I Thought It Was the Monster Duke's Fake Sedative - Chapter 69

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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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Episode 69
‘What… what is this?’
That aura—it was like he was telling her to stop talking and get lost.
‘Is he her boyfriend?’
There was no other way to make sense of that atmosphere.
Luciana, unbothered, simply tapped this man on the shoulder.
“Ugh… I mean, Master!”
“Master? So he’s not your boyfriend…?”
A flinch.
The man’s imposing presence deflated at her carelessly uttered words.
The towering figure approached and pressed the Merchant for an answer.
“Do I look like one?”
“I… pardon?”
“Do I look like her boyfriend?”
“I, well… that is…”
The Merchant’s mouth fell open in confusion.
‘He’s her master, but he wants to be her boyfriend?’
…Could this be some young noble playing around with a maid before abandoning her?
‘Ding!’
Now that he thought about it, he’d heard stories of aristocratic young masters like that—the sort who toy with maids and then discard them without a second thought.
“Surely, young lord, no matter what—you wouldn’t treat an innocent maid so…”
“…Master! Let’s go! Yes?”
“Wait. I need an answer—”
“I’m hungry!”
“Then we’d better go.”
Luciana, catching his drift and breaking into a cold sweat, quickly intervened and saved the Merchant’s life.
The man turned away from the Merchant and followed after Luciana, who had begun walking with quick, purposeful strides.
“Where shall we go to eat?”
“No, actually I’m fine now.”
“Renting out an entire restaurant wouldn’t be so bad.”
As expected, his identity was…
“…Duke. I told you, you don’t need to follow me.”
“……”
“I’ll gather the materials quickly anyway.”
Edward, who had followed Luciana out.
He stared at her, and finding something displeasing in her expression, tilted his head.
“Why are you running around like this in the first place?”
“Because I promised to create your Complete Avatar.”
Luciana pressed her finger against Edward insistently, her eyes sharp with determination.
“It’ll be done soon. Really soon.”
After Rozendale provided the budget.
Luciana had rushed out to Teseron Market with a money pouch in hand.
Of course, she’d brought along the Disguise Materials that Rozendale had procured, as well as the Magical Item Price List that she’d written and a price sheet for Teseron Market goods.
‘I don’t know the appropriate prices in this world.’
Having been confined underground and never once been outside or visited a market, the borrowed body’s memories were useless to her.
Perhaps because Rozendale had caught wind of her slip of the tongue, she asked no questions and granted every single one of Luciana’s requests.
Thanks to that, Luciana had been gathering materials quite smoothly.
The only unexpected thing was that Edward had carelessly tagged along with her on this errand.
Luciana quietly rolled her eyes, observing Edward’s sharp jawline.
‘And after making a Seclusion Declaration, too.’
Edward’s announcement of seclusion, citing his injury as reason, had caused quite a stir.
Luciana herself had thought it unavoidable.
His body’s luminescent phenomenon hadn’t completely subsided.
Edward’s form would settle into stillness, then suddenly flare with light again, a pattern that kept repeating.
‘If he went to the battlefield like that, it would be even more of a problem to be noticed.’
Edward had far too many enemies.
There was no way only those favorable to him would view such a phenomenon kindly.
Some would surely raise questions, suspecting foul play, so it made sense to wait until he was completely stable before resuming monster hunts.
‘He’s been so busy, it’s probably good for him to rest a little.’
But what Edward had actually been doing since his seclusion…
Rather than resting properly in the bedroom, he was following Luciana out.
And, incongruously, he’d even disguised himself as a commoner to do it.
Though admittedly, he’d only done the disguise because of Luciana.
“You’re coming with me now? Following me?”
“Yes.”
“Wait. You’re not planning to go dressed like that in those fine clothes, are you?”
“Why not?”
“Absolutely not!”
Seeing Edward about to follow her dressed as he was, Luciana’s face went pale.
Before he could disguise himself as a commoner, she laid down an ultimatum—she wouldn’t go with him otherwise.
“I’ve never seen a lover who wanted their partner dressed in rags before.”
“Well, that’s because this isn’t really a—”
“Exactly.”
“…What?”
“When a married couple goes out together, that’s a date, isn’t it, darling?”
At that answer, she’d nearly been at a loss for words and would have just let it slide, but—
‘No matter how charmingly he puts it, some things just aren’t happening!’
