The Search for the Duchess’s Husband

Catherine began to present the portraits she had prepared, one by one.

 “Count William’s fourth son is a shrewd businessman, and if you marry him, you’ll be able to run the Duke of Edenberg’s business in style.” “The third son of Baron Estek has five diamond mines in his name, and if you marry him, you can wear diamonds without circles.” “And the fifth son of the Marquis of Filanche has…” 

Artia, who had listened to her story in silence said,

“Mother, I have no intention of remarrying just yet.” “What?!” “I just got divorced and I want to take a break.” 

Artia looked at the portrait and added.

 “If they’re really good, why don’t you choose one of them and get married again? You’ve been alone for three years now, and I’m sure my father in heaven would approve…” 

Catherine looked as if she’d been hit by the stone Artia had been holding.

 “Have you really lost your mind?” “I get that a lot these days.” “Artia von Edenberg!” 

Old Artia shuddered whenever she shouted like that. No matter what the situation, she’d tell her she was wrong.

 

Not now.

 “Go ahead.” 

Catherine looked at Artia, who was looking straight at her, with a look of exasperation on her face, and then sighed.

 “You think I want to come all the way out here for this? I’m here for the elders.” 

Artia’s eyes narrowed at the words.

 

The elders, the adults who ran the family.

 

Benedict’s brothers, to be exact, and Artia’s uncles.

 

In the Empire, women could not inherit titles or head households.

 

The same was true if she was widowed or divorced from her husband.

 

So Lloyd’s authority as head of the household was now in the hands of the elders.

 “The elders are thrilled to have temporary control of the household, but they’re also very angry with you.” 

No wonder.

 

They felt that Artia’s divorce had severely undermined the authority of House Edenberg.

 “For now, I’m busy playing the gazoo I’ve dreamed of all my life, but when I come to my senses, I’ll start looking for a husband.” 

Finding a suitable husband and presenting him as the Duke of Edenberg would restore some of the lost ducal prestige.

 

Of course, they won’t want to take power from her meekly, so they’ll look for someone rich and easily manipulated.

 

Otherwise, they wouldn’t look at anything else.

 “Choose one of these men before the old men force their old, stupid, bad-tempered men on you. At least they’ll be better than their choice of husband.” 

Catherine raised an eyebrow at Artia.

 “You’re not telling me you’re never going to marry again, are you?” “Not really.” 

It was very hard to live alone in a damned world that didn’t give women the right to head households.

 

Besides, Artia was Edenberg’s only daughter.

 

She had a duty to stabilize the house, so remarriage was a must.

 

Though she hadn’t planned to do it so soon.

 

After a short consideration, Artia came to a conclusion.

 “I’ll see what I can find, men who will marry me.” 

Catherine’s eyes lit up.

 “Good idea! A woman should marry while she’s young, even if it’s only for a day, so she can earn her husband’s love a little longer.” 

Yes, yes, yes. Maybe, maybe not.

 

Artia let the archaic remark pass from one ear to the other.

  

* * *

 

 “When it’s dry like these days, you should give yourself an aloe pack, and when you take a bath, make sure you add milk.” “Don’t forget to massage your whole body with aromatic oils so that you smell good.” “A noblewoman should take good care of her hair. Grate an avocado every day and apply it to your hair.” 

With Catherine frying next to her, Artia had to be pampered all day.

 “Now that the sun has set, you must go to bed. Sleep is the best thing for your skin.” 

After Catherine’s last nagging, Artia slumped back into her chair, disheveled.

 

Artia’s face was as smooth as a hard-boiled egg.

 “You’ve had a long day, Vivi. Tough, huh?” 

Unlike Artia, who looked haggard, Vivi was perky.

 “It wasn’t hard at all. In fact, I learned a lot, thanks to you, my lady.” 

Vivi’s auburn eyes sparkled more than usual.

 

Vivi, who had dreamed of serving a noblewoman, was genuinely pleased with her work today.

 “I’m glad to hear it, then…” 

Vivi poured tea for a beaming Artia.

 

It was peppermint, which Catherine had given her to drink to help her sleep and her skin.

 

As Artia sipped the tea, Vivi said,

“My lady, I have a question for you.” “What is it?” 

Vivi hesitated, uncharacteristic of her.

 “About those elders you mentioned earlier. Is there any chance that they could be a threat to your safety?” “…….” 

According to her father Benedict’s will, the duchy should go to Artia’s husband or son. But if she dies without an heir, the duchy will go to one of the elders.

 

Vivi is worried about this.

 

She fears that the duke will be greedy and do harm to Artia.

 

Artia said.

“You know that on our wedding day, my father told me that the child I bore would inherit the dukedom, right?” “Yes.” “He didn’t just say it publicly, he had it certified that the Imperial Family would support and protect him.” 

And that wasn’t the only confirmation.

 “In the event of my death, even by the slightest possibility of cremation before I can produce an heir, the entire estate of the Duchy of Edenberg will be donated to the Temple. If I actually die of natural causes, the Temple will covet the Duke’s wealth and raise the possibility of murder, and the Elders won’t see a dime.” “……!” 

Astonishment washed over Vivi’s expressionless face, and rightly so.

 

Benedict, of course, was not a pious man; it was his brothers who had documented such shocking details.

 

He was afraid they might do something foolish in their desire for the dukedom. He didn’t want to give the title to his brothers.

 

Artia said.

“That’s why my father and the elders became even more estranged, because they went to ridiculous lengths to convince him that they didn’t want the dukedom.” 

But it saved her life.

 

Without that restriction, the dukedom might have been taken aw

ay from her soon after her father’s death.

 

Vivi’s face grew serious.

 

“Are the Elders the kind of people who would harm you without this restraint?”

 “They are not cruel enough to kill people so easily, nor are they good enough to pity their only niece.” 

They were selfish as usual.

 

So, as Catherine says, they will want to marry her off as soon as possible. Not for her happiness or security, but to have a puppet to control the Duke of Edenberg.

 

The only good thing is that Artia is the rightful heir to the Duke of Edenberg and has the title of Duchess.

 

Even if they were to become temporary Householders, they could not force Artia to marry anyone, as she outranks them.

 “But since the elders have the power of the house, I have no choice but to make the first move before they do.” 

Artia sipped her tea.

 

Her face was sullen, devoid of any excitement about finding a new husband. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Catherine fluttered like a peacock, holding up a colorful dress.

 “Which one do you like? A red dress as bright as a rose, a yellow dress as fresh as a tulip, or a green dress that emphasizes modesty.” 

Catherine lined up her sparkling accessories.

 “White diamonds are the most luxurious. Or a pink diamond to match the color of your eyes.” 

Despite her enthusiasm, Artia’s answer was firm.

 “They’re not my favorite.” 

Artia wore a light blue dress with little embellishment and no accessories. She wore very little makeup.

 

Catherine gave her a look of disgust.

 “You’re not going to meet a suitor like that, are you?” “Yes, I am.” Visit my Ko-fi for advance chapter discounts!!