The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 223

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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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But Tesagh was quite serious.

“I’ve been thinking. There were far too many things that bothered me.”

It seemed like during the few hours he was banished to the safe house, he had sharply reflected on his own past.

But what did he mean by things that bothered him?

I was tilting my head in confusion when his next words made me understand.

“When I was ‘Alter’, didn’t I commit trespassing, property damage, threats, and even identity fraud? These are crimes that would have gotten any ordinary customer banned from entry long ago, so I suppose I should accept it too.”

“That’s true, you did do those things.”

“Until you can forgive me… I’ll be careful not to enter the pawnshop.”

“That would probably be for the best.”

“…Right.”

“Then I’ll forgive you now.”

“Wha… what?”

Tesagh, who had been trying hard to hide his dejected expression, suddenly looked up.

“It wasn’t because Tesagh did something wrong that I issued the entry ban in the first place.”

“Then?”

“There was a slight problem at the pawnshop, and I needed some time to think of a solution. I thought if I saw Tesagh’s face, I’d want to play together and wouldn’t be able to focus on work.”

I had thought about how Tesagh would react when I revealed the reason for the sudden entry ban.

Would he look at me with that usual ‘what kind of nonsense is this’ expression? Or would he laugh, saying it was a relief?

But Tesagh, who had been slowly mulling over my words, quietly asked back.

“There was a problem at the pawnshop? What kind of problem?”

“That’s what you’re curious about?”

“Of course. You said something happened to the pawnshop that you treasure so much. Can you tell me about it? So I can think about it together with you.”

“Well.”

Yes, this is what I like about Tesagh.

When I smiled a little, Tesagh stared at me intently.

Wiping the smile from my face, I firmly grasped his hand and said seriously.

“Business isn’t doing well.”

“…”

“We haven’t had a single new customer all this time.”

Tesagh, who had been speechless for a moment, grasped my hand in return.

“That really is… a serious problem.”

“Right?”

Milton, who was still in a crouched position, shook his head at the two of us for some reason.

***

Seeing Tesagh’s face did make me smile for a moment.

But in truth, I had been quite serious for the entire two weeks.

No customers at the pawnshop!

‘At first, I thought it was because we had been closed for over a week, so people didn’t know we had reopened.’

But that wasn’t it.

There were many people who would say ‘I think this is the place!’ and come to look around.

But whenever I tried to attract customers even a little, they would gasp ‘We’re sorry!’ in shock and all run away.

Do I look scary?

As I was inadvertently experiencing life through Tesagh’s and Grandfather’s faces, I realized the moment I saw the newspaper stand.

“Every newspaper in the world was plastered with my face.”

“Daily papers, weekly magazines, even special editions. From what I found out, 27 newspapers covered your story.”

“How do you remember that so precisely? …Don’t tell me you made a scrapbook of my articles, Tesagh?”

“Yes! I ordered them to collect every newspaper that mentioned Lady Elisha even slightly and send them all to the Duke’s residence, *cough*.”

Milton, who was giving him ‘special treatment’, stopped mid-sentence, and Tesagh casually added.

“But isn’t this good for you and your pawnshop? It’s like getting free publicity.”

Tesagh continued, recalling the articles he had collected in his scrapbook.

He remembered feeling pleased that they were all articles with favorable tones toward Elisha.

“I heard that Princess Katarina, as a way of atoning to you, ordered comprehensive coverage of the Rionet family’s achievements and your activities. Of course, excluding the top-secret fact that you were the incarnation of the World Tree.”

“That was the problem.”

“That was the problem?”

“Look.”

Rustle. Rustle. Rustle.

I spread out several newspapers and pointed to them.

From [The Empire’s Only Saint] [The One and Only Friend Who Saved the Princess] [Adopted Daughter of the Duke of Alchemiya] to [Lady Rionet Who Got Sweet Revenge on the Family Members Who Cast Out Her Grandfather]…

“How could people possibly come when they’d feel so burdened by all this?!”

Isn’t this way too much gilding?!