In any case, the most important objective was to procure materials for the Avatar Ritual.
She needed to acquire them herself to verify them properly, but if word got out that the Duke was personally gathering the materials, it would be troublesome.
So Luciana took great pains to obscure Edward’s beauty.
“Ugh, you’re just too broad-shouldered—nothing fits right. This size here is….”
“Yet you’re sneakily touching me while saying all this.”
…And in the process, she was satisfying her own ulterior motives somewhat.
“…Wait. Why is my chest…?”
“You let me touch yours, and now you won’t let me touch yours?”
“W-well, that’s… ah!”
…A little—no, actually, come to think of it, rather a lot of indecent things happened….
‘Honestly, I sort of… enjoyed it, no, I liked it, or wait, that’s not the issue here.’
Once her shameless errand was finished, Luciana carefully concealed Edward’s beauty once more and headed out to the market.
Of course, no amount of concealment could hide Edward’s handsomeness.
Rather, even in worn commoner’s clothes he carried them off as fashion, and his face, hidden by the hood so only his jawline showed, emanated an air of pure mystery.
‘Still very much the male lead, isn’t he.’
Though she’d tucked away the radiant glow of his body beneath his garments, she had the distinct feeling that even if he walked about openly, everyone would naturally attribute it to his halo effect.
‘He’s beautiful.’
Luciana smiled with satisfaction.
And she pointed out something that had been bothering her.
“But why are you pouting like that?”
“When did I.”
He came along of his own accord, so what was the problem?
For the past few days, Edward had made no effort to hide his dissatisfaction.
He’d been subtly uncooperative even when discussing the ritual, and he’d shown little enthusiasm while Luciana bargained earnestly for materials.
It was strange that he would be so sullen about the prospect of having an incarnation made for him.
When Luciana stared at him intently, Edward let out a small sigh and finally spoke.
“I’m quite satisfied.”
“Liar.”
“The title ‘my lord’—yes, it still sounds good to hear.”
“What?”
“When I hear it, I feel like I have to take complete responsibility for you, all the way.”
“W-why would anyone like such a heavy feeling?!”
“I would. And for the record, you’re not heavy at all—if anything, you’re far too light.”
His words were certainly beautiful.
Yet his expression remained stubborn and displeased.
“Even so, you’ve been pouting like this the whole time—”
It was as Luciana exaggerated an imitation of Edward, thrusting out her lips dramatically.
Smack.
As if he’d been waiting for exactly this, Edward quickly pressed his lips against hers and pulled away.
Luciana’s face, which had gone blank for a moment, flushed crimson.
“Y-you scoundrel.”
“Wasn’t it an invitation the way you held your lips out?”
“Pervert….”
Even as she complained, Luciana deftly wove her fingers between Edward’s.
To be honest, she didn’t mind him acting this way at all.
After all, she could clearly sense that Edward held some affection for her too.
The disappointment she’d felt at Rozendale’s words began to fade away quietly.
‘…Right. Who does this sort of thing with a pet?’
The wound she’d received from those words also….
“…Is some highborn gentleman playing games with a maidservant?”
“What sort of shameless noble would do such a thing?”
“Over there, that way. That enormous young master.”
Luciana cut off her thoughts and deliberately ignored the whispered voices drifting from afar.
She squeezed Edward’s hand and whispered softly.
“It won’t be long now. There’s only a few things left.”
“I thought you said that earlier too.”
Yet Edward’s complaint showed no signs of stopping.
“That’s why I told you to stay inside. Even if everything’s covered, you stand out so much that people stare anyway, so what’s the point….”
“And should I just watch while you go out without an escort, then?”
“But if I have an escort, what’s the point of disguising myself? Don’t you think?”
Instead of answering, Edward gripped Luciana’s hand more firmly.
Even as her heart raced at the intimate contact, Luciana puffed out her cheeks inwardly.
‘I’m doing all this to create a complete incarnation for you.’
She couldn’t begin to guess what lay beneath his obvious displeasure.
“So what about the restaurant?”
“You don’t need to go.”
“It’s a floating restaurant in the middle of the lake. It’s famous as a date spot.”
…….
“We could even take a boat ride together.”
“The materials are more urgent.”
Though perhaps she was beginning to understand it, just a little.
From the way his brow furrowed at her response.
He probably wanted to spend time with her, to enjoy a date together.

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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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