The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 35

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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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What, it wasn’t broken?

Now that the magic tool actually worked, my brain froze.

What do I do with this huge thief now?

I cautiously approached and tugged at the rope—it was incredibly tough.

‘Emma said this absolutely won’t come undone unless you use a special release tool or holy water spray.’

The thief was wearing a robe without pockets.

With his hands thoroughly bound, he wouldn’t be able to brandish a pocket knife or anything. That’s somewhat reassuring.

“Worried it might come loose?”

“A little.”

“It’s fine, this won’t come undone. I have no intention of breaking free in front of the Manager anyway.”

Why is he so calm?

This guy must be…

‘A professional thief?’

After rolling around a few times, the thief made himself comfortable lying on his side.

As if this were his own bedroom, his attitude was remarkably relaxed.

“Can I ask what you’re planning to do after tying me up?”

“I’m planning something you could never imagine, so feel free to be very curious.”

“Sounds exciting. This is a first for me too.”

‘And he’s not even in his right mind…’

Shaking my head, I slammed the button to lock the door first.

Then I dragged the thief over and propped him against the wall.

The thief, who had inadvertently sat up properly, tilted his head.

“Locking the door first seems ominous, but making me sit comfortably seems humane. What a strange confinement.”

“If you stop this nonsense you’re doing now, you’ll have to live off just that face of yours, so it wouldn’t do if blood rushed to your head and burst a blood vessel. I’m quite sensitive about property rights.”

“…Uh, I’m a bit confused whether you’re considerate or creepy.”

The thief blinked his pale green eyes.

Actually, I just made him sit up because it looked annoying seeing him sprawled out like he owned the place, but somehow I seem to have scared him for real.

“Why did you come?”

“I told you, I came to keep my promise.”

“Did you make that promise with me?”

“Hmm, thinking back, it might have been one-sided. By the way, is where you got sprayed okay? I heard that stuff really stings.”

“If you’re curious, I’ll let you experience it. I’ll do that one for free.”

The thief hesitated, then squinted one eye and smiled like he was winking.

“Oh, I’d rather avoid that if possible…”

“Then answer properly this time. Why did you come back?”

“Okay, okay, I get it.”

The thief tried to raise both hands to show surrender, then realized he was tied up and just lifted his face.

“Our first impression wasn’t very good, was it?”

You know that and you’re still doing this? Huh?

I bent one knee and sat closer.

That posture must have looked quite thuggish. The thief cleared his throat awkwardly.

“So I came to clear up misunderstandings and apologize. I’m really not a thief.”

“You called yourself a thief with your own mouth…”

“Thieves who do that probably aren’t common. Anyway, before I become a real thief, I wanted to return what I took from here. I was sorry about that time, I was also in a panic.”

I narrowed my eyes and looked at him.

He seemed sincere, but also maybe not.

While I was wavering, the thief smiled brightly.

“Look, you see that bag? I properly washed the towel I borrowed…”

“That you just took.”

“…that I just took, and dried it all fluffy. I even dried it next to lilacs so it would smell nice. Seeing that, don’t you want to untie me?”

‘Hmm. Except for trying to use his pretty boy looks unnecessarily, he does seem somewhat sincere.’

Since I had nothing to lose, I decided to check the bag.

‘If he’s really not a thief, I should ask where he got that golden music box.’

Then I might be able to pay a fair price and buy the holy relic.

As I opened the bag’s buckle, the man chattered away.

“After you untie me, let’s have some tea and talk. I’m incredibly curious about you, Manager.”

“For example?”

“That time you appraised the golden music box. Could you explain how you did it so quickly? I was so curious, wondering if there’s some secret.”

I stopped pulling out the towel from the bag and spoke.

“Why are you curious about that?”

“It’s definitely not industrial espionage or anything, so don’t misunderstand. Um… if I had to say, academic interest?”

“Ah. I see. Academic interest.”

“…Huh?”

“I suppose you have this for academic interest too. Right?”

What I pulled out was an old snow globe that had been under the towel.

Of course, it wasn’t just an ordinary snow globe…

“Where did you steal this holy relic snow globe from?!”

It was another holy relic.

