The Search for the Duchess’s Husband Chapter 140

Two days later, three days later, a week later.

 

Luca was a patient man, but he couldn’t take it anymore.

 

He spoke softly to the maid who brought him his meal.

 

“Maid.”

 

“Go ahead.”

 

The maid addressed Luca with respect. At first, his shoulders twitched every time he heard it, but now he was used to it.

 

Luca hesitated for a moment, then gathered his courage.

 

“I would like to see Lady Artia.”

 

He gritted his teeth, expecting to be spanked for making such an unrelated request.

 

Instead, the maid nodded as if waiting.

 

“Please follow me.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Artia greeted Luca as if she had been waiting for him.

 

“Welcome.”

 

Artia added quickly.

 

“No kneeling in front of me from now on, and please keep your greetings normal.”

 

At that, Luca bowed low. So respectfully that his head almost touched the ground.

 

Artia lowered her eyebrows in a puzzled expression.

 

Luckily, Luca didn’t lower his gaze like he had when they first met.

 

When their eyes met, Artia asked, “How are you?”

 

After all these time, Artia was still full of questions.

 

Luca hesitated, then stammered out an answer.

 

“My room is clean, the meals are delicious, my clothes smell good, and the maid is very nice.”

 

“Isn’t that right? My house workers are good.”

 

The cheeks of the maid who had brought Luca flushed.

 

Artia continued.

 

“And that’s the standard for the laborers at the Edenberg manor.”

 

“……!”

 

“The rooms are not as private as yours, but the clothing and food are the same, and the pay is more generous than elsewhere, so the workers are very happy, aren’t they?”

 

The maid who had brought Luca nodded at Artia’s gesture. Her face beaming with pride.

 

Turning back to Luca, Artia spoke.

 

“Do you think it helped you answer the question of where to live?”

 

Suddenly, Luca remembered what Artia had said when she brought him here.

 

She had told him to consider whether to stay with Madame Tunguel or come to Artia.

 

Luca had thought she’d just said it out of the blue to get him here.

 

‘But she really meant it…’

 

His face turned bright red.

 

He felt so ashamed for thinking all those dirty thoughts to himself.

 

Artia looked at Luca in silence.

 

Luca could see it clearly now.

 

‘The lady is waiting for my answer.’

 

The strangeness of the gesture was more difficult than gratifying.

 

As he bit his lip, unsure of what to say, the door opened.

 

Vivi entered the room and reported to Artia.

 

“My lady, Madame Tunguel has arrived.”

 

Artia lowered her eyebrows.

 

“What a timely visit…”

 

Artia looked at Luca.

 

His handsome face was stony, and she spoke reassuringly.

 

“Luca, you didn’t come here of your own free will. I brought you here by force.”

 

“……!”

 

“So don’t be afraid. I’ll deal with Tunguel.”

 

There was a firmness in the quiet voice.

 

Luca found himself staring at Artia.

 

“But I need to make one thing clear: Do you want to go to her, or do you want to stay with me?”

 

The words had changed in just a few days.

 

It was as if Luca’s master was Artia, and Tunguel had come to steal him away.

 

Luca’s purple eyes filled with confusion.

 

“I’m…”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Sitting in the parlor, Tunguel was swinging his legs wildly.

 

The manor’s maid was beside her, but she didn’t care if she saw her or not.

 

She couldn’t calm down.

 

“Why isn’t she coming?!”

 

It had been 20 minutes already.

 

It seemed like an eternity to her, but she had no intention of going back.

 

She was desperate.

 

“You’re not going to keep me waiting all day, are you?”

 

Anxiety gripped her.

 

She knew that noblewomen often enjoyed keeping people waiting.

 

“You’re like a dastardly nobleman.”

 

As she cursed under her breath, the door opened and Artia appeared.

 

The moment she saw her gaunt face, the curses started flying.

 

“You thieving bitch!”

 

Tunguel lunged at Artia and strangled her thin, white throat.

 

…Artia would have been, if she hadn’t been a duchess.

 

Finished with her vicious fantasy, Tunguel grinned wickedly.

 

“Greetings to the Duchess of Edenberg.”

 

Artia smiled.

 

“It’s been a long time, and I see your sore leg has healed.”

 

Her smug face was almost patronizing.

 

Tunguel swallowed hard and got straight to the point.

 

“You’ve been having a lot of fun with my child, haven’t you? I think I’ve given you enough time, and I think it’s time to give him back.”

 

“I don’t want to.”

 

“……!”

 

Tunguel’s eyebrows shot up.

 

That day, Tunguel had obediently sent Luca away because she was bewildered by Artia’s unexpected appearance.

 

Artia may have looked fuzzy and fierce, but she was actually quite nasty.

 

She needed to be dealt with carefully.

 

So Tunguel had prepared herself for her today.

 

“You must have really liked Luca. He’s an unusually cute kid, but he’s also one of my favorites.”

 

Tunguel raised her hand.

 

Then one of the four servants who had been standing behind her stood before Artia.

 

He was a handsome man with a face as white as snow and golden hair.

 

“So I picked and chose and brought him here, I hope you don’t mind if I change him?”

 

Without even looking at the servant, Artia said, “No.”

 

Tunguel’s sagging cheeks twitched.

 

“Duchess of Edenberg, I’ve tried to treat you with the utmost sincerity, but no matter how hard I try, you’re so selfish, I can’t help it.”

 

Nothing had changed in just a few days.

 

Artia was still a duchess, and Tunguel was still a commoner.

 

But she had a weapon at her disposal.

 

“I have many friends,” she said, “including one who owns a press.”

 

The nobility considered it a low thing to openly sell rumors and information.

 

So it was commoners who ran the press.

 

Some of them resented the nobility.

 

They were easy prey, especially if their opponent was not a tycoon they dared to stab, but a husbandless duchess.

 

“The Duchess of Edenberg, whose divorce caused a stir, was lonely after her husband was driven away, so she took a commoner’s favorite male slave.”

 

“…….”

 

“Wouldn’t you be ashamed of yourself if an article like that came out about you, someone who has been given the name of Ethereal?”

 

Tunguel’s eyes gleamed with pride.

 

Artia admired her inwardly.

 

‘You didn’t just come to me after a week of grinding, you came with a weapon to use against me.’

 

It worked.

 

She was afraid that even the most self-centered noblewoman would be afraid of the world reading about her debauchery. But…

 

Artia raised the corner of her mouth in a pout.

 

“Go ahead.”

 

“……?!”

 

Artia turned to Tunguel, whose eyes widened.

 

“But you might want to think about the consequences of your actions.”

 

“……!”

 

“You said you had many friends in the press, I have many too, my friend. Cross me, and you will incur the wrath of many ladies in the capital.”

 

Tunguel’s sincerity leapt out at the unexpected response.

 

“Noblewomen don’t have friends!”

 

Artia gave a small laugh.

 

“You have a strange prejudice against nobles. Well, you’ll find out if what I say is true or not when you report it to the press as you planned.”

 

A childish taunt.

 

Still, I couldn’t ignore it.

 

Because Artia’s pink eyes glowed menacingly beyond arrogance.

 

Turning to Tunguel, Artia said,

 

“Oh, and you, the reporter who wrote the article, and the owner of the newspaper had better be prepared to go to jail, because as soon as it comes out, I’m going to sue you for defamation of nobility.”

 

Defaming a nobleman was as felonious as assaulting them.

 

Knowing this, Tunguel’s face fell.

 

“So you’re really going to try this with me.”

 

“Of course not. What grown man would fight a child?”