I Thought It Was the Monster Duke's Fake Sedative - Chapter 94

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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 94
“…I will serve as a witness.”
All eyes turned toward the newcomer.
“Who are you…?”
“I am… a maid of the Duke’s Residence.”
She had come running to Luciana just before the demon appeared.
It was Clara, who had tried to warn her of the danger.
The Second Prince, upon seeing Clara, remained smugly assured before the assembled crowd.
“Ha! And here I thought it was someone of consequence—merely a servant from the Duke’s household! A servant of the Duke would naturally testify in his favor. How utterly unreliable…!”
“…I was the direct personal maid of the Grand Duchess, Your Highness’s great-aunt.”
“What did you say?”
At those words, several nobles recognized Clara.
Mostly those who had encountered the Grand Duchess before.
“Now that you mention it, I believe I’ve seen them together….”
“But the Grand Duchess, you say?”
As whispers of unease rippled through the gathering.
Clara gripped her trembling hands tightly together, drew a deep breath, and cried out.
“I can testify regarding the man the Grand Duchess brought into our midst!”
“What manner of nonsense is this!”
“He performed the Ancient Demon Summoning Ritual!”
The crowd gasped in horror.
“The Ancient Ritual? Surely that’s been forbidden for ages!”
“Is the Grand Duchess saying she brought in an outsider to conduct such a ritual?”
The shock spread through the entire Shelter in an instant.
“Wait! How can we trust the word of a mere maid! Even if it’s true she served the Grand Duchess, such claims are not to be made lightly….”
“…I aided in that ritual.”
“……!”
“I will accept whatever punishment befalls me. It may sound like an excuse, but at the time, I did not know what manner of ritual it was.”
At that confession, the hall descended into chaos.
“Seize that maid at once!”
“This crime warrants execution!”
“Wait! What of the man who actually performed the ritual? Where is the scoundrel….”
“Here.”
Bang.
In that instant, a figure emerged, instantly quelling the uproar.
“……!”
The center of attention, commanding a luminous presence no matter how many times one beheld him.
It was Edward, holding the unconscious Sky-Blue Haired Man in one hand.
The overwhelmed nobles fell silent, their lips parting in speechless awe.
‘…What is this?’
There was something subtly captivating about him.
The damp strands of hair not quite dried, the faintly flushed skin visible beneath his armor—such details seized the nobles’ gaze.
Yet the pressure radiating from him was far greater still.
“…….”
The nobles found themselves transfixed by Edward before hastily lowering their heads.
Edward, unmoved by their regard, spoke with measured calm.
“You have all endured much. Thanks to the swift evacuation, there was scarcely any loss of life….”
“M-my legs are… gasp!”
The Second Prince of Erenta, about to surge forward in protest, fell silent under the freezing weight of that gaze.
“Curious, is it not? Your legs were perfectly sound when I departed, yet they’ve come to such a state.”
“…….”
“And Your Highness, truth be told, your betrothed’s troubles may well overshadow your own, wouldn’t you say?”
It was then the Second Prince grew flustered.
“M-my betrothed… where is she….”
Patter-patter-patter!
Footsteps came rushing from somewhere, bursting forth from behind Edward.
And she ran toward the Second Prince….
Crack!
“……!”
And struck his cheek with tremendous force.
It was the Young Lady of Erenta, the Second Prince’s betrothed—someone Edward had secured in the meantime.
“Wh—what in blazes is this!”
The Young Lady of Erenta’s eyes blazed red as she shrieked at the prince.
“I tolerated you because you’re of the Royal Family, and that meant I too would become royalty upon marriage!”
She turned her glare between the man held fast by Clara and Edward’s hands, gnashing her teeth as though ready to tear him apart.
“How dare you sacrifice me for some mere Grand Duchess of a foreign duchy! Do you have any notion what house I come from!”
The Young Lady’s fury at having her very lifespan stolen while awake knew no bounds.
That she had surrendered her years not even for the Royal Family, but for a Grand Duchess of another nation’s duchy—to her, it was the deepest imaginable insult.
The Second Prince broke into a cold sweat.
“P-please, wait, my lady!”
