About Becoming My Ex-Husband's Mistress - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 24. Draped in His Silk Shirt
At that moment, the servants and maids began bringing out the main courses.
Luderne Sellen exhaled softly.
“Leave that matter to Sir Jester. For now, focus on encouraging the workers at the Mage Tower.”
With those words, Luderne Sellen took his seat alongside Brissel Mohr at the prepared table.
“The entrance to the library where the grimoires are kept is at the left end if you go behind the Mansion. I’ll inform Egardt, the butler, so feel free to visit whenever you wish.”
Once Sir Jester finished speaking, he too returned to the table.
Walter gently patted my shoulder.
“I’m curious how things came to this, but I’ll head off to work now. If you get too exhausted, go rest first.”
“Thank you so much for your help, Walter.”
I rolled up my sleeves again.
Ever since my encounter with Luderne Sellen, my physical condition had been far from ideal, but I steeled myself and focused on the work at hand.
* * *
“Wait, Sir Jester—His Highness said to do as you please, but you actually granted that woman access to the library? Are you in your right mind? You know perfectly well that’s the Grand Duke’s private library.”
The moment Brissel sat at the dinner table, he voiced his complaints to Jester.
“It’s as good as the Grand Duke’s approval, so what’s the problem?”
With a shrug, Jester leaned closer to Brissel and lowered his voice before speaking.
“That woman is suspicious. Something about her doesn’t feel unfamiliar.”
At those words, one of Brissel’s eyebrows rose.
“Sir Jester, do you know that woman?”
“No. It’s my first time seeing her.”
“Then what’s the contradiction?”
Regardless of Brissel’s remark, Jester searched for Priscilla with his eyes. She wasn’t immediately visible among the crowd.
Then he suddenly realized that Luderne Sellen, despite eating with an indifferent expression, kept lifting his gaze to look at something.
At the end of that gaze lay…
…
Priscilla, busily serving the guests.
One corner of Jester’s mouth lifted.
“Grand Duke, isn’t she too exquisite a beauty to be merely the tavern keeper’s lover?”
As Luderne Sellen’s eyes narrowed toward me, Jester let out a subtle laugh.
“You’re watching because you like her, aren’t you? That’s why you granted her library access too.”
Luderne Sellen’s brow furrowed deeper.
“Not particularly. I simply left the choice to the Knight, as I said.”
Hearing Luderne Sellen’s brief response from beside him, Brissel bristled.
“Sir Jester, if you don’t know something, stay quiet. You’re being disrespectful to the Grand Duke.”
“Ah, what don’t I know? I think I understand better than either of you. First of all…”
Jester pointed at Priscilla, who moved about busily here and there, with the tip of his finger.
“That woman named Priscilla must have a story.”
“Hm?”
One end of Brissel’s eyebrow rose again, but Jester continued undeterred.
“You work in a tavern, yet there’s an unmistakable refinement in your movements. You were likely a fallen noble or served in a noble household. And there’s something else I sense.”
Brissel Mohr fell silent.
Seeing the look that urged him to continue, Egardt smirked.
“The reason that woman approached me, the Mage Tower Master. She claimed curiosity about magic, but the truth is she’s cursed.”
Brissel Mohr’s eyes widened.
“That woman is cursed?”
“I don’t know what kind of curse, but it’s high-level magic. It carries the distinctive aura of Scroll Curse Mage Menglow Breeze.”
Menglow Breeze.
Well over eighty years old, she was an authority on curse magic within the Doorban Empire Magic Tower.
“That old woman is….”
Brissel Mohr’s pupils moved carefully.
“Supposedly missing.”
“That’s what I heard too. But they found her. And….”
Egardt, speaking casually, brought his index finger to his lips. Then he pointed slightly upward and made a gesture of drawing his finger across his throat.
“The imperial prince, as clear as the sky itself, quite naturally….”
“Ah.”
Brissel Mohr nodded, his expression showing immediate understanding.
“Since we don’t know that woman’s identity, we can’t bring it up first. Still, she seemed rather urgent, so if she finds she can’t just read books, wouldn’t she come and tell us her circumstances first?”
* * *
“Thank you for your hard work. We’ll handle the cleanup.”
For helping with the banquet, I received four silver coins.
The residents who came to work left for home in good spirits, pleased with the income relative to their hours.
Walter also seemed to be in good spirits.
“We’ve completely sold out of alcohol.”
He mentioned that today’s sales equaled an entire month’s worth for the tavern.
