The Search for the Duchess’s Husband - Chapter 179

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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 179

Had it not been for the baby, I would have screamed like a madwoman and shattered every object in the room.
I even felt the urge to slash my own wrists.
But I could not.
Because my baby—my child with such unusually quiet breathing—was sleeping.
Felicity made no sound as she wept, clutching the infant to her chest.
Even then, the baby’s warm body heat and faint scent only deepened her sorrow.
A few days later, the consummation took place.
No—it was the mating of beasts.
Solely for the purpose of bearing offspring carrying the male’s bloodline.
Weeks later, when Felicity learned she was with child, she could not stop retching.
‘It feels as though worms have invaded my belly!’
After the baby was born, that revulsion only intensified.
Black hair and piercing golden eyes.
Every time I gazed upon the child who so resembled the Emperor, disgust and hatred surged within me.
The more Killian von Orpheus grew and earned the Emperor’s recognition, the more the people praised him, the greater my resentment became.
Especially when compared to Arsen, who could do nothing but exist day after day in his own chamber.
That is why I wished to give the Emperor’s throne to Arsen.
It was the Empress’s long-cherished desire.
But then Arsen spoke.
“I wish for Killian von Orpheus to become Emperor, Empress Mother.”
What choice did I have?
If my beloved, pitiful child desired it, then as his mother, I could only surrender.

“Your Majesty, I intend to support Killian von Orpheus in his succession to the throne going forward.”
At the Empress’s words, the Emperor’s eyes widened ever so slightly.
Yet he did not ask why.
He had never been curious about the thoughts of others, after all.
Instead, he merely nodded with an arrogant expression.
“A wise decision.”
The reason the Emperor had not appointed Killian von Orpheus as Crown Prince until now was because the Empress had vehemently opposed it, even drawing her homeland into the conflict.
Now that the Empress had stepped back, he would appoint Killian von Orpheus as Crown Prince, and naturally, the next Emperor would be that boy.
It would all end there.
But the Empress did not wish for it to end that way.
‘I despise you far too much.’
I cannot bear to watch you do everything as you please and then depart.
It was the moment the Empress gazed upon the Emperor with eyes full of resentment.
The Emperor let out a groan and clutched at his chest.
Seeing this, the Empress spoke.
“For the past twenty-eight years, I have served your tea.”
Preparing the Emperor’s tea was a duty performed by all Empresses before her.
After giving birth to Killian von Orpheus, the Empress resumed this task as soon as she recovered.
She maintained her composure with desperate effort, barely suppressing her nausea.
She had to appear favorable to the Emperor in order to protect Arsen.
…And one day, to crush his life with her own hands.
“Soon your heart will stop and your breath will cease—it will not be painful.”
For a man who had turned one woman’s entire life into hell, it was a merciful death.
The Emperor barely managed to draw out his voice and speak.
“Poisoning the Emperor is a capital offense….”
At his unexpected words, the Empress’s eyes widened before she twisted her lips into a distorted smile.
“When you die, it becomes my world. The new Emperor is my son—who would dare challenge me?”
A dull thud.
The Emperor collapsed to the floor, clutching his chest. He looked up at the Empress with an agonized expression.
The Empress looked down upon the final moments of the man who possessed all the world’s power.
Not a single tear fell—that was her pride.
She refused to grieve even slightly for this man.

