The Search for the Duchess’s Husband - Chapter 127

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

In Search of the Duke’s Husband – Episode 127

Killian von Orpheus drew close enough that I could feel his breath, and he reached out his hand.
‘No, I can’t!’
Not knowing what exactly I was refusing, I cried out “No!” and squeezed my eyes shut, only to discover that what Killian von Orpheus had grasped was the book wedged behind me on the shelf.

「The Burning Heart of the Northern Grand Duke」

Killian von Orpheus held the book in his hand and spoke.
“This is what you’re more interested in and know better than anyone else.”
Thump-thump.
My heart was pounding so violently that I didn’t understand what he was saying until much later.
‘He’s too close….’
I was afraid my heart would race even faster if I met his gaze, so I lowered my eyes slightly and answered.
“I’ve considered that option too. But I enjoy novels—I don’t have the talent to write something worth selling.”
“You don’t need to write it yourself. A businessperson simply finds good merchandise and sells it well.”
“Are you asking me to sell novels?”
“The Empire has a culture that views art as vulgar, so related businesses haven’t developed much. But in Leju, a small nation that’s not even one-tenth the size of the Empire, the arts business thrives across diverse fields—literature, music, visual arts, performance, and more. Well-crafted works generate as much wealth as the Diamond Mine.”
I had heard of Leju before.
It was a small country with a reputation for having much to see.
There was an atmosphere of people visiting secretly because of the perception that going to Leju meant indulging in lowbrow and dissolute culture….
Perhaps the answers I had been seeking were waiting there.
Forgetting to be self-conscious about Killian von Orpheus, I spoke.
“I should visit Leju.”
Watching my sparkling pink eyes, Killian von Orpheus’s lips curved upward.
Cherry blossoms in full bloom once more.

* * *

A few days later, I arrived in Leju.
Bibi was at my side.
And on the opposite side was Killian von Orpheus, his face wrapped in a floral scarf.
The two of us had met aboard the ship bound for Leju.
I asked in surprise.
“Your Highness, what are you doing here?”
“After talking with you about Leju, I suddenly wanted to visit again after so long.”
“Alone, without a single attendant?”
“It’s an unofficial visit.”
Just then, a woman passing by glanced repeatedly at Killian von Orpheus and blew him a kiss.
Though Killian von Orpheus showed no reaction, I stiffened like a bird whose nest had been threatened.
I unwound the scarf I’d been wearing and wrapped it around Killian von Orpheus’s face.
I spoke to Killian von Orpheus, whose face was now concealed with only his eyes peeking through the scarf.
“If you want a quiet trip, then keep it that way.”
At my stern voice, so at odds with my gentle appearance, Killian von Orpheus nodded obediently.
And so, quite naturally(?), the two of us ended up traveling together and headed toward the street.
“Wow….”
My eyes widened as I turned my head this way and that.
Unlike the Empire’s grand yet monochromatic landscape, Leju was charming and colorful in every way.
The buildings, the people—everything.
Women with rainbow-dyed hair, men adorned entirely in jewelry, elderly women in bright red shoes.
As my gaze was captivated by the vibrant appearance of the people, Killian von Orpheus, his face hidden by the scarf, spoke.
“Leju is a free-spirited country. It’s different from the Empire, where people gossip if you even drape a scarf incorrectly according to etiquette.”
“I see. It’s truly wonderful….”
My eyes widened, and I grabbed Killian von Orpheus’s hand, spinning my body around sharply.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just suddenly felt an intense urge to go in that direction.”
Killian von Orpheus tilted his head, unaware.
A woman with her body fully exposed was approaching from the direction he’d been walking.
As we walked down the street, this time Killian von Orpheus stepped closer to me.
Suddenly trapped like I was against a massive wall, I wore a bewildered expression.
“Why are you doing that?”
“I saw something unpleasant.”
I blinked, unaware.
A muscular man with his upper body exposed had just passed behind Killian von Orpheus.
In any case, the two of us walked down the street like good friends, protecting each other(?).
As time passed and I grew somewhat accustomed to this vibrant world, I asked.
“Is Leju always this full of energy?”
“Yes, it was like this two years ago as well.”
Killian von Orpheus had stopped in Leju two years ago for supplies during the war.
It was utterly unlike the grim, blood-soaked battlefields I knew.
Here, where people of various races gathered to laugh, chatter, and quarrel, there thrummed a vitality absent from any war zone.
Killian von Orpheus kept his subordinates under strict discipline to ensure they caused no harm to anyone.
He had no desire to kindle the flames of war in a city so impossibly beautiful.
“It’s beautiful, but this nation possesses none of the resources the Empire covets. I considered that fortunate—there was no need to trample this place.”
Hearing Killian von Orpheus speak so openly, something he rarely did about himself, my heart quickened.
I felt my cheeks flush as I pondered his words.
‘The epithet “mad prince” truly doesn’t suit him at all. He can be so tender….’
At that very moment, in the Imperial Palace, Nocton von Alihas—whose eyes had grown hollow from shouldering Killian von Orpheus’s duties—muttered to himself.
“Ugh, why am I suddenly so irritated?”