“Steal, steal?! I didn’t steal it! Really, I didn’t!”

The thief who had been shaking his head vigorously suddenly stopped.

“Wait, hold on. …You’re saying that’s also a holy relic? Are you sure?”

“What academic interest are you talking about when you don’t even know that?!”

“…You recognized it at a glance again. How did you do that?”

I glared coldly at the thief who was muttering seriously with a grave expression.

Sensing my sharp gaze, the thief quickly gestured with his head.

“Ah, anyway, I really didn’t steal it!”

“Then show me. Certificate, receipt, auction records.”

“I don’t have those! If I did, I would have shown them already!”

“Then at least tell me how you acquired it. Did you inherit it? Or what, did you at least pick it up on the street?”

“I, I picked it up on the street.”

“Tell me which street that was, I’m getting academic interest too in a street where holy relic music boxes and snow globes just roll around?”

“See, even if I tell you, you won’t believe me!”

“You couldn’t speak properly from the start!”

“That’s true, but! I have my circumstances…!”

I caught my breath from fuming and sat closer.

The thief flinched at the shortened distance and looked at me.

Whew. I sighed and asked quietly.

“Look. I could actually just drag you away like this, but I’m asking because I want to give you a chance.”

I remembered the three years I spent in Moro Duchy.

Those three years when no one believed me because I had no status, because my clothes were shabby.

“I don’t enjoy being suspicious either. You understand?”

I looked straight into the thief’s clear pale green eyes and said.

“So give me evidence I can accept. At least identify yourself or explain your status. If you can’t answer my questions clearly and just keep saying no, how can I believe you? Isn’t that right, Crescens?”

The thief who had been staring at me blankly asked.

“You remember my name…?”

“That’s not the point right now, you…”

“Ah, um, right.”

The thief—no, Crescens—cleared his throat awkwardly.

Then he glanced at me cautiously.

“…It’s a secret… though.”

“Could you say that again? I think I misheard.”

“It’s a secret. I can’t tell you right now.”

“….”

“This won’t work, will it?”

Of course it wouldn’t work….

I’ve given him enough chances. I’ve done what I could.

Shaking my head, I stood up and packed the Snow Ball with cushioning material.

“Wh-why are you packing that? Where are you taking it?”

“I’m going to hide it well and put it in soup to eat.”

“What? You’re joking, right? Right?”

“Well, who knows. Am I joking or not?”

Looking at the startled Crescens, I chuckled.

“You’re going to return what you stole to its original place. Got it?”

“…You’re taking it to the Temple? You’re not keeping it for yourself?”

“Yes. Don’t even dream of making money from this.”

“Uh….”

Crescens’s momentum strangely deflated at the mention of the Temple.

Well now, he was bold enough to steal, but the Temple is scary after all?

“And! Stay put until I come back, or you’ll be punished until your tears dry up!”

I gathered my things and locked the door.

After giving one last glare at the dumbfounded Crescens, I headed to the Temple.

Of course, as he said, since it was an urgent situation needing a sacred relic, the thought of keeping it for myself did briefly cross my mind.

But it was only for a moment. I thought of a better way.

‘This might actually work out well.’

If I return this Snow Ball, the Temple will accept my application to borrow a sacred relic!

***

The left-behind Crescens blinked blankly.

“Well, at least she’s taking it to the Temple of the World Tree.”

She was doing the job that he, as a cardinal, should be doing.

“Still, that’s impressive. Since she just reopened not long ago, she could have been tempted by money, but Michele taught her very well.”

Crescens, who had been muttering, furrowed his brow.

“…But still, she recognized a sacred relic at a glance again. How is that even possible?”

Crescens’s original plan was to clear up the misunderstanding, have some tea, and ask her to appraise the Snow Ball.

Both as a test and to hear the mysterious secret of her appraisal skills.

The Snow Ball he brought had recently been identified as a sacred relic.

‘The elements for identification were so ambiguous that it took almost half a year to reach a conclusion. So I thought it would be difficult to appraise immediately this time and brought it.’

The first music box could have been a coincidence.

She might have just guessed it was a sacred relic because it looked expensive.

But….

‘If she succeeded a second time?’

Then it’s no longer a coincidence.

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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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