The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 99

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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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Before long, the party began to wind down.

 

‘I did arrive late.’

 

Lina, standing on the dais, opened her mouth to speak.

 

“…To those who have graced this 932nd eve festival commemorating our nation’s founding, this princess expresses gratitude in the names of Presrife and Etewirn.”

 

Lina, who had been speaking solemnly, took a long breath at the ‘Etewirn’ part.

 

She was looking at her uncle.

 

Deliberately placing her hand near her chest to draw the audience’s attention to her pendant, Lina continued with emphasis.

 

“I hope that tomorrow’s scheduled charity event will be a meaningful time not only for you all but also for all the sick and hungry in Presrife, and I too ask for your cooperation. Well then.”

 

It was a short and concise greeting.

 

Nothing like the trembling person who had come to the pawnshop.

 

‘So this is what Lina looks like as a princess.’

 

As I clapped, I could hear people murmuring.

 

“I heard the princess’s health had deteriorated since the Empress passed away. If she can appear at official occasions like this, she must be getting better?”

 

“From what she said, it seems the princess took the lead in preparing this Founding Festival rather than the Regent King?”

 

“It seems so. No wonder it felt more modest than usual years.”

 

This is… modest…?

 

Just what kind of spending habits do these nobles have, I wondered, as the nobles flowed out like an ebbing tide.

 

It seemed they were heading to the accommodations prepared at the separate palace.

 

I followed Crodil with my eyes. Where did he go already?

 

‘When Lina mentioned Etewirn, he smirked mockingly. That bastard.’

 

Just then, one of the young ladies who had been giggling as they approached me struck my shoulder hard.

 

“Ah…!”

 

“Oh my. Are you alright?”

 

However, it wasn’t me who fell, but her.

 

While I covered my mouth in exaggerated panic and pretended to be flustered, I smiled inwardly.

 

‘Just the weight of the bag I brought today alone is considerable. Don’t underestimate muscles built from daily life.’

 

Looking at her face, it was the woman who had called me ‘crazy’ earlier.

 

I pretended to look sympathetic as I extended my hand.

 

“You should have watched where you were going. You were so busy talking about others and looking sideways that you didn’t see the person standing right there.”

 

“What…!”

 

The young lady who had been sitting ungracefully turned bright red.

 

She slapped my hand away and stood up abruptly with her friends’ support.

 

“How, how dare someone like you lecture me!”

 

I said with a dejected expression.

 

“I’m sorry that you took stating facts as a lecture. How could I dare lecture a young lady?”

 

“What, what do you mean? Ha!”

 

Since I maintained politeness while retorting point by point so she couldn’t find fault, the young lady said fiercely.

 

“Which family are you from to be holding your head up so high? Did you happen to pick up an invitation somewhere? Or.”

 

Her eyes glinted maliciously.

 

“Do you have some ‘sugar daddy’ who took pity on your pathetic state?”

 

‘Hah.’

 

So now she thinks I seduced some old noble to get an invitation?

 

‘You’ve crossed the line, you.’

 

I wasn’t even angry at this excessive insult.

 

“Ah. You must be quite curious about who gave me the invitation.”

 

I let out a hollow laugh and hardened my expression.

 

“You’re asking because you can handle it no matter whose name comes up, right?”

 

The woman who had been pointing at me hesitated at those words.

 

She gulped.

 

I asked again in a flat tone.

 

“Let me ask again. Are you confident you can handle it?”

 

“Th-that’s… what…”

 

“You don’t seem confident. And you don’t seem to have any intention of taking responsibility for your own words. Then shouldn’t you avoid making statements that are both uncertain and insulting?”

 

It was quiet around us, so when I looked around, people’s gazes were focused this way.

 

It was when the woman, who could neither do this nor that, bit her lips tightly.

 

“Edwina?”

 

What appeared through the crowd was Crodil.

 

He approached the woman called Edwina with his usual good-natured smile.

 

“Y-Your Majesty the Regent King.”

 

“I heard loud voices and came to see, but I didn’t know the young lady was still in the banquet hall.”

 

When Crodil’s gaze turned to her, Edwina stiffened.

 

“The count, who is the young lady’s father, is worrying so loudly that it can be heard all the way here. How about returning to your bedchamber now?”

 

“I-I’m sorry for causing you concern!”

 

“Not at all. She’s the beloved only daughter of a count who is my close friend, so it’s natural for me to be concerned.”

 

Edwina hurriedly greeted Crodil, glared at me, and left.

 

Thinking the situation was resolved, the other nobles also left their seats.

 

Crodil, who had been smiling at those offering greetings, suddenly rolled his eyes toward me.

 

“By the way… our violet-eyed young lady? I don’t recognize the face.”

 

Unlike his smooth voice, there was a chill in his eyes.

 

After looking me over coldly, I slowly bent my knees in greeting to Crodil, who met my gaze.

 

“It’s my first time meeting you, Your Majesty the Regent King. I am Elisha.”

 

“Elisha, what a lovely name.”

 

Crodil gently raised the corners of his mouth.

 

“It seems like a name that some elderly ‘someone’ put quite a bit of thought into…”

 

However, his eyes weren’t smiling at all.

 

After staring at me for a while, Crodil turned sharply and left the banquet hall. His attendants followed behind him.

 

As I watched his retreating figure to the end, Valerie, who had been swept away by the crowd, approached.

