The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 61

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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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“I’ve been waiting for you, come in quickly! Count Airen, please wait outside the door.”

“I shall obey your command.”

After the door closed, I was led by Lina’s hand to sit down.

Only after sitting across from Lina did I suddenly remember.

‘Wait, I may have rushed in, but I should still greet her properly! She’s a princess!’

I hurriedly stood up to bow, but Lina waved her hand dismissively.

“It’s fine, you don’t need to be formal. This is an unofficial meeting and I’ve dismissed everyone.”

“Is that really okay?”

“You came as my ‘friend’ today, right? Friends don’t need to do such things with each other. …Right? Elisha?”

Lina bit her lip slightly and asked hesitantly.

Seeing how Lina seemed to want confirmation of the word ‘friend’, I answered immediately.

“Of course. We’re ‘friends’! Then I’ll gratefully sit back down, Lina.”

I was actually half-doubtful about whether it was okay to call a princess by her nickname.

But when I called her Lina, her expression brightened cheerfully again.

It was hard to believe she was the same person as the woman in the dark robe who had tearfully entrusted me with the pendant.

It was funny to have such thoughts about a princess, but my heart felt a little heavy.

‘I’m really glad she seems to have regained her spirits now.’

On the other hand, I also felt a bit warm and fuzzy.

‘So I made a friend? Me?’

My first friend of the same age.

The circumstances, situation, and my friend’s status were all extraordinarily special, but so what?

“You must be tired from coming here. You haven’t eaten dinner, right? Let’s have a late dinner together, I’ve prepared it.”

“Um, are a few more people coming?”

“No, it’s just the two of us eating.”

But looking closely, my new friend seemed to have quite the appetite.

‘Wow, just how many dishes are there?’

My mouth fell open at the late dinner spread so abundantly the table might break.

Is this kind of meal normal in the Imperial Palace?

But before I could even think about it, Lina was offering me food.

“Try this. This too! This is also delicious, you can eat it all.”

‘Although Lina is greatly overestimating the size of my stomach….’

Still, all the food spread abundantly on the table was delicious.

As I ate diligently to meet her expectations, Lina smiled brightly.

“Is it delicious?”

“Yes, everything is delicious. Oh, but aren’t you eating, Lina?”

“Just watching you eat makes me happy. I didn’t know what you liked, so I prepared everything. I’m glad it’s delicious.”

My goodness, such heart-damaging remarks too.

But I couldn’t just be moved by Lina’s words.

‘So this kind and gentle princess was tormented by him. Crodil, are you even human? Huh?’

Somehow my fork movements became combative.

While Lina looked puzzled at my suddenly quickened fork speed, I finished my meal.

Then, as if they had been waiting, a tea set was brought in.

The tea food was tremendous this time too, but I had something to do before admiring its scale.

After taking a sip of tea, I rummaged through my bag.

“Here, I’ll return your pendant. I did check it once, but would you like to examine its condition to see if anything has changed?”

Lina’s green eyes sparkled like emeralds as she looked at the pendant.

Lina carefully stroked the pendant before gripping it tightly in her hand.

“Yes, I’ve checked it. It’s perfect. …It’s exactly as I received it from Mother.”

Her sleeve slipped down as she put the pendant around her neck.

The moment I saw her exposed wrist, I flinched.

‘Anyone can see that’s….’

The marks from being pressed by shackles or something similar were clear.

I couldn’t look away, but staring for long would naturally be rude.

I quickly averted my eyes, but unfortunately it was enough time for Lina to notice my gaze.

Lina smiled bitterly and pulled down her sleeve, murmuring.

“It’s okay. It’s not like that these days.”

“…I’m sorry, Lina.”

“No. You have good observational skills.”

I quietly moved closer and asked carefully.

“This might be presumptuous to ask, but Lina’s uncle… Count Crodil, you mean he doesn’t torment you these days?”

“It’s not presumptuous. You know a little about my situation. Right? So it should be okay to tell you.”

Lina with her eyes slightly downcast looked just like me from not long ago.

