

Tesagh, who had put the photo in his chest, immediately headed to the hospital room.

Walking while flipping through the records received from the nursing home, Tesagh asked.

“According to the nursing home records, the last time the Duke mentioned Elisha, she was four years old. How is it now?”

It was written that Michele was surprisingly quick to accept reality for someone whose memory regressed.

Wasn’t it like waking up and suddenly finding yourself in a completely unknown place? It wouldn’t be strange to suspect kidnapping or cause a disturbance.

Yet Michele’s reaction was said to be the same every time.

First, he would ask where this place was, and second, he would look for his young granddaughter.

Then, when told ‘it’s a hospital,’ he would no longer look for his granddaughter.

‘Perhaps he awakened with his memory intact.’

The frequency of memory regression recorded in the file was an average of 5 out of 10 times.

With a 50:50 probability, Michele would go to the past, but conversely, he could have awakened remembering his last meeting with Elisha.

If so, Tesagh thought he could get an answer as to why he deliberately didn’t drink the ‘snowdrop root.’

Now there would be no need to deliberately hide his illness for his granddaughter’s sake.

“Th, that is.”

But the doctor’s reaction was somehow strange.

“He hasn’t said a single word.”

“What?”

“I asked various questions to check his orientation—whether he recognizes time and place—but he just stared at me without saying anything. He’s also refusing all medication and meals.”

Tesagh, who had been thinking, said.

“I’ll go in and see him. Send everyone else away.”

“Ah, yes!”

Tesagh opened the door to the darkened hospital room and made eye contact with Michele.

Rather than being startled by the sudden presence, he stared directly at him, giving an impression more like a tiger than a person.

‘He really doesn’t resemble Elisha at all.’

The observation was brief, and Tesagh pondered. How should he start the conversation?

Whether Michele had his memories or not, he wanted to make a good impression. After all, this was the grandfather that Elisha loved so much.

But why on earth…

“…I have no idea how Michele would beat you up if he saw you…”

Whether the words of that romance-specialized mage suddenly crossed his mind was anyone’s guess.

That’s when it happened.

Michele’s mouth opened.

“Where is my daughter?”

…Daughter?

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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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