The Search for the Duchess’s Husband Chapter 151

Susan, the maid, looked worried.

 

“Yes, I’ve asked the servants, and they say he left the mansion during the day to visit his grandmother, but he hasn’t been seen since.”

 

Artia looked at the window.

 

It was late, and to make matters worse, it was raining hard.

 

Vivi, reading Artia’s expression, said, “Do you want me to go to Luca’s house?”

 

Artia nodded, then said, “I’ll come with you.”

 

Artia and Vivi left the mansion together.

 

The sound of raindrops hitting the ceiling of the carriage increased Artia’s worry.

 

“I wonder if he’s not coming back from visiting his Grandma because it’s raining so hard. I wonder if there’s been an accident.”

 

The carriage stopped shortly after leaving the manor, and she heard the coachman’s voice.

 

“Ma’am, ma’am! I’ve found Luca!”

 

Artia jumped to her feet and ran out of the carriage.

 

In the meantime, Vivi had grabbed an umbrella and placed it over Artia’s head.

 

Outside the carriage, Artia’s eyes widened.

 

The black figure standing in the pouring rain was unmistakably Luca. But he was a mess.

 

His clothes were torn in several places, and his face was covered in blotchy cuts.

 

Luca’s eyes widened at the sight of Artia, and he limped over to her.

 

“Master!”

 

“Luca!”

 

Luca was in front of Artia in an instant, his face covered in scars.

 

“I ran away!”

 

“……?!”

 

“I told them I didn’t want to be there, that where I wanted to be was with you, Artia.”

 

Luca’s face was innocent as he spoke.

 

The only emotion in his purple eyes was pride in himself and a desire to be praised…

 

Artia looked at him with mixed emotions and reached up to run her hand through his red hair.

 

She stroked his rain-soaked hair and spoke in a trembling voice.

 

“You did well, Luca.”

 

Luca smiled brightly.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Luca’s room.

 

Artia and the doctor stood beside Luca on the bed.

 

Artia asked with concern.

 

“What is his condition?”

 

“He has a bad wound, but it’s not fatal, and with some medicine he’ll heal quickly. However, he has a fever from the rain, and I think it will get worse overnight. Please keep an eye on him to make sure his fever doesn’t get too high.”

 

After the doctor left, Luca fidgeted and said, “Master, I’m fine.”

 

Luca was uncomfortable to the point of madness.

 

He was uncomfortable with the doctor treating his wounds as if he were critically ill, and lying in bed with his master standing over him.

 

But Artia looked at Luca, who had cuts everywhere and was running a fever, and said firmly.

 

“This is not okay, Luca,” she said.

 

She wasn’t scolding him at all. It was a kind, loving voice.

 

Vivi held out a steaming mug of tea to Luca, who was still redder than before.

 

It was milk with plenty of honey.

 

“Drink,” Artia said to the waiting Luca, who held the cup in both hands.

 

Luca took the cup in both hands and began to gulp down the milk.

 

When Luca finished, Artia asked, “What happened today?”

 

Luca’s purple eyes fluttered open.

 

Gulp. Luca swallowed nervously, then spoke carefully.

 

“I was kidnapped by Madame Tunguel.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

A few hours earlier, after practice, Luca had been pulling weeds in the garden.

 

His contract said his job was acting, but when he wasn’t practicing, he would find odd jobs around the manor.

 

He felt like he had to do something extra when his master and the servants were so good to him.

 

The servants took a liking to Luca’s behavior.

 

The distance between him and the Kudranians, the actors Artia had brought in to perform, was long gone.

 

“Luca, when you’re done with your work, can you help me repair the warehouse? I need a strong laborer.”

 

Luca answered the maid’s question with a cheerful smile.

 

“Sure!”

 

The maids giggled at Luca’s response.

 

“He’s so sweet.”

 

“He’s even cuter when he’s handsome like some foreign prince.”

 

Luca, who had been pulling weeds with such fervor that he didn’t care what they were saying about him, wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and looked up at the sky.

 

It was full of dark clouds.

 

‘It looks like it’s going to rain soon. I don’t want the master to be uncomfortable when she comes…’

 

Just then, a servant came up to Luca and whispered to him.

 

“Luca, there’s someone outside the mansion looking for you.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Your grandmother?”

 

Luca was surprised.

 

Until now, Norma had never come to Luca’s place of work before.

 

“She must have come because the owner said she could come whenever she wanted.”

 

The anticipation of seeing his grandmother after all this time quickened his pace.

 

As a rule, the workers weren’t allowed to have guests in the mansion, because if they did, all sorts of people would come and go.

 

So the workers usually met their guests quietly outside the mansion.

 

But when Luca saw the old woman standing in front of the mansion, his face hardened.

 

It wasn’t his grandmother.

 

“Who…”

 

Before he could finish his sentence, the door to the carriage next to the old woman was flung open, and several burly men stepped out and dragged him away.

 

No matter how well-built Luca was, he was no match for men bigger than him.

 

After a few punches to the stomach, Luca was dragged into the carriage.

 

The destination of the carriage was all too familiar to Luca.

 

Madame Tunguel’s mansion.

 

Tunguel sat in a dark, dingy room that was decorated with the utmost luxury.

 

Her face was a fearsome mask of rage.

 

She approached Luca, who was forced to his knees by the men.

 

He tugged at Luca’s red hair.

 

“How ungrateful of you to go and wag your tail at another master!”

 

But one look at Luca’s face melted Tunguel’s demonic expression.

 

‘I was so angry, I was going to make a gruel out of him as soon as I caught him…’

 

He looked more handsome than he had in a long time.

 

‘Haha… I’m too weak for him.’

 

Tunguel sighed, lifting Luca’s chin with her fan to make him look at her.

 

“That bitch kept saying you chose her, but I didn’t believe her, you wouldn’t dare choose another master over me.”

 

Luca knew Tunguel’s temper well.

 

The words were a rare act of mercy from a woman who treated her servants harshly.

 

‘That’s right, I’m yours.’

 

and she will forgive Luca.

 

Otherwise, a cruel punishment would follow.

 

He remembered the servants who had been beaten so badly by Tunguel that they had been thrown out of the mansion.

 

A shiver ran down his spine.

 

“You haven’t forgotten your fear of your master yet, little one.”

 

Luca said to Tunguel, who raised the corner of his mouth.

 

“I went to Mrs. Artia because I wanted to.”

 

“……?!”

 

Tunguel’s eyes widened.

 

Luca gathered his courage and spoke again.

 

“I’m staying with Ms. Artia, please send me back.”

 

For a moment, Tunguel was too stunned to say anything, and then her face contorted into something even more hideous than it had been a moment ago.

 

“This dog doesn’t even recognize his owner!”

 

Tunguel struck Luca in the face with the fan she was holding.

 

 

For hours, Tunguel frantically assaulted Luca.

 

She slapped him, stomped on him, raked him, and punched him.

 

She was so angry that she even scratched Luca’s face, which she loved so much.

 

Luca’s whole body ached.

 

‘But not so much that I can’t move…’

 

Luca lifted his head and scanned the room.

 

Tunguel had gone to rest, claiming exhaustion, and only two servants remained in the room.

 

They were the same men who had kidnapped Luca, harsh-faced and large.

 

They had his hands tied behind his back.

 

The old Luca would never have thought of trying to escape, knowing that it would only lead to more beatings.

 

But now, Luca’s eyes were filled with unbreakable determination.

 

A moment later, he curled up into a ball and screamed.

 

“Aaaahhh!”