The Search for the Duchess’s Husband Chapter 118

Artia looked at the shimmering golden rose and spoke.

 

“When I was a child, I read a book about the Gold Rose with great fascination.”

 

 

Orpheus, the first emperor who founded the empire.

 

He was a once-in-a-century wizard, powerful enough to single-handedly annihilate a thousand enemy armies.

 

But it wasn’t the only one.

 

With black hair and golden eyes, he was also a stunningly handsome man.

 

His combination of beauty and mystical power brought people to their knees.

 

As a result, Orpheus, at the age of only twenty-three, did a marvelous job of uniting the divided land.

 

The people were filled with anticipation.

 

A world ruled by a being as perfect as a god would be a paradise like no other.

 

But Orpheus died unexpectedly.

 

On the day of the emperor’s coronation, just before he was to be crowned with the golden crown.

 

His body couldn’t take it anymore, and his life force was drained.

 

It was a tragic death.

 

The Emperor’s coronation had turned into his funeral.

 

In honor of Orpheus, who loved the empire he had created so much, the Emperor was buried in the palace and an altar was built in his honor.

 

Though he never made it to the throne, his subjects and people, who followed Orpheus to the core, recognized him as the empire’s first emperor.

 

Then a remarkable thing happened.

 

On the ground where the emperor was buried, a golden rose bloomed, the likes of which had never been seen before.

 

No one had planted it, and it bloomed alone, in all weathers and seasons.

 

Eminent botanists studied the flower, but they couldn’t find the same species, and even more mysteriously, no matter how hard they tried, the flower never bloomed on land outside the palace grounds.

 

The golden rose bloomed only in this spot in the palace.

 

The royal family came to treasure the mysterious flower as a final gift from Emperor Orpheus.

 

 

“It’s like a dream to see the mystical garden I’ve read about in books.”

 

Artia smiled as she stood among the golden roses glistening in the white moonlight.

 

Killian stared at her, then murmured softly.

 

 

“You are a dream.”

 

Artia, who hadn’t heard him, said, “Ah.”

 

“There was a time when I realized that only royalty was allowed in the gardens, and I decided that I must marry the prince.”

 

She told it because she thought it was a silly, funny anecdote, but Killian’s face didn’t smile.

 

“And now?”

 

Artia blinked at the unexpected question.

 

“Of course not.”

 

“Why? Because you’re older?”

 

“I wish I hadn’t kept going.”

 

“What?”

 

Artia’s eyebrows furrowed at the unintelligible sound, and her eyes widened.

 

Killian plucked a golden rose and held it out to her. Without realizing it, Artia took the flower.

 

But it didn’t stop there.

 

Another, and another, and another.

 

As Artia stood there, overwhelmed, with dozens of imperial treasures in her hands, Killian said, “You can come here anytime you want.”

 

“If you ever want to come here, let me know. I’ll bring you here.”

 

He added, “It’s my gift to the Ethereal of the year.”

 

 

At the same time, from the window of a distant building, a figure looked out over the Gold Rose Garden.

 

It was Prince Arsen, the First Emperor.

 

This was not the best distance to view the gardens.

 

His eyesight was far less than normal.

 

Still, he could recognize Killian’s presence in the rose garden, and another figure beside him.

 

Unlike Killian, who he could see clearly, the woman was blurred, as if shrouded in smoke, and he couldn’t quite make out her identity.

 

But she could make out that Killian was gazing softly at her.

 

Arsen muttered, his face as pale as a corpse.

 

“Killian, why are you giving someone that look? I never gave you permission.”

 

His lifeless, dull golden eyes had an eerie glint in them.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Exhausted from her midnight walk with Killian, Artia opened her eyes at nearly midday. But she squeezed her eyes shut again.

 

The room was filled with golden roses.

 

“Dazzling!”

 

They shone so brightly.

 

It was not flowers, but heaps of gold.

 

“Your Majesty, what an incredible gift…”

 

It’s too good.

 

Artia’s cheeks flushed red.

 

The burden was momentary, but the joy was greater. This is the flower she wanted to see so much as a child.

 

It’s pretty this way, it’s pretty that way…

 

She looked at the rose in the vase and muttered to herself.

 

“They look like his eyes.”

 

Her heart fluttered at the thought of the man with the golden color that radiated brilliant light.

 

It used to only happen when Killian did something embarrassing, but nowadays, the mere thought of him made her heart race.

 

“I shouldn’t be doing this…”

 

 

She was squatting down, her jaw clenched, muttering in frustration when Vivi entered the room.

 

“Master, it’s time to get ready, our guests will be arriving soon.”

 

At that moment, Artia’s girlish face took on the majesty of a lady.

 

 

 

Immaculately dressed, Artia stood in the hall. A few moments later, the long-awaited guest arrived.

 

It was Evangeline von Glosta.

 

Artia bowed her head in greeting.

 

“Welcome, Auntie.”

 

Though they had met many times, this was the first time Evangeline had ever visited the Edenberg estate.

 

Evangeline’s eyes filled with emotion as she followed Artia to the parlor.

 

This was the house she was born and raised in.

 

The building was older than it had been then, with signs of age everywhere. Still, there was a warmth in the air that hadn’t been there before.

 

‘I wonder if that child created the atmosphere.’

 

Evangeline glanced at Artia, who was smiling brightly.

 

They reached the parlor and sat down across from each other.

 

Evangeline spoke first.

 

“Do you mind if I cut to the chase?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“As you might expect, the reason I’ve come to see you is because of Crank.”

 

Crank von Edenberg.

 

Artia’s second uncle and Evangeline’s second younger brother.

 

He was currently in prison for his involvement in Artia’s kidnapping.

 

Count Elysium, the direct perpetrator of the crime, had long since been tried and sent into exile, but the trial of Crank’s accomplice had been put on hold.

 

Unlike Count Elysium, whose punishment my family had sought, the Duke of Edenberg’s desperate petition had been denied.

 

[It’s in the blood, give us a chance to settle it within the family].

 

Calvin accepted their petition, but there was an unforeseen problem.

 

Artia refused all contact with Crank.

 

Evangeline stopped asking for a meeting and waited patiently for Artia to grant her a visit, which she did today.

 

Evangeline bowed her head toward Artia.

 

“I’m sorry, Artia.”

 

“……!”

 

“I should have taken better care of my brothers, but I didn’t, and it’s all my fault.”

 

There was sincerity in her voice.

 

But Artia shook her head.

 

“You don’t need to apologize, Auntie, because it was Uncle Crank who sinned against me, not you.”

 

“…Then, if he apologizes, will you accept it?”

 

Evangeline asked firmly.

 

“No.”

 

“…….”

 

“The guilty must receive the punishment they deserve, whether it’s a noble or a blood relative with the same surname.”

 

Artia didn’t simply want to retaliate for what had been done to her.

 

“They need to be punished so they know what they’ve done, and that they should never do it again.”

 

There was no anger in Artia’s voice. It was calm and collected.

 

As if stating a universal truth of the world: stealing from others or hitting others is bad.

 

And that made Evangeline realize all the more clearly.

 

No matter what she does, even if she gets down on her knees and begged, she’s not going to change her mind.

 

To her surprise, she wasn’t sad at all.

 

On the contrary, she felt a sense of relief.

 

Evangeline said, her face relaxing.

 

“I see. I won’t mention Crank anymore. I’ll make sure to tell my siblings, so they don’t mind you.”

 

Evangeline turned to Artia, who nodded in understanding.

 

“And I’m a little late in saying hello, but congratulations on becoming an Ethereal.”