The Search for the Duchess’s Husband Chapter 148

After they started practicing together, people’s eyes lit up at the first “I can’t” they heard.

 

“Why can’t you do it?! You should! You can do it! Please do it. Please do it…”

 

Lam grabbed Luca and glared.

 

But all Luca could say was sorry.

 

Artia, not to be outdone, stepped in.

 

“Mikhail, take the director out.”

 

Mikhail dragged the childlike Lam out of the room, saying, “I’m not leaving until I hear Luca sing!”

 

A quick-thinking Sandra led the other actors out as well.

 

Artia and Luca are alone in the empty rehearsal room.

 

Luca’s head was down, his shoulders slumped.

 

Like a puppy who is terrified of being scolded by his owner.

 

Artia cautiously called his name.

 

“Luca.”

 

“Yes…”

 

His voice, which had been raspy since he’d started practicing, was now barely audible.

 

Turning to Luca, whose eyes were red, Artia asked,

 

“I don’t think you’d say you can’t do anything for no reason, so if there’s a reason you can’t sing, can you tell me?”

 

“…….”

 

Luca’s violet eyes fluttered hard.

 

Artia waited patiently, not pressing the point.

 

After a long moment, Luca finally spoke up.

 

“Madame Tunguel once made me sing.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

He had just become Madame Tunguel’s servant.

 

She called her friends over to show off her new servant.

 

The women gawked at Luca.

 

“My goodness, he’s the nicest boy I’ve ever seen. Where did you get him?”

 

“Let me borrow him for a few days.”

 

Madame Tunguel raised a thick eyebrow at her friends’ enthusiastic reactions.

 

“Uh, no. But I’ll give you a tour today.”

 

Luca did as Tunguel ordered and poured the women drinks.

 

The women blushed slightly, enjoying the rare treat of being served by a young man.

 

Over time, the women, including Tunguel, grew drunk.

 

One of the women pointed to Luca with a red face and said,

 

“I’m getting bored, order him something. He doesn’t know how to do anything but smile and pour drinks, does he?”

 

Tunguel’s eyebrows rose at the woman’s provocative words.

 

She didn’t like it when her toy was ignored.

 

“Luca.”

 

“Yes, my lady.”

 

“Sing me a song.”

 

“……!”

 

The embarrassment on Luca’s face at first hearing the command was obvious, but Tunguel didn’t care.

 

“Come on.”

 

He had to do whatever his master told him.

 

That was how he had been raised as a parentless Kudran.

 

Standing before the women, Luca steadied his hands, which were shaking with nervousness.

 

Soon, a clear voice began to echo through the dense space.

 

He didn’t know any songs, so he sang a lullaby his grandmother had taught him as a child.

 

The women’s eyes widened at the beauty of the song, which seemed to take their spirits away in an instant.

 

So did Tunguel.

 

Little did they know that the child they had stolen from them based solely on his looks had such talent.

 

As soon as the song ended, Tunguel said,

 

“Keep singing.”

 

Luca was only able to stop singing after the women were all drunk and asleep.

 

The next day, Tunguel said with a hangover on her face.

 

“You’ve got a good voice, but the song is very childish. It’s a lullaby, and it’s not good for you.”

 

She made Luca learn the song.

 

They were all about love, using vulgar words.

 

Every night afterward, Luca had to sing the song at Tunguel’s drinking parties.

 

The women laughed at the memory.

 

Some said, “Are you trying to seduce me?” in a mocking tone.

 

Luca’s stomach churned and he felt nauseous.

 

But he couldn’t stop singing.

 

There was no command to stop.

 

But Luca’s body could not withstand the daily abuse, and eventually his voice broke and cracked like a sick man.

 

A woman clicked her tongue.

 

“What a waste. It’s already broken.”

 

“How many times has that happened to you, Tunguel? Use things sparingly, Tunguel.”

 

The women were joking, but Tunguel was offended.

 

“What an embarrassment in front of everyone. Can’t you call me by my proper name?”

 

Luca opened his mouth to speak, terrified by Tunguel’s accusation.

 

But he couldn’t get the words out.

 

In a fit of rage, Tunguel poured a strong drink into Luca’s mouth.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Afterward, I was treated by a doctor and my voice came back, but when I tried to sing, I would get short of breath and my mouth wouldn’t open. After this happened repeatedly, Madame Tunguel stopped making me sing.”

 

Artia was speechless at the shocking story.

 

Her anger at Tunguel soared.

 

At the same time, she felt so sorry for Luca.

 

Luca’s heart sank as she saw Artia’s face, her brows drawn together.

 

“You’re wrong!”

 

“……!”

 

“I was so surprised earlier that I said I couldn’t, but I’ll try to sing again somehow. …Please don’t kick me out.”

 

Artia’s eyes fluttered.

 

She knew Luca would be upset, but she hadn’t expected him to think like that.

 

Looking at Luca, who looked like he was about to cry, Artia said, “I wouldn’t kick out a valuable member of the Edenberg Theater Company for something like that.”

 

“……!”

 

“You don’t have to sing if you can’t handle it. Let’s just stick to the original script.”

 

Luca shook his head.

 

“But you and the director were both looking forward to that scene so much.”

 

“Yes, we were, but it’s not a scene that needs to be saved by pulling out the actor’s scars.”

 

“…….”

 

“So don’t think about today anymore. Pretend it never happened and erase it from your memory. Okay, Luca?”

 

There was nothing but concern for Luca in her sweet voice.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The next day, the servant who shared the same room with Luca asked,

 

“You always rush out early in the morning, why aren’t you out today?”

 

“The master has given me a day off.”

 

Last night, suddenly, Artia’s instructions came down to the entire troupe.

 

They’ve been running nonstop, so today they should rest and recharge their batteries.

 

“That would be great. I wish I had a day off too…”

 

The servant left the room, looking envious of the world.

 

But Luca’s expression was awkward as he lingered in the room.

 

For the first time in his life, he’s been granted a vacation. But he couldn’t figure out what to do with all this free time.

 

Most of all, he was still thinking about yesterday.

 

“The master said I didn’t have to sing, but I’m so sorry.”

 

But he couldn’t bring himself to sing.

 

“Why am I like this?”

 

As he hung his head, he heard a knock on the door and a familiar voice.

 

“Luca, is there…”

 

Luca jumped up and ran to the door before the words were out of his mouth.

 

He opened the door and to his surprise, Artia was standing there.

 

“Master, how did you get here…”

 

“I want to show you something. Follow me.” Artia said, and Luca followed closely behind.

 

“What could she possibly want to show me?”

 

But then his eyes caught sight of Artia’s backside.

 

He’d seen many slender women, but Artia stood out among them.

 

Her long silver hair glistened in the sunlight, and she smelled good. Not a strong perfume or the smell of alcohol, but a faint floral scent.

 

“Luca.”

 

Luca’s face turned bright red the moment Artia turned her head.

 

“I’ve been so inconsiderate. I should have taken care of you before you told me.”

 

“……?”

 

Luca shook his head, unsure of what the hell she was talking about, and then his eyes widened.

 

There, in the bright sunlight of the garden, was the tiny woman.

 

Luca gave her a look of disbelief and ran over.

 

“Grandma!”

 

The day Artia had brought Luca, she had sent a maid to Luca’s grandmother.

 

“Luca is staying at the Edenberg manor. The owner has offered to give you a room to stay with her while he’s there.”

 

After a moment of surprise at the news, Norma shook her head.

 

“I don’t want to be indebted to her anymore than I already am, and I am grateful from the bottom of my heart.”