The Search for the Duchess’s Husband - Chapter 119

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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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In Search of the Duke’s Husband – Episode 119

Evangeline had deliberately abstained from attending the Masked Gathering held the previous evening.
She feared that Artia might feel uncomfortable in her presence. She wanted Artia to enjoy the gathering without reservation.
“I was delighted to hear of your accomplishments. You should be truly proud.”
Evangeline’s voice, ordinarily as rigid as ice, had grown tender.
Artia’s cheeks flushed at the unexpected praise.
“Thank you.”
“Congratulations ought not be expressed in words alone—a proper gift is in order.”
Evangeline continued.
“From this moment forward, I, Evangeline von Gloster, shall support Artia von Edenberg in all her endeavors, whatever their nature.”
It was a promise far more precious than any apology or praise.
Artia, having obtained what she had so desperately desired, clenched her fists tightly.
Evangeline spoke again.
“Tell me what you wish for. Do you desire a suitable husband tailored to your preferences? Or would you prefer an increase to your personal allowance so you might spend lavishly?”
Evangeline was the wife of the Marquess of Gloucester and a woman who wielded the Elders of House of Edenberg like pieces on a board.
She was prepared to grant her remarkable niece whatever she desired.
Yet the words that spilled from Artia’s lips far exceeded her expectations.
“Aunt, I wish to possess the power to move House of Edenberg as I see fit.”
“…!”
Artia’s voice continued.
“Born as a daughter of the House of Edenberg, I have studied countless lessons since childhood.”
I learned to smile graciously, to pour tea with elegance, and to adorn myself beautifully.
After marrying and becoming the mistress of the Edenberg Mansion, my education expanded with additional skills.
Managing servants, maintaining ledgers of income and expenditure, and decorating the estate.
“Yet these are merely the competencies required of a household mistress—not true power. Should I remarry, the title and authority of Duke would pass to my new husband, and I would be forced to defer to his whims. I refuse to live such a life any longer.”
Bewilderment flooded Evangeline’s austere countenance.
“You mean to place a puppet husband in the Duke’s seat and lead the House yourself?”
“Yes, much as you orchestrate your incompetent uncles from the shadows.”
Evangeline was utterly speechless.
‘I thought she would merely ask for a few sweets, yet she demands the very ingredients to make them.’
Her face bore not a trace of avarice, yet her audacity was without equal.
Strangely, she found nothing distasteful about Artia’s demeanor. Quite the contrary….
‘The daughter of my brother—a man with whom I was worse than enemies—now appears endearing to me. Have I truly grown old?’
Evangeline shook her head slowly as she regarded Artia.
Though she affected composure, her hands gripping the hem of her skirt betrayed her tension.
Even that aspect of her pleased me, Evangeline thought as she spoke.
“As promised, I shall give you what you desire.”

* * *

“Power cannot be bestowed upon you like a jewel draped around your body. I can only show you the method—you must seize the strength yourself.”
With those words, Evangeline placed thousands of pages of documents upon the desk.
“Records detailing the personal information of both direct and collateral family members.”
House of Edenberg was an ancient lineage that had endured since the Empire’s founding.
When combining the direct and collateral branches, the number of living members alone reached into the thousands.
‘Moreover, these documents are not merely organized by name and rank. They contain detailed entries on personality, abilities, and peculiarities.’
Evangeline spoke to Artia, who had swallowed hard after reading the documents.
“To manipulate people, you must first understand them thoroughly. Only then can you offer the appropriate carrot and whip.”
That Evangeline, who had married into another house, wielded such formidable influence over House of Edenberg was not merely because she had been the previous Duke’s eldest daughter.
It was due to the relentless information she had accumulated over the years and the cunning with which she wielded it.
Evangeline spoke to Artia with grave solemnity.
“Memorize every single character without omission.”

