I Thought It Was the Monster Duke's Fake Sedative - Chapter 45

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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 45
Still, she couldn’t go against the Duchess’s wishes.
Clara glanced away from Lucy’s gaze and changed the subject.
“I… well, I shouldn’t just wait for Sophie. Let me search around here for any medical supplies. Even if you say it doesn’t hurt, we still need to treat it.”
“…Do that.”
Lucy watched Clara disappear through the door and smiled wryly.
“So she goes to all this trouble to create an opportunity, then leaves me alone like this.”
Wasn’t the plan to handle things while both of them were here?
Whatever she was preparing for, Clara’s absence felt like a gift—a window of chance that had opened before her.
Lucy rose quietly from her seat.
“Hmm.”
As she turned her head, the Vanity and Display Cabinet she’d been eyeing came into view.
‘There’s bound to be something useful.’
At the thought of finding materials, her mouth watered with anticipation.
As she drew closer and began examining the room, a realization came naturally.
‘This really does seem to be a high-ranking person’s quarters.’
The Western Annex was lavish throughout, but this room was uncommonly luxurious.
You could tell just from the Chandelier and the soft, fine Carpet covering the floor.
Moreover, traces of the maids’ recent, diligent cleaning were still visible everywhere.
As if it had been used quite recently.
“Perfect.”
If so, traces of whoever had used it would be even better preserved.
Lucy began rummaging eagerly through the items on the Vanity.
“…Found it!”
Before long, she discovered a single strand of hair caught in an Ornate Decorative Comb resting on the Vanity.
It appeared to be a woman’s hair—long and fine.
Though duller and graying in places compared to Edward’s, it was definitely blonde.
Currently, in the Duchy, blonde hair belonged only to members of the ducal family.
‘It must be the Duchess.’
She felt a pleasant sense of accomplishment at obtaining it so much more easily than expected.
Lucy held the strand up to the light, examining it closely.
The more she looked at it, the more it reminded her of Edward’s hair—despite the different shade, both were gold.
When Edward had lifted her into the air that night, she’d been startled enough to grip his hair.
The strand that had slipped between her fingers then….
‘It was really soft.’
Edward’s hair had felt completely different from the dried, withered strand in her palm now—truly smooth and silken.
Like holding a tiny fragment of gold, it had seemed to crumble into dust within her hand, catching the light like powder.
‘How does he even maintain it like that?’
That man probably had soft eyelashes too.
‘Actually, probably all of his….’
“Oh.”
She’d almost let her thoughts venture somewhere dangerous.
…Since she’d already seen him in the bath, the memory resurfaced in an instant.
‘This is not the time for this.’
Lucy quickly regained her composure and fanned her flushed face.
‘I don’t know when Clara will be back, so I need to hurry.’
Lucy pulled out a Handkerchief, wrapped the hair carefully, and tucked it into her pocket.
“A single strand isn’t enough to be sure.”
She then searched more frantically through the surrounding area.
‘I don’t need many—just a few more strands would be ideal.’
In that moment, as she was prying into every corner and moving about like a mouse burrowing through the earth, something happened.
Click.
“Huh?”
The instant her hand pressed against the lower part of the Vanity while inspecting every nook and cranny.
A sound of a lock engaging came from deep within the large Vanity.
Lucy paused mid-motion and felt at what her fingertips had touched.
“This is….”
A round button was hidden in a place where it couldn’t be seen.
It was difficult to press by accident, but positioned such that anyone who knew it was there could activate it.
“Could this be….”
Lucy’s heart began to race, thump-thump against her ribs.
“A secret mechanism I’ve only heard about in stories?”
Hidden chambers and locking devices from the books she’d devoured sprang instantly to mind.
Lucy pressed the button harder, putting her full weight behind it.
Click, click, click.
Then came the sound of the button sinking inward, gears turning within the mechanism.
And then….
Clunk.
The wall behind the vanity swung open.
Lucy’s eyes ignited with pure exhilaration.
‘…jackpot.’
It felt like winning the lottery.
Not the first prize, exactly—more like fourth or fifth tier.
