The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 2

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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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1. I Don’t Buy People

Three days later.

I heard the voices of two people echoing through the quiet mountain.

“That house over there is where Uncle lives, right?”

“That’s correct, Count Hugo!”

Hugo Rionet.

He was Grandfather’s nephew and.

“However, there’s a condition. Never set foot in this Empire again. Ever.”

The very person who had banished me.

“Ugh, I’m so nervous I could die. Of all people, I have to barge into Uncle’s house!”

“Come now, he’s been ill. His Excellency may have been strong, but no one can win against a long illness…”

“You speak so casually because you’ve never met Uncle in person. Do you know what kind of man he is!”

Hugo snapped angrily at his aide.

The startled aide stammered.

“I-if something goes wrong, didn’t the others agree to come help?”

“They should have come together from the start! Sister’s intentions are obvious. If someone’s going to step on a landmine, I should do it alone, damn it.”

Finally, my name came from Hugo’s grumbling mouth.

“Be careful of that twenty-year-old brat named Elisha. She’s definitely a vicious little wench!”

“You mean His Excellency’s granddaughter? Vicious?”

“Just look at how she’s managed to stick around while enduring Uncle’s fiery temper! I’m worried about how rude and ill-mannered she must be…”

Vicious? Rude? Ill-mannered?

Though his words were almost abusive, I wasn’t particularly offended.

Because.

‘Look forward to it. I’ll show you what truly vicious really looks like.’

I was planning to act exactly as he described.

Hearing the two voices getting closer, I picked up a long rod.

I had already finished all my preparations.

‘Good. Hugo Rionet, you’re first.’

***

Hugo finally arrived at his uncle’s house and stopped dead in his tracks.

There was some woman standing in the shadows in front of the house.

With something like a long rod slung over her shoulder…

“Wh-what is that thing.”

A spear? A plow? A pitchfork?

Feeling uneasy, Hugo embarrassingly ended up screaming.

“Aaah! Who are you!”

“Hmm, I think that’s my line.”

‘…Huh?’

The woman who had stopped and tilted her head laughed heartily.

“But I’ll answer anyway. I’m the granddaughter of this house, my name is Elisha.”

“Th-that rod, what is it?”

“Oh, this? I was doing some paint work on the house door.”

That girl is Elisha?

Hugo looked her over.

‘Hmph, at least her eyes are the light purple of the Rionets.’

Honestly, aside from that, she didn’t resemble Uncle, let alone her own parents.

Duke Rionet had a very sharp and cold appearance, but what about this girl?

‘She looks like she couldn’t even kill a fly.’

While he was thinking, Elisha suddenly spoke up.

“But I still haven’t heard who you are. Who are you?”

“This person is…”

“Never mind. I’ll introduce myself. I’m Hugo Rionet. Count of Panong and nephew of Uncle Michele.”

Introducing his title and family name was always thrilling.

It felt like having his power and status reaffirmed.

But Elisha seemed to focus on something other than the word “count.”

“Grandfather’s nephew…?”

“Yes, the reason I came here is…”

“Ah, you came to visit him while he’s sick!”

Hugo was a bit flustered.

Are those tears welling up in her eyes right now? Why? And what’s this about a sick visit? What sick visit?

But before he could ask, Elisha poured out words like a machine gun.

“I’m so glad you came. Grandfather is very ill… I wanted to contact relatives, but I had no way of knowing their contact information.”

“Oh, uh, yes, that’s right.”

“Look at me. I should at least offer you some tea, but I’ve painted the handles and door so I can’t open it.”

“Ah, well. I’ll consider the tea served.”

When he came to his senses, they were sitting side by side on a bench having a conversation.

Didn’t I come here prepared to break that girl’s arm?

Hugo quickly shook his head and organized his thoughts.

‘What? She’s incredibly naive? She likes Uncle so much it’s almost stupid. She looks like she’d do anything for Uncle.’

