The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 89

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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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Malcolm flinched at the word ‘stolen goods.’

 

“Wh-what kind of nonsense is that supposed to be?”

 

Looking around with flustered eyes, he raised his voice.

 

“You must be upset about losing the match and want to find fault with something, but that’s ridiculous! Stolen goods? Do you have proof?”

 

“I do. Lady Helena, do you happen to have newspapers at the guild hall?”

 

“…Newspapers?”

 

Malcolm’s eyes, who had asked back, shook wildly.

 

Helena nodded and quickly brought some newspapers.

 

I found two issues from the bundle of newspapers she handed me, placed them on the table, and said.

 

“Tehita sapphires are very popular gems because of their deep and vivid color. They’re worth the expensive price of 7 million gold.”

 

“Right! So I was correct! But what exactly are you looking at to talk about stolen goods or whatever…!”

 

“But that was the price from two months ago.”

 

I spread out the newspaper from two months ago.

 

[Tehita Sapphire Mine Announces Complete Depletion…]

 

“Now that Tehita’s mine is depleted, you can name your price.”

 

I continued speaking while staring at Malcolm, whose face had turned ashen, and his employee.

 

“Unless it’s stolen goods of unclear origin… at this point, no one would be satisfied with an appraisal of just 7 million gold.”

 

After closing the newspaper from two months ago, I quickly flipped open the newspaper from a week ago.

 

A short article was enlarged.

 

[…Investigation into jewelry store robbery case faces difficulties, large quantity of gems stolen including 3-carat Tehita sapphire…]

 

“But coincidentally, a week ago, a jewelry store had its Tehita sapphire stolen. The exact same 3-carat one. How do you explain this?”

 

“Th-that’s…! It’s a coincidence! Is there any guarantee it’s the same one?”

 

“That’s right! This is a false accusation! I bought this sapphire directly from Tehita two days ago!”

 

Malcolm and his employee took turns insisting.

 

“Yes, well. You could claim that.”

 

I replied indifferently and pulled out one of the certificates the employee had scattered.

 

It was a certificate stating it was mined from the Tehita mine.

 

Looking at the paper, I tapped the mining date to point it out.

 

“Did you forget? The Tehita Sapphire Mine was completely depleted two months ago.”

 

The mining date written at the end of the certificate was just three days ago from now.

 

“But how could you have bought a sapphire that was mined three days ago?”

 

“…Ugh…”

 

“There’s only one possibility. You hastily forged the certificate to avoid being caught with stolen goods and left a mistake. Isn’t that right, Lady Helena?”

 

“Guild Member Elisha is right. Of all things, trying to pull this scam with Tehita sapphires… I can imagine what other items are in that pawnshop.”

 

This was why Helena could immediately notice the oddity in the certificate.

 

Because she had read the article about the mine’s depletion with me when consigning the Tehita sapphire for sale.

 

As Helena clicked her tongue, Malcolm, who had turned pale, backed away.

 

“Wh-what does that have to do with my pawnshop?”

 

“Are you calling that an argument?”

 

“Let’s say that man’s sapphire was stolen goods! What does that have to do with my pawnshop? Fine, I lost. I appraised it wrong. But it’s not my fault that man bought stolen goods!”

 

Ah, you’re going to cut off the tail?

 

‘Does he think we don’t know they’re accomplices?’

 

It was surprisingly Luca who cut off Malcolm’s pitifully desperate words.

 

“What are you talking about? Of course it’s related! I saw this man working at your shop with my own eyes!”

 

Luca shouted while clenching his fists, looking even angrier than I was.

 

Then other guild members, who had been speechless with disbelief, also chimed in one by one.

 

“Do you think we’re blind? How much did you look down on us to tell such lies?”

 

“We saw you conspiring and chattering together from the beginning!”

 

“Not just this man. That person over there! And that person too! They’re all your accomplices!”

 

The audience watching the situation also began murmuring.

 

“What? So that goatee tried to cheat to beat Appraiser Elisha? Even mobilizing his own employees?”

 

“Hah, and he still couldn’t win.”

 

“Plus dealing with stolen goods and forging documents. That’s a crime!”

 

It was when the staggering Malcolm collapsed.

 

Bang—

 

The guild hall door burst open, and the person who appeared with heavy footsteps was none other than.

 

“Malcolm Rinoer!”

 

Knights.

 

‘Perfect.’

 

I grinned.

 

One of the knights at the front raised his voice.

 

“You are under arrest for illegal business operations, document forgery, and acquisition and brokering of stolen goods!”

 

“What?! How did you get here so fast… No! No—!”

 

Watching Malcolm’s group being dragged away disgracefully, I smiled inwardly.

 

How long would it take for this news to reach Rosaline’s ears?

 

‘One hour? Two hours?’

 

Actually, it doesn’t matter how long it takes.

 

What’s more important is.

 

‘When Hugo will discover the ‘note,’ that’s what matters.’

 

Smiling, I stood in front of the dais.

 

The audience, who had come to see the seminar but ended up witnessing a live arrest event, had sparkling eyes.

 

I smiled brightly and opened my mouth.

 

“Unfortunately, the seminar I prepared ends here. Although there was an unexpected incident in the middle… did you enjoy it?”

