The Search for the Duchess’s Husband

Vivi held Artia’s hand as she choked on her vomit.

 “Are you all right?” “No. It’s hard to look at something so beautiful and then see something so ugly.” 

Lloyd and Lyrica’s faces twisted at the sight of something so ugly.

 

But Lyrica, who normally would have scratched Artia at that point, was quiet. It seemed to have scared her.

 “I can’t believe she had the nerve to talk to the duke like that.” 

Lloyd looked at Artia incredulously.

 “I guess it feels good to be in the palace, huh?” “…!” “Did you think I didn’t know that, no way. I’m the Duke of Edenberg and I know everything you do.” 

Lloyd, who had approached, flicked Artia’s forehead with his finger.

 “You’re still a worm under my feet, and no matter how hard you squirm, you can’t bite the tip of my little finger.” 

Lloyd smiled sheepishly.

 

But that smile faded like a lie the next day.

 

With a document from the Imperial Court.

  

* * *

 

 

Lloyd burst into Artia’s room without knocking.

 

In his hand was a white sheet of paper with the Imperial seal.

 “What the hell is this?” 

Artia said, putting down the book she was reading.

 “You may not be very bright, but you can read. It’s a confirmation of divorce from the imperial family.” “Then why is this here?” “That’s because I filed for divorce with the Imperial Court.” “What?!” 

Lloyd looked as if he’d been slapped on the back of the head.

 

Unless you were a high noble of immense power or had a close relationship with a member of the royal family, it was difficult to file for divorce.

 

It was thanks to Killian that such a delicate process was completed in a single day.

 

She didn’t expect him to do it so quickly… She was scared, but she’s glad she asked him t

o help her.

 

Lloyd exclaimed to a beaming Artia.

 “I don’t know what kind of crazy Imperial family member you’ve enlisted to help you to pull this off, but I want you to go right now and tell them that you’ve gone a little crazy and said some strange things and that you’re going to cancel your divorce papers.” “No.” “Go to—!” “And in case you didn’t know, once the divorce proceedings are officially initiated, they fall under the jurisdiction of the Emperor, and no one can stop them, not even the Duke of Edenberg.” 

She turned to Lloyd, whose eyes widened.

 “So you’d better just go along with it, because if the couple agrees, all you have to do is beg the Emperor to grant them a divorce, but if they disagree, things get complicated.” 

The couple should each argue vigorously for why they should divorce and why they shouldn’t.

 “Then I’ll have to tell the emperor all the dirty things you’ve done to me, and wouldn’t that be a little embarrassing for you, no matter how shameless you are?” “Is this really—” 

Lloyd, his anger rising to the top of his head, raised his hand.

 

But his hand never came down.

 

Violence was one of the grounds for divorce

.

 

Although it was rarely granted.

 

Instead of slapping Artia across the cheek, Lloyd grabbed her slender wrist.

 “That hurt.” 

Lloyd looked down at Artia, whose brow furrowed in disbelief.

“The Emperor has never granted a divorce during his reign.”

Artia shot back. 

 “Did you really think that you, who are no better than a worm, could petition the Imperial Court for a divorce?” “……!” “And the fourth son of a viscount who lived no better than a commoner becomes the Duke of Edenberg?” 

Lloyd’s handsome face contorted ugly. Artia found it amusing.

 “Only time will tell if it is possible.” 

For the first time, Lloyd’s eyes showed fear.

 

After a moment, Lloyd’s grip on Artia’s wrist tightened.

 “I’m afraid my wife is not in her normal state after falling into the lake. She needs medical attention.” “…!” 

Lloyd threw Artia to the floor. He opened the landing, leaving Artia on the floor.

 “Rest, Artia, and don’t think about anything else.” 

With a bang.

 

The massive door slammed shut as Lloyd left the room.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The doctor grabbed Artia’s wrist as she lay on the bed.

 “I see your pulse is weak, you are unwell in both body and mind, you need to rest.” 

Artia was dumbfounded.

 

Her body was as healthy as it had ever been.

 

Artia asked.

“How much did you agree to be paid for this false diagnosis?” “…!” 

She turned to the doctor, whose face contorted in disbelief.

 “Whatever it is, I will pay ten times as much as you were paid.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I only care about your health.” 

After the doctor stormed out of the room and Artia was alone, she let out a small sigh.

 “I expected you to react violently when you got the divorce papers, but I didn’t expect you to lock me in a room…” 

Lloyd said yesterday, shortly after Artia’s visit had ended.

 “Artia needs to rest, and from now on, no one is to enter without my permission.” 

The workers all bowed their heads, but not Vivi.

 

Vivi approached Lloyd and said

“I am her personal maid. Please allow me to serve her.” “Ah, so it’s you, the maid who brought my wife to this state by not serving her master properly.” “…!” “I must punish you for not doing your job properly. Get her now!” 

Artia shouted from inside the room, listening to what was happening outside.

 “Run, Vivi!” 

Several running footsteps could be heard outside the door, but they soon faded.

 

That evening, Artia asked the maid who brought her dinner.

 “What happened to Vivi?” 

Lloyd had ordered the maids not to answer Artia’s question.

 

But there was something he had overlooked.

 

Any maid who could treat Artia with such disrespect would be promptly fired.

 

The maid hesitated, then replied.

 “My master sent his servants to look for her, but they couldn’t find her. I believe she must have left the mansion.” 

Artia was relieved.

 “I am the reason why Lloyd tried to touch Vivi. To show me what happens to a maid who follows me.” 

A cold shiver ran down her spine as she imagined Vivi’s body covered in scars from Lloyd’s whip.

 

She was glad that Vivi hadn’t been subjected to such a horrible thing.

 

Artia clenched her fists and muttered.

“Don’t come back, Vivi.” 

Until she throws Lloyd out of this mansion.

 

And if that fails, forever.

 

Just then the door opened with a knock.

 

Apart from the doctor, the only other person to enter the room was the maid who always came with the meals.

 

But it wasn’t the maid she saw every day.

 

It was Elma.

 “The master has ordered it. The lady’s health is not good and she has trouble digesting her food, so I’m supposed to keep things as simple as possible.” 

Of course, the truth was different.

 

Lloyd just wanted to punish Artia by using her illness as an excuse.

 

There’s also the calculation that if she’s hungry, she won’t be able to move properly and stay quiet.

 “It broke my heart to think of you eating nothing but watery soup all day.” 

With tears in her eyes, Elma set down a plate of soft bread and fresh vegetables.

 “Please eat. I have brought some of your favorite foods.” 

Artia stared at the carefully arranged food, then opened her mouth.

 “I see you’re still the headmaid Elma.” 

When Artia had confronted Lyrica, Elma had locked her in her room.

 

She hadn’t expected Lloyd to leave her alone when they found out, but she hadn’t left her seat.

 

Elma smiled and answered.

 “I knelt before my master and begged with my hands. I did so because I feared I would be punished even worse if I did not lock Lyrica in her room as you commanded. Fortunately, my master understood my situation and graciously forgave me.” 

No way. Lloyd was not such a generous man.

 

He kept Elma as the headmaid because…

 

Artia glared at Elma.

 “You told Lloyd about Vivi, didn’t you? Now that he knows I have a favorite maid, he can use her to blackmail me.” Visit my Ko-fi for advance chapter discounts!!