But Tesagh couldn’t readily understand why I was crying out in despair.

“But it’s all true.”

“Tesagh, you’re nobility to your bones so you wouldn’t know, but do you think ordinary people could readily hand over their jewelry to a saint and lady, saying ‘Please appraise this for me’?”

“Hmm.”

“Could they ramble on about the stories behind their pawned items in front of me? Could they bargain with me? No, setting all that aside, could they even talk to me at all?!”

“…It would be difficult.”

“Exactly!”

Tesagh once said something.

That my greatest enemy was myself.

The greatest enemy of pawnshop owner Elisha wasn’t Rosaline, Crodil, or Eivor, but Elisha Rionet—me.

“Um, what about having Lady Chloe handle the business instead?”

“Chloe is still in the learning stage. And she’s still at the Duke’s mage tower because of her dark magic treatment. Along with Grandfather.”

Inside the mana stone mine of the Rionet duchy, there were premium mana stones remaining in Grandfather’s secret warehouse.

Chloe and Grandfather were receiving treatment in the duchy using those premium mana stones.

Fortunately, the quality of the mana stones was very good, so both of their conditions were improving rapidly. It was fortunate.

“Then after Duke Rionet fully recovers, will he take over the pawnshop again…”

“Setting aside the fact that Grandfather has to handle official duties. Most importantly, Milton, do you have the confidence to ask our grandfather to give you a better appraisal price?”

“No. I’m sorry. I misspoke. I’d rather entrust my jewelry to His Grace the Duke, *cough*.”

Tesagh’s gaze, which had been glaring at Milton who was choking, turned to me.

“But Elisha, you said you had thought of a solution too.”

Of course, I hadn’t been wallowing in the problem for the entire two weeks.

Since the fact that I’m Elisha ‘Rionet’ is unchangeable.

“I do have something I’ve thought of.”

“What is it?”

“I’ll dilute my presence by riding on the image of people who are famous but not nobility. People like friendly and popular opera singers or theater actors.”

“You mean you’ll use such celebrities like models or promotional ambassadors.”

“Wow, that sounds like a great idea, Lady Elisha!”

“Thank you, Milton. It would be even better if we could also plant the recognition that ‘oh, they can appraise these kinds of things too!’ Right? There was actually a pretty famous person among those who requested appraisals.”

I rummaged around and pulled out an envelope tucked in my notebook.

During the period we were closed, that is, there were several on-site appraisal requests that had arrived just before my face got plastered with all sorts of titles.

As I looked through the requests, I found the answer in one name.

“This person! He’s a theater actor from the Moro duchy, and I found out he’s popular because he’s handsome! He’s had quite a long career, so through this person we could probably make connections with other celebrities too…”

“…”

“Tesagh? Milton?”

What perfect timing for a celebrity’s request to arrive!

Thinking how lucky I was, I proudly held out the business card with the name and the request form, but strangely, Tesagh and Milton, who saw the name, didn’t say anything.

What’s wrong?

[Kedrick Kalamaine]

“Oh, do you know this person? I’ve never seen plays or anything like that so I wouldn’t know, but is he a famous actor that you two would recognize?”

“Famous… Yes. He’s famous.”

Tesagh clenched his fist with a grinding sound.

“So this bastard invited you to his house.”

“It’s an on-site appraisal, so I have no choice but to go. The house can’t come to me, right…?”

“And he even added the unnecessary detail that it doesn’t matter what day of the week as long as it’s late at night.”

“Well, that’s because both performances and the pawnshop closing time are both late at night…?”

“Right, that’s exactly it…”

The corners of Tesagh’s mouth slowly curved upward.

But it wasn’t the refreshing and pleasant smile he usually showed me.

“Lady Elisha, do you know this? His Grace the Duke is scarier when he smiles than when he’s expressionless…”

“Huh? Oh come on, Milton. Where would you find a person who’s scarier when they smile?”

Such a person was right here.

“I’ll go with you too.”

Milton began trembling.

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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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