I Thought It Was the Monster Duke's Fake Sedative - Chapter 117

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

Chapter 117
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”
Several nobles flinched at words that seemed to guarantee the outcome of the trial.
Moments later, though flushed with drink, the Emperor had not yet lost his wits—he smiled with practiced ease and shrugged his shoulders.
“Haha. What I mean is, if the Duke has nothing to hide, there’s nothing to worry about!”
“…Ah, quite right, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed. No matter how renowned the Duke of Teseron may be, he must stand trial fairly like anyone else….”
“Exactly. So what’s there to fret about?”
Luciana, who had been pouring him drink after drink while he played the fox even in his cups, broke into a smile as well.
“Of course not. My Duke is such a beautiful and kind person. I’m not worried at all!”
“…Kind?”
“Surely you can’t argue with ‘beautiful,’ can you? Your Majesty truly has discerning taste.”
“Haha. My, what a refreshingly unusual lady has come to be the Duchess of Teseron.”
Edward smiled his practiced smile at the Emperor, who glanced at me sidelong as he spoke.
He intercepted trays carried by passing attendants and handed Luciana the champagne and wine that sat upon them.
Beneath it all, contempt rippled through him.
‘Does she actually enjoy this pantomime of currying favor?’
So, just minutes ago—
When Edward had failed to dissuade Luciana from attending the New Year Celebration banquet, he had finally crossed the threshold of the Banquet Hall alongside her.
And there, in the middle of the hall, his eyes met directly with the Emperor, who was enjoying the festivities.
“Oh? Well, the—Duke of Teseron. I didn’t expect you to attend this year.”
“…….”
“I heard you’ve been lost in newlywed bliss lately, so I thought you two would be enjoying time alone together….”
The Emperor was visibly flustered.
He must have known the invitation had been sent in the Imperial name, yet he clearly hadn’t expected Edward to actually appear.
‘In truth, I hadn’t intended to come.’
If not for Luciana, he wouldn’t have.
Edward looked down at Luciana, who had been grinning the entire time.
True to her nature—shameless wherever she went, yet possessed of a subtle charm—Luciana showed no nervousness in such a setting and promptly rushed over to greet the Emperor.
And from somewhere she’d learned to blend wine and champagne in precise proportions as she handed it to him.
“Speaking of which, Your Majesty must be quite vigorous for your age, from what I hear?”
“Haha! Has that rumor spread far and wide?”
“It certainly has! So robust and sturdy….”
She continued to offer flattery that wasn’t quite flattery.
“I’m told that instead of ceding the throne to the Crown Prince now that he’s come of age, you work the Imperial duties yourself—quite demanding, I imagine. Truly, the master of an empire bears a sense of responsibility unlike any other.”
Meaning: the Emperor had a shameful hunger for power and still believed himself to be the sole master of all things.
“You’re so busy that you can barely find time to meet with my husband, after all.”
“Hah, hahaha!”
“Of course, unlike Your Majesty, whose domain is within these walls, my Duke works out in the field—so strong and steady that he’d make a fine statue.”
Meaning: unlike you, softened by comfortable palaces, my husband is a man of the world and built to endure.
“True. The Duke of Teseron’s strength is quite renowned….”
“But dragons, when you think about it, are reptiles. Cold-blooded creatures grow even colder when exposed to the cold, Your Majesty.”
“Mm? Cold-blooded, what’s that?”
“Such creatures become more sluggish in chilly conditions. Your Majesty ought to ease up on your duties so you can find time to see my husband….”
Edward bit back his laughter as he listened to her chatter.
Boil down everything she was saying and it amounted to one thing—
‘Don’t leave my husband out in the cold!’
‘She’s adorable.’
Even this infuriating occasion became bearable when he heard her babbling on for his sake.
More than that—he wanted to lay out a stage for her to chatter even more.
So he’d been snatching trays of drinks from passing attendants and handing them to Luciana.
Of course, unlike the other nobles who let her remarks pass by carelessly, the Emperor was handling her adeptly, losing his words only occasionally.
Just as he seemed to guarantee the trial’s outcome, he subtly drew a line—that was his way.
“Haha. Yes, yes. When I find myself at leisure, I’ll make time for it.”
“You really must, Your Majesty, so kindhearted as you are.”
“I wonder if my kindness could ever match the Duchess’s kindness toward her Duke.”