* * *

After unpacking at our reserved lodgings, the three of us made our way to the theater.
It was the very reason I had come to Leju.
True to its name as the City of the Arts, Leju boasted dozens of theaters, and among them, Aqua was the most renowned.
Compared to the theaters operated by the Imperial Court, it was small and modest, yet the building constructed from blue-hued stone possessed a unique beauty.
My expression grew entranced.
“It’s so beautiful—it feels as though I’ve stepped beneath the sea.”
“In Leju, they regard buildings as works of art, so they prioritize design over efficiency,” Killian von Orpheus explained.
The interior proved equally distinctive in its design.
To examine the seashells dangling from the ceiling more closely, I craned my neck upward.
Seeing this, Killian von Orpheus was grateful for the scarf wrapped around his face.
Without it, he would have been caught grinning like a fool.
Bibi, standing one step behind me, thought with an expressionless face.
‘The smile shows through the scarf anyway….’
Bibi was naturally taciturn, but today she spoke even less than usual. Moreover, she moved with such care that her breathing and footsteps were barely audible.
It was because of Killian von Orpheus.
Bibi was the only person who knew the truth between Killian von Orpheus and me.
“His Highness is my friend. I’m keeping it hidden from others to avoid misunderstandings, but….”
That’s what I had said. However….
Whenever Killian von Orpheus looked at me, his golden eyes—which had always seemed cold and desolate—burned with a fierce heat.
Bibi recognized that gaze well.
It was the look a massive, ferocious beast wore when its chosen prey stood before it.
At such moments, the beast was exceedingly dangerous.
Should any obstacle to its desire appear, it would tear out their throat without hesitation.
That was why Bibi erased her presence before Killian von Orpheus.
There was no benefit in provoking a beast beyond human control.
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason….
‘He hasn’t stopped smiling.’
It wasn’t only Killian von Orpheus. Artia felt the same way.
Artia typically expressed her emotions honestly in front of those she had opened her heart to, but I had never seen her quite so childishly excited before.
‘Is this what the upper classes call friendship?’
Bibi watched the two of them with conflicted feelings.

* * *

Once the performance began, I couldn’t tear my gaze from the stage.
In terms of polish alone, the Empire’s performances were far superior.
The Empire focused on creating refined, sophisticated productions for the enjoyment of the upper classes.
But Leju’s stage possessed a freshness and intensity that the Empire lacked.
I murmured softly.
“This would succeed in the Empire as well….”
Killian von Orpheus gazed at my profile.
He found joy in watching my rose-pink eyes shine like cherry blossoms in full bloom.
But why was it?
Today, seeing that light in her eyes filled him with unease. His mouth had gone dry.
‘Look at me, Artia.’
Yet his desperate prayer went unanswered, and it wasn’t until long after the curtain fell that Artia turned her head toward him.
She spoke with animated excitement.
“That was truly a magnificent performance!”
Only after seeing himself reflected in those rose-pink eyes did Killian von Orpheus feel his frustration ease somewhat.
“I think I’ll never forget this performance for the rest of my life.”
Watching Artia speak with her hands clasped together, Killian von Orpheus nodded.
Neither will I.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————