The Dreamer's POV

Chapter 119: The Duke's Curse

[00 Months: 12 Days: 17 Hours]

I watched as Theo's gaze moved from the doctor to me, a mixture of hope and desperation etched in his usually stoic features.

"Luke," he started, his voice barely audible, "this is the situation. Can you do anything about it?"

I exhaled softly, eyes flitting from the unconscious Duke to the sobbing Duchess and back again.

"Can I observe the Duke?" I asked, addressing my question to both Theo and the doctor.

The doctor seemed ready to object, but a quick glance from Theo silenced any protests.

"Go ahead, Luke," Theo said, stepping aside.

With their approval, I approached the Duke.

As I moved closer, I could make out the rapid rise and fall of his chest, the pale blue tinge to his lips, and the faint tremors that wracked his frail form. I knew I needed to find out more about his condition, but for that, I needed to establish a connection.

"Duchess," I started, nodding at her in respect.

She didn't seem to notice me, her attention solely focused on her husband's barely breathing form. I could see the grief etched deep into her features, and it made me even more determined to figure out what was truly happening with the Duke.

'If I pull this off, they'll be so grateful!'

So, without further ado, I reached out my hand, placing it on the Duke's forehead.

I closed my eyes and focused my senses, ready to delve deeper into the mystery that was the Duke's illness.

'Seraphina said it's a Curse, but…'

Why did it feel like I already knew what the problem was? And that it was Poison instead.

'Open <Shop>' My thoughts echoed within.

While I had a multitude of Skills, my current Skill-set couldn't detect the true problem with the Duke.

I currently had 2,135 Currency, so it wasn't too bad.

'There are two ways this can go. I can either buy a new Skill, or find an upgrade for the current Skills I have…'

After sorting through <Shop> and mulling over my options, I decided to go for the latter.

'And I have the perfect Skill I'd like to upgrade.'

It was <All Seeing Eyes>.

While this Skill was extremely useful against survivors like me, it was too lacking when it came to the Natives of this world. If I could let it provide more information than it already did, that would be great.

Fortunately, I found the perfect upgrade for it.

~DING!~

<Skill: All Seeing Eyes has now been upgraded to Skill: Absolute Appraisal>

{300 Currency has been used for this transaction. <Total Currency Remaining: 1,835 C >}

[Thanks for your patronage]

'Fuck… this had better be worth it!' I gritted my teeth as I felt my Currency plummet.

Well, there was only one way to find out.

'<Absolute Appraisal>'

[Native Information]

- Name: Damien Von Lyma

- Race: Human

- Affiliation: The Southern Kingdom/The Lyma Region

- Level of Danger: Extremely Low

- Life Force: 3% (Falling rapidly due to negative Status Effects)

- Energy Level: 0% (Completely empty due to negative Status Effects)

- Combat Ability: 0% (Completely empty due to negative Status Effects)

- Assets: Extremely High

- Role: Head Of The Lyma Family

- Titles: <The Duke>

- Abilities: <Deactivated due to negative Status Effects>

- Items Equipped: <None recognized by System>

- Alignment: Neutral Good

Current Status: Poison (A rare, synthesized poison)

[Additional Information]

As the head of the Lyma Family, he is a man of great influence in the Southern Kingdom. Unfortunately, since he is poisoned, it seems his life will soon come to an end.

[End Of Information]

'Ah… this is great! Perfect even!'

I was now able to see the information that were hidden from me before. With this, gathering information would be much easier.

'My 300 Currency was well spent.'

There were a few changes that this <Absolute Appraisal> made to <All Seeing Eyes> apart from the clearly superior information interface.

'A change in Energy Level Usage.'

I only had to spend 50 Energy Level to check the entire Stats of my target.

Normally, this would cost me about 100 Energy Level.

'I really did make the right choice…' A smile crept up on my face.

A loud and concerned voice suddenly rang out, shattering the silence, "Luke, have you... have you found out the cause?"

It was Seraphina.

I opened my eyes and glanced back at her, a little taken aback by the intensity of the worry in her eyes.

The entire room turned their attention to me; four pairs of feminine eyes brimming with tears, two pairs of masculine eyes radiating worry and concern, and the spectacles-clad eyes of the doctor filled with curious anticipation.

"What is the Duke inflicted with again?" I asked, my voice steady despite the tension in the room.

The doctor, a man with years of experience evident in his face, answered with a trace of doubt in his voice, "It's a curse... or at least, we believe so."

My lips curved up into a grin as I responded, "It isn't a curse. It's poison."

I brought out the blade from my <Personal Space+ (Custom)> Skill, the same blade from the shadowy figure that had tried to take my life earlier tonight. As the glint of the silver blade caught everyone's attention, I explained the night's earlier events.

"An assassin tried to kill me in bed not too long ago," I started, all eyes were now focused on the blade in my hand, "and on this blade is a potent poison."

I paused, gauging their reactions.

"After analyzing the poison afflicting the Duke, I've found that it shares the same properties as the one on this blade. The poison probably acts like a curse, which is why you didn't realize what it truly was."

'To be honest, I already suspected a similarity based on the sequence of events, but to think it's actually the case…'

As I finished speaking, I let the reality of my words hang in the air, the sudden silence in the room resonating with the gravity of my revelation.

"S-so… father was poisoned…?" Theo muttered, and his sisters shared puzzled looks.

After all, the fact that someone was poisoned meant there had to be someone who poisoned him.

And the fact that his state recently grew worse meant that the malefactor had to be closeby… having access to the Lyma Family Mansion.

I had initially suspected Eugene, Seraphina's Uncle, but… who would have thought that the culprit was someone else.

My eyes narrowed as I pointed a steady finger at the doctor, the tension in the room thickening like a heavy fog.

"It's you," I accused, my voice resounding clearly in the room, "you poisoned the Duke."

Gasps echoed in the room, and the doctor's face transformed into a shade of pale that almost matched the Duke's.

He took a step back, mouth opening and closing as he tried to articulate a response.

"W-what are you…?"

Frankly, I was also surprised.

When I'd first entered the room, I hadn't suspected the doctor to be the source of this calamity.

But when I used <Perfect Appraisal> to inspect his Alignment, the results had been chillingly conclusive: <Neutral Evil>.

"He's the malefactor," I continued, my gaze steady on the doctor's guilty figure.

"The one who's responsible for the Duke's state."

*

*

*

[A/N] Stay tuned to ???

Thanks for reading.

Cheers!