Beneath the pleasant words on the surface, he was subtly suggesting she was quite foolishly devoted to her husband.
“You flatter me.”
Luciana seemed to understand the implication, yet she smiled brightly as if accepting the compliment with gratitude.
Since both were smiling broadly as they conversed, the exchange, however delicate, never grew awkward.
Even amid it all, the Emperor seemed to feel a twinge of guilt about avoiding Edward, clearing his throat before he spoke.
“In any case, I’m delighted to see you. Since I haven’t had the chance to receive the Duke properly… as a small token of my regret, I’ll give you my best seat tonight.”
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! But that seat….”
The nobleman who was supposed to have that place protested, but the Emperor silenced him with a bleary, drunken glare.
Luciana played innocent. “Your best seat?”
“Your best seat?”
“Yes. The fireworks display begins at midnight tonight, and it’s quite spectacular. That seat gives you the perfect view of it all.”
With that, the Emperor patted his belly proudly and surrendered the prime fireworks viewing spot as though bestowing some magnificent gift.
“Oh! Thank you so much! Here, a toast to your generosity!”
Luciana accepted the offered seat without hesitation.
Then she handed the Emperor the goblet she’d been holding in reserve.
The Emperor raised an eyebrow, looking uncomfortable.
“Ahem, I shouldn’t drink any more….”
“What? Tiring already, Your Majesty?”
“Ha! Hardly!”
The moment the Emperor drained the final glass, Luciana and Edward turned and walked away together.
“Thank you again, Your Majesty. We’ll take our leave now.”
“Yes, yes, go on. My head’s starting to pound. I think I’ll retire early and rest.”
“Your Majesty, allow me to escort you— Wait! Your Majesty!”
“Mmm, I’m getting drowsy. What’s this golden thing…?”
“No! That’s my head, Your Majesty!”
Having finally exceeded his limit, the Emperor lost his composure and began to slur his words.
The two of them walked away from the spectacle.
Luciana chattered away with obvious satisfaction.
“That man’s going to suffer tomorrow. I mixed the proportions deliberately—he’s in for a terrible hangover.”
…….
“He won’t recover for a week, probably… My lord?”
Edward, who had remained silent the whole while, took her hand and drew her into a private, isolated terrace.
The very seat the Emperor had given them.
Whoosh!
He drew the curtains shut at once, blocking out all outside eyes.
“…Were you that annoyed, really?”
Luciana, belatedly catching on, watched as Edward gave a slight shrug.
“Not particularly.”
“I don’t believe that. You were clearly bothered, weren’t you?”
“…Yes.”
Edward’s curt answer was followed by a slow, deliberate shift of his gaze toward her.
He had no intention of simply throwing something on Luciana and dragging her along, so Edward had co-opted every designer and jewelry merchant in the Capital, squeezing them until they complied.
In mere days, he’d procured a dress made exclusively for Luciana.
A dress that resembled a small, bright-eyed songbird.
“You’re adorable.”
Luciana in that dress was, naturally, extraordinarily endearing.
While he enjoyed her chatter, what had irritated him from the start was the relentless attention she’d drawn from every eye in the room.
“…You were annoyed because I was adorable?”
“Because I hated watching other men look at you.”
Edward whispered the words, then gently approached and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
“When you were talking to those other people, jealousy nearly drove me mad.”
After all, Luciana hadn’t only spoken to the Emperor.
She’d exchanged pleasantries with the other nobles gathered around him, charming each with a word or two.
Some of them she’d even lingered to talk with at length.
As Edward voiced his honest feelings, Luciana shifted her gaze away and rubbed beneath her nose.
“But it was all necessary.”
Luciana had her reasons.
‘Since I’m here, I might as well extract everything I can.’
Being among so many nobles had sparked the realization of an advantage she could exploit.
The fact that she was a transmigrator who knew exactly which ventures would prove lucrative in the future.
‘For instance, what everyone thought was useless stone turned out to be excellent ore for Magical Beast Barriers.’
And then there were seeds of crops that thrived even in Corruption-tainted soil, or plant fibers that seemed worthless until one realized they were perfect for post-apocalypse clothing….
‘Since no one knows what’s coming.’
That was why Luciana had made a point of exchanging greetings with various nobles throughout the evening.
They were mostly people who possessed crops or mines that Luciana coveted in their territories.

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