Since she still had no idea what this passage was for.
‘But it’s practically a universal law that you find something important in a place like this.’
To stumble upon it by sheer accident like this.
Today the gods were clearly smiling on her—it was the kind of day that called for celebrating with a hot meal afterward.
‘Just you wait, Edward le Tesseran.’
The contract would be signed soon enough.
And instead of celebration, I’ll be treating you to a scorching Purification Ritual.
Lucy set her jaw with grim determination, clenched her fists, and squeezed herself through the narrow opening.
‘What on earth could be in here?’
Once inside, there would surely be a long, winding corridor. She’d have to be careful not to lose her way….
“…but apparently that won’t be necessary.”
The passage ended far sooner than she’d expected.
Just a few steps in, and another door appeared leading to a different space entirely.
She felt a slight twinge of disappointment, but….
“…no, there’s definitely something here.”
Her excitement surged even higher an instant later.
Before her stood an Iron Door so heavy it would take several people to open it.
Multiple hinges and locks adorned its surface, and at the top was a small sliding window to peer out—a design she’d seen countless times in spy thrillers from her past life.
This was exactly the sort of door from those films.
And wrapped around the door handle were several layers of Iron Chain coiled tight.
‘Just looking at it, there’s clearly something significant hidden inside.’
At least one blessing could be counted.
Right now both the locks and the chains hung loose, and the Iron Door itself, which looked as if it would require full-body strength to open, stood slightly ajar.
‘So I don’t have to pick it or force my way in!’
Yet the opening was still quite narrow.
An average adult would have had considerable difficulty squeezing through….
“But this body is optimized for escape, after all.”
For someone as small as Lucy, the gap looked entirely manageable.
Speaking with confidence, Lucy slipped her body sideways through the opening.
…though her slightly protruding stomach caught just a touch, causing her to furrow her brow.
That was thanks to Edward feeding her well and generously of late—a belly that had grown noticeably rounder.
“…but barely, barely!”
Fortunately, as she twisted her body bit by bit, she slid through without much effort.
Whoosh.
The Mana Orb embedded in the ceiling sensed her presence and blazed to life, and the darkness that had filled her vision transformed instantly to brilliant white light.
“Ow, that’s bright.”
As her eyes adjusted to the illumination, Lucy imagined what the room might contain.
‘What kind of room could this be?’
Locked away so carefully, it had to be a place of considerable significance.
Just the sliding window to check who was outside gave the whole thing the feel of a secret establishment.
‘A secret establishment, huh.’
…perhaps something like a Duchess’s Secret Room where people gathered for decadent amusements?
Maybe a space where past Duchesses had brought their lovers to indulge themselves?
It wasn’t an unreasonable thought at all.
‘This is a mature-rated trashy novel, after all.’
Naturally, all manner of extraordinary and passionate happenings could occur within the bounds of such a story.
A secret space like this would be perfect for conducting such secretive, licentious affairs.
‘Besides, it’s far less likely to get caught bringing a mistress into the Secret Room than having the Duchess go out somewhere.’
If Edward heard that thought, he’d immediately furrow his brow and relentlessly corner her—wouldn’t you do the same?
Still, Lucy’s mood had brightened considerably.
‘Then they must have done absolutely everything here, haven’t they?’
This position, that position, this caress, that caress….
What her lewd imagination conjured hardly mattered.
If this place truly was such a private space, there would certainly be an enormous amount of evidence left behind.
‘There’s always a limit to how thoroughly one can clean.’
She wasn’t asking for much.
Just the strands of hair she’d been searching for since earlier—or hair, or more hair.
Such things would definitely be scattered in abundance throughout every corner.
‘…I just need to be careful not to mix it up with anything else.’
The moment she thought this, the outlines of her surroundings finally came into focus.
The instant she took her first step inside….
An unexpected cloud of dust burst forth with a puff.
“…Achoo, ahem-choo, ach… *sneeze!*”
Lucy barely suppressed the burst of sneezes, shook her head like a puppy shaking off water, and lifted her gaze.
“Hm?”
And her eyes widened at the sight that revealed itself.

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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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