The Search for the Duchess’s Husband

 

The old ladies, who never lost their dignity no matter what, could not hide their bewilderment.

 

Divorce was taboo among the nobility.

 

And that it was a woman from the venerable Duchy of Edenberg.

 

It was all too shocking.

 

The old woman raised an eyebrow and spoke.

 “Artia Edenberg has acted rashly.” 

The other women clucked their tongues and nodded.

 “Indeed, she has. What a dishonorable thing for a woman to do…” “Why did she suddenly make this decision after three years of getting along so well?” “Perhaps because of that noisy mistress of the Duke of Edenberg’s.” “If that’s the reason, it makes even less sense, didn’t the duke send his mistress away to a distant place because she talks so much, what high nobleman doesn’t have a concubine at all…” 

Penelope clenched her fists under the table.

 “It’s like Mrs. Edenberg said…” 

Artia’s letter had said.

 

“Thank you for understanding my situation and for your anger.

But there aren’t many people like Penelope.

Aristocratic society is tolerant of men’s flaws, while women are expected to be strict and patient.”

 

Using Lyrica to discredit Lloyd had its limits.

 

Especially now that she is gone.

 

So, Artia decided to play a different hand.

 

Penelope was the one who took over for Artia, who was locked in her room.

 

Penelope asked innocently,

“I have a question: if His Majesty grants the divorce…” 

The old woman interrupted her with a stern look.

 “There is no way His Majesty would grant a divorce over a mere woman.” 

Penelope cringed at the woman’s attitude, as if she were dealing with an immature child, but she swallowed her insult and continued.

 “But if the king does grant the divorce, what happens to the Duke of Edenberg?” “……!” 

At that moment, all the women who had been chattering simultaneously fell silent.

 

The Empire did not allow women to inherit the title.

 

So, if Artia and Lloyd separated, the duchy would be vacant. And according to the will of the previous duke, only Artia’s husband or son could take over.

 

This meant that whoever remarried Artia would become the new Duke of Edenberg!

 “People don’t really care if Lloyd has a mistress or if my husband persecutes me. But when something they covet is at stake, they’ll think differently.” 

The women Penelope invited had one thing in common.

 

They were available for immediate marriage and had sons who could not carry on the family title.

 

When all was said and done, they were no longer elegant, gentle ladies.

 

They were animals who had found an unexpected prey.

 

Penelope swallowed hard at the ferocity in the women’s eye

s.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Artia was criticized for her lack of beauty, grace, and character.

 

She wasn’t even chaste.

 

Nevertheless, she was the most desirable bride.

 

The man who marries her becomes the Duke of Edenberg.

 

Although the power of Edenberg was not what it once was, the dukedom was still a noble and honorable position.

 

Many nobles wanted it.

 

They must succeed in getting the Duke and Duchess of Edenberg to divorce.

 

Their eyes, blinded by ambition, turned to Lloyd.

 “If we can tarnish the Duke of Edenberg’s reputation beyond repair, the emperor will have no choice but to grant the divorce.” 

The nobles rushed to investigate Lloyd’s scandals and misdeeds.

 

It wasn’t long before a flood of reports surfaced.

 “The Duke of Edenberg has borrowed money from me dozens of times. He says he’s running out of money to spend at the gambling house, but he hasn’t paid me back a dime, and it’s driving me crazy.” “Everyone knows that the Duke of Edenberg takes bribes and puts certain people in positions of power.” “The Duke of Edenberg took my business by force, claiming he wanted a jewelry business for his mistress. He said if I didn’t hand it over, he would make sure I didn’t have a penny left. Even a back-alley thug wouldn’t stoop that low.” 

Lloyd was, in fact, a lowly Axis aristocrat.

 

That is, an unscrupulous, incompetent aristocrat who enjoyed moderate amounts of entertainment and took bribes.

 

But take those facts and blow them out of proportion, and Lloyd becomes one of the most vicious, manipulative, and devious men the Empire has ever known.

 

Even those who had never cared for Artia before frowned.

 “How could a duke do such a thing…” 

Artia chose the right moment to reveal the story she had been hiding.

 

A nobleman said with a pale face.

 “They say the Duke of Edenberg forced his wife to take birth control pills.” 

The nobles were shocked.

 “Is this true?” “Yes, one of the maids who works for the Duchess told me in confidence and asked me to help the poor lady.” “And why did she do such a terrible thing?” “The former Duke of Edenberg officially announced on their wedding day that he would bequeath the dukedom to the child born to Lady Artia.” 

The former Duke of Edenberg had hoped that the offspring of their blood would become a duke.

 

It was a blatantly disrespectful remark to his son-in-law, but Lloyd, the fourth son of Viscount Reiner, who had just become a member of the ducal family, nodded grimly.

 

But within months of their marriage, the duke was killed in an accident, and Lloyd took over the dukedom.

 “Are you telling me that he put his wife on the pill because he didn’t want to deprive his children of the dukedom he was so fortunate to have?” “Given what we know of the Duke of Edenberg’s character, it’s certainly a possibility.” 

For the nobility, bloodlines were a sacred thing, never to be touched.

 

The nobles felt anger and disgust as never before.

 “The divorce must be finalized, for the sake of the ancient House of Edenberg and the poor Duchess!”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kilian, standing at the edge of the ballroom, raised his goblet of wine to his mouth.

 

He hated mixing with people, but at least he was at the banquet.

 

Even if he was the emperor’s most trusted prince, power was not something that could be maintained by sitting comfortably in the depths of the palace.

 

He has to get to know the nobles and read the mood of the room.

 

At a recent banquet, he was having the time of his life.

 “It doesn’t matter who you are,” he says, “because the Duke and I love each other with all our hearts.” 

Since then, a woman, the Duke of Edenberg’s mistress, had appeared and stirred up the ballroom.

 

From that day on, every nobleman he met talked about the Duke of Edenberg.

 

At first, they spoke behind Lloyd’s back, but now they spoke in public.

 “The divorce must be finalized!” 

This was unusual in a social circle where the slighte

st outburst could be seen as a sign of weakness.

 

People assumed it was all because Lloyd had behaved unworthy of the Duke of Edenberg’s name.

 

But Killian knew better.

 “It was Artia von Edenberg who made the plates.” 

The idea that this could have been done by a tiny woman nicknamed ‘The Oyster Rabbit’ because she hid in her room and shivered all the time piqued his interest.

 

Nocturne looked amused.

 “At this rate, His Majesty might actually grant her a divorce.” “Do you think so?” “Yes, because even the most divorce-averse of Majesties can’t help but be bothered by a publicity stunt like this, and it’s worth keeping Mrs. Edenberg locked in her room.” 

One of Killian’s usually relaxed eyebrows raised slightly.

 “What did you say now?” “I said that if public opinion is this virulent, even if it’s negative toward the divorce…” “No, not that part.” “Is it worth it to keep Mrs. Edenberg locked in her room?” 

A tiny crack appeared on Killian’s perfect face.

 “Artia von Edenberg was locked in a room?” “…Yes.”Visit my Ko-fi for advance chapter discounts!!