“I will add my testimony as well. That man the Duke brought—he orchestrated this scheme! This wretch robbed me of my lifespan!”
“My l—”
“And you!”
Before the Second Prince could speak, the Young Lady thrust an accusatory finger at him.
“I’m asking Father to dissolve our engagement! The Royal Family is hardly limited to you alone, and I’ve no wish to marry someone as addled as you’ve proven to be!”
“Wait, what—?”
“This marriage is finished!”
Crash!
The Young Lady of Erenta stormed out of the shelter, her fury crackling in her wake.
In the aftermath of that tempest, the shelter fell into an even deeper hush.
“Well then.”
Edward gave a subtle nod, and Gorgo stepped forward, leading Clara away.
Tepe seized the Second Prince.
“…Wait, why am I—!”
“Your aunt was entangled in this matter, so as her kinsman, it’s only natural that you become a witness, Your Highness.”
“Wh—what!”
“Your leg will make travel difficult in any case. Rest here until it’s fully healed.”
“Y-Your Grace! Duke of Teseron…!”
Tepe then carried the Second Prince away almost bodily.
Edward surveyed the assembled nobles and brought matters to a close.
“I trust you’ll all return home safely. The gathering ends here. We shall begin discussing compensation for the physical and emotional harm you’ve all endured.”
“Hold on. To end it simply like this….”
“For everyone present this evening, I shall reduce trade tariffs by ten percent for the next year and grant priority bidding rights on Teseron’s ore and specialty goods.”
“……!”
“Additionally, this is a token of our regret.”
In an instant, as coin purses were distributed, the guests’ expressions brightened considerably.
“We shall escort you safely on your journey home. If you’ll come this way….”
Rozendale then began ushering the guests out with remarkable efficiency.
Once Edward confirmed their departure, he turned his head and rolled his shoulders.
‘It’s done.’
He’d rushed to settle everything while Luciana slept, and things had wrapped up far more quickly than expected.
All that remained was to lock this madman from the Temple away in a cell.
‘If I had my way, I’d execute him on the spot.’
This was the man who’d tried to deceive Luciana—no one else.
And because of him, she’d nearly died.
Certainly Luciana would want to pass judgment and take her own revenge.
Edward felt the blood rise in his knuckles and forced himself to relax.
‘Luciana.’
He wanted to return to her side and lie down.
He wanted to caress her warm, drowsy body and drift into sleep beside her.
Beyond mere desire, a hunger settled in his chest—simply to lie next to Luciana and spend time in her warmth.
‘I need to handle this quickly.’
With that thought, Edward left the shelter.
He strode swiftly and crossed the threshold into the Underground Dungeon of the Duke’s Residence.
“Vile… vile wretch!”
A voice echoed from deep within the dungeon.
It was the only prisoner held in this cell.
The guard on watch turned to Edward, sweat beading on his brow.
“Your Grace. I… that is….”
“What’s the matter?”
“The Grand Duchess seems to have lost her mind. She’s been clawing at the ground, repeating herself over and over.”
“…….”
“If she dies like this, the trial will….”
“I’ll handle it.”
Edward nodded, and the soldier finally relaxed, stepping aside as though a weight had lifted from his shoulders.
Creak, thud.
Once all the soldiers still stationed in the dungeon had filed out, Edward moved deeper into the darkness.
“That wretch locks me in this place and shows no gratitude!”
He walked forward without hesitation, his strides long and measured.
“If my husband were still alive… if only that accident had never happened!”
Into the deepest, darkest corner of the dungeon.
“That carriage accident was strange from the start… strange, I tell you. There’s no reason he should have gone so suddenly. Not when he was always so robust….”
To the most heavily guarded section of all.
“Could it have been Edward that….”
“Only realizing it now? My, you’re quite perceptive after all.”
“……!”
Edward spoke lightly as he came to stand before the iron bars that held the Grand Duchess.
“You damned bastard!”
Clang, clang!
The Grand Duchess shook the iron bars, her eyes burning red with malice as she glared at Edward.
And with a surge of terrible hatred, she opened her mouth.
“You creature of our house, you Experimental Subject!”
“…….”
“Created by our hands… you Avatar, made by our very hands!”

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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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