The Search for the Duchess’s Husband Chapter 127

Killian, close enough to feel his breath, reached out.

 

“No!

 

Whatever it was, Artia screamed, “No!” and squeezed her eyes shut, and Killian grabbed the book on the bookshelf behind her back.

 

“The Burning Heart of the Northern Archduke.”

 

Killian held the book in his hand.

 

“This is the one thing you care about and know more about than anyone else.”

 

Thump, thump, thump!

 

Artia’s heart was racing so fast that it took her a moment to realize what he was saying.

 

“You’re too close…”

 

Artia lowered her eyes slightly, as if making eye contact with him would make her heart race even more, and replied.

 

“I’ve thought about it, but I’m just a fan of fiction, not talented enough to write something that sells.”

 

“You don’t have to write it, you’re a businessman, you find a good product and sell it.”

 

“You’re asking me to sell a novel?”

 

“In the Empire, the arts are considered frivolous, so there’s not much of a business in them. But in Reju, a small country less than a tenth the size of the Empire, there’s a thriving arts business, not just in literature, but in music, art, performance, and more. A well-crafted work can bring in as much money as a diamond mine.”

 

Artia had heard of Reju before.

 

It was a small country, but it was rumored to have a lot to offer.

 

The perception of going to Reju was that it was a place of low-class, debauched culture, so everyone was sneaking around in secret, but… 

 

Maybe the answers she was looking for were there.

 

“I think I’ll go to Reju,” Artia said, suddenly forgetting about Kilian.

 

Killian’s lips quirked up at her sparkling pink eyes.

 

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom again.

 

 

* * *

 

 

A few days later, Artia arrived in Reju.

 

Beside her was Vivi.

 

And on the other side of her was Killian, with a flowered scarf wrapped around his face.

 

They met on the boat to Reju.

 

Artia asked in surprise. “Why is your highness here?”

 

“You and I were talking about Reju, and I’ve been wanting to go there for a long time.”

 

“Alone, without a single servant?”

 

“It’s an unofficial trip.”

 

Just then, one of the women glanced over at Killian and blew him a kiss on the hand.

 

Killian didn’t react, but Artia’s whole body stiffened like a bird whose nest was threatened.

 

Artia untied her scarf and wrapped it around Killian’s face.

 

With his face hidden by the scarf, only his eyes peeking out, Artia spoke.

 

“If you want to travel in silence, you can.”

 

Killian nodded obediently, the sternness in his voice not matching his gentle face.

 

The two of them, naturally(?) companions, headed out into the street together.

 

“And…”

 

Artia’s eyes narrowed and she tilted her head this way and that.

 

Unlike the grand, colorless landscapes of the Empire, everything in Reju was bright and colorful.

 

The buildings, the people.

 

Women dyed their hair every color of the rainbow, men adorned in jewelry, old women in bright red shoes.

 

“Reju is a free spirit,” Killian said, his scarf covering his face as he turned to Artia, who was distracted by the colorfulness of the people.

 

“Reju is a free country. It’s not like the Empire, where you can’t wear a scarf out of place and people will gossip.”

 

“I see. How nice…”

 

Artia’s eyes widened, and she grabbed Killian’s hand and spun him around.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“I just suddenly have this overwhelming urge to go over there.”

 

Shaking his head, Killian didn’t understand.

 

A naked woman was walking in his direction.

 

They walked down the street, and this time Killian took a step toward Artia.

 

Artia, who looked like she was trapped by a giant wall in a jungle, looked puzzled.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“I see something terrible.”

 

Blinking, Artia didn’t understand.

 

A muscular man with a bare upper body had passed behind Killian.

 

Anyway, the two strolled down the street, looking out for each other like good friends.

 

After a while, Artia, who had gotten a little used to the colorful world, asked.

 

“Is Reju always this energetic?”

 

“Yes, it was like this two years ago.”

 

Killian had stopped in Reju to resupply during the war.