* * *

The Empress spoke.
“Last night, His Majesty the Emperor’s chronic illness worsened, and he passed away suddenly.”
Shocked by the news, no one could speak.
The Emperor’s retainers spoke with confused expressions.
“His Majesty’s health had been poor recently, but this is far too sudden. Please conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of death.”
The Empress’s eyes changed.
“Why? Do you suspect His Majesty the Emperor was assassinated?”
The retainers flinched but did not back down.
“Forgive us, but we believe there is such a possibility. His Majesty held such a noble position that his life was threatened by many.”
The Empress spoke in a resolute voice.
“No, nothing of the sort occurred.”
“But….”
“I was present at the moment His Majesty the Emperor’s breath ceased. He was drinking the tea I had prepared when he suddenly clutched his chest and suffered in agony. I summoned the Doctor immediately, but he never opened his eyes again.”
The Emperor’s personal physician spoke with a sorrowful expression.
“The Empress Dowager speaks the truth. I examined His Majesty’s body in detail but found nothing suspicious whatsoever.”
The Empress looked down at the retainers and spoke sharply.
“If you harbor doubts about His Majesty the Emperor’s death despite the testimony of myself and the Doctor, come to me at any time. I shall prove my innocence to your satisfaction. Of course, I am prepared to exact a price for such rash suspicion.”
The Empress had a great power behind her that rivaled the Empire itself.
Above all, she was the biological mother of two imperial princes.
Whether Arsen or Killian von Orpheus became Emperor, she would solidify her power as Empress Dowager.
No one dared entertain thoughts of defying her will.
Loyalty to a dead ruler paled in comparison to one’s own life in the present moment.
“No, Your Majesty the Empress. We have spoken carelessly to you, who must be grieving most deeply at this hour. Please forgive us.”
The Empress regarded the retainers with contemptuous eyes, then turned her head sharply away.

* * *

The funeral was held amid divided opinions regarding the Emperor’s sudden death.
Normally, a funeral should last a month, but the Empress insisted the throne could not remain vacant for so long and shortened the period to two weeks.
The ministers protested vehemently, yet the Empress’s momentum proved stronger.
Above all, a single statement from the Empress silenced the nobility’s complaints.
“Surely you all wish for Killian von Orpheus to ascend the throne as swiftly as possible.”
The nobles had naturally expected the Empress to advocate for Arsen’s ascension to the throne.
Yet she was supporting Killian von Orpheus as Emperor instead….
The former Emperor had no grave flaws, but neither did he possess any outstanding qualities. He never favored his own people, so none followed him with genuine loyalty.
But Killian von Orpheus was different.
He possessed exceptional abilities in a young body. Though cold, he rewarded competence thoroughly, earning fierce loyalty from those who served him.
Above all, there was great anticipation that if he became Emperor, the Empire’s long-stagnant power would surge anew.
Many welcomed Killian von Orpheus’s ascension and attended the funeral.
The Empress and Killian von Orpheus, dressed in black mourning robes, stood at the front of the funeral procession.
Those who saw them whispered among themselves.
“No matter how cold His Majesty was to his family, neither of them looks sad at all.”
“Indeed. It’s unsettling just to watch.”
“Could it be that the two of them together…the Emperor….”
“Hush, unless you wish to lose your head, keep silent.”
As various whispers continued among the people, Killian von Orpheus bowed toward the Emperor buried in the ground.
“Farewell, Empress Mother.”
His voice carried no emotion whatsoever.
In contrast, the Empress’s voice was thick with bitter rage.
“Fall into hell. Suffer there for all eternity.”
At that moment, Arsen lay trembling on the bed in Killian von Orpheus’s chamber.
He appeared to be weeping.
Yet the face hidden beneath white hair was smiling.
‘From the moment I was born, I was treated as defective trash.’
Had it not been for the Empress, she would have killed him long ago.
To Arsen, the Emperor was no father—he was an enemy threatening his very life.
The enemy’s death brought joy.
Yet even as he giggled, a single tear escaped.
Arsen’s pale face contorted.
“Don’t you dare let that happen again, Arsen. Stay quiet.”
In an instant, the tear vanished, and a serene smile returned to the pale face.

* * *

Charlotte’s Cabin.
Artia cried out in shock.
“The Emperor has passed away?”
It was Bibi who brought her the news.
After recovering, Bibi had visited the Convent to gather information on the situation.
What she reported was shocking.
“The cause of death is said to be cardiac arrest due to a chronic illness. Because it was so sudden, there are rumors that the Empress may have had a hand in it, but the Imperial Court conducted the funeral quickly without any separate investigation into the truth.”
Artia’s expression darkened.
I had seen the Emperor only a few times, and I felt no particular affection for him—merely the sorrow of a nation losing its sovereign.
But he was Killian von Orpheus’s father.
‘I wonder if he’s all right.’
Charlotte, sitting across from Artia, suddenly spoke.
“Even if you hadn’t been brainwashed by Orpheus, he wouldn’t have grieved less than you.”
She was chuckling softly as she gazed at Luka’s portrait that Bibi had retrieved.

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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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