Me, who had wanted to tell someone, anyone, about Grandfather.

‘I’m someone unrelated to Imperial Palace politics, yet I’ve directly witnessed Lina’s situation.’

So to Lina, I might be the only person she can open her heart to.

I quietly listened to Lina’s story.

“Since the state council meeting, he’s been showing me courtesy. He doesn’t barge through doors anymore, and he doesn’t try to restrain me. I’d say he seems to be reading the room.”

The state council meeting.

That must be when Lina publicly pointed out the problems with permit renewals.

“But it won’t last long. If I stay quiet like I am now, he’ll look down on me again and try to confine me.”

“Then do you have some kind of plan?”

“Yes. I realized that what Uncle fears is me stepping forward as a princess. …Though I don’t know what His Majesty would think.”

That’s right.

The reason Crodil had confined Lina was because she was a ‘princess’ with legitimacy.

But listening to her story, I became curious.

‘Doesn’t Lina think about reporting Crodil’s evil deeds to the Emperor, her father? There seems to be some distance between her and the Emperor too.’

I couldn’t pry into their father-daughter relationship.

So I recalled what I knew about the Emperor of this time.

‘After the Empress died, the Emperor was greatly grieved and left on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. For two whole years.’

Since the Empress died a year ago, there was one year left until the Emperor’s return.

However, the situation wouldn’t improve just because the Emperor returned after a year.

Because.

‘He ultimately couldn’t overcome his psychological problems and returned half-ruined.’

That’s how Crodil was able to continue acting as Regent King.

But thinking about it again, I felt uneasy.

‘When the Emperor returns, he’ll obviously be punished for tormenting the princess. Isn’t he worried about the future?’

Even with his position as the Empress’s brother, this was crossing the line.

‘He can’t possibly know the future that the Emperor will return as a broken man. Then?’

I clenched my fist tightly.

‘It’s obvious. Crodil is the one who made the Emperor into a broken man!’

He had something to rely on.

Confidence that he wouldn’t be punished even when the Emperor returned.

More precisely, confidence that he could turn the Emperor into a puppet!

‘He’s completely insane!’

The wicked plan to turn the Emperor into a broken man aside.

But how exactly? Even if he eliminates the obstacle Ailren, who would participate in such a plan?

As I was thinking, my spine suddenly turned cold.

‘The mage who cast a spell on Ailren’s hourglass!’

That’s the most likely method for now.

If Crodil has gotten his hands on a mage skilled enough to harm the Knight Commander, reaching out to the Emperor wouldn’t be entirely impossible either.

‘For now, it’s just a hypothesis, and there’s still time left. Before then, I should be able to find out what Crodil’s plan is.’

I tried to calm myself down.

However, Lina’s next words made it difficult to find peace of mind.

“So I’ve decided to take charge of the Foundation Day charity event.”

“…A charity event?”

“Yes, it’s a fundraising event for the poor. We’ll display and sell treasures from the treasury. Uncle used to handle this, but since it’s such an important event, if I finish it successfully, I’ll have more say as a princess.”

Lina fidgeted with her pendant.

“It’s also an opportunity to show everyone that I’m the owner of this pendant.”

Lina’s expression was resolute, but something bothered me.

“If I may ask, did Count Crodil willingly hand over that responsibility?”

“Some negotiation was needed. But like I said, he’s been watching my mood. It was easier than I thought.”

Unlike Lina who smiled proudly, my thoughts were complicated.

If it was originally Crodil’s job?

The preparations would be roughly ready according to Crodil’s plan. Since Foundation Day isn’t far away.

But if Lina takes over that event…

‘There are too many opportunities for Crodil to pull some tricks in the middle!’

I gulped, and Lina tilted her head slightly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah. I was thinking you must be busy since time is tight.”

“Haha, thanks for worrying about me. I’m busy, but I’m going to work hard at it.”

But it was awkward to dampen Lina’s spirits when she was finally motivated to engage in state affairs.

Besides, it was still just suspicion.

In that case?

There’s only one way.

“Is there anything I could help you with?”

I have no choice but to watch over it myself!

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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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