The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 93

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

*

 

Etewyrn Manor.

 

Crodil looked down at Rosaline, who was bowing her head.

 

He spoke in a deliberately angry voice.

 

“The forger has fled, the appraiser has been imprisoned, and the pawnshop has closed, making money laundering impossible! How can I trust you with my slush funds under these circumstances, Rosaline?”

 

“Haha…”

 

Rosaline laughed.

 

It was laughter that sounded somewhat eerie.

 

“We can just reopen the pawnshop, find a new appraiser. As for the forger… we can just cultivate a new one.”

 

Flash.

 

Rosaline’s eyes were bloodshot as she raised her head.

 

“What are you saying right now?”

 

“I’m telling you not to worry. I’ve taken all necessary measures to ensure those who fled from me won’t run their mouths carelessly.”

 

Rosaline rose to her feet like a ghost, slowly.

 

“Your Highness, haven’t you heard the rumors that Nicholas hasn’t been seen lately?”

 

Her eyes gleamed eerily as she let out low chuckles.

 

“You needn’t concern yourself with my family affairs, Regent King. Rather, why don’t you focus on the Founding Festival?”

 

“Now that all your plans have gone awry, Rosaline, I wonder if I can entrust you with executing the Founding Festival plan.”

 

Crodil pretended ignorance while deliberately provoking Rosaline.

 

She clenched her fists tightly.

 

“Are you saying you don’t trust me?”

 

“While it’s true that you’ve worked for me all this time, looking at your recent actions, it’s also true that it’s hard to trust you.”

 

“…There is only one thing I desire.”

 

Rosaline spoke through gritted teeth.

 

“To officially take the position of Duke Rionet.”

 

Rosaline was merely the head of House Rionet, not a duke.

 

It was the opposite situation from Crodil, who was a marquis but not the head of House Etewyrn.

 

Crodil answered slowly.

 

“Yes, of course I remember.”

 

“After the Founding Festival passes, the Princess will no longer be able to wield power, and Your Highness will hold all authority. Right at that moment.”

 

Rosaline paused and looked directly into Crodil’s eyes.

 

“If you remember my wish… I will never betray Your Highness in the future, just as I haven’t until now.”

 

Crodil, pretending to look serious, covered his smiling mouth with his hand.

 

“This will be the last chance I give you. I’ll be waiting expectantly.”

 

“Yes. I’ll take my leave now.”

 

Rosaline stormed out of her seat.

 

Left behind, Crodil chuckled softly.

 

‘Right, why would I need to dirty my own hands.’

 

Things were progressing well.

 

The Captain of the Royal Knights was bothersome, but he already had dirt on him anyway, and the Princess was just a timid puppy.

 

Moreover.

 

Didn’t he have other loyal subjects besides her to dirty their hands instead?

 

Leaving through the door, Crodil saw a figure leaning against the corridor in the distance and smiled.

 

“Right, I have you, so what is there to worry about? Isn’t that right, Eivor?”

 

The man called ‘Eivor’ approached in an instant.

 

“Were you worried?”

 

“Of course. Didn’t you hear the conversation I just had with Countess Rosaline?”

 

“Well. To me, it sounded less like worry and more like you were cleverly inciting Countess Rosaline. So that if anything goes wrong, you can blame her and cut off the tail.”

 

Walking alongside him, Crodil smiled.

 

“I’m merely preparing for contingencies. Plans always need at least one scapegoat to burn in place.”

 

“Is that so.”

 

“But what could possibly go wrong for me? You must have identified all the threatening elements.”

 

Crodil’s shrewd eyes gazed at Eivor as he smiled good-naturedly.

 

The mage who had appeared suddenly one day had become his faithful right hand.

 

It was Eivor who had told him how to break the Captain of the Royal Knights, and it was also he who had told him how to drive a wedge between the Emperor and Princess during their pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

 

However, Crodil didn’t know what he desired.

 

Gold? Power? Safety? Chaos?

 

Or perhaps.

 

“There is one rather troublesome person. He’s been persistently following my trail.”

 

A person?

 

Crodil frowned and asked.

 

“So there is someone troublesome even to you. Who is it?”

 

“Hmm, I’m not sure how to describe him to you. He has two identities.”

 

“Two identities?”

 

“Yes. Should I call him the man with ashen eyes, or the man with red eyes…”

 

Eivor chuckled lowly and muttered.

 

“No, it would be better to call him the only person who suspected me.”

 

“Is it a dangerous situation?”

 

“No. He’s someone I can deal with at any time. It seems he found my old hideout, and he must have been quite injured in the process, so there’s no need to worry for a while. Besides.”

 

Eivor’s green eyes curved slyly.

 

“Just as Your Highness holds the Captain of the Royal Knights’ weakness, I also know that person’s weakness.”

 

“That’s fortunate, but then are there no other dangerous elements besides that man?”

 

“Yes, well. Not by my standards. Then I’ll be going.”

 

Watching Eivor answer indifferently and turn away, Crodil asked.

 

“I’m asking because you’re carrying something that doesn’t suit you at all. What’s with the flowers?”

