The Search for the Duchess’s Husband – Chapter 164

Author: Dakku-san

Evangeline said,

“To be honest, I don’t know who else in the family can pretend to be an adult to you, when you’ve shown yourself to be the most capable of us all.”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, I’ve only just made one business a success, and I’m sure you’ll be around to teach me a lot.”

It wasn’t a flattering comment. She meant it.

And that comforted Evangeline.

“I will.”

* * *

Edenberg Manor.

Artia was reading the dozens of letters piled on the table.

There were invitations from the nobility and the imperial family.

They didn’t want to see her out of mere curiosity, as they had when she was freshly divorced.

They were full of favor and respect for Artia, who had become an Ethereal and made her business so successful.

Though there were ulterior motives in between.

Killian glanced at the envelopes, pulled out a dozen, and said,

“You don’t need to read these.”

They were all marriage proposals from men who wanted to meet her.

When Artia realized this, she was surprised.

“How on earth do you recognize them if you don’t even read the letters in the envelopes?”

“The envelope smells like something that makes me want to go over there and slit their throats.”

Killian said, his voice cold.

“Burn it.”

Artia nodded, not bothering to question the wisdom of burning a letter addressed to her.

Soon, the letter burst into golden flames, then crumbled to ash.

“I’ve seen it so many times, it’s amazing every time.”

Artia’s eyes widened.

“What can you do with magic?”

The people who knew that Killian could use magic were silent.

“King Killian can call down rain clouds.”

“They say he can raise the dead.”

But it was all nonsense.

Killian was not omnipotent like the first emperor, Orpheus, who was considered a god.

“I can’t do everything I want,” he says, “it’s like folding a piece of white paper to make something.”

He draws on the magic in his body to manifest his desires.

Sometimes it comes out exactly as he hopes, other times it fails miserably.

Artia asks cautiously.

“Have you ever failed?”

Killian’s answer came a beat too late.

“I couldn’t fix…”

* * *

The two did not see each other for a while after the younger Killian was caught going to Arsen’s room as a baby bird.

Killian wanted to ask the Empress to let him see Arsèn again, but the Empress was so careful to avoid him that he was unable to tell her.

Then, a few months later, he ran into the Empress in the hallway of the palace.

As soon as she saw Killian, her face contorted as if she had seen a bug.

As she turned to leave, Killian shouted at her.

“I’ll fix Arsen!”

“……?!”

The Empress stopped walking.

To her, Killian told her everything.

“I can use my magic.”

The wide-eyed Empress muttered.

“So that’s how you were able to sneak into Arsen’s room.”

It was the moment the truth was revealed, the truth she had buried because she didn’t want to think about Killian at all.

Magic.

Omnipotent power.

It wasn’t that the wizard hadn’t shown Arsen before.

The Empress had managed to find a wizard as rare as gold and had him heal Arsen.

But they all failed.

‘But this child is not like any of them.’

He has the blood of Orpheus, who was said to have godlike powers.

Perhaps he could work a miracle.

The Empress’s tearful eyes filled with anticipation.

Killian, meanwhile, stared at her, mesmerized.

It was the first time he’d ever made eye contact with her this long.

“Oh, my God, you have such beautiful eyes.”

The Empress said, her chubby cheeks flushed red.

“Use your powers to heal Arsen.”

“……!”

“But you must not tell anyone about it. It’s to be a secret between you, me, and Arsen.”

It was the Emperor’s fault.

The Emperor hated Arsen’s very existence.

If he found out, he would interfere.

Killian, still young, knew this, and he nodded.

After that day, Killian stayed up late and began reading books on magic and the human body.

The books were full of material that even an adult would find difficult to understand, but he didn’t find it difficult at all.

His desire to please the Empress and Arsen prevailed.

A few days later, Killian was escorted by the Empress to Arsen’s room.

“Brother!”

“Killian!”

The two embraced after seeing each other for so long.

The Empress raised an eyebrow and pulled Arsen toward her, away from Killian.

Then she spoke in a pointed voice.

“Arsen is a weakling, and it’s dangerous for him to touch humans. Be careful in the future.”

“…….”

Killian nodded, though one side of his chest burned.

The Empress spoke in an impatient voice.

“Now, go ahead and heal Arsen.”

The only thing Killian had done with his magic so far was to reshape himself.

He had never healed anyone before.

But fixing Arsen wasn’t a matter of if he could or wouldn’t.

It was something he had to do.

So Killian closed his eyes, not even considering that he couldn’t do it.

Beads of sweat began to form on his rounded forehead.

Summoning every last bit of magic in his body, Killian opened his eyes and looked at Arsen.

His golden eyes glowed with a bright golden light.

The Empress, who had seen Killian use magic for the first time, squeezed Arsen’s small hand, unable to hide the emotions she felt.

“It’s not like the auras I’ve felt from other mages. If he has that power, he might be able to heal Arsen.”

…But the empress’s hopes were shattered.

Killian cast his spell, but nothing happened.

Hours passed.

Turning to the Empress, whose face was set, Killian said desperately.

“It’s my first time. It was like that when I was new, but I’ll get better with practice.”

“…Yes.”

The Empress nodded, barely controlling her anger.

She couldn’t be angry.

Killian was her only hope.

After that, Killian came to Arsen’s chambers once every full moon to work his magic.

Years passed, but the results were the same.

Arsèn still couldn’t walk, still couldn’t breathe, and still became critically ill at the slightest shock.

The Empress’s excitement had turned to despair and resentment.

“Are you sure you want to fix him?!”

Killian was hurt to have his true feelings denied by no one but his mother.

But he didn’t dare voice his feelings.

He didn’t deserve it from someone so incompetent.

“I’m sorry.”

Killian said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I’ll try harder, and please keep letting me come here.”

Avoiding the Empress’s gaze as she sighed in annoyance, Arsen smiled at Killian.

“Thank you, Killian.”

The faint smile only served to comfort Killian.

Then, a few days later, it happened.

The moment Killian used his magic, Arsen, who had been fine just moments before, let out a groan and collapsed.

“Ah, Arsen!”

The Empress scooped him up in her arms in alarm.

He was not breathing.

His body was as cold as ice.

Like a dead man.

“Arsen, wake up, Arsen!”

The Empress cried out as she nudged his tiny body, but he didn’t wake up.

Killian watched in amazement, then ran out of the room, shouting to the Empress’s handmaidens who were waiting outside.

“Get the doctor!”

Arsèn’s physician, who was stationed in the next room, arrived immediately.

After examining him, the doctor said with a stern face.

“He’s breathing.”

But it was too weak to stop immediately.

To make matters worse, no matter how many thick blankets they put on him and how many times they lit a fire that threatened to burn down the room, his body’s heat didn’t return.

He couldn’t even open his eyes.

“Arsen, please wake up!”

The Empress called her son’s name at the top of her lungs.

The doctor spoke cautiously.

“Your Majesty Arsèn has had many close calls, but I’ve never seen anything like this. Has something happened?”

Everything was the same.

Eating, clothing, even sleeping…

No, there was one thing different.

The Empress’s gaze fell on Killian, who was still in the room.

“What did you do to Arsen?!”

“……!”

“This is what happened to Arsen as soon as you used your magic!”