I Was Adopted by the Villain Grand Duke Who Killed My Favorite Character - Chapter 20
Luke smiled meaningfully as he looked at the expressionless Grand Princess.
‘Has the first button finally been fastened?’
Every time the Grand Princess’s gaze fell on him, he couldn’t help but smile. How precious was this opportunity after such a long wait!
His fingertips tingled as he imagined the haughty Grand Duke falling from grace.
“What kind of conversation did you want to have?”
“Well, since we’re friends, shouldn’t we share some intimate secrets?”
The Grand Princess nodded without suspicion at his words. Seeing her so compliant, it seemed the brainwashing from the necklace he sent had worked well.
It was worth the expensive price he paid to the magician.
Bringing down the Grand Duke was like a long-cherished wish for the family. As long as the Grand Duke remained in power, the ‘Heidus Marquis family’ couldn’t dominate the North.
‘The rebellion the Grand Duke is planning will be our family’s opportunity.’
After learning that the child the Grand Duke brought was actually a princess, the Marquis spent a fortune to commission a magician from another country.
“Make a necklace that can control the wearer. It would be great if it could make them follow orders without even realizing they’re being controlled.”
“The subject’s mind will be damaged, is that alright?”
“Is that something you need to worry about?”
“Well, if the Grand Duke’s house falls, it would be welcome news for our country.”
Exposure to the necklace’s magic would gradually erase emotions, turning the wearer into an idiot.
‘Conveniently, there’s a good excuse.’
He had heard that the illegitimate princess was enslaved until her rescue. Saying she was broken due to that trauma wouldn’t raise suspicion.
Just now, the stone given by the magician had shattered.
This meant that the Grand Princess had fallen under the necklace’s curse. There was no need to deliberately make her wear the necklace as originally planned.
He decided to start with a light question to test the Grand Princess.
“Grand Princess, what did you have for breakfast today?”
“Breakfast?”
The Grand Princess blinked, staring at him.
Her chubby cheeks quivered slightly as if she had received an unexpected question. After tilting her head for a moment, she answered obediently.
“Dried eggplant and veal tenderloin steak with potatoes and olives, mushroom soup…”
She listed foods endlessly, counting on her fingers. The parade of foods showed no sign of ending, making even his stomach feel full just from listening.
Unable to bear it any longer, he interrupted the Grand Princess and asked.
“Did you eat all of that?”
“I took one bite of each and left the rest?”
“Why would you do such a thing…?”
“The Grand Duke said I need to eat a variety to grow taller? The maids eat what’s left.”
That’s not what eating a balanced diet means.
Among the foods the Grand Princess mentioned were some that even most nobles would find hard to taste. And she took just one bite of each and left the rest?
He knew the Grand Duke’s house was wealthy, but this was a different level of financial sense.
‘Calm down. This is actually good.’
When making the plan, he didn’t expect the Grand Duke to be interested in the princess. The Marquis family’s plan was to extract information from the princess.
The more the Grand Duke favored the princess, the more information they could potentially extract, so it was a blessing.
“You know…”
The Grand Princess who started speaking looked at him with a sad face.
“I feel like I’ve sinned against the food. You think so too, right?”
“It is wasteful, indeed.”
“See? I should tell the Grand Duke.”
The Grand Princess, steeling her resolve, looked like a knight before an important battle. Her powerful expression shook his firm conviction.
‘The curse did work, right?’
Her emotions should have dulled due to the brainwashing effect.
Is the effect weak because it hasn’t been long since she was exposed to the curse? As Luke pondered, he searched for a topic that would stimulate the Grand Princess’s emotions.
If she was certainly under the curse, the Grand Princess wouldn’t show much reaction to his words. He brought up the topic with a meaningful look.
“Do you know why the Grand Duke is so generous to you, Grand Princess?”
“I don’t know.”
Right. A young child wouldn’t know.
As the heir to the Heidus family, he had watched the Grand Duke’s childhood.
At fifteen, the Grand Duke beheaded his uncle who held the position and seized the title of Grand Duke. Although it was a legitimate succession, countless lives were lost in the process.
“The Grand Duke is someone who doesn’t hesitate to use any means necessary for his goals.”
And the Grand Duke’s ultimate goal was none other than the extermination of the imperial family. After looking around, he lowered his voice and whispered to the Grand Princess.
“His Grace the Grand Duke will take the heads of all those with imperial blood.”
“…Even me?”
“Of course. Because imperial blood flows in you too.”
“I see, so I was meant to die anyway.”
The Grand Princess nodded without changing her expression. A face that didn’t waver even after hearing she would die.
Luke was convinced that the necklace was working perfectly.
He continued with a confident voice.
“After all, having lost the Grand Duchess and daughter because of the imperial family, there’s no way he’d let an imperial survive.”
“They died because of the imperial family?”
