The Search for the Duchess’s Husband - Chapter 7

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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 7

Bibi finally handed over the teapot.
I took it and found myself drifting back to memories of the past.
‘I was mocked for not even being able to pour tea properly.’
People had giggled as they watched me tremble while holding the teapot.
My father, Benedict, had shaken his head with a look of disgust.
“You can’t do anything right.”
But that was only because I’d been terribly nervous in front of others.
From the age of three, I’d undergone rigorous training and could pour tea with perfect precision.
As naturally as flowing water.
Bibi’s mouth fell slightly open as she watched me pour.
Plink.
The teacup before her filled with steaming water in an exquisitely measured stream.
“Try it.”
I spoke again to Bibi, who hesitated to drink tea poured by her mistress.
“To serve tea excellently, one must also understand its taste well.”
“I’m honored. Then I shall drink it gratefully.”
Bibi bowed deeply at the waist before bringing the cup to her lips.
A moment later, Bibi’s eyes widened.
“It’s delicious.”
A faint blush rose across her scarred cheek.
For someone as emotionally reserved as Bibi, it was an extraordinary reaction.
Just as my shoulders lifted with satisfaction, a shadow fell across my face.
I looked up to find Elma standing over me with a menacing expression.
“Madam, I have something to tell you.”
My face, which had been smiling like a girl just moments before, turned cold in an instant.
“What is it?”
Elma glanced at Bibi before opening her mouth.
“No matter how I think about it, Bibi has far too many shortcomings to serve you properly.”
Elma placed a hand over her chest.
“From now on, I shall serve you directly.”
It was an extraordinary declaration—the arrogant head maid, who had only moved her lips to command the other servants, now offering to attend to me personally.
But so what?
I answered with a completely unmoved expression.
“Never mind.”
“…!”
Elma’s eyes widened as though she’d been betrayed. Regardless, Artia gazed at Bibi and softly curved her eyes into a smile.
“My maid is Bibi, and that’s enough.”
My maid.
At the affectionate term—one no ordinary noblewoman would use—Bibi’s stoic face flushed ever so slightly.
Charmed by the sight, Artia let out a soft laugh and rose to her feet.
“The weather is lovely, so I thought I’d have tea outside for the first time in ages. But we have an unwelcome guest. Let’s go back inside.”
“Yes.”
Bibi nodded and unfurled her parasol.
Elma cried out toward Artia, who stood beneath the parasol Bibi held.
“Madam, though my family may have fallen, I am of noble birth. I have served as a maid for twenty long years and have attended to many renowned noblewomen. I am far superior to someone like Bibi!”
Artia’s expression turned sharp as she spoke.
“But you lack heart.”
“…!”
“You’re no longer suited to attend me. Focus on managing the other maids instead.”
With that, Artia turned and walked toward the building alongside Bibi.

The maids standing a pace away, observing Artia and Elma, began to whisper among themselves.
“Did the mistress just put the head maid in her place?”
“Yeah, completely.”
The maids burst into quiet laughter at the sight of Elma, her face contorted as though she’d been struck repeatedly.
Then their gazes turned toward Artia.
Walking with her head held high beneath the parasol Bibi carried, Artia was simply….
“So noble.”
“Not just noble-like—she’s an actual noblewoman.”
And not merely any noblewoman, but one of the highest nobility, bearing the bloodline of the prestigious House of Edenberg.
The maids’ eyes gleamed with an emotion they hadn’t felt before, as they recognized a fact they’d forgotten.
It was reverence for someone far above them.
Of course, there were still far more maids who looked down upon Artia.
“Hmph, that arrogance won’t last long. Once the master returns, she’ll be terrified and revert to her old self.”
“She’ll be severely punished for locking Lirika in her room and end up crying her eyes out in confinement.”
But some of the maids thought differently.
“I don’t know—would the head maid be so desperate to please her if that were the case?”
Elma was a veteran who had served nobility for many years.
Though her temperament was disagreeable, no one could match her ability to sense the scent of power and curry favor.
The fact that she was trying so hard to win the mistress’s approval meant that the mistress had acquired some form of power.
One maid’s eyes fell upon Bibi, who stood close beside Artia.
“Just days ago, that girl was doing menial chores, and now she’s attending to the mistress….”
“I heard that on that day, when she chose the mistress’s side instead of Lirika’s, the mistress immediately appointed her as her personal maid.”
Even if Lloyd’s return would strip away her authority, the fact remained that Artia was the lady of this mansion.
Most of the maids needn’t even mention how they coveted her position over mundane tasks like laundry or cleaning.
Until now, they’d had to shower Elma with bribes and grovel shamelessly, as if they’d lick the very ground beneath her feet, just to secure that role—but those days were gone.
“If I make a good impression on the Duchess, perhaps I too could become her personal attendant.”
The maid’s eyes gleamed with ambition.

* * *

The maids who had once dismissed Artia now shifted their demeanor entirely. Several of them, in particular, began to shine with eagerness, vying desperately for her favor.
“I’ve taken charge of cleaning the Duchess’s chambers. I’ll make them spotless—not a speck of dust shall remain!”
“I’ve brought the bedding back freshly laundered. It’s been dried in the sun and smells absolutely divine, so fluffy and soft!”
“I brought premium carrots from my hometown farm. Would it be alright if I offered them as a snack?”
Even Elma joined in.
“No matter how hard Bibi works, she’ll always fall short. Should you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask me, Elma.”
I’d anticipated they wouldn’t treat me as a complete fool anymore, but I hadn’t expected this degree of fawning.
The maids’ proactive attention—something I’d never received before—was somewhat burdensome, yet not entirely unwelcome.
My chamber, gleaming like a brand-new home thanks to their meticulous waxing.
Bedding soft as clouds, carrying the scent of sunlight.
Even premium carrot sticks, sweet and crisp.
Everything had been prepared to perfection.
‘This is wonderful, the daily life of a Duchess…!’
I wished to live like this for eternity.
Yet contrary to my desires, this happiness was destined to end soon.
Lloyd would be returning shortly.
‘Should I send an assassin after Lloyd to ensure he never returns?’
The thought had occurred to me while reading a novel titled “One Hundred Ways to Kill Your Husband,” and it was surprisingly tempting.
It was an inhumane act, certainly, but considering everything Lloyd had done to me, it wasn’t entirely beyond the pale.
‘But Lloyd is meticulous about protecting his own skin.’
Taking the life of a man who traveled surrounded by an entourage of guards was no simple task.
Even if I succeeded, exposure would mean execution at minimum.
‘Above all, I refuse to soil my hands with the blood of such a wretch.’
And so, this plan was rejected.
‘I need to find another way to stand against Lloyd.’
Crunch, crunch.
I chewed on the carrot stick, lost in thought.

* * *

I closed the book I’d been reading and set my plan in motion.
I had always kept my eyes downcast and my lips sealed, but that didn’t mean I felt nothing.
“The faces of those who ignored me remain etched vividly in my memory.”
Those who had laughed aloud watching me endure Lloyd’s harsh words.
Those who stood beside Lirika and eagerly spread vicious rumors about me.
I gathered them together and spoke.
“You’ve all worked hard until now. It’s time for you to leave the mansion.”
“…!”
The servants, shocked by the sudden dismissal, fell to their knees.
“My lady, I was wrong. Please forgive me!”
Though their appearance stirred some pity, I had no intention of reversing my decision.
Dismissing them wasn’t merely an act of vengeance—it was to fill the mansion with only those worthy of serving me.

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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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