The Search for the Duchess’s Husband Chapter 89

Artia smiled brightly as she stood before Freesia.

 

“Thank you, Mrs. Elysium, for inviting me to this wonderful banquet.”

 

Freesia felt as if she’d been slapped across the head.

 

She knew Artia could be brash, but she hadn’t expected her to be so brazen in public.

 

Managing to keep a straight face, Freesia spoke up.

 

“I’m glad you’re here, Frau Edenberg, because I felt badly about sending you an invitation to something so difficult.”

 

Artia cocked her head in innocence.

 

“Why is it hard for me to come?”

 

‘Because you’re a divorced woman with no husband!’

 

Freesia resisted the urge to say that. There were a lot of eyes on them, including Marigold and Dahlia.

 

Just then, Count Elysium, who was arm-in-arm with Freesia, stepped between them.

 

“My wife’s homeland, Palenta, is a place where marriage vows are sacred. In Palenta, a couple can never be separated, and the only time they are separated is when one of them dies.”

 

Count Elysium looked at Freesia longingly before continuing.

 

“But didn’t Frau Edenberg break off their marriage simply because she didn’t like her husband? It must be shocking to Freesia that such a woman would stand in front of people without shame.”

 

Artia narrowed her eyes.

 

“I had no idea that was the culture of the Palentines.”

 

Suddenly, Artia understood a little of why Freesia had been so sensitive about her divorce.

 

Meanwhile, Count Elysium’s irritation was rising.

 

‘You should be ashamed of yourself and crying, not acting like you know what you’re doing.’

 

Though they had never known each other personally, Count Elysium disliked Artia very much.

 

She was an impudent, spiteful woman who dared to drive him away.

 

The vacant Duke of Edenberg’s seat might be coveted, but as Count Elysium’s head of household, he had no need of Artia’s pettiness.

 

“Duchess Edenberg, you have many blind suitors for the dukedom, and I think you don’t realize the situation, so let me advise you: many people have bad feelings about you. They smile on the outside to set an example for the Duchess of Edenberg, but on the inside, they are filled with scorn and accusations of being a woman who threw her husband away and divorced him.”

 

“…….”

 

“I hope she remarries as soon as possible and shows herself to be in the service of her husband before her estimation of him sinks even lower.”

 

‘What kind of advice is that, bullshit!’

 

Some say he’s an arrogant but polite gentleman, but he’s just a rude one.

 

Artia was basically gentle, but not so gentle as to ignore the fight she’d been through.

 

Artia smiled softly.

 

“Thank you for your kind words, Count Elysium, and in return, I’ll give you a piece of advice.”

 

“……?!”

 

“My divorce wasn’t just arranged because I wanted to, it was authorized by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, who, as the lord of this empire, has decided that if a spouse is an unredeemable scumbag, it’s only fair to break the bonds of marriage.”

 

Artia’s pink eyes deepened.

 

“So to denounce and deny my divorce is to defy the will of His Majesty the Emperor. If you’re a noble in his service, you’d better not do anything to offend him.”

 

‘In other words, if you’re afraid of the emperor, don’t talk about my divorce.’

 

‘Insolent bitch.’

 

Count Elysium’s face, which had been wearing an aristocratic smile, contorted ferociously.

 

“Tia!”

 

Marigold and Dahlia approached Artia just in time.

 

They were followed by a crowd of women who knew her well. Surrounded by women, Artia naturally separated herself from Count and Countess Elysium.

 

Count Elysium spoke in a voice so low that only Freesia could hear him.

 

“Why did you invite a woman like that?”

 

Freesia barely parted her lips, trying to keep her hands from trembling.

 

“Because I thought they would say something bad if I didn’t invite only Mrs. Edenberg…”

 

Count Elysium’s sigh made Freesia’s thin shoulders slump. Conscious of the stares, Count Elysium grabbed her shoulder with a worried look on his face.

 

With a look of concern for his wife, Count Elysium whispered, “Smile, so that everyone in this ballroom will look up to us.”

 

Freesia forced the corners of her mouth up.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Penelope looked surprised.

 

A few months ago, when she’d gone to her family home to care for her ailing parents, Artia hadn’t known many people in her social circle.

 

Penelope had been sending her invitations every day because she felt sorry for Artia, who hadn’t been invited to any banquets.

 

But now she was surrounded by women.

 

Most surprising of all was the presence of the Flower Ladies, Marigold and Dahlia.

 

“What the hell happened while I was gone?!”

 

“Good to see you, Mrs. Oren.” Marigold said to a confused Penelope.

 

Penelope was a social butterfly, but she had only exchanged formal greetings with the Flower Ladies, never a lengthy convention.

There was an unspoken hierarchy among the women.

 

Penelope returned the greeting awkwardly.

 

“Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Golgus.”

 

Marigold smiled and continued the conversation.

 

“I’ve heard so much about you from Tia, how you were a great help to her during her divorce.”

 

‘Tia?!’

 

Her jaw dropped at the affectionate nickname for Artia.

 

“As Tia’s big sister, I’m so glad she has a friend like you.”

 

‘Big sister?!’

 

Penelope’s mouth doubled over.

 

Marigold had a lively personality, but she could be picky, and she was known for only associating with women she liked.

 

‘I don’t know why she’s suddenly like that. Did Artia hypnotize her, or blackmail her, or something?’

 

Penelope looked at Artia between Marigold and Dahlia and covered her mouth.

 

‘Have they noticed how cute Tia is?!’

 

All of Marigold’s favorite women had one thing in common: they were all strikingly beautiful.

 

Artia was not a striking beauty, but…

 

“She’s as cute as a rabbit, flicking her big ears when you throw her a carrot.”

 

It was Dahlia who reacted to Penelope’s unspoken words.

 

“Is that a description of Mrs. Edenberg, by any chance? That’s a pretty funny way of saying it.”

 

“……!”

 

Dahlia was as much a star in the night sky as Marigold, which made Penelope look even more surprised.

 

‘To be friends with two of the most influential women in society. You have succeeded, my apprentice.’

 

Penelope gave Artia a double thumbs up.

 

 

The women gathered around Artia continued to chat animatedly. Watching from a distance, Freesia thought to herself.

 

‘I must admit, Frau Edenberg, you have a way with women.’

 

But I’m the star of tonight’s banquet, and I have to be.

 

Freesia and Count Elysium walked hand in hand into the center of the glittering hall. At the same time, the music that had been playing softly changed.

 

It was a hymn of love, the wistful, fluttering tune of a lover’s heart.

 

As Freesia and Count Elysium danced to the music, the crowd gasped in admiration.

 

“What a beautiful couple they are.”

 

A man who was once the first love of many noble girls and a dazzlingly beautiful foreign princess.

 

Their affectionate behavior stirred the hearts of many, and that feeling soon gave way to intense longing.

 

Feeling the outpouring of gazes, Freesia was relieved.

 

‘See, this is what people want to see in a perfect lady, after all.’

 

Whether it was a famous painting or an opera, women shone brightest when they were with the man they loved. Alone, she is only miserable in the face of criticism and scorn.

 

Then Freesia’s eyes widened when she saw Artia standing outside the hall.

 

There was not a hint of envy or jealousy on her face.

 

She was smiling proudly.