The Search for the Duchess’s Husband

The nobles knew that Lloyd had a concubine.

 

Few criticized him for it, as many nobles had lovers of their own.

 

But this was only acceptable in private.

 

It was never tolerated in public, where they had to face each other behind a noble mask.

 

One of the nobles couldn’t contain himself and spoke up.

 “How dare a commoner come all the way here without knowing the subject…!” 

Lyrica’s slender shoulders tensed.

 

In the past, she would have cowered at those words, but not now.

 “The Duke is trying to break through the barriers of status for me, and so am I.”

Lyrica spoke up, her big eyes intense.

 “Status doesn’t matter, because the Duke and I truly love each other, and I will be his wife…” “That’s enough. Shut up!”

Lloyd shouted. 

 

His handsome face crumpled into a pile of dirt.

 

Turning to Lyrica, who was stunned by the unfamiliar face, Lloyd said.

“Get out of here, now.” “Duke. I’m…” “What are you waiting for, drag this crazy woman out of here!” 

At Lloyd’s yell, the maids standing in the corner rushed over and dragged Lyrica out.

 “Duke, Duke!”

Lyrica shouted through her tears, but Lloyd didn’t give her a second look.

 

He had no time for that.

 

He had to somehow explain what had just happened to the nobles, whose faces were set as if they’d seen a cheap play.

 

And there was someone watching from a distance, Killian.

 

Lyrica whimpering as she was thrown out of the ballroom, and Lloyd smiling crookedly inside the ballroom.

 

It reminded Killian of Artia, who had come to see him.

 

Her eyes were smug as she spoke of the impossible divorce.

 

“I hope you’re not just going to cry yourself to sleep and get a divorce?”

 

Interest flashed in the golden eyes that had been so bored a moment ago.

  

 ***

  

At the same time, Artia, locked in her room, muttered.

“They must be in a frenzy by now.” 

She could imagine the scene without looking.

 

Lyrica was kicked out of the ballroom, Lloyd alone, apologizing.

 “I just gave her a little beauty and she lost her mind and did this ridiculous thing. What is a commoner girl even thinking…” 

The nobles would laugh in front of Lloyd.

 

Even without Lloyd, they’ll say anything.

 

“So much for being cheap enough to take his mistress home. The way she talks, it sounds like she thinks she’s a duchess or something.”

 

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

 

Nobles didn’t care who they took as concubines.

 

Commoners, foreigners, slaves.

 

Everyone has a different taste in toys.

 

But the moment a concubine challenges their authority, things change.

 “The anger of the nobles will be directed beyond Lyrica to Lloyd.” 

Artia looked out of the window.

 

She could see Lyrica being led into the mansion by servants, crying like a child.

 “Well done, Lyrica.” 

Now that the cute little bird has started the fire, it is time to make it bigger.

  

* * *

 

 

Lloyd thought he’d cut off all Artia’s limbs by locking her in a room.

 

Foolish guy.

 

Artia secretly sent a letter via Elma.

 

The recipient was Penelope, the Baroness.

 “What a surprise, Mrs. Edenberg sent me a letter.” 

Penelope was a social person, but she had never met Artia.

 

She had no idea what this was about.

 

After a moment, Penelope’s face turned as red as her hair as she read the letter.

 “The Duke of Edenberg has locked his wife in her room so that he and his mistress can be husband and wife?” 

Penelope’s husband had been a big philanderer. She lived practically alone, as he was constantly traveling from one mistress to

another.

 

She despised the idea of a married man having lovers.

 

A harsh, unrefined snort escaped the elegant lady’s nostrils.

 “So much for being lewd and dirty. I won’t stop a lunatic who wants to be a rotten piece of garbage, but this crosses the line.” 

He shouldn’t have touched his wife.

 

That was the least he could do for his wife.

 

Penelope, who had a fiery temper, immediately put on her best clothes and went to the Edenberg mansion.

 

When the maids were surprised by the unexpected visitor, Penelope announced.

 “I’ve come to see the Duchess of Edenberg.” 

The maids’ eyes widened.

 

This was the first time Artia had ever had a visitor, let alone a young noblewoman her own age.

 

The maid regained her composure and bowed.

 “My apologies. My lady hasn’t been feeling well lately, and it’s hard for her to receive guests.” 

When a maid says this,

the average nobleman would leave the mansion. They consider it undignified to argue with a person of lower class.

 

But Penelope, with her arms crossed, didn’t flinch.

 “I’ll only be a moment, show me around, it’s important.” 

Her voice was clear, and her insistence that she must see Artia today was clear.

 

But the maids refused to budge, and Penelope was forced to leave the mansion without seeing a hair of Artia’s head.

 

Penelope pursed her red lips and muttered.

“It’s just like the letter said.” 

It was clear that Artia had been captured by her own husband.

 

Penelope hated Lloyd anyway.

 

It wasn’t enough that he disrespected his wife in public, but now he had brought a commoner mistress into their home.

 “Bastard.” 

Her concern for Artia combined with her anger at her cheating husband made her explode.

 

Penelope told the women close to her.

 “The Duke of Edenberg locked the Duchess in her room to be alone with his mistress. How could he do that?” 

Despite their shock, the women at first believed her.

 

Not only is Penelope not the type to make things up out of thin air, but it’s entirely possible, given what Lyrica had just done in the ballroom.

 

The tantalizing idea of a haunted home and a scheming mistress was enough to get the women’s attention.

 

Whenever they met, the women talked about the Duke of Edenberg.

 “The duke must really want to marry a commoner,” they would say, “for a commoner girl to burst into the banquet hall without a care in the world and say something nasty about how she’s going to be his wife.” “Are you sure Mrs. Edenberg is still alive? Didn’t he end her life long ago and then hide the fact from her and play wife to his mistress?” 

As time went on, the stories became more and more inflammatory, and their dislike of Lloyd grew.

 

And just as quickly, a sympathetic public opinion was created for Artia.

 

 

* * *

 

When Lloyd entered the ballroom, there was a strange silence.

 

The women, who normally would have smiled and approached him, stood at a distance, chatting among themselves.

 

Sensing the atmosphere, Lloyd’s face twisted.

 “I thought this would pass in a few days, but the talk of Lyrica shows no signs of stopping.” 

No one would dare speak out in front of the Duke of Edenberg, but the way they looked at him was different.

 

Lloyd gritted his teeth.

 “We have to dispel these damned rumors somehow.” 

Should he bring Artia out and try to be friendly?

 

No. The Artia he has now is a bomb. He doesn’t know what she would say if he put her in front of people.

 

It’s better to keep her in her room as she is now, even if she says something strange.

 

Besides Artia, there was only one person who could save the situation.

 

Lyrica entered Lloyd’s room.

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