The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 208

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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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“Count Airen.”

Katarina had always lived watching other people’s expressions.

Her sickly mother whose health deteriorated after giving birth to her, and her father who loved that mother so much that he never looked after her.

Not only her uncle who seemed to be constantly waiting for her mother to die, but also nobles, attendants, and even the Captain of the Royal Knights who was looking at her now were no exception.

“You must act befitting a Princess.”

It was suffocating. She was lonely. This must be how a lungfish breathing in mud would feel.

Perhaps she had grown tired of living as the only imperial heir. That might be why she never put up any real resistance against her uncle.

After all, it was a life bound by imperial protocols. The only thing that changed was that the leash was now held by a human called her uncle instead of intangible rules.

Even if she ascended to the imperial throne, nothing would change. The gazes surrounding her would remain the same.

That’s why Katarina felt no joy about her uncle’s disappearance, claiming the Regent King’s crown, or ascending to the head of House Etewirn.

‘When did I start thinking this way?’

Katarina looked at Ailren with cynicism.

A human who was like an embodiment of rules and protocols.

Katarina disliked him.

A foolish knight who considered her untrustworthy and suspicious, yet could never abandon the oath he made before his sword.

A blind follower who, as a result of considering not objecting as devotion, could no longer trust or follow anything.

“Why do you look so displeased? This is our Elisha’s title conferment ceremony. You should smile.”

“…I will keep that in mind.”

She wanted to turn his insides upside down.

She was curious about the limits of this man who added ‘for Presrife’ to the end of every sentence.

Ah, she remembered his expression was quite worth seeing when she brought Rugenote from the Duke’s mansion vault.

Had he asked how she knew the holy sword would be in the vault? Katarina hadn’t answered him. In fact, she might not have been able to answer.

‘Because I didn’t know either.’

When she opened the vault, Rugenote was there. She took it out. That was all.

“How did you first come to our shop?”

Suddenly Elisha’s voice came to mind and her head throbbed sharply. Shaking her head, Katarina thought.

A topic that could twist the Captain of the Royal Knights’ insides similar to Rugenote would be…

“Is it because of the Emperor? Because the Emperor is ill?”

Indeed, talking about the bedridden Emperor would be good.

Since coming down from Mount Cartan, the Emperor had been unable to regain consciousness as if seeing hallucinations. The guards were in a similar state, so there were no witnesses to testify.

He looked fine on the surface, but the Emperor smelled burnt as if he had been scorched by fire. Katarina had stared at him blankly.

“So you’re worried that Presrife might suddenly fall into my hands, is that it? Are you afraid that I, who doesn’t care what happens to the Emperor, might become the last Presrife you dedicate your life to?”

“Please retract those words, Princess. I…”

So the Emperor was Ailren’s weak spot after all?

Katarina, who had been looking at him with inner mockery, hardened her expression at his next words.

“I know those words do not reflect Your Highness’s true feelings.”

Anger surged within her.

“What do you mean by that? Are you saying I’m lying? To you? For what purpose? Or do you think I’m putting on an act of wickedness?”

“I apologize.”

“How dare you presume to know, so arrogant and presumptuous.”

“If that’s how it seemed, I apologize, Your Highness. However.”

How stubborn indeed. In the end, this foolish man seemed determined to live clinging to even an illusion of loyalty.

Katarina, who had been feeling absurd, suddenly realized that her reaction was exactly the same as those whose hearts had been pierced through.

Ailren, who had been looking at her with blue eyes, quietly added.

“I saw Your Highness shed tears when you faced the Emperor.”

“…”

“So I only hoped you would retract the words about not caring. I was concerned you might regret it later.”

It was true that she had shed tears.

“Katarina, be careful… of that person…”

It was when the Emperor, barely opening his eyes, spoke her name as his very first words. Katarina felt no emotion.

Her cheeks were just damp, and when she wiped them, moisture came away. That was all, and it was rather annoying.

But Ailren said those tears were sincere.

“I knew you had special feelings for Elisha, but I didn’t know you’d even repeat that child’s nonsense.”

Katarina, who had been frozen, barely managed to speak.

