The Search for the Duchess’s Husband Chapter 113

Artia assured her that she was fine, but that was little consolation to Freesia.

 

The next day, Freesia returned to Count Elysium with her daughter.

 

She said she could no longer be indebted to Artia.

 

“Hah…”

 

Artia sighed heavily.

 

She hasn’t spoken to Freesia since. Marigold said that Freesia was too busy to see her, but…

 

“Maybe she doesn’t actually want to see me?”

 

Even at the last trial, Freesia had not sought punishment for Count Elysium.

 

Freesia and Liese were precious to her.

 

Now that her husband was imprisoned and punished for his involvement with Artia, it was clear that she would not be happy.

 

“Should I ask to reduce Count Elysium’s punishment for Freesia’s sake?”

 

But Artia shook her head.

 

‘He was as bad to me as he was to Freesia. I don’t want to show him any mercy.’

 

“But if we go on like this, I might end up separated from Freesia…”

 

No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t come up with a clear answer.

 

Artia chewed her carrot stick impatiently.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Inside a darkened prison cell.

 

Count Elysium was crouched on the cold floor, shivering from head to toe.

 

His jester’s haggard face, hollow eyes, and bushy beard.

 

No trace of the handsome man who once thrilled the ladies of society remained, and he muttered incessantly.

 

“God, help me…”

 

Days had passed, but the image of the black panther that had attacked him hadn’t faded, and he was gripped by the fear that he would be bitten to death at any moment.

 

*Thump, thump, thump*

 

The sound of footsteps in the darkness made him jump and scream.

 

“Heeeew!”

 

‘The black panther has come to kill me again!’

 

But it wasn’t the black panther who stepped out from behind the bars. It was Freesia.

 

‘My beautiful, gentle wife…!’

 

His eyes were filled with despair, but there was a glimmer of hope in them, as if he had seen a goddess.

 

Count Elysium gripped the bars and called her name.

 

“Freesia!”

 

“…….”

 

“I knew you’d come; I knew you’d come, I knew you’d never abandon me…”

 

“…….”

 

“I won’t be angry with you anymore for trampling on my honor, so go and convince Edenberg to say I’m innocent, and get me out of this horrible hell!”

 

When Freesia didn’t answer, Count Elysium grew restless.

 

He shouted impatiently.

 

“I am your husband, Elizabeth’s father, and do you intend to make me a sinner?”

 

Freesia’s tightly clenched lips parted.

 

“That’s right, that’s why I was going to forgive you, that’s why I was going to continue living with you as a family, but then you… did something you should never have done to my friend.”

 

There was a clear anger in Freesia’s voice.

 

For the first time, Count Elysium’s face grew pale with fear. He recovered himself and spoke.

 

“So what are you going to do, abandon me, break the bond you swore to God?”

 

Freesia was a woman of great faith; she would never break her vow to God.

 

He was right.

 

“Yes, we are husband and wife, and we should cherish and love each other until the end of either of our lives.”

 

But the next words were not what he expected.

 

“So I’m going to ask the judge again and again to give you the longest sentence he can give you.”

 

“What, what?”

 

“And I’ll pay Mrs. Edenberg the maximum amount of restitution that the Countess of Elysium can afford, because that’s the only way I can atone for the terrible things you’ve done as my husband.”

 

Her beautiful green eyes held unwavering determination.

 

Suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation, Count Elysium cried out desperately.

 

“My love I’ve done wrong, I’ve done wrong!”

 

“I hope you are as sincere as you say, and that you will repent of your crime, there and forever.”

 

With those words, she spun around.

 

“Freesia!!!”

 

Count Elysium’s plaintive voice echoed through the dark prison, but she didn’t stop walking.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Count Elysium’s sentencing was left to Calvin.

 

Calvin decided that Count Elysium’s crimes against Artia were connected to the previous trial.

 

Freesia came to Calvin.

 

“Your honor, my husband, Austin von Elysium, has committed the unpardonable sin against Frau Edenberg. I ask you, as his wife and the hostess of Count Elysium, to give him the punishment he deserves, so that his sins may be expiated.”

 

“The punishment that cleanses the sin does not only include imprisonment. You can also demand restitution from the Count of Elysium.”

 

“I hope so.”

 

There was more.

 

Letters from noblewomen arrived by the dozens by the day.

 

The letters were full of clear anger toward the Count of Elysium, demanding that his sins be dealt with severely so that it would never happen again.

 

Calvin muttered wearily.

 

“I never knew noblewomen could swear so well.”

 

His mother, Chloe, replied as she brought him tea.

 

“Mrs. Edenberg is a heroine among noblewomen these days, and it’s no wonder they’re furious that he’d touched her.”

 

“Does mother too?”

 

Calvin asked, but instead of answering, Chloe whispered in her son’s ear.

 

“Elysium is XXX XXX, XXXX, XXXX.”

 

“……!”

 

Calvin’s mouth dropped open at the harsh profanity that rivaled anything he’d heard in the courtroom over the years.

 

Calvin’s eyes widened.

 

“My mother could say such things.”

 

“Ho, ho, she did it to preserve her dignity, not to do it, so you should listen to her seriously, not dismiss it as the wrath of a woman.”

 

This was not the end of the story.

 

Even Prince Killian had his eye on the case.

 

A few days ago, he had personally dragged Count Elysium to the ground and thrown him to the ground, his golden eyes flashing.

 

“Give this bastard the most painful punishment possible.”

 

If Calvin didn’t comply, Prince Killian was going to give him the most painful punishment possible.

 

But Calvin was an impartial judge.

 

He was not swayed by public opinion, softened by his mother’s words, or intimidated by the prince’s threats, but delivered a cold judgment that fit the crime.

 

“Count Elysium, having been found guilty of violence against his wife, and having shown no remorse, he kidnapped and assaulted Lady Edenberg, who had helped his wife. For his lack of remorse in the face of a merciful sentence, and for having threatened the body of a noblewoman out of personal feeling, I sentence him to ten years in the prison of Sibelin.”

 

Imprisonment was an unusually severe punishment for a nobleman who could usually get out on bail no matter what he did.

 

Count Elysium’s face, thinner than it had been in days, contorted.

 

“I cannot accept the verdict!”

 

“Do you mean to deny guilt?”

 

The evidence, the witnesses, everything was clear. So instead of denying his guilt, Count Elysium said something else.

 

“I am Count Elysium!”

 

Nobles were not punished so severely unless they had committed treason or a crime that would shake the state; that was their right.

 

“If you punish me so excessively, they will not stand idly by.”

 

Calvin cocked his head, his face serious.

 

“Who?”

 

“The other nobles… The Countdome of Elysium…”

 

“Count Elysium, you’ve been in prison for so long that you don’t know what’s going on.”

 

“……?!”

 

“If anyone wanted to take the Count’s side, they would have spoken up long ago, but no one did.” Calvin continued. “There is no one on your side in this empire.”

 

Count Elysium sank to his knees. His despair was so overwhelming that no tears came to his eyes.