The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 199

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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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At the unexpected words, Tesagh froze for a moment.

‘He’s looking for Princess Beatrix, not Elisha? But the Princess is….’

Tesagh raised his hand to the communicator to call Milton.

He intended to first inform Elisha of Michele’s unusual reaction.

However, Michele, who had torn out the IV needle from his arm, didn’t give him time to think.

“Guide me. I don’t care what’s broken on that child, or what’s shattered. Show her to me.”

His hand dropped.

Ah.

Tesagh sighed.

Those weren’t words meant for someone still alive.

“What more would a father who has lost his child have to fear? I will personally collect my daughter’s body. So guide me. To where Sir Beatrix closed her eyes.”

Michele, going against his memories, had finally arrived at the moment when he received news of his daughter’s death.

Tesagh closed his eyes tightly then opened them, his throat burning as he spoke.

“You have already done so.”

The hospital room at midnight was dim.

A rough voice that darkened the gloom even further approached along with footsteps.

“Already done so, you say.”

“You personally gathered her and buried those ashes on the battlefield, and in your heart. …Twenty years ago.”

The approaching footsteps stopped abruptly.

Michele’s eyes twitched faintly. Tesagh knew that reality, not remnants of the past, was gradually forming in his violet eyes.

“You’re not the commander.”

Michele muttered while staring at Tesagh.

“This isn’t the Ilante Archipelago either.”

Michele, who had been looking at the scenery outside through the curtain gap, faced the old man reflected on the window where dusk had settled.

An empty sigh escaped from his lips as he silently contemplated the years that had accumulated layer upon layer over his wrinkles but had been forgotten in his mind.

“I am not the Michele Fiochedade Rionet that I know.”

Drip. Drip.

Blood trickled from his forearm where the needle had been pulled out.

As he wiped his face with that hand, red bloodstains spread around the eyes of the father who was once again swallowing his daughter’s death.

However, the gaze that made even the observer feel sorrowful lasted only briefly.

Michele’s complexion as he lowered his hand was already calm to a chilling degree.

“Tell me. What else have I forgotten?”

Michele, seated in the chair, tilted his eyes obliquely.

“And what is buried in my memory that brings that ‘Moro’ to me personally this late at night?”

“You said Moro?”

Tesagh had never revealed his identity.

The doctor wouldn’t have either. He had instructed them to check his condition first before explaining the situation, as it might confuse his memory.

It didn’t seem like Eivor had intervened either. The expression Michele wore upon realizing the passage of time was something that couldn’t possibly be feigned.

Then how?

“You can tell by the taste. Not only the furniture, but even the curtains and window frames are decorated in late Verden style, and who else besides Moro would have the wealth to display such expensive collectibles in a hospital room rather than a treasury?”

Michele’s finger, which had been casually pointing at an objet, turned toward Tesagh.

“And those eyes. Those pupils so red they appear almost black are Moro’s legacy. Seeing that the doctor brought you as the decision-maker, it seems you received the succession early.”

How long had it been since he regained consciousness? Michele’s judgment and observation skills were accurate to an eerie degree.

It made sense where Elisha’s sharpness and composure came from.

A strange light suddenly flickered in Tesagh’s eyes as he inwardly clicked his tongue.

‘Elisha said so. If it’s Grandfather, there must have been a reason why he had to lose his memory.’

According to Elisha’s explanation, Michele had abandoned the ‘Root of Blindness’ when she wasn’t even a year old yet.

Based on Michele’s memory, it would be at most a few months later. Princess Beatrix would have given birth to Elisha before dying.

If his reasoning was this clear, he might be able to provide clues.

‘The person who can best predict someone’s actions is none other than themselves.’

As he was thinking, Michele, who had been rubbing his temples, spoke in a low voice.

“Sit down. Speak comfortably. It makes me quite uncomfortable when the Duke honors me.”

“Is that so? Unfortunately, you’ll have to remain uncomfortable.”

“That’s an odd way of saying you won’t drop the formalities. Is this ceremonial respect shown to an elder, or special treatment just for me?”

“It’s special treatment. Someone I care for greatly values you highly, so naturally I should as well.”

One of Michele’s eyebrows rose.

“There’s someone who values me highly?”

“Yes.”

“…Didn’t you just tell me that I buried Beatrix with my own hands?”

Michele seemed not to consider other family members or friends at all.

Considering Rosaline and Hugo in prison, it was natural that he wouldn’t have much fellowship with Rionet’s collateral branches, but something felt off.