“We’ll need to restock everything—alcohol and ingredients—so we’ll be closed for about three days. Rest well in the meantime. Shall we head back?”
I declined Walter’s suggestion to return together. I needed to use the library I had access to. My condition was deteriorating, so I had to find clues quickly.
I received the library key from the butler immediately.
“The books in the library are extremely rare, and normally only the master is permitted to use it. Please lock the door once you’re inside to prevent anyone from entering without permission, and be careful not to lose the key—there are only two in existence.”
He then gave me several more instructions.
Books are strictly forbidden from being removed, handle them carefully and feel free to use any of the interior facilities, and after you’re done, place the key in the mailbox in the mansion’s first-floor lobby and I’ll retrieve it, among other things.
Though it was already late at night, I didn’t hesitate and headed toward the library.
A small door at the back of the mansion led to the Underground Library.
It was dark, but that was fine. A lamp was provided at the entrance.
I lit the lamp, locked the door behind me, and stepped inside.
The air felt surprisingly fresh for an underground space, suggesting good maintenance. Though the distinctive scent of books permeated everything.
Venturing deeper, I found a spacious area with a long red velvet sofa in the center, a comfortable single-seat sofa, a table, and a tall lamp.
Three walls were lined with bookshelves at waist height, all filled with volumes.
Near the ceiling, several small wooden windows were closed along the walls. They appeared to be for ventilation.
Near the ceiling, several small wooden windows were closed along the walls. They seemed to be used for ventilation.
The shelf beside the sofa was well-stocked with water, provisions, blankets, cushions, and spare lamps.
There was no fireplace.
However, a beautiful shelf installed on one side held a kettle, a tea set, and a peculiar circular stone plate—clearly arranged for brewing tea.
Across from it, I spotted two doors.
I opened one of them.
A tastefully decorated bathroom and toilet came into view, each separate.
Clear water trickled gently from one wall of the bathroom.
The water collected in the bathtub before draining through a channel on the opposite side. It appeared groundwater flowed through here naturally.
A small wooden window was visible near the ceiling as well, evidently serving as ventilation.
Adjacent to it was a dressing room.
Several white silk shirts hung neatly—they appeared to belong to Luderne Sellen.
He had mentioned being the only one who used this place.
The moment I realized these were Luderne Sellen’s shirts, my heart began racing again.
I carefully inhaled the scent of one. Perhaps, faintly, a familiar fragrance lingered.
I soon realized the shirt was unworn, pristine, and my current behavior was utterly shameless.
“Sigh… really…”
I was never this kind of woman.
The curse magic seemed increasingly abhorrent.
I exhaled deeply and checked the other door.
As I turned the handle, I heard the lock disengage.
Inside was a passage resembling the one I’d descended. This door likely connected to the interior of the Mansion.
‘He said there were only two keys.’
I locked the door again. Then the butler’s words suddenly came to mind.
“It is forbidden for anyone but the master to use this place…”
In other words, no one would come.
Luderne Sellen would not visit while I was here. He wanted to avoid me.
‘He did say I could use all the interior facilities freely, didn’t he?’
Four days remained until Walter’s Tavern reopened.
Four days seemed manageable to spend here.
I surveyed the bookshelves. They were crammed with volumes on magic.
Could I possibly read through all of this in four days?
‘I have to alleviate this lust curse somehow.’
I needed to find as much information as possible.
Before reading, I went to the bathroom first and bathed in cold water to reduce the heat radiating through my body.
The curse’s sensation didn’t completely fade, but the cold water helped somewhat.
After that, I decided to change into comfortable clothes. I’d be staying here for four days, and I couldn’t continue wearing the outfit I’d worked in.
I’d put it back on when I left.
After washing and hanging out all my clothes and undergarments, the only thing left to wear was Luderne Sellen’s silk shirt.
But that would be fine.
‘He said I could use anything freely. And no one will come anyway.’
I slipped on a silk shirt that felt wonderfully soft against my skin and stood before the mirror. The pronounced points on both sides of my chest were somewhat embarrassing, but my lower half felt refreshingly cool.
Still, I wondered what I looked like.
No one was watching anyway.
I lit the tall lamp beside the long sofa. The surrounding area grew brighter.
I placed water and simple snacks on the table in the center of the Underground Library, then rifled through the bookshelves.
First, I pulled out every book containing the words “curse” and “scroll.” There were about fifteen of them.
After arranging the cushions and gathering a blanket, I settled onto the long sofa.
And I opened a book.

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