The Search for the Duchess’s Husband - Chapter 38

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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 38

I made my way to Catherine’s chamber.
Catherine, who had been sitting at her vanity applying her cosmetics, looked startled at my arrival.
“What brings you to visit me?”
“Are you attending the Masked Gathering again today?”
“Yes.”
“I’d like to go with you.”
Catherine, who had been responding so calmly, suddenly jumped to her feet.
“Why would you go with me?”
“Since you go every day, I’m curious about what kind of gathering it is. Besides, Mother told me not to stay cooped up at home and to attend some gatherings.”
“Well, that may be true, but…”
Catherine shook her head, unable to hide her bewilderment.
“No. This is not a place you can attend.”
Her stern response only deepened my suspicion.
What kind of gathering could it possibly be?
Something was amiss. Distinctly amiss.
Catherine’s eyes met mine—those luminous pink irises—and she suddenly flared with irritation.
“At my age, must I worry about your scrutiny while attending a gathering? I want to enjoy myself in peace, so stop asking strange questions and stay home!”
Catherine fled the mansion as though escaping.
Watching her carriage depart, I rose to my feet.
“Let’s go, Bibi.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Under normal circumstances, I would never pry into someone’s affairs in such a manner, but circumstances left me no choice.
I followed her carriage at a discreet distance so she wouldn’t notice.
Shortly after, Catherine’s carriage arrived at a mansion situated in a sparsely populated area on the outskirts of the city.
From a distance, I furrowed my brow as I observed the estate.
‘Which noble house does this mansion belong to?’
It was a place entirely unknown to me.
The coachman asked, “What shall we do, ma’am?”
At a glance, the mansion’s security was formidable. It seemed unlikely they would admit just any carriage.
“Wait here for a moment.”
I descended from the carriage and approached the mansion.
As expected, stern-faced gatekeepers blocked my path.
“Please present your invitation.”
“Please show me your invitation.”
“Well, it seems I don’t have an invitation. However, my mother was invited to this event today and is attending. I have urgent matters to discuss with her, so please allow me to enter for a moment.”
The petite woman with pale skin and gentle eyes appeared utterly unthreatening.
The gatekeepers nearly nodded in agreement before catching themselves and speaking up.
“Only those with invitations are permitted entry.”
From their demeanor, it seemed they would absolutely not open the door.
Bibi whispered to me.
“Shall I slip inside and take a look?”
No matter how strict the security, Bibi could manage it.
But I couldn’t bear to send Bibi into an unfamiliar mansion without knowing what was happening inside, risking her safety.
If we were caught infiltrating a nobleman’s residence, we could face severe punishment.
“We’ve learned where the Banquet Hall is. Let’s return for now.”
The next day, I investigated the Masked Gathering.
However, all I discovered was that the venue was a mansion owned by someone called Baron Crobason, and I could learn nothing else.
‘Why is this gathering being run with such secrecy?’
Perhaps I should simply ask Mother.
No, she deflected the conversation before when I pressed the matter. She wouldn’t give me a proper answer.
‘What should I do…’
My worries proved pointless. Days later, I found myself seated in a carriage approaching the Crobason Mansion.
“Please show your invitation.”
The man sitting across from me merely extended his hand through the window, presenting an invitation stamped with a distinctive seal.
The impenetrable security crumbled instantly.
The carriage rolled forward through the gates the sentries opened.
‘I’m finally inside…’
I gazed at the man across from me with an exhilarated expression.
The man in the black suit, arrogantly crossing his legs, was Killian von Orpheus.
I still couldn’t believe it.
That I had come to this suspiciously dangerous mansion with this dangerously formidable man.

