The Prince Seduces Me with His Body Chapter 131

“…A wavelength detector?”

 

Diana murmured, her eyes widening as she held Miaena’s letter in her hand.

 

Kayden, who was lying with his head resting on her lap, turned to look at her. “What is it?”

 

Diana began reading the letter aloud so that Kayden could understand too. “I created something called a magic wavelength detector, and when I infused some of Hillasa’s magic into it, I got some interesting results. The place marked on the enclosed map… I detected magic wavelengths similar to Hillasa’s there.”

 

She handed the letter to Kayden and picked up the map. Her face stiffened as she checked the location marked by the red star.

 

“This is…”

 

Noticing Diana’s reaction, Kayden sat up and checked the map for himself. His face soon mirrored Diana’s. He let out a low sigh.

 

“…Duchy Findlay.”

 

It seemed that the audacious Duke Findlay, having withdrawn from the capital, was now conducting his research at his estate. However, they couldn’t dismiss it as a foolish move. Duke Findlay, as much as they hated to admit it, was a clever man. If he had become reckless enough to perform experiments in his own home or even poison the emperor, it could only mean one thing: The research was nearing completion. Or perhaps the duke had already achieved something more than just poison.

 

Both Diana and Kayden’s minds raced with the same thought.

 

* * *

In the end, Diana and Kayden, despite the danger, decided to head for Duke Findlay’s estate. Viscount Sudsfield, recognizing that they were determined and had no other option, didn’t try to stop them. Instead, he offered his support.

 

In times like this, it was fortunate that the viscount’s household was wealthy. The bounty on Kayden and Diana’s heads was large, but the amount of money the viscount could effortlessly provide was even greater. With the Viscount’s funds, loyal servants, and Muf’s abilities, approaching the Findlay estate while avoiding the alert imperial guards felt surprisingly easy.

 

“I’ll wait outside the gates. Good luck.” The viscount’s trusted aide muttered before disappearing with the carriage.

 

Kayden and Diana jumped from the moving carriage into a shadowy alleyway, evading the eyes of those on the streets. Even if someone had seen the open window of the passing carriage, they wouldn’t have noticed the two figures dressed in black slipping out moments earlier.

 

“It’s heavily guarded.” Kayden whispered as he peeked out from the alley.

 

They had landed in the alley closest to the Findlay estate, and the gate was visible in the distance. The estate’s walls were high, and knights, clearly elementalists, guarded the entrance with unwavering vigilance.

 

Diana, squinting as she scanned the walls, frowned. “There’s a barrier.” She could faintly sense an invisible force enveloping the entire estate.

 

A magical barrier of this size would cost a fortune. It seemed that, like Viscount Sudsfield, Duke Findlay was also quite wealthy.

 

Diana concentrated, summoning multiple Hillasa. Though it wasn’t easy to maintain both Muf’s power and call forth several Hillasa, her mana had recently increased significantly, and she succeeded.

 

Little black orbs resembling dust balls popped into the air, gathering on the hem of Diana’s cloak. She looked down at them like flowers and whispered. “Approach the walls quietly. When I give the signal, strike the wall with your magic, then return. Understood?”

 

Ppiii. Diana sprinkled her mana-like petals for them to absorb, and the Hillasa eagerly swallowed it before scurrying off.

 

Kayden watched them with fascination.

 

“…They’re cute but a bit scary when they open their mouths.”

 

“Well, half their bodies do look like mouths. But don’t worry, they don’t drink blood.” Diana shrugged. Soon after, she sensed the Hillasa positioning themselves at a distance around the walls. She signaled Kayden with her eyes, indicating for him to get ready.

 

One, two… three.

 

Twash. At the count of three, the Hillasa simultaneously unleashed their magic at the wall. It wasn’t enough to break the wall, but it was enough to trigger a reaction from the barrier.

 

Ding-Ding-Ding! The alarm bells rang out from within the estate. The knights guarding the wall, startled, began running around in confusion.

 

“W-What the? Multiple places at once…!”

 

“Is it a swarm of insects? Or some stray animals?”

 

“Damn it, check quickly! If there’s an intruder, we’re in trouble! You don’t want to be personally reprimanded by the duke, so move!”

 

The knights, clearly well-trained, dispersed quickly to investigate the disturbance. Although a few guards remained by the gate, their attention was now focused on the commotion.

 

Using the distraction, Kayden and Diana slipped into the estate through the main gate, with the Hillasa rolling in after them.

 

Once inside, Diana pulled out a ring from her pocket and slipped it onto her finger. She infused it with magic, causing the jewel to emit a thin beam of light that pointed downward like a compass needle.

 

Before they had left, Fourth Concubine Miaena had provided them with a portable magic wavelength detector, and it was now guiding them.

 

“Down… It seems to be underground. I thought it would be near his office.”

 

Without Miaena’s help, they might have wasted precious time searching. Fortunately, the device was saving them that time, which they didn’t have to spare.

 

“Let’s go, Kayden.”

 

After confirming the direction, Diana took Kayden’s hand and pulled him along. He, however, was staring at her hand with a slightly sulky expression.

 

“Kayden?” Diana tilted her head in confusion at his odd behavior.

 

He muttered in dissatisfaction.

 

“You’re wearing a ring made by another person.”

 

“…You don’t mean the fourth concubine, do you?”

 

“When this is over, I’ll give you a new one. Give me that one.”

 

“Oh, for goodness’ sake…”

 

Even in this situation, Kayden’s jealousy—over the fourth concubine, no less—was both frustrating and endearing. Diana couldn’t help but laugh to herself. It seemed she had become quite similar to him, finding his antics more lovable than annoying.

 

They continued to sneak through the estate, avoiding the eyes of the servants and guards as they searched for the entrance to the underground. However, they soon discovered that the estate’s basement only extended to the first floor. The ring was still pointing downward, but all they found in the underground were a pantry and storage rooms.

 

The entrance must be hidden.

 

Diana and Kayden split up to search the area. Eventually, they found a faint scuff mark on the floor at the back of a storage room.

 

Creak. They carefully slid a cabinet aside, revealing a hidden passage. After sending Hillasa ahead to check for traps or any signs of life, they entered the passage. They walked down the dark, narrow tunnel for what felt like an eternity until, suddenly, the space opened up, and light poured in.

 

Kayden, who was leading, froze at the sight. He quickly turned and covered Diana’s eyes with his hand.

 

“Don’t look.” He whispered urgently, but not before Diana had already seen everything.

 

Inside transparent cylinders scattered around the room were the bodies of monsters. Some were only arms, others just heads. In the largest cylinder in the center was a massive egg. Beneath it, a heating device bubbled, keeping the egg warm.

 

<…I don’t know why, but this feels wrong.>

 

Yuro muttered in Diana’s mind, and she agreed. Perhaps it was because dark-attribute spirits resembled monsters. The sight left her feeling uneasy… But she gently took Kayden’s hand, the one covering her eyes, and smiled.

 

“It’s okay.”

 

“But…”

 

“What I saw before my regression was much worse. I was just startled, that’s all. Don’t worry.”

 

Her calm smile as she reassured him, saying that things had been worse before her return to the past, tugged at Kayden’s heart. He bit his lip, hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly lowered his hand.

 

Diana smiled and patted his arm. “Besides, we don’t have much time. Let’s gather whatever evidence we can and get out of here.”

 

“…Alright.” Kayden nodded, holding back his concern.

 

The two carefully began to search the laboratory, collecting anything that could be used as evidence.

 

Diana found what appeared to be a journal in front of the large central cylinder. She flipped open the cover and quickly began reading.