Far from being ill-mannered, she was incredibly easy to handle.

Hugo smiled wickedly to himself.

‘I won’t need to call Sister or the others. Then all the credit will be mine!’

At his signal, the aide poured out documents and certificates.

When he told her that Michele the pawnshop owner was actually a duke, Elisha’s eyes widened.

Hugo began the threats, persuasion, and lies he had prepared.

“…Honestly speaking, isn’t Uncle’s worsening illness your responsibility? Now you need to repay Uncle for his kindness, don’t you?”

The aide chimed in.

“There are medicines that only nobles can use. But the cost is astronomical, so we need His Excellency’s hidden assets.”

“So.”

Elisha’s long eyelashes trembled pitifully as she listened.

“You’re saying if I just sign, if I give up everything, you’ll make our grandfather better?”

“Yes, of course!”

Hugo, who had cheered triumphantly, whispered coldly.

“However, there’s a condition.”

“What condition?”

“Never set foot in this Empire again. Ever.”

Hah.

Elisha sighed deeply and nodded.

“Give me the documents.”

That’s right!

Hugo suppressed his cheer and handed over the documents and fountain pen.

Elisha took only the documents and pulled out her own pen.

She muttered as she read through all the clauses and signed.

“Here… ah, wait a moment.”

Elisha, who had covered the documents and was about to return them, hesitated and stopped.

“But what if our grandfather doesn’t have much of a fortune left? There could just be debts. Then the medicine costs…”

Hugo almost laughed.

She was worried that Uncle might not have any fortune left?

‘This girl really knows nothing.’

“That won’t happen.”

“How can you be so certain?”

Since he couldn’t tell her the true scale of his uncle’s fortune, Hugo spoke as if doing her a favor.

“Ah, well, even if there isn’t any, I mean I’ll manage to arrange something somehow. As repayment for your sacrifice.”

“…Then you’re promising it will be alright, Count Hugo?”

“Yes. Even if Uncle doesn’t have a single penny, there won’t be any problem.”

“Could you say that once more?”

From somewhere came the sound of something clicking.

Must be his imagination, right?

The impatient Hugo spoke quickly.

“I promise there won’t be any problem at all. I swear it on my name, Hugo Rionet.”

“Is that so? That’s a relief.”

Elisha’s last words were strangely cold.

However, the excited Hugo dismissed it, thinking she must be upset about the situation.

***

Elisha, who was leaving with nothing but the paint-stained clothes on her back, was staring at the house.

‘Looking at it this way, she seems a bit pitiful.’

Hugo decided to show a little mercy.

The job had ended smoothly, and he’d never see her again anyway.

Hugo made a show of generosity as he tossed her a pouch from which he had secretly removed the gold coins, leaving only silver.

“Here. It’s not much, but buy yourself some new clothes.”

“Yes, it really isn’t much.”

Elisha caught the pouch without even looking and spoke expressionlessly.

‘What? Is this the same girl who was crying earlier?’

Something felt off, but asking more questions would only be troublesome.

She must be feeling bad now that she’s actually leaving.

“Since this is the last time, don’t you want to see Uncle before you go?”

Elisha, who had been looking at the sunset sky for a moment, muttered.

“He’s probably sleeping right now.”

“I see. Well, at least it’ll be easy to take him with me.”

“…No. It will be difficult.”

“What? I can’t hear you well.”

“Nothing. Oh, the paint should be completely dry in about an hour. Well, I’ll be going now.”

Elisha turned around sharply and disappeared down the mountain.

She never once looked back.

One hour later.

The paint had completely dried.

‘Finally!’

Hugo’s mouth fell wide open as he threw open the door, half nervous and half excited.

“U-Uncle? Uncle?!”

Uncle wasn’t in the house.

Uncle wasn’t the only thing missing.

“Th-this is… what on earth is this…!”

Shockingly, the house was literally completely empty.

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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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