Lady Ophelia possesses the special ability to know when someone's lying. Because of this, she has a hard time being around people and has taken to living a reclusive lifestyle despite being the daughter of an earl. One day Ophelia decides to attend a ball, the bane of her existence, in order to get another glimpse of the handsome Duke Claudio.

However, Ophelia quickly becomes overwhelmed by the lies the nobles all around her are telling, and in her disoriented state makes a fool of herself right in front of Duke Claudio. In a twist of fate, this reveals her special ability to Claudio, who hates liars more than anything, and he recruits Ophelia to join the Ministry of Justice where he just so happens to be the Director. There she's roped into investigating a series of mysterious incidents. Will her unique group of coworkers help her get through her new job safely?!

The Brooding Duke's Guide to the Lie-Detecting Lady has a story by Mayo Momoyo, with illustrations by Wan Hachipisu. English translation is done by Victoria Kasahara. Published by Cross Infinite World (March 17, 2026).

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

I can't fault the title translation on this one – if you're a historical romance reader, you'll doubtless be familiar with the latest title conventions: terrible modern puns (The Earl Next Door) and the _____'s Guide to ______. Seriously, I just typed “The Duke's Guide” into Goodreads and got a whole list, and that's only a fraction of the titles on the market. So whether or not this is an accurate translation of the book's original Japanese title, it's one that's guaranteed to get more eyes on its store page(s).

And, like many of its title brethren, it doesn't actually have much to do with the actual story. Oh, there's a brooding (read: grumpy) duke, and there is a lady who can detect lies. But the plot isn't anything resembling a “guide” and Ophelia is the point of view character far more frequently than Claudio. (And yes, both of those names are from Hamlet; no, that has nothing to do with the plot.) Ophelia, like many members of her family, has a quasi-supernatural gift: whenever she senses something that's not as it should be, she begins to shake uncontrollably. This goes for lies and things like hidden rot in a building, which is, more or less, a structural lie. Because her condition is so severe, she's spent most of her life isolated in her family home, although with the help of her brother Bernard, she's able to work at a governmental architectural agency, inspecting buildings for unseen damage. But when Claudio, the younger brother of the king and a duke in his own right, learns of her gift, he snatches her away to work for him at the Department of Justice, where her skills are used in interrogations.

There's an awkward balance to this story, much more so than in its author's other work available in English, Always a Catch. Ophelia's condition is meant to be funny, but it more often just seems terrible, as the poor girl can barely stand or walk for most of the book. Claudio, who has an aversion to lies and flattery, spends most of the book just being cold, although Momoyo does make it clear that he's attracted to Ophelia, something everyone but the woman in question can see. Still, the romance isn't particularly well developed, which is a shame, especially since Momoyo starts to set up some love geometry that never comes to fruition.

Cross Infinite World's translation is a highlight of the book. It's very smooth and readable, and it has plenty of turns of phrase that serve as tacit acknowledgement of western romance trends, increasing the book's appeal for that market should they come across the title. It still reads like a light novel, though, keeping that audience firmly in mind. It might be a bit disappointing for readers hoping for something more similar to Always a Catch, but it's still a good book in its own right.