 

What Eivor held in his black hands was a bouquet of dried flowers as black as darkness.

 

The color was chilling just to look at.

 

Though the color was different, he thought he had seen similarly shaped dried flowers in the Princess’s room…

 

Lost in thought, Crodil looked at Eivor, who had stopped.

 

“Doesn’t suit me? …Yes, you might think so.”

 

Eivor smelled the fragrance of the blackened flowers.

 

Gazing at the flowers that had gained eternity through death, he smiled inwardly.

 

“But I quite like them.”

 

Like someone thinking of something other than flowers.

 

Before Crodil could even ask about Eivor’s cryptic words, he vanished as if he had never been there.

 

Clicking his tongue, Crodil turned around.

 

“Mages, really.”

 

Beings who were human yet not human.

 

While Eivor was indeed enigmatic, Crodil had reason to trust him.

 

He had made an unbreakable contract with him.

 

“Now then…”

 

Crodil pushed open the heavy door at the heart of the manor.

 

A large safe came into view.

 

Unlike ordinary safes, this one had no keyhole or number pad, but instead had a hollow carved into it.

 

Gazing at the small gem-sized hollow, he smiled broadly.

 

“Looking at this safe that will soon be mine, shall I raise a toast in advance.”

 

*

 

“Ugh, my head…”

 

My head was throbbing.

 

Was it because of that strange dream? Or was it because I made contact with Ailren?

 

Clutching my head, I got up and looked around.

 

‘Let me check first.’

 

I staggered over to check the security magic, and it was intact.

 

No one had broken into the pawnshop last night.

 

‘Then it really was a dream…?’

 

Was there anything different?

 

As I scanned the shop with my eyes, something out of place suddenly caught my attention.

 

“What’s this?”

 

There was a black flower petal on the floor.

 

I turned over the petal that looked dried up and almost burnt, tilting my head as I headed to the attic.

 

Comparing it with Grandfather’s dried flowers, it was definitely the same flower.

 

‘But why is the color like this?’

 

Was it a flower petal that was dried incorrectly?

 

Since I hadn’t cleaned last night, it wasn’t that strange for a flower petal to be lying around, but somehow it bothered me.

 

I opened a drawer to store it for now, when another flower petal suddenly caught my eye.

 

‘Right, on opening day too, there was some flower petal that had fallen in the shop.’

 

It was a situation that gave me déjà vu, but there was nothing I could figure out right now.

 

Looking at the flower was also making my head hurt.

 

‘I’ll ask Emma or Chloe about it later.’

 

As I was putting the black petal in the drawer, there was a knock-knock sound at the door.

 

‘Is it Alter?’

 

I turned my head happily, but the person I saw was.

 

“Manager! Open the door!”

 

Crescens?

 

I was about to open the door reflexively, but then I crossed my arms.

 

“What’s the matter this early in the morning? We’re not open yet.”

 

“I came to see your face, Manager. When I opened my eyes this morning, I thought I should go see the Manager.”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“Sorry! I won’t say things like that! Don’t lock the door! I was wrong!”

 

If I left Crescens pleading like that, people would say ‘some young man is kneeling and begging in front of the pawnshop’ and I’d definitely be misunderstood as an unscrupulous business owner, so I had no choice but to open the door.

 

As I boiled tea, I grumbled.

 

“Do you think there are people who fall for such strange pretty-boy tactics?”

 

“Since you’re calling them pretty-boy tactics, you do acknowledge my looks, right?”

 

“I guess you didn’t hear the word that came before that. I said ‘strange.'”

 

When I turned around, Crescens was resting his chin on his hand and smiling slyly.

 

“Unfortunately, no one has fallen for them yet.”

 

“Then isn’t it time to admit failure and change your strategy?”

 

“Well? You’re the only person I use pretty-boy tactics on, Manager. Are you thinking of becoming my first and last success story?”

 

I shook my head firmly and pushed the teacup toward him.

 

Then Crescens’s light green eyes curved into crescents.

 

“It seems like success isn’t far away, right? Seeing how you’re even serving me tea.”

 

“What? I’m just returning the hospitality I received from the Cardinal. Tell the Cardinal I’m grateful when you see him.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

“Anyway, what’s your business?”

 

Crescens smiled mysteriously and held out a bundle.

 

When I opened it, there were rings and necklaces inside.

 

“I heard you decided to become a temple appraiser? So I brought you some work.”

 

“…This early in the morning…”

 

As I pressed my throbbing temples, Crescens said cheerfully.

 

“You’ve become incredibly popular since the festival. The incident at the seminar became a rumor that reached even the upper temple, enough for it to reach my ears. So I thought you’d be busy if I came during business hours, which is why I came now.”

 

“That’s true, but.”

 

Listening to Crescens’s words, I became curious.

 

“But Crescens, didn’t you come see the seminar in person?”

 

I recalled the green-eyed man in white robes who had been sitting in the audience.

 

I definitely saw Crescens then, so why is he talking about it like he heard it secondhand?

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————