The Search for the Duchess’s Husband - Chapter 42

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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 42

“…!”
Only then did Artia understand the reason Catherine had perpetrated such an absurd scheme.
It wasn’t merely that gambling had consumed her mind and clouded her judgment.
She wanted to marry me off to Simon.
Regardless of whether that was something I desired at all.
The pink eyes that had gleamed so vividly moments before now dulled into a murky haze.
Catherine’s heart sank upon witnessing that gaze.
Artia spoke in a voice devoid of all warmth and emotion.
“I have no intention of surrendering Ansi Lake to anyone. And I certainly have no intention of marrying Simon. So I suggest you find a way to repay the debt within the deadline.”
“….”
“Before I come to truly despise you.”
“…!”
With those words, Artia left the room.
Catherine stood motionless as though struck by a hammer, her mind drifting back to the day she had first met Artia long ago.
The young Artia had stood with her face flushed crimson, eyes fixed upon the floor, her trembling hands clutching at her skirts.
Witnessing this, Catherine had worn a sardonic expression.
Hmph, am I truly so frightening? I’m no wicked stepmother from a fairy tale.
A small voice reached Catherine, who had furrowed her brows.
“Ah, hello, Mother.”
From that moment forward, Artia had faithfully called her Mother.
And so Catherine had never truly understood.
How much affection had been woven into that single word.
“Before I come to truly despise you.”
Only when Artia addressed her as “you” did Catherine comprehend.
The fragile thread of kinship that had bound them had been severed completely.
“What have I done…!”
Violent regret crashed over her, but the damage was already done.

* * *

What Artia held in her hand was a promissory note written by Catherine.
Borrowed funds: 1.5 billion Gold.
Interest rate: 200% every three months. Including interest, 3 billion Gold was required.
The most troublesome part was the final clause.

「 If the principal and interest are not repaid by the payment deadline, the ownership of Ansi Lake shall be transferred to Shylock von Rusian. 」

I pressed my forehead with a grimace.
“No matter how I look at it, this is a predatory contract.”
Should I file a lawsuit with the court to invalidate the contract itself?”
However, the Empire had no laws regulating excessive interest rates on loans.
Since Shylock hadn’t forced Catherine to borrow the money, it was legally impossible to challenge.
“There’s only one way forward: repay the debt within the deadline.”
Though diminished from its former glory, House of Edenberg was still a Ducal House. We possessed assets sufficient to repay 3 billion Gold.
However, there was one problem.
I had no liquid funds immediately available.
“To raise that amount of money, I’ll need to sell lands owned by the family.”
This was where the second problem arose.
After my divorce, the authority to buy and sell family assets had been transferred to the Elders of the House.
In other words, I needed the Elders’ cooperation to overcome this situation.
‘It’s my own money, yet I need someone else’s permission to use it. What kind of law is this?’
Frustration burned within me, but I had no choice—the urgent matter had to be addressed first.
I wrote a letter to the Elders.

「 Mother has incurred substantial gambling debts.
To preserve the honor of House of Edenberg, we must repay the funds urgently. Please consent to the sale of real estate. 」

I wrote honestly without euphemism or concealment, and sent the letter through the most persuasive servant in the Edenberg Mansion.
The matter was urgent enough to warrant such measures.
Yet despite these efforts, replies arrived only after several days had passed.
I quickly read through the letters sent by the three Elders.
The contents differed slightly, but the tone was identical throughout.

「 With no lord of the house and only women remaining, shameful incidents occur constantly.
I find it unbearable to witness.
(Followed by a litany of reproaches)
…I cannot accept the ancestral wealth of House of Edenberg, preserved through generations, being squandered to remedy such foolish mistakes.
You and your mother must resolve this yourselves. 」

The particularly irritating youngest uncle even added a snide remark.