 

Thunderous cheers erupted.

 

“Yes—!”

 

“It was so entertaining!”

 

“Thank you. Then, this has been Elisha from the ‘only’ pawnshop on Ashen Street.”

 

As I bowed, confetti burst.

 

It was the perfect ending to a joyful festival.

 

*

 

A few hours later, at Parnon Count’s Mansion.

 

“Aaaahhh—!”

 

Hugo carefully left the room, leaving behind the screams of the drunk and furious Rosaline.

 

Through the crack in the door, he could hear her muttering.

 

“This, this doesn’t make sense. This really doesn’t make sense… to think even this would fail!”

 

Rosaline crumpled up the letter containing news of Malcolm’s arrest and threw cups and dishes, smashing them.

 

Of course, it was a situation worth her anger.

 

Nearly 200 million gold had disappeared because of The Forest of Cologne, Nicholas had fled, and the forgery business had taken a major hit.

 

As if that wasn’t enough, even the plan to run a stolen goods business with the new pawnshop had fallen through.

 

However.

 

“No. No, I did nothing wrong. This is all because Uncle is cunning. Because Uncle keeps interfering with my work! If only Uncle weren’t here, yes, if only that person weren’t here…!”

 

That appearance, filled with madness and malice, blaming only Uncle, was terrifying no matter how many times he saw it.

 

“I don’t know when he made contact with the Moro Duchy, but… hehehe, yes. After the Foundation Festival ends, after the Regent King takes control of the Imperial Palace! He won’t be able to hide behind that small pawnshop and that insolent girl anymore!”

 

What was this about the Moro Duchy?

 

Rosaline, who had been screaming like she was half-mad, laughed loudly.

 

“The person who will fall into a hell where they can neither live nor die after Nicholas is none other than you, Uncle!”

 

Hugo, feeling chilled, ran frantically to a place where Rosaline’s clear voice couldn’t be heard.

 

The place he arrived at was in front of the door to the underground prison.

 

“In the end, sister is… planning to make Uncle just like Nicholas…”

 

Hugo investigated Nicholas’s whereabouts. It was because of Rosaline’s order to make sure he had really lost his memory.

 

He received reports that several doctors were coming and going from the Duke of Alchemiya’s residence.

 

At the same time, he also heard news that Nicholas, who used to take walks in the garden occasionally, was nowhere to be seen.

 

Probably by now, Nicholas was in a state where his memories had been stolen and he was just breathing as an empty shell.

 

Just imagining it was horrifying. It made him nauseous.

 

“Ugh…”

 

It wasn’t that he was suddenly sympathizing with Nicholas.

 

Hugo was just.

 

“Scared…”

 

He was afraid of Rosaline.

 

She said Uncle Michele would be next after Nicholas.

 

Then who would be after that?

 

Would I be okay? If I fell out of favor with sister, wouldn’t I also become an empty shell?

 

Hugo, trembling as he pushed open the door to the underground prison, covered his mouth.

 

In the underground prison, there was now one more person besides the mage.

 

‘That person must be the “painting doll” who will receive Nicholas’s memories…’

 

Where did Rosaline drag that person from this time?

 

Hugo, who was dry heaving, couldn’t bear to look at the man lying motionless and turned his head away.

 

Because that figure seemed exactly like his own future.

 

What entered the trembling Hugo’s field of vision was the mage with the black right hand, also sprawled out.

 

‘They said he was refining memories. Is he resting? Sleeping? …He’s not dead, is he?’

 

Hugo, who was approaching cautiously, stopped short.

 

‘What’s that?’

 

There was a piece of paper placed in front of the prison door where the mage was confined.

 

Hugo, who had been peering around, collapsed with a thud the moment he read the piece of paper.

 

This handwriting, this signature, and even the seal stamped at the end of the note.

 

It belonged to his uncle.

 

His heart sank.

 

‘Then Uncle knew everything…!’

 

There must be a reason why Uncle deliberately broke through security and left a note in front of the mage’s prison.

 

He must know all about Rosaline’s plan to steal not only Nicholas’s memories but also Uncle’s memories!

 

‘If he knows about the memory theft attempt… there’s nothing Uncle doesn’t know!’

 

But then why did Uncle mention him in the note instead of Rosaline?

 

‘Could it be he thinks I’m the one behind this? No, that can’t be it. If he thought I was the mastermind, he would have warned me directly, this is…’

 

Hugo, who had been shocked, came to his senses when he heard slow, irritated footsteps approaching.

 

It was Rosaline’s footsteps. She was coming to this underground prison.

 

Normally, Hugo would have definitely shown that note to Rosaline.

 

Because Uncle was a scary person.

 

Because he could only escape from Uncle by hiding behind Rosaline.

 

‘…But.’

 

Had Uncle ever directly harmed him?

 

‘Come to think of it… the person who’s a threat to me now isn’t Uncle, but…’

 

When Hugo gulped, the door burst open.

 

Rosaline said fiercely.

 

“What are you doing here, Hugo?”

 

Hugo stealthily hid the note in his sleeve.

 

“Oh, it’s nothing, sister.”

 

Hugo decided not to show that note to Rosaline.

 

He was unaware that the mage lying down had smiled slightly at his words.

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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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