 

“Appraiser, that young lady named Edwina is the daughter of Count Hestian, who is a distant relative and close friend of the Regent King. It’s a bit awkward to say this, but she’s famous for being arrogant…”

 

Valerie seemed worried about Edwina’s misconduct, but she wasn’t who I was concerned about.

 

‘Crodil was paying attention to my eye color.’

 

That wasn’t all. He seemed to know Grandfather well.

 

Swallowing a sigh, I sent Valerie away for now.

 

“I want to look around the banquet hall a bit more. Please go ahead.”

 

“Ah, will you? Then I’ll see you at tomorrow’s main event, Appraiser.”

 

After Valerie left, what remained in the banquet hall were me, the knights, and the attendants cleaning up.

 

I fell into thought while looking toward the door.

 

‘Right, since Crodil was a marquis before being regent king, he could have known Grandfather, who was a duke. But.’

 

As everyone said unanimously, Grandfather and I had nothing in common except our eye color.

 

Yet Crodil specifically mentioned the ‘someone’ who would have given me my name.

 

Was it just a guess, or had he heard information from Rosaline, or perhaps.

 

‘Was he Grandfather’s enemy?’

 

I couldn’t imagine Grandfather being friendly with someone like Crodil.

 

Even the Duke of Alchemiya didn’t know he had a granddaughter, yet Crodil accepted it naturally?

 

‘Sometimes enemies know more about you than friends do. So then…’

 

That’s another reason to stand against Crodil.

 

As I clenched my fist, I heard footsteps.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Before I knew it, Ailren and Lina had come toward me.

 

She probably saw me with Crodil from a distance.

 

I shook my head slightly at Ailren, who had a serious expression.

 

“Yes, I’m fine. There was a small commotion when the young lady of House Count Hestian fell down.”

 

I couldn’t tell him about my suspicions anyway.

 

After brushing it off vaguely, I smiled at Lina.

 

“By the way, you looked so magnificent giving that speech earlier! I was truly impressed, thinking ‘As expected of the Princess!’ I’m sorry I was late – I wish I could have come earlier to see it all.”

 

“…Oh, yeah.”

 

Was she suddenly feeling embarrassed?

 

Lina’s expression had strangely stiffened.

 

As I hesitated, not understanding why, she looked at the door once, then at me once, and spoke as if she had made up her mind.

 

“Count Airen, please dismiss the knights for a moment. I have somewhere to go secretly with Elisha.”

 

“I’m sorry, but I cannot do that.”

 

It was a day with many outsiders.

 

Ailren immediately refused Lina’s request to withdraw the escort, not knowing what threats might exist.

 

A flash of resentment briefly appeared in Lina’s eyes.

 

“I’m not asking you to completely withdraw the escort, just to step aside for a moment. Even that’s not allowed?”

 

“If I have misunderstood His Majesty’s orders, I will apologize. However, if you mean to move with just the two of you without revealing your destination, that is something I cannot permit for any reason.”

 

“You said permit? Are you my superior?”

 

“I spoke in reference to my primary duty to protect and guard Your Highness. If you are displeased, I will apologize for that as well, but my position remains the same.”

 

I suddenly found myself caught between two people having a wall-like conversation.

 

“Um….”

 

Both of their gazes turned to me as I raised my hand.

 

I decided to accept my position of having to say something flowery.

 

“Then how about we keep the destination secret, but go with three people?”

 

“Three people?”

 

“Yes. Lina, me, and a knight who could take down everyone by himself.”

 

I pretended to whisper to Ailren.

 

“Sir Knight, you’ll keep quiet about where we’re going, right? I’m planning to have secret conversations with Lina, and it would be bad if word got out.”

 

When I put on my best act, Lina’s expression relaxed.

 

Meanwhile, Ailren seemed unaware that it was an act. He answered quite seriously.

 

“Yes. I swear it.”

 

“You don’t really need to swear… Anyway, shall we go wherever it is, Lina?”

 

“Yeah. We’re going to the Main Palace.”

 

At the mention of Main Palace, Ailren’s head shot up, but Lina pretended not to notice and walked ahead.

 

I caught up to Lina’s side, passing Ailren who was walking a few steps behind, and quietly handed her a cookie I had taken from the table.

 

“You must have been busy today. You didn’t eat properly, did you?”

 

“Mmm.”

 

“This was really delicious – would you like some?”

 

Lina looked at me curiously as I ate the cookie.

 

“You eat cookies while walking?”

 

“Uh, yes.”

 

“I want to try that too.”

 

When a normally kind person suddenly becomes sharp, you should feed them something sweet first.

 

The so-called cookie therapy.

 

Would it work?

 

“…It’s delicious. I feel like my mood is improving.”

 

Hearing the crunching sound of her eating cookies, I breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Right, the Princess is human too. People naturally become sensitive when their blood sugar drops.

 

Walking with Lina, who was now in a better mood, I arrived in front of a large door located in the innermost part of the Main Palace.

 

But what exactly is this place for…?

 

“Elisha, do you know what this place is?”

 

“Oh, I have no idea.”

 

Lina chuckled softly and took out a key to turn it, then an attendant who had been guarding the door pushed it open.

 

What was revealed was.

 

“I really wanted to show you this first.”

 

“This place is….”

 

“Yeah. It’s the Imperial Palace Vault. The place where the treasures to be exhibited tomorrow are kept.”

 

My jaw nearly dropped.

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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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