「 It’s hardly a serious problem, is it?
Simply hand over the useless land or marry Simon von Rushian, and the matter is resolved. 」

Artia had not written in her letter that Ansi Lake had been seized as collateral, nor that Baron Rushian had proposed marriage.
There was no point in writing such things—they would only complicate matters.
Yet the Elders knew all of it.
“Could Shylock von Rusian’s influence have reached the Elders?”
If so, they would never cooperate with me.
A small parcel of land that they didn’t particularly cherish but that I held dear—it mattered not to whom it passed.
Shylock had likely presented terms satisfactory enough that even if I abandoned the land and married Simon, the arrangement would still favor him.
My pink eyes grew cold.
‘If I could coerce the Elders into compliance….’
But I shook my head at once.
Roughly two months remained until the repayment deadline. There was no time for such schemes.

* * *

The Rushan Family was not the only house engaged in finance throughout the Empire. I sought out another noble family.
“Please lend me the funds. I swear I shall repay you by the deadline.”
Yet….
“My apologies, madam. Though I respect and trust the name of House of Edenberg, I cannot extend such a substantial sum without clear collateral.”
Everywhere I went, the answer was the same.
Then one man spoke with a pitying expression.
“You are in distress—naturally I must help. I shall lend you the funds.”
“…!”
The man’s white mustache twitched as he smiled wickedly at my brightening eyes.
“If you would become my wife.”
I barely restrained myself from hurling the teacup before me into his face.
As I departed with a frigid expression, the man called after me.
“You will find no one in this entire Empire willing to lend you coin freely. To lend to you would be to make enemies of both the Elders of House of Edenberg and Baron Rushian!”
Only then did I realize how meticulously Shylock and the Elders had orchestrated obstacles in my path.
I bit my lip.
“If borrowing money is impossible, then I shall create it.”
Selling real estate or business ventures required the Elders’ consent, but the furnishings within the mansion did not.
I gathered every item of value from the Edenberg Mansion.
Paintings hung upon the walls, ornaments placed throughout, dresses and jewels in the chambers, even carriages and horses.
Afterward, I summoned the Shop Owner from the Second-hand Shop I had visited previously with Catherine. As he examined the mountain of goods with meticulous care, he spoke with a smile.
“Should you donate all these items, I can offer you one billion gold as a token of gratitude.”
Artia’s brows furrowed.
‘Merely?’
The Shop Owner continued as if he could read every thought crossing Artia’s mind.
“They are all fine pieces, certainly, but they are aged and worn. Outdated goods lose their value, you understand. More pressingly, the payment timeline you desire is far too brief. There are not many establishments capable of providing such a sum in cash immediately.”
Artia pressed her forehead with her palm.
“I’ll think it over and contact you again.”
“Of course.”
The Shop Owner offered a crisp farewell with an expression devoid of any regret, then vanished.
Alone in the empty chamber, Artia gazed upon the accumulated possessions and murmured to herself.
“What good does it do to be born into nobility….”
My biological father showed not a shred of affection, and my biological mother departed this world far too soon. My first love was worthless, and I was scorned by my husband’s concubine and the servants alike.
I thought the divorce might bring some peace, but instead my stepmother created a scandal, leaving me besieged by debt collectors and marriage coercion.
And my so-called relatives—rather than offering aid, they do nothing but obstruct me….
Suddenly, fury surged within me.
“Argh!”
I seized a plush pillow and pounded the mattress repeatedly.
“How am I supposed to find the remaining 2 billion gold!”
Despite consistent exercise, my arms remained slender and frail, yet the force of my rage was formidable.
The pillow’s seam burst under the violent impact, white down scattering into the air.
A knock sounded, followed by Bibi’s voice.
“Mistress, you have a visitor.”
Artia ceased her movements, her brows drawing together.
Everyone who has come to the Edenberg Mansion thus far—suitors included—has only made my life difficult. Today, whoever it is, I won’t tolerate any nonsense.
I tightened my grip on the pillow.
But at Bibi’s next words, I dropped it with a soft thud.
“It is Prince Killian von Orpheus, Your Highness.”

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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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