The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 60

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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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***

Tesagh gazed at the pawnshop from a distance.

Not long after he had left, the lights went out and two silhouettes emerged, disappearing into an alley.

‘She must have received an invitation to the Princess’s Palace. Considering the Knight Commander came personally.’

Whatever the case, it was the Princess’s Palace. One of the most secure places in the Empire.

Nothing serious would happen.

However, there was still a reason he had given her the dagger.

‘Through that dagger, I’ll be able to monitor the Princess’s Palace activities.’

It wasn’t an ordinary dagger. It was a magical artifact.

‘It won’t harm that woman. The mages have taken precautions.’

The Duchy’s mages had cast concealment magic on the spell, so it should pass through the Imperial Palace’s inspection procedures.

Unlike the crude magical artifacts Elisha carried around.

But that wasn’t the only reason.

‘When I said she needed to be able to protect herself, I meant it.’

That’s why he had specifically chosen the form of a dagger rather than a brooch or earrings.

She was already someone suffering from an illness.

“…Why am I like this.”

Ever since that day, whenever he thought of Elisha, his chest felt tight and queasy.

Investigating her illness wasn’t going well either.

Disease names with words like multiple, unspecified, or acute all seemed terrifyingly serious.

What if it was a rare disease? What if Elisha found out that he was investigating it?

‘That always bright smile… was she actually struggling all along?’

His heart burned as if he had swallowed fire.

This emotion was probably just the compassion people naturally felt for patients.

There was no other explanation for it.

‘Where did that grandfather of hers go, leaving such a granddaughter alone?’

Tesagh was rubbing his face with a troubled expression when he suddenly turned around.

He felt someone’s gaze. A very familiar one at that.

‘…Mother?’

But Tesagh soon shook his head.

Bella hated the Empire. There was no way she would come here.

‘I must be getting oversensitive.’

After Tesagh returned to the safe house.

A black silhouette hidden in the darkness opened red eyes.

“Hmm…”

Click.

Bella folded her telescope and raised one eyebrow.

“Just observing won’t be enough.”

I suppose a conversation is necessary.

Saying this with one corner of her mouth raised, Bella disappeared in a flash of light.

***

The carriage ran smoothly through the winding alleys.

After passing through streets I’d never seen before, the carriage arrived in front of a forest.

Ailren extended his hand to escort me, but I gently shook my head.

‘I can’t exactly fly here.’

Ailren seemed to realize this belatedly, folding his hands and guiding me with words instead.

“First, I apologize for leading you through this inconvenient path. Since your audience today is not an official schedule, you must unfortunately enter through a secret passage rather than the main gate.”

“Oh, I actually like it better this way. It’s like playing hide-and-seek or treasure hunting.”

I meant it sincerely.

Getting to pass through a secret passage of the Imperial Palace – that was much cooler, wasn’t it?

But Ailren seemed to think I was just being polite.

“Thank you for your understanding. Then please follow behind me.”

Ailren, walking ahead with a lantern, looked back at me several times.

I thought he was worried I might run away, but then I realized the reason and said with a smile.

“Walking through the forest isn’t that hard for me. I’m wearing comfortable shoes.”

He was probably used to nobles who had attendants panicking after just a few steps.

‘Is Ailren a noble too?’

Usually it was noble branch family members, or direct descendants without inheritance rights who became knights.

Was it the same for Royal Knights?

After thinking for a moment, Ailren slowed his pace.

“I’ll escort you from beside you.”

As we walked, I became curious about something.

“Um.”

“Excuse me.”

We spoke at the same time.

Ailren bowed his head slightly.

“Please speak first.”

“I will. What did you decide to do about that hourglass?”

I’d be happy if he gave it to me, but honestly, even if Ailren refused my proposal and handled it internally, that wouldn’t be bad.

The important thing was getting the hourglass away from him.

Ailren was silent for a moment before speaking.

“Your business with your friend takes priority, so I’ll tell you after it’s finished. Not now.”

“Ah, yes, well. Alright.”

Goodness, how firm he was.

“Then what were you going to say, Knight?”

“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with the gray-eyed man earlier. The one you said was your neighbor.”

‘He’s calling them gray again. He doesn’t seem very interested in Alter. …And after cutting off my words so sharply, this person?’

Recalling Alter’s mysterious eyes that mixed red with gray, I answered.

“Well, it wasn’t really a secret conversation. But why?”

‘Is he trying to investigate Alter’s background?’

But his response was unexpected.

“…Did you go to the hospital?”

“The hospital?”

“Yes. Didn’t you say you were bruised?”

When I mentioned being bruised, Ailren had been quite shocked.

It seemed to have been weighing on his mind.

Alter had emphasized that I had “been thrown” as well.

“You should show your injuries and get treatment. I’ll request cooperation from the Royal Palace Infirmary.”

“No, I’m really fine.”

“I believe there was a reason that man specifically mentioned it. If you’re worried about complications, there’s no need to…”

“That’s just because my neighbor is kind.”

“…Kind?”

“Yes. Even though he doesn’t look it, he’s surprisingly caring deep down.”

“This may be an impertinent question, but may I ask? Have you known each other long?”

I suppose it would be hard to believe that someone who had drawn a blade on him was kind.

I answered casually.

“Not that long. About a month?”

“One month. …I understand.”

The conversation ended there.

There was a door on the ground in the middle of the forest, and when we entered, an underground maze appeared, so I was too busy marveling at it to focus on anything else.

When we reached the end of the maze, a knight was waiting.

The knight saluted Ailren and held out some kind of white glowing rod.

“Magic item inspection. This is a measure applied to everyone for safety, so please understand.”

“Yes. I just need to stay still, right?”

The knight held the rod about a span away from my body and waved it around, then tilted his head in confusion.

The rod’s color had turned a light pink.

“Hm? I’m sorry, let me try again.”

No matter how many times he tried, the rod remained pink.

“When it detects magic items, it’s supposed to flash black, but why is it pink…?”

“It must be broken. Try again with the backup detector.”

“Yes, Captain.”

But the other rod’s color was exactly the same pink.

Something suddenly occurred to me. I tapped Ailren’s arm with the edge of my bag to make him turn around.

“Excuse me. That rod is a tool for examining magic power, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“…Then could it possibly be affected by the Knight’s influence? I didn’t bring anything with me. Look, the only things in my bag are things like this.”

When I whispered this, Ailren’s ears twitched.

It seemed he thought my mention of magic poisoning was a reasonable guess.

Ailren took a breath and gestured to the knight.

“The person who invited the customer is waiting. We’ll skip the inspection procedure – I’ll take responsibility.”

“Ah, yes! Understood.”

“Contact the temple to have the detectors replaced. You’re dismissed.”

‘Wow, a captain is really a captain.’

As we walked through the corridor past the maze, all the knights saluted him.

I felt awe at how both the knights giving salutes and Ailren receiving them showed not a single sign of disorder.

By the way, to think I’m visiting the Princess’s Palace.

‘I heard the Imperial Palace Vault has tons of treasures, but even the paintings and sculptures just hanging in the corridor are extraordinary. Just looking at them feels educational.’

I was examining the artworks with an enchanted feeling when we arrived in front of the largest and most beautiful door.

Ailren knocked.

“Princess, this is Ailren. I’ve brought the customer…”

That’s when it happened.

Before Ailren could even finish speaking, the door burst open.

“You’re here!”

Lina, smiling brightly, grabbed my hand firmly.

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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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