“Yes. His Grace must have ordered everyone to keep quiet, so you wouldn’t have known, but it’s a well-known fact.”
At his words, a flicker of emotion crossed the Grand Princess’s face. When she looked up at him again after briefly lowering her head, she was smiling.
Luke froze at the Grand Princess’s unexpected smile.
“Thank you. I’ve always wanted to know.”
What is she thankful for? Which part of what he said?
Luke unconsciously touched the Grand Princess’s forehead to check for a fever. He felt no particular heat from her smooth forehead.
The Grand Princess asked him with an extremely relieved expression.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
“No?”
“Then goodbye.”
Before he could stop her, the Grand Princess flung the door open and called for a maid in a loud voice.
“Hey, Luke is leaving now!”
“Please wait a moment!”
He hurriedly climbed onto the stretcher.
He barely managed to lie back down on the stretcher before the maids could see.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
The Grand Princess waved at him as he was carried out of the drawing room on the stretcher.
Although he didn’t get the information he wanted, he was satisfied.
He found out that the Grand Princess was perfectly under the curse, and he had confirmed her condition. If there was one thing that bothered him, it was just one thing.
“I’m sorry.”
It was the apology the Grand Princess suddenly offered as he was leaving. He had no idea what the Grand Princess’s apology meant.
***
I said a silent prayer as I watched Luke’s retreating figure.
‘Farewell forever.’
It seemed unlikely that I would see that back view in the Grand Duke’s drawing room again. Sen, seeing my pleased expression, smiled and asked.
“Did you enjoy the conversation with your friend?”
“It was very rewarding.”
“Should I ask His Grace to invite Luke back to the Grand Duke’s residence?”
“No, that’s okay.”
Because he’ll soon be in prison.
Thanks to the conversation with Luke, I was able to understand why the Grand Duke disliked me. And also the Grand Duke’s true intentions, which I didn’t know in the original story.
‘He was going to kill the princess someday.’
Even if the Grand Duke’s rebellion succeeded, unlike in the original story, Juno’s future might not have been happy. I had always hoped that Juno would survive instead of me, but learning this unexpected fact left me feeling bitter.
“Sen, what kind of people are the Grand Duke’s family?”
“Family? Do you mean the eldest young master Lucas and the second young master Tristan?”
“Yes.”
Sen gave me detailed information about the Grand Duke’s two sons.
“I’ve heard that young master Lucas is excellent in swordsmanship like His Grace, and young master Tristan is a remarkable person with talent in magic.”
“That’s impressive.”
“Be careful when you meet young master Tristan. His personality is… not very good.”
The eldest, Lucas, is in the North with the knights, and the second, Tristan, is studying at the academy.
Both of them appeared in the original story as well.
As the mid-boss of the rebellion, a genius magician and swordsman of the century.
If what I learned from Luke was true, I was an unwelcome guest to them. I was suddenly the blood of their enemy who became family.
It was fortunate that they weren’t at the Grand Duke’s residence and couldn’t see me.
“Do those children hate me too?”
“What? Who would dare to hate you, Grand Princess!”
“Maybe everyone.”
“That’s absolutely not true, so don’t say such things! You are our treasure, Grand Princess.”
As I was planning what to do next, Sen’s words filled me with guilt.
‘Soon, I’ll have a near-death experience.’
To get rid of Luke, the son of the Marquis family, I was considering a rather extreme method.
Having come up with a specific plan on the spot, I went to bed early.
“Sen, I’m going to sleep.”
“You must be very tired. By the way, how did you become friends with Luke?”
“I met him when you were asleep.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for the historic moment when you made a friend.”
“There will be other opportunities.”
Sen must have been tired that day, as she couldn’t remember meeting Luke at all. I pulled the blanket up to my chin and pretended to sleep.
“I guess we don’t need a storybook tonight.”
Sen, looking somewhat disappointed, sat by my side for a while as I pretended to sleep, then left the room. Finally left alone, I opened my eyes wide.
Now that I was about to execute the plan, there was something that bothered me.
“What if I really die?”
I shook my head to shake off the anxiety.
‘If everything goes according to plan, there won’t be a problem.’
I opened my locked personal drawer and rummaged through a pile of dried herbs. What I took out was the wheezing grass I had collected before.
“This is it.”
While wheezing grass is an herb effective for skin care, it is dangerous for certain people.
‘For example, young children.’
I put some of the wheezing grass into the gift box from the Heidus family that I had prepared in advance. Then I cut off a small part of the herb’s root and put it in my mouth.
Few people knew that this herb was extremely dangerous when ingested by young children. Just because they sent it unknowingly doesn’t mean they’re innocent.
I planned to accuse the Heidus family of trying to kill me.
‘Goodbye, Luke.’
If I collapsed and they denied sending the herb, I could blackmail them with the necklace I had hidden away in advance.
I swallowed the bitter herb with a gulp.
