I Seducing the Black-Hearted Duke Wasn't Me - Chapter 65

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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 65
“Because today marks the twenty-third day since I opened my eyes here.”
I stared down at the number 23 written on the paper.
Beside it was another numeral: 7.
One tracked how long the first intruder—the one who had possessed my body—had remained here. The other marked how long the second intruder had been staying.
“Two more days have passed now, so we’re at day twenty-five. The deadline really has no connection to any of this, does it?”
I’d assumed that if I simply waited, I would return on my own. But clearly that wasn’t how it worked.
“Maybe I’ve just been extraordinarily lucky.”
If the intruder who had taken my body hadn’t remained for over a month, what would have become of me by now?
Just imagining it gave me a headache.
“Why is this phenomenon even happening in the first place?”
The notion that another person’s soul could enter someone else’s body—it was a miracle no one would believe without experiencing it directly.
It was an impossible occurrence unless you lived through it yourself.
At the same time, it was deeply unsettling.
The thought that I might cease to be myself, that someone I knew could wake up tomorrow as a completely different person…….
“No. First things first—I need to think about solutions. Understanding the cause can come later.”
There was someone desperate to return to where they’d come from, and for the sake of the body’s true owner, finding a way out had to be the priority.
“In any case, one person has already returned, so it’s not entirely impossible. The real problem is that we have no clues whatsoever.”
I wish I’d met Park Su-min directly.
But strictly speaking, I never had. I’d only read the letter she left behind.
‘If we’d actually spoken, I might have picked up on something from her tone or expression. Hmm. The person she spent the most time talking to was…….’
Lora. And.
“Leon.”
And it wasn’t as if they’d merely talked. They’d shared an intimate connection—what one might delicately call a physical one.
That meant there was a good chance he’d noticed something unusual about her that others hadn’t.
With that thought, I shot up from my desk and set out immediately to find Leon.
“Leon. Was there anything odd about me that day?”
“Hm?”
“You know, when I was drunk and we first……anyway. Was there anything strange about my behavior that night? Like, did I seem rushed, or say anything peculiar? Anything like that. You mentioned before that I was using strange words back then.”
Yes—I’d heard the word “favorite” for the first time from him.
If that was the case, might there not be a clue among the things Leon had overlooked? Perhaps something we’d simply failed to notice.
So I’d asked.
“Why the sudden question, Erna?”
Leon tilted his head quizzically.
Had I been too abrupt?
Well, I’d rushed over and practically cornered him to ask without any preamble—it was bound to seem strange.
Especially since I’d begun with words like, “You know, the night of our incident……,” not exactly a casual opener.
He’d been dressed in a crisp uniform and was descending the stairs, apparently headed out.
A mischievous smile played at Leon’s lips.
“If you’re eager to relive that night, I’d be more than happy to help you…….”
“No! I just thought maybe I’d misspoken. Never mind! More importantly, where are you headed?”
Good grief. I’d almost gotten swept up again.
Sensing the atmosphere drifting in a dangerous direction, I hastily changed the subject.
Leon answered readily, though a hint of disappointment flickered across his face.
“I’ve been summoned repeatedly about Count Alpine’s resignation. They seem to be hoping I can persuade him directly…….”
That was precisely when it happened.
“Leon Obsidian!! Where are you? Come out this instant!”
A platinum-haired woman stormed through the entrance with a thunderous cry.
She kicked the door open and glanced around frantically, then her eyes went wide the moment she spotted us on the second-floor landing.
Or rather, more precisely—
“You goddamn bastard!!”
Her fury was directed at Leon, standing beside me.
“I-Isabel? What’s going on? More to the point, why are you—”
Was Isabel always like this?
In my presence, she’d always seemed endlessly girlish and quiet as a mouse.
But the sight before me now was a wild creature—no, an absolute hellion—bounding toward us with her skirts hiked up to her ankles.
I quickly looked over at Leon.
His eyebrows shot up as he turned to face me, as if he’d been waiting for just this moment.
The expression on his face seemed to declare: ‘See? I told you she was always like this. Everything you saw was just an act. Pure pretense.’
‘……I see. So it was all an act.’
I nodded quietly, and by way of apology for the misunderstanding, I gave the back of his hand a gentle pat.
“Leon Obsidian! You, you despicable creature!”
“What on earth are you doing, barging into someone else’s home like this? Without even asking the owner’s permission. How rude.”
“Anyone watching would think you were the one living here. And you’re not even married, so why are you sharing a house?!”
“What can I do? My Erna simply won’t be parted from me for a moment.”
Me? I said such a thing…?
When on earth did I?
“This is absurd. A man who claims to love his fiancée, committing such sordid acts?! How can you even call yourself human?!”
Isabel, trembling with indignation, cried out.
I’d been growing curious about the purpose of her sudden visit anyway.
“Look, I don’t understand what’s going on, so maybe you could just explain—”
“Having nothing better to do, you commit infidelity with your fiancée right beside you! Infidelity!”
“…What?”
Infidelity.
In an instant, I heard everyone on the first floor draw in a sharp breath.
The servants stationed below all clapped their hands over their mouths.
Even Lora, visible in the distance.
But this was far from over.
“Say it again. What exactly did I do?”
“Infidelity, I said! And not just any infidelity, but—!”
Isabel spat the words out, her expression twisted with disgust as she bit her lip.
“You fathered an illegitimate child! To think you’d been committing such filthy acts behind Erna’s back!”
Wow, that’s… quite a blow.
At this far graver accusation, every eye in the room fixed on Leon.
“Isabel.”
Leon called her name quietly.
“What, what—wait, gah, ah—!”
His voice dropped to a cold, soft register that seemed to freeze the very air in the room.
“Who told you that story?”
* * *
“I’ve never seen people so utterly mad.”
……
“Really, you can’t just let this slide, Duke. No, there has to be a limit. This has gone way too far!”
Lora, blazing with fury, trembled as she spoke.
In her hands were gossip pamphlets and newspapers, half of them torn.
These publications clearly hadn’t appeared in the morning edition—they looked like they’d been rushed out as a breaking report.
What was printed inside was nothing short of shocking.
[BREAKING] Duke’s Mistress Crashes the Century’s Engagement Celebration with Illegitimate Child! Duke Reportedly Bedridden in Shock—What Awaits These Star-Crossed Lovers?
But wait. This…
“…This is pure fiction.”
Apart from the fact that an intruder had appeared, not a single detail was true.
I gave a bitter laugh at the absurdity and glanced at Leon. His eyes glinted dangerously.
“Isabel. You were there that day—can’t you tell the difference between fact and falsehood?”
“B-but… I saw something, yes, but I didn’t understand exactly what was happening. Besides, I was handed over to Zaherette immediately after. And according to Princess Roman, that woman claimed she came to see Leon herself, so… that’s why.”
Isabel’s voice shrank to a whisper as she answered.
In other words, that woman was Leon’s mistress.
And learning this truth, I must have moved her to the Zaherette Residence under the guise of protective measures, to keep the matter from leaking to the public.
‘Strangely enough, it holds together.’
It was far more credible than the truth—that someone had suddenly possessed another body and come seeking help, and that I, who happened to know the circumstances, discovered and sheltered her.
‘Even so, this is too much.’
It was insulting, not least to Leon and me.
Thinking there was no excuse more absurd than this, I wondered who could have written such preposterous drivel, and I scanned through the newspaper.
A familiar name caught my eye.
[Always Rewarding Truth and Trust—Newspaper <Evening Belle>]
Them again!

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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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