I Thought It Was the Monster Duke's Fake Sedative - Chapter 57

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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 57
Countless people had thrown themselves into the preparations for this day.
The Wedding Dress that Luciana wore was a testament to their efforts alone.
Lavish yet modest, refined while honoring tradition, sensual yet innocent, elegant yet familiar to the people of the territory….
The designers had achieved a masterpiece.
They had treated the shoulders with traditional puffy sleeves but fashioned them off-shoulder with half the fabric removed according to modern trends, while keeping everything else immaculately neat.
And though it appeared plain, like the dresses worn by the common folk of the territory, its true beauty revealed itself upon closer inspection.
Diamonds, pearls, and opals had been painstakingly sewn throughout the dress to mimic the scales of a dragon, so that with every step, it shimmered with an elegance as though the dragon itself were twisting through the fabric.
The staff of the Wardrobe Room had spent countless sleepless nights and visited Luciana daily to drape fabrics against her—their dedication had borne remarkable fruit.
‘…I merely nodded my head.’
At first, Luciana had seemed reluctant during the dress fittings, but one day she suddenly breezed through hours of fashion consultations with ease, and the Wardrobe staff became absolutely elated.
“You’ve finally taken a liking to changing clothes!”
“How wonderful! We shall truly make you the most beautiful bride!”
They cried out with such enthusiasm that their passion burned brilliantly.
Of course, her shift in attitude had nothing to do with genuinely enjoying the dress fittings, as they believed.
To be honest, it mattered little how the dresses were changed, what ornaments were placed upon her body, or how her hair was styled.
Blank.
Luciana’s mind remained utterly hollow and adrift the entire time.
The shock of that day, when Edward had sought solace through her hands, had been overwhelming in every sense.
“Luciana.”
His low whisper, his forehead pressing against hers, and through it all, that ominous, searing presence still radiating hotly from her hand.
The fierce heat that had friction through the thin cloth, and the rustling sound each time the towel moved.
Such things were not easily forgotten.
After that day, Luciana often shrieked without reason.
“Aaah!”
“My lady, what’s wrong?! Is there an assassin—”
“No, no, it’s nothing… Aaaaah!”
“Madam!”
She felt a bit sorry for the servants, but she couldn’t help it.
Sometimes, even while drinking tea, the warmth of the cup in her hands would revive that searing sensation from that day.
Merely hearing talk of choosing jewels to match the dress brought vividly back the sharp, metallic sound of golden chains sliding across skin.
Even the rustling of fallen leaves could resurrect the whisper of a towel being rubbed—
‘Begone, you lewd demon!’
Of course, even calling out in such a way did nothing to banish the lewd demon that visited her a dozen times throughout each day.
It was more than vexing and bewildering; her mind was so consumed with Edward that she felt indignant.
‘…If I saw him in person frequently, it would be far worse.’
In truth, the two of them had scarcely encountered each other since that day.
Edward, who had already been busy, had suddenly become frantically occupied.
“I apologize, madam. The Duke has been in discussion with an Imperial envoy today and cannot join you for meals….”
“He departed to hunt monsters….”
“Due to complaints sent from the Temple, he is currently at the Temple in Teseron Territory….”
…Upon reflection, it seemed only Edward was rushing about so frantically, which made her feel rather embarrassed.
Edward’s sudden busyness was not without cause.
The Temple sent dozens of letters daily trying to derail the marriage, and the Emperor himself subtly pressured Edward.
To prevent the Imperial Family from finding fault and to secure the support of others, Edward hunted monsters with greater fervor than usual.
Upon returning, he would handle accumulated territorial affairs before departing again.
As a result, despite being an engaged couple awaiting marriage, their movements scarcely overlapped of late.
They had even discontinued their joint Self-Discipline Training.
Though Edward’s avoidance of her stemmed partly from his uncertainty about what he might do before the Wedding Night, Luciana knew nothing of this.
Luciana touched her chest thoughtfully.
‘Perhaps it’s fortunate after all.’
