The Search for the Duchess’s Husband Chapter 142

‘Speaking of which, Luca was calm even when Tunguel made him do something crazy.’

 

The only time Luca’s eyes fluttered was when she asked him about himself.

 

‘I’m only eighteen now…’

 

Sandra looked at Artia, who lowered her eyebrows in remembrance.

 

“Wow, you’re right, it’s like Shine jumped out of the book.”

 

Mikhail, who was still holding Lam, nodded.

 

Artia’s shoulders rose at their reaction.

 

“Isn’t that, right?”

 

Artya smiled.

 

“Let’s say hello, we’re going to be working together.”

 

Sandra winked cheerfully at Luca, and Mikhail bowed his head slightly.

 

Even Lam, who was being held by Mikhail, came to his senses for the moment and waved.

 

Turning to Luca, who was still bowing out of habit, Artia said, “Luca, from today on, your job is to play the role of Shine.”

 

“What?!”

 

Luca shouted in surprise, then covered his mouth. It was a big mistake to question the lady’s words.

 

Artia didn’t bother to point it out.

 

“Why be surprised. I’ve been saying all along that I want to hire you as an actor.”

 

To be honest, Luca had never really taken her words seriously.

 

It was too far-fetched.

 

He’d thought it was just one of those empty promises that noblewomen often made, like “I’ll make you a nobleman.”

 

Luca was mistaken.

 

“That’s why I’ve set your salary at 500 gold, the down payment I offered you when I first met you and offered you the acting job. I’ve divided that into a year’s worth of pay.”

 

Suddenly, Luca realized the reason for the ridiculously high salary.

 

As Luca stood there bewildered and helpless, Lam approached him and broke Mikhail’s seal.

 

Lam’s panda-like eyes flashed, and he asked, “Name?”

 

The answer popped out as if typed.

 

“Luca.”

 

“How old are you?”

 

“Eighteen.”

 

“Three years younger than Shine, but that’s no big deal, he’s a big guy, so he doesn’t look like a kid at all.”

 

After a pause, Lam asked again.

 

“Have you ever tried acting before?”

 

“No.”

 

Luca was quick to notice.

 

A man who looked like he could collapse at any moment was obviously someone with an important task in creating the show.

 

He tensed, expecting him to be disappointed by his answer, but Lam smirked.

 

“It doesn’t matter, I’ll teach you everything.”

 

A cold sweat ran down his back at the madness of it all, a madness that even Luca, who had tended to noblewomen and met the strangest of humans, had never felt before.

 

It lasted only a moment, and then Luca shouted.

 

“I’ll do my best!”

 

Artia smiled in satisfaction as she watched Luca.

 

* * *

 

The moon was just beginning to shine.

 

Artia was in her room, reading the paperwork for the performance, when she looked up at a familiar sound.

 

Killian appeared at the open window.

 

Seeing him, Artia spoke as if she had been waiting for him.

 

“Your Majesty, it worked!”

 

He was already at her side.

 

“What?”

 

“The Shine I told you about earlier. I succeeded in casting him, though I had to semi-force it.”

 

Killian loved hearing Artia’s stories.

 

It was even more enjoyable when she was smiling and talking in her little voice.

 

But today’s conversation had taken a less pleasant turn.

 

“You let them stay at the mansion?”

 

“Yes, because even though they’re actors, they’re technically my hired servants.”

 

“You have workers who don’t live in the mansion, but commute to work.”

 

“Luca’s house with his grandmother isn’t far enough for him to travel every day, and I’m afraid of what Tunguel might do if I let him out.”

 

“…….”

 

“I brought him here, I want to keep him out of harm’s way.”

 

Killian knew how hard Artia worked to make the show happen.

 

It was probably part of the reason she’d gone to such lengths to get Shine or Luca.

 

‘So you can show your nasty side. It’s ugly.’

 

Luckily, he’s been trained from an early age not to show emotion.

 

He was able to hide even the most trivial of emotions.

 

“Are you angry?”

 

Killian’s eyebrows twitched slightly at Artia’s question.

 

“Why would you say such a thing?”

 

“Because the air you’re giving off seems to have gotten edgy.”

 

“…….”

 

“If I’m mistaken, ignore it.”

 

Killian glared at Artia.

 

“He’s a guy.”

 

“What?”

 

“I don’t like having such a dangerous molecule in your house.”

 

Artia was taken aback by the unexpected comment.

 

“As long as Vivi is with me, a mugger can’t lay a hand on me, and Luca is hardly a man, he’s only eighteen.”

 

The innocence of her answer made Killian giddy.

 

Artia obviously didn’t know.

 

Eighteen was a time when a man could develop a lust for a woman, a lust that could be so virulent and so great.

 

Killian had.

 

He kept dreaming of Artia in the pink dress he’d seen her in at the Debutante Ball.

 

Sometimes she was smiling, sometimes she had a lascivious look on her face that he knew she would never wear.

 

After waking up in shock, he always felt self-conscious.

 

He felt like he’d tainted her innocence.

 

He even stayed up late at night on purpose to avoid having another dream like that.

 

…It was a secret he could never tell Artia, so Killian kept his mouth shut.

 

Then he couldn’t help himself and opened his mouth again.

 

“He’s not even eighteen years old.”

 

“……!”

 

“So don’t be alone with him. Don’t be nice to him. Don’t smile.”

 

The childlike words, spoken in a voice so polished and low it gave her goosebumps.

 

Red in the ears, Artia nodded, unable to hear him anymore.

 

‘It seems like she had the exact same situation not too long ago…’ she thought.

 

 

 

Back at the palace, Killian ordered Nocturne.

 

“Find out information about Luca.”

 

‘Who is Luca again…’

 

Nocturne nodded obediently, not daring to ask the source of the unfamiliar name.

 

‘What the hell, he’d take it.’

 

Turning back to the rats, he relayed Killian’s words.

 

“We don’t need to find any other Luca’s, just the ones around the Duchess of Edenberg.”

 

In half a day, the skillful rats had gathered information about him.

 

Killian, hearing the report, said, “He’s been hitting on noblewomen?”

 

“When did I ever use such a flippant expression? I said he was flattered by noblewomen.”

 

Nocturne replied indignantly.

 

“It was easy for me to keep it quiet because it would do no good to get the word out, but everyone knew. He has such a striking appearance.”

 

Killian’s left eyebrow rose.

 

“He’s very masculine, with a pronounced brow and a strong build, but they say he’s very gentle in nature, and that’s what appeals to the arrogant noblewomen, and they say there have been fights between them to have him.”

 

The longer Nocturne spoke, the more harsh Killian’s eyes grew.

 

Hot tears welled up inside Nocturne.

 

‘Why did he deserve this murderous glare when all he wanted was information?’

 

Killian, oblivious to his subordinate’s distress, muttered dryly.

 

“It’s annoying.”

 

* * *

 

Luca’s broad shoulders slumped with a sudden chill.

 

Lam shouted at him.

 

“Luca!”

 

“Yes!”

 

Luca’s head snapped up.

 

Lam, his face haggard and dark circles down to his chin, strode toward him, his eyes flashing.

 

Luca flinched at the sensation of the body’s approach, but he didn’t dodge.

 

When he was within inches of Luca’s nose, he shouted.

 

“Who’s so good at acting?!”

 

Luca had been cast solely for his looks. No one expected him to act. Neither did Lam.

 

As long as he could get on stage at the right time and make the right facial expressions, he was fine.

 

(Although, by his standards, the range of “appropriate” was pretty high.)

 

But then something amazing happened.

 

Luca became exactly what Lam wanted him to be.