 

It was a far cry from the gloomy, blood-spattered battlefields.

 

There was a liveliness here, with people of all races laughing, talking, and fighting that was absent on the battlefield.

 

Killian kept a tight rein on his men to make sure they didn’t do any harm.

 

He didn’t want to spark war in a city so unrealistically beautiful.

 

“It’s beautiful,” he says, ”but it doesn’t have any of the resources the Empire covets, and that’s a good thing, so we don’t have to trample it.”

 

Artia’s heart sank as she listened to Killian, who rarely spoke of himself.

 

Artia blushed slightly and thought to herself.

 

‘After all, the nickname ‘Mad King’ doesn’t suit him at all. He’s so sweet…’

 

At the same time, in the Imperial Palace, Nocturne, whose eyes were reddened by Kilian’s taking over his duties, muttered.

 

“Ugh, why is he so angry all of a sudden?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

After unpacking their belongings at the lodging they had booked, the three of them headed for the theater.

 

It was the purpose of Artia’s trip to Reju.

 

As a city of the arts, Reju was home to dozens of theaters, the most famous of which was the Aqua.

 

It was small and ramshackle compared to the imperial theaters, but the bluish stone building had a unique beauty.

 

Artia was ecstatic.

 

“It’s beautiful, it’s like being underwater.”

 

“Reju thinks that buildings are works of art, too, so they emphasize design over efficiency.”

 

As Killian explains, the interior is also uniquely decorated.

 

Artia craned her neck to get a closer look at the shells hanging from the ceiling.

 

At the sight, Killian was glad he had his scarf wrapped around his face.

 

Otherwise, he would have been grinning like an idiot.

 

‘I’d have laughed like a fool,’ thought Vivi, standing a step behind Artia, her face expressionless. ‘I can see you’re smiling, even if you’ve covered it with a scarf…’

 

Vivi was quieter than usual, but not only was she not speaking, but she was barely making a sound, not even her breathing or footsteps.

 

It was Killian.

 

Vivi was the only one who knew about the relationship between Killian and Artia.

 

“He’s my friend, though I don’t tell anyone else because I don’t want them to get the wrong idea.”

 

Artia had said. But…

 

Whenever Killian looked at Artia, his golden eyes, which had always been dull, burned with heat.

 

Vivi knew that look well.

 

It was the look of a great, fierce beast when it saw its favorite prey.

 

That look was dangerous.

 

The slightest hint of disturbance would be enough to rip her throat out.

 

So Vivi removed her presence from Killian’s presence.

 

There was no point in provoking a beast that could not be subdued by human power.

 

Not that that was the only reason, of course…

 

‘She keeps smiling.’

 

It wasn’t just Killian. It was Artia, too.

 

Artia was usually open with her emotions when she was in the presence of someone she cared about, but she’d never seen her so childlike.

 

‘Is that what they call friends?’

 

Vivi looked at the two with mixed feelings.

 

 

* * *

 

 

After the performance began, Artia couldn’t take her eyes off the stage.

 

The Empire’s performance was much higher in terms of quality.

 

The Empire had focused on creating a luxurious stage for the upper class to enjoy.

 

But there was a freshness and intensity to Reju’s performance that the Empire lacked.

 

Artia muttered.

 

“If this works in Reju, it will work in the Empire…”

 

Killian looked at her sideways.

 

It was a pleasure to watch her pink eyes shine like cherry blossoms in full bloom.

 

But why?

 

Today, the look in her eyes made him nervous. His mouth went dry.

 

‘Look at me, Artia von Edenberg.’

 

But his desperate prayer was not answered, and it was long after the curtain had fallen that Artia turned her head toward Killian.

 

Artia spoke in a reminiscent voice.

 

“That was a wonderful performance!”

 

Seeing himself reflected in those pink eyes, Killian felt his frustration ease a little.

 

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget what I saw tonight.”

 

Looking at Artia, who clasped her hands together as she spoke, Killian nodded.

 

‘Me too.’