Everyone Was Obsessed With Me After I Became the Youngest Princess Favourite - Chapter 94

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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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Perhaps it was the relief washing over me—tears streamed down my face unbidden as I listened to Baron Bardo’s words.
I quickly wiped away my tears and called out to Duke Elrad, whose gaze remained fixed upon the Duchess.
The emotional toll of these past days had ravaged him so thoroughly that his face bore the unmistakable marks of anguish—gaunt and weathered beyond words.
“My lord.”
When I called out a second time, the Duke finally turned his attention to me.
Pretending not to notice the tears glistening in his eyes, I clenched my fists and spoke.
“The medicine from Splecia is effective. That means….”
“Yes. I understand. Someone attempted to poison Edel.”
The Duchess’s recovery was an indescribable joy, yet I could not allow myself to celebrate without reservation.
“As you suggested, I’ve ensured absolute secrecy regarding her condition. Her improvement must remain strictly confidential until we apprehend the culprit. But I swear to you—I will catch whoever did this before she fully recovers. The children miss their mother terribly.”
I nodded, then hesitated before opening my mouth.
“My lord….”
“What is it?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
And I shook my head again.
Until now, I had charged forward recklessly, convinced that only I could accomplish this task. But circumstances had shifted.
To put it more plainly, it felt as though my reason—which had abandoned me—was finally returning home.
‘That’s right. I’ve already overstepped my bounds.’
Duke Elrad would not have remained idle all this time; I could trust him and entrust this matter to his capable hands.
I nodded inwardly and gazed upon the Duchess, whose expression had grown noticeably more at ease.
It was time to repay the suffering she and her family had endured.
* * *
After confirming that the Duchess showed signs of improvement, I returned to my room, washed hastily, and collapsed onto my bed.
For the first time since returning from the Imperial Palace, I was truly resting. Exhaustion crashed over me like a tidal wave.
As if to prove that I had been sustained by sheer willpower alone, I plummeted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
How long had I slept? When I awoke, the pre-dawn darkness still clung to the world.
As my fatigue began to lift, hunger came calling in its stead.
Feeling a ravenous hunger reminiscent of my days as a beggar, I rose from my bed to check if any food remained in the dining hall—only to stop short in surprise.
A simple meal had been laid out on a table in the corner of my room.
It appeared that after I had retired to my quarters, the Duke had ordered someone to bring me food.
I was momentarily taken aback by his unexpected thoughtfulness.
‘How deeply did I sleep that I didn’t notice someone entering?’
As I reflected on how mercilessly I had driven my body these past days, I was struck anew by the realization that this child’s form was far too fragile, leaving me defenseless even in sleep.
“I gratefully receive this meal.”
But hunger knows no restraint—with food right before me, all I could think of was satisfying this gnawing emptiness.
I began devouring the sandwich with unseemly haste.
“Ahh, I’m so full….”
I had eaten far more than usual.
After patting my distended belly and flopping back onto the bed, a strange feeling settled over me.
While I was overjoyed at having saved the Duchess, a lingering unease persisted—perhaps because the matter remained unresolved.
‘…It must be because I didn’t reveal the information I know.’
The moment I confirmed that the Duchess had been poisoned, I recognized the poison’s identity.
A toxin that mimics heart disease through chest pain and respiratory distress, ultimately triggering cardiac arrest.
‘I didn’t know it had already entered the Empire….’
It was unmistakably “Lyden”—a poison the Dark Guild had smuggled in covertly for assassination and conspiracy.
Extracted from sea creatures of the Southern Continent, it was colorless and odorless, indistinguishable from water to the naked eye, left no trace, and inflicted excruciating agony.
Initially, I’d assumed this was a political act targeting Duke Elrad, but knowing the poison’s nature made me uneasy.
I couldn’t even fathom that anyone harbored such hatred and animosity toward the Duchess.
“Why rush so recklessly?”
In the past, victims had lingered in bed for over half a year, wasting away before death—meaning the poison had been administered in small doses over an extended period.
But this time, everything had progressed far too quickly.
‘If they’d taken their time, I wouldn’t have been certain it was poison.’
The reason would become clear once I caught the culprit, but an inexplicable dread left my mouth parched.
The Dark Guild treated human lives like insects, so extracting information would inevitably require bloodshed as a baseline.
Moreover, a traceless poison like Lyden commanded exorbitant prices, so they certainly wouldn’t talk easily.
‘I need to apprehend the culprit quickly….’
I couldn’t conceal the Duchess’s condition indefinitely—action was necessary.
Having resolved myself, I retrieved the communication artifact from the side table beside the bed.