* * *

A few days ago, Artia lay in bed, pondering how to infiltrate the suspicious mansion.
It was then that a black cat appeared with a rustling sound.
“Nabi!”
Artia bolted upright from the bed and rushed to the window with a radiant smile.
“You came. I missed you.”
Though she had seen Nabi just days before, Artia bounced about as if it had been years.
In contrast, the black cat swept its gaze about with an aloof expression, searching for something.
At least those unpleasant faces aren’t here today.
The cat settled onto the windowsill with a visibly more relaxed demeanor.
Artia, resting her chin in her hand beside the cat, giggled softly as she spoke.
“What would you like to do today? A snack, perhaps….”
The cat’s golden eyes widened sharply.
“A toy, then….”
Another sharp look!
Noticing the cat’s mood, Artia’s eyes widened in realization.
“…Then shall we just chat?”
Though calling it a chat when I’m the only one talking, Nabi probably wouldn’t find it amusing.
Yet contrary to her worry, the black cat’s pointed eyes softened into circles once more.
It truly does love listening to people talk.
Artia marveled at Nabi’s preferences and proceeded to chatter about the events of recent days.
“In the end, I couldn’t get inside Baron Crobason’s mansion.”
“….”
“If only I were a cat, I could have snuck in and looked around….”
Artia laughed with a note of regret.
But the very next day, something remarkable happened.
Nocton von Alihas, the Prince’s attendant, came calling.
“I bring word from His Highness Killian von Orpheus. His Highness humbly requests that you accompany him to the gathering hosted by Baron Crobason.”
“What?!”
Artia was so startled her eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.
It was shocking enough to receive a message from Killian von Orpheus, but to be asked to attend Baron Crobason’s gathering with him?
Could such a coincidence truly exist?
Was God perhaps watching over me and toying with my fate?
Despite her swirling thoughts, she nonetheless answered that she understood.
After all, this was the opportunity she had so desperately sought to attend the gathering.
And so, on this day when the meeting came to pass, Artia found herself seated across from Killian von Orpheus inside the carriage.
From the moment Artia boarded the carriage, she had gripped her skirts tightly and kept her gaze fixed firmly upon the floor.
‘Being alone with him in this cramped carriage must already displease him—I mustn’t provoke him further.’
Killian von Orpheus, observing her stubborn refusal to lift her head, finally spoke.
“Artia von Edenberg.”
“Yes.”
“Say what you wish to say.”
Is that truly allowed? It is, isn’t it? Since Your Highness has given me permission first.
With so many questions already burning in her mind, Artia carefully lifted her gaze.
She met Killian von Orpheus’s golden eyes and asked with deliberate caution.
“What sort of gathering is this Masked Gathering we’re attending?”
“It’s a Masked Gathering hosted by Baron Crobason. For a mere baron’s event, it’s operated with extraordinary secrecy. Only those carefully selected and formally invited may attend, and there is one peculiar rule.”
“What rule is that?”
“Those who attend the Masked Gathering must not reveal their name, house, age, or anything whatsoever about their circumstances.”
“But the nobility of the Convent are closely acquainted with one another. Is such a thing truly possible?”
“It is possible. With this.”
A white mask had appeared in Killian von Orpheus’s hand.
A memory surfaced in Artia’s mind.
The day Catherine had returned to the Edenberg Mansion wearing an ornate mask adorned with roses, thoroughly intoxicated.
As one mystery of the Masked Gathering unraveled, Artia nodded in understanding, and Killian von Orpheus extended the mask he held toward her.
“Put it on.”
Ah, I thought it was too feminine for His Highness to wear—so it was meant for me.
“Thank you.”
Artia accepted the mask with utmost care, ensuring she didn’t even brush his fingertips.
Remarkably, the mask fit her face as though it had been crafted specifically for her.
The understated design also suited her taste perfectly.
‘Could it be mere coincidence?’
…Or was it consideration?
Artia pondered this small mystery as she secured the mask.
Killian von Orpheus donned his mask as well.
With the black mask concealing half his face, he appeared like an entirely different person.
‘The aura he radiates remains terrifying, though…’
Artia studied his expression carefully before speaking.
“Your Highness, there is one more thing I wish to ask.”
“Speak.”
“Why did you ask me to attend the Masked Gathering with you?”
You looked as though you would weep if you couldn’t go.

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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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