I had never possessed a particularly sharp memory. What could I do about it?
There was nothing for it but to read until the contents were burned into my mind.
I did not release the papers from my hands from morning until night.
I read and reread the documents while eating bread, during walks, while bathing, and even lying in bed until the moment sleep claimed me.
Then one day, Killian von Orpheus came to visit.
Upon seeing the black cat appear at the window, I laughed with a hollow expression.
“Welcome, Your Highness.”
Despite my courteous greeting, the black cat raised his left eyebrow in clear disapproval.
“Are you unwell?”
“No.”
Even at my response, Killian von Orpheus’s suspicious gaze showed no sign of relenting.
As he approached me, he returned to his true form and reached out his hand.
A large, cold hand touched my round forehead.
“Your temperature is normal.”
“…!”
My face flushed crimson in an instant, and I cried out in flustered alarm.
“I told you I’m not unwell! I’m merely a bit tired.”
“Why?”
I chattered on to Killian von Orpheus about what had transpired with Evangeline, pointing to the stack of papers piled upon the desk.
“I promised to memorize everything written here and be examined by my aunt in a fortnight.”
Though I spoke with the gravity of one who had been given the harshest of tasks, Killian von Orpheus merely stroked his chin as though bewildered.
“Does that truly require a fortnight?”
“…?”
I blinked slowly before finally comprehending his words, my mouth falling open in surprise.
‘His Majesty has been renowned for his brilliance since childhood!’
The Emperor had once made Killian von Orpheus, barely four years old, recite a poem in front of all the nobility—a poem so difficult that even adults struggled to memorize it, simply to boast of his precocity.
That was why Benedict, upon returning from the Imperial Palace in those days, had shouted with an angry face.
“You’re the same age, so why are you so stupid! You can’t even speak properly, let alone recite poetry!”
Little Artia had trembled, curling her small body into itself, thinking desperately.
“I wish I were as clever as His Majesty….”
Back then, I had envied Killian von Orpheus, but now I felt something entirely different.
‘I’m worried I couldn’t memorize that much even in two weeks, and he’s calling it nothing special. How infuriating.’
My cheeks puffed out like balloons. Seeing this, Killian von Orpheus felt a childish impulse stir within him.
He brought his finger close to my face and asked.
“Can I poke it?”
I shook my head with a sullen expression. Looking like a squirrel angry with acorns stuffed in its cheeks, I only fueled his desire further.
“Just once.”
I was utterly bewildered.
His golden eyes burned with such tremendous longing.
They gleamed so intensely he resembled a hunter who had spotted the world’s most priceless treasure before his very eyes.
‘In reality, he’s just after my puffed-up cheeks…’
But when he gazed at me with such earnest desire, I simply could not refuse.
He was my precious friend, after all.
In the end, I nodded with a helpless expression.
Poke.
As if he had been waiting, Killian von Orpheus’s long finger touched my swollen cheek.
Immediately, with a soft deflating sound, my cheek returned to its normal state.
It was such a trivial thing, yet Killian von Orpheus let out a small laugh.
His innocent, childlike smile captivated me entirely, stealing my gaze. Only then did I regain my senses and brainwash myself with thoughts.
‘My heart is racing only because His Majesty is so handsome. His Majesty is my friend. A truly, truly, truly precious friend.’
Killian von Orpheus, finding the reason for my grimace elsewhere, spoke.
“I wasn’t showing off. Even for me, memorizing that much in two weeks isn’t easy. But when it comes to people, it’s much simpler. I have a special method for remembering people.”
My eyes widened.
“What method is that?”
“Scent.”
More precisely, the aura that a person emanates. I could sense it.
“Every person has a different scent.”
It was different from the scent perceived through ordinary olfaction.
The fragrance that emanates from a person’s soul is intense, and I could instinctively remember them.
Artia asked with an intrigued expression.
“Is it because you have magical power that you can sense such things?”
“Perhaps.”
“Then what scent do I carry?”
“….”
Killian von Orpheus’s eyes widened imperceptibly at the unexpected question.

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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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