The Guild Master of Darel had given it to me last time, saying to use it if I needed to contact him.
From appearance-altering magic to communication artifacts.
He seemed to be a mage himself or had a mage in his guild—his abilities appeared formidable.
I have an urgent request. I’d appreciate it if you could come as quickly as possible.
I inserted a mana stone I’d prepared beforehand and operated the artifact to send the message.
The Information Guild, whose primary activity occurs during night and dawn hours, would check it immediately.
‘Ideally, they’d arrive before sunrise.’
The moment I thought that, the communication artifact’s light suddenly flickered.
“…?”
And then.
Tap, tap.
Someone knocked on the window.
* * *
“How did you get here so fast… Wait, why did you come through here!”
“…You asked me to come as quickly as possible.”
“Even so, how did you enter the Main Building! Is this your house? Why do you come and go like you own the place!”
Lucio watched Lia bounce indignantly, unable to offer a single rebuttal, his mouth firmly sealed.
He had nothing to say. He himself was thinking he’d gone mad.
Having rushed home upon hearing his mother’s condition had improved, Lucio had ordered food brought to Lia’s room, having heard she’d retired to rest.
She clearly hadn’t eaten properly, with her frame already skeletal.
Though his father’s gaze had felt oddly penetrating, I’d deliberately ignored it.
After reporting what I’d investigated so far, I was about to leave to continue my work.
Lucio’s heart sank when he noticed the communication device he’d given to Lia suddenly gleaming.
Why would she be asking to meet at this hour? Doubt and unease flooded through him simultaneously.
He’d revealed an ability he’d wanted to keep hidden because the situation had grown critical, but now that everything seemed resolved, he feared she might quietly disappear from his life.
Anxious, Lucio sent a reply agreeing to meet and immediately sought out Lia’s room.
‘At least she had the presence of mind to wear the earring. That’s something to be grateful for.’
Unaware of the relieved sigh he exhaled inwardly, Lia was still fuming.
“If you can find my room so easily, then you must know who’s in the adjacent room too? This is insane! Don’t you dare come wandering through the Main Building again!”
“…I was just doing my job.”
“Your job?”
Lia tilted her head briefly before her eyes widened and she cried out.
“Ah! So someone hired you to investigate our Mistress’s condition? That’s why you came snooping!”
“That’s not what—”
“Tell me. Who?”
Lia immediately reached out and grabbed Lucio by the collar.
But something was wrong.
‘…Why are my feet dangling in the air?’
Contrary to what she’d expected, her small stature and light weight meant that instead of grabbing him, she ended up dangling helplessly from Lucio.
“…”
“…”
“…W-why won’t you just say it?”
Lia’s ears flushed with embarrassment, but she hardened her expression again and snapped at him.
Lucio then lifted her effortlessly and set her on the table by the window before speaking.
“It’s not what you think.”
“…Really?”
“Yes.”
“If you’re lying, I won’t let you off easy. And don’t just barge in here for work or anything else. It’s extremely unpleasant having outsiders wandering through the estate.”
In the past, she too had infiltrated various places without hesitation as an informant, so she had no right to be so bold about it.
But she wanted to protect House Elrad.
When she issued her threat with a frightening expression, Lucio nodded with an odd look and asked.
“But what did you call me here for? It seemed urgent.”
“Ah, well…”
Lucio stared intently at the hesitant Lia.
He was already worrying about how to keep her from leaving if she really decided to go.
I need you to find out who bought poison from the Dark Guild.”
At her words, his fist clenched involuntarily.
“They’ll claim ignorance, but the poison’s name is ‘Lyden,’ and if you mention that you know they dealt with the Southern Continent…”
“Stop.”
“…?”
“I won’t take that request. Someone has already commissioned it.”
“What?”
Lia blinked, and her expression shifted to one of sudden understanding.
She had assumed the Guild Master of Darel visited the Duke’s Mansion because of a request from Duke Elrad.
“I had no idea… Oh, thank goodness.”
“…Yes. Now stop worrying and rest. And stop making mana stones for now.”
At his unexpected words, Lia looked at him, and Lucio continued speaking.
“A cure that can neutralize any poison? Everyone will go mad trying to buy it. A single vial would be worth more than an entire castle.”
“…!”
Lia’s expression grew even more startled than when she had seen him arrive the moment the communication device rang.
Just as she was about to demand ‘How on earth did you know that?’, he vanished swiftly through the open window.
Her bewilderment lasted only a moment.
Sensing urgent movement from beyond the door, Lia quickly descended from the table and opened it.
Baron Bardo, startled by the sudden opening, spoke in a frantic voice.
“L-Lia! The Duchess… she’s stopped breathing!”

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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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