There was no logic. These were just words meant to scratch at the insides of the wall-like human before her.

“But you’re different from Elisha. In that I won’t forgive you. So I hope you never presume to know again like that.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

However, it was actually she whose insides were twisted.

Turning around sharply, Katarina went down to the main hall where the ball was being held, as Elisha’s time introducing the holy relics had ended.

People were dancing in pairs to the music. But all Katarina could see was Elisha.

She had liked her from the beginning. She wanted to become friends and get closer. She hoped to become someone unique to her as well.

‘You said that wasn’t possible.’

What was strange was that even so, she didn’t come to hate her.

Instead, she hated the people around her. Ailren, the unknown noble lady who had been with her at the Founding Festival, and now the red-eyed Duke who was whispering something to Elisha.

‘That man saw Rugenote in the hall but showed no reaction.’

The banquet hall contained both the Ruby Tablet and Rugenote.

Considering the Duke’s temperament, she thought it wouldn’t be surprising if he flipped tables demanding to know why Rugenote was here.

But he was uncharacteristically calm. Was he barely restraining himself because Elisha was there, or did he have some other scheme?

If that man disappeared, would Elisha come to her? Katarina, who had been pondering with her head aching from the headache, squeezed her eyes shut and opened them.

‘No. You wouldn’t do that…’

She couldn’t eliminate everyone. Because Elisha would be sad.

She didn’t want to be hated. Like a child toward their parents, like a priestess toward god.

Throughout the crowning of the Regent King’s crown, the placing of the scepter in her hands, and the draping of the mantle, Katarina’s gaze remained fixed on Elisha.

Elisha, who danced and then withdrew to sit with the Duke, didn’t look at her. Her heart was being gnawed away bit by bit.

“…Today is the day when we pray for the well-being and prosperity of Katarina Presslipe, who has newly ascended to the position of Regent King, and simultaneously hold the conferment ceremony for the Count title to honor the achievements of Elisha Rionet…”

The host began a lengthy speech and dishes were placed in the banquet hall.

Katarina didn’t touch anything and only drank tea from her hip flask.

This black tea prepared by an attendant helped her sleep well.

What did that attendant look like again…

Katarina tilted her head as she thought.

‘Elisha isn’t eating anything.’

“Please raise your glasses for the Regent King and for the future of Presrife!”

Elisha didn’t even toast.

Was she feeling unwell somewhere?

Katarina, who was about to order an attendant to check on her condition, paused. The attendants and knights who should be maintaining their posts were nowhere to be seen.

“Count Airen?”

Turning around, Katarina narrowed her eyes as she saw Ailren approaching.

“Please forgive my rudeness.”

“What?”

Ailren suddenly grabbed and held Katarina’s hand.

He had never forced her before. It was natural.

For a knight to lay hands on a superior’s body, especially the Princess’s body, was a violation of protocol.

Katarina reflexively tried to pull her hand away,

“For Presrife, forever…!”

She realized that the host’s voice, which had been loudly proclaiming the toast, had suddenly cut off.

She turned around.

“…What is this…?”

People had collapsed.

The Cardinal with his hands clasped and head bowed.

Except for three people: Duke of Moro gripping his sword, and Elisha who was now looking at her.

Shocked, Katarina couldn’t say anything.

It wasn’t because she realized that Elisha couldn’t possibly cause such a thing at her own title conferment ceremony.

Literally, her mouth wouldn’t move.

“How clever. Putting everyone to sleep first so I couldn’t manipulate the consciousness of innocent people. You put sleeping pills in the champagne?”

These words that fell from her arbitrarily opened lips were not Katarina’s own.

“But you should know this, Princess.”

Bang—

The force that sent Ailren flying like a piece of paper was also not her own.

“The concentrated ‘Root of Blindness’ extract I made the Princess drink was in an amount that couldn’t be purified by the mere holy power of a Captain of the Royal Knights.”

Crack, crack.

Her consciousness was being devoured.

“You’ll have no choice but to watch.”

The last thing Katarina saw was her own lips curling up so much that even she could see it,

“You won’t be able to stab or cut this body, will you?”

and Elisha’s violet eyes as she clenched her fists tightly.

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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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