Had she seen his face, she truly would have succumbed to temptation.
“Let us stop here for today.”
In truth, the moment Edward had spoken those words, Luciana felt a faint, very faint pang of disappointment.
A feeling that was swept away only by what he whispered immediately after.
“So don’t you dare run away later.”
‘Then after the wedding, we really will… do it, won’t we?’
Not stopping midway like last time.
Not teasing her so openly and then turning cold as though nothing had happened, refusing to even show his face properly….
It was only after thinking this far that Luciana realized something.
She told herself it was merely self-deception to be grateful she hadn’t seen him.
The truth was, she resented not being able to see Edward’s face.
But then again, it made a certain sense.
She hadn’t known Edward was busy; she simply hadn’t seen him right after that night, whatever it had been.
‘How can I not wonder if I was lacking?’
Wasn’t this the sort of worry a male protagonist should have after his first time?
Why did she have to be the one wrestling with it?
And that wasn’t all.
She wanted to know how Edward was faring these days, whether he was well, whether he was eating properly—but she couldn’t ask.
He barely came near the bathroom anymore, so she couldn’t even tell if he was bathing.
Each time disappointment and loneliness crept in and began to wear her down, those words he’d whispered gave her a strange sort of courage.
And with that came another thought.
‘Today… at last I’ll see him.’
Edward’s face, which she’d been unable to see properly all this time.
A fresh wave of tension washed over her.
As she bit her lip absently, she remembered Edward biting his finger, and her face flushed scarlet.
The handmaids, who had been about to scold her that her lip color would smudge, widened their eyes and laughed instead.
“My. You do seem shy.”
At the handmaids’ cheerful laughter, Luciana suppressed a sigh.
‘Well, at least they’re at ease with me now…’
As Luciana rationalized this and clasped her sweating hands inside her gloves, the door to the reception room opened.
“Madam.”
The door to the reception room swung open.
It was Rosendale.
“It is time to escort you to the ceremony hall.”
“Yes.”
The moment she heard Rosendale’s formal words, the handmaids’ expressions shifted at once.
They rose briskly and placed the veil over Luciana’s head.
Luciana felt her heart pounding as she began to follow Rosendale down the corridor.
‘Stay calm.’
It’ll be nothing. Nothing at all—
‘—or will it?’
The faces she would see upon entering the ceremony hall flashed through her mind.
It was Edward’s wedding, so the Duchess would certainly be there.
She hadn’t seen the Duchess since their hostile parting last time, but there was no telling what she might have in mind.
The Duchess’s retainers from Teseron Territory would be present too, along with their wives.
They might well attempt to humiliate Luciana anew.
‘It’s practically a law of these grand affairs—they make snide remarks about the bride.’
Whispering amongst themselves, casting aspersions on the bride’s character, making sure she hears every word.
With that thought came another concern that loomed even larger than the Duchess and her circle.
‘It’s the wedding of the one and only Divine Incarnation—the entire nobility must have turned out.’
Including, perhaps, Saint Sepina, who was already being treated as his lover throughout the Empire.
‘This is troublesome.’
Luciana was well aware of Sepina’s obsession with Edward.
She might even be plotting right now to annul this marriage.
Behind the veil, Luciana’s expression grew grave without her realizing it.
‘Though I won’t simply accept defeat, of course.’
She’d heard there was a last resort prepared on their side as well.
Tepe and Gorgo had hinted at it, standing in for the busy Edward.
“On the day of the ceremony, if worse comes to pass, His Grace will employ the final measure.”
“What is it?”
“We don’t know precisely, but we’ve been told it’s absolutely certain to work.”
If Edward himself had vouched for it, then it must be so.
‘I don’t know what it is, but if needed, I should ask him to use it…’
Luciana was still deliberating this when—
Dong.
A deep bell tolled, and Rosendale came to a halt.
A massive door loomed before them.
Luciana recognized it—she’d seen it several times during the ceremony rehearsals.
It was the door that led into the grand banquet hall of Teseron Territory where the wedding would be held.

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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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