Tesagh, who had hesitated, slowly continued.

“Princess Beatrix’s body was buried, but isn’t there someone she left for you? Elisha.”

“Did you say Elisha?”

Was this before he named his granddaughter?

Was that why he was asking back like this? Tesagh was about to take out Elisha’s photo from his pocket.

That’s when it happened. The sound of a fist clenching came.

“That name.”

Veins stood out on Michele’s neck.

“It’s a prenatal name.”

“A prenatal name?”

“The prenatal name that Beatrix… used to call. The name she wanted to give the child, but couldn’t….”

No way.

Tesagh stiffened.

“It’s the name of the child who was miscarried just before the final battle.”

“….”

“Let me ask. Who is the person using that name that only I, my daughter, and her husband knew, but now only I know since they’re all dead… Answer me.”

A long silence followed.

*

“Oh my, Miss. You entrusted us with this task, but I’m truly sorry we couldn’t find a premium magic stone.”

“No, you explored all the numerous cavities even though it was dangerous since it’s an abandoned mine. You even made this magic stone exploration record and mine interior map for us. You’ve worked hard all this time.”

When we arrived at the abandoned mine, the prospector and workers were waiting.

I smiled and gave the final wages to the miners who looked embarrassed and apologetic, then sent them away. I added a bonus too.

Milton, who had been hovering behind me, asked cautiously.

“Lady Elisha, then…?”

“I told you earlier, didn’t I? We can’t leave the mine until we find the treasure.”

“I, I have no objection to that! If Lady Elisha tells me to dig, I’m confident I can shovel until lava comes out!”

Would that even be possible….

Looking at Milton’s rather pale and thin arms that seemed more suited for office work than fieldwork, he noticed my gaze.

“I was just worried that Lady Elisha might be inwardly disappointed after coming all this way only to hear such discouraging news.”

“Hmm.”

“But if we look again, we’ll definitely find it! I’ll examine everything thoroughly! Though I have no idea what treasure you’re looking for!”

It seemed Milton thought the miners had been slacking off.

It was understandable since he’d seen the gaps in the magic stone exploration records.

But I smiled and shook my head.

“Sir Milton, what do you think is the reason mines get abandoned?”

“Uh… Because the ore runs out? In this case, wouldn’t it be because magic stones are no longer produced?”

“Of course that could be the case. But is it even possible to mine ‘all’ the magic stone veins in a mine in the first place?”

Milton’s eyes widened.

I adjusted my miner’s hat and continued my explanation.

“There must be ore veins that simply can’t be mined because space is needed to create passages, or because there’s a risk of collapse. Or mining might be abandoned because the quality of the mana stones deteriorated and it became unprofitable. In any case, even if a mine is abandoned, the ore veins remain, and look here.”

While checking the cart’s safety devices, I tapped the exploration records.

“There are areas where no mana is detected at all, as if they somehow succeeded in the impossible task of mining out all the mana stones, right?”

“Oh, oh! Yes! That’s right!”

“And if you look at the map, don’t those areas strangely form a straight line? As if they’re connected.”

“Gasp…!”

“We’re going here.”

I nodded and loaded the amazed Milton onto the cart, then pulled the lever.

“Uh, uhh?! It’s, it’s too fast! Ahhh—!”

With Milton’s dramatic cries as background music, the cart soon arrived at our destination.

At first glance, it looked like an empty space with nothing there.

But treasure hunting games with Grandfather were always like this.

When I’d follow the clues only to find the treasure chest completely empty and feel disappointed, Grandfather would smile and say, ‘Look carefully once more.’

“Oh, Grandfather! When I pressed this corner, the inner lid opened!”

“That’s why I told you to look carefully once more.”

Grandfather would definitely have hidden it in a place like this.

Somewhere people would easily pass by at first, but could find if they ‘looked carefully once more.’

“Oh my, the mine shaft is so deep that the magic device signal got cut off. By the way, this is my first time in a mine! It’s really fascinating! But, but are those bats over there?”

Though my ears were getting a bit tired, thanks to the talkative Milton, the darkness of the mine shaft wasn’t so frightening.

I was carefully examining the path when I stopped at one spot.

“Sir Milton.”

“Yes?”

“Here, beyond this stone, can you see something faintly glimmering?”

“…No…?”

Found it.

I placed my hand against the stone wall and concentrated on my fingertips.

And then.

“E, Elisha! The wall!”

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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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