The Search for the Duchess’s Husband

 

A coward, a crybaby, a fool.

 

These were the words that described Artia, the only daughter of the Duke of Edenberg.

 

She was born small and weak.

 

From an early age, Artia was pathologically fearful.

 

Unable to look people in the eye, she looked at the floor and couldn’t say what she wanted to say, even to her maid.

 “Don’t mumble, look them in the eye and say it again and again and again!” 

The more her father, Benedict, Duke of Edenberg, scolded her, the more Artia cowered.

 *Giggles* “What a ducal princess to be so cowardly. A beggar would be more noble if he came to my house to beg.” 

But there was one person who treated Artia with kindness.

 

It was Lloyd, Viscount Reiner’s fourth son.

 

Whenever he saw her, Lloyd would say sweetly.

 “You don’t have to be as scared as you are with me, Artia.” 

She could raise her head and look him in the eye.

 

She could smile.

 

Artia liked the sweet Lloyd.

 

But Artia desperately hid her feelings.

 “Mr. Lloyd is not someone a girl like me would dare to cross.” 

He deserved a more beautiful and wise woman.

 

‘When the day comes that he finds such a woman to be his wife, I will bless him with my heart.’

 

Meanwhile, the older Artia grew, the more troubled Benedict, Duke of Edenberg, became.

 “A woman cannot succeed to the title in the Empire. To keep the family name alive, we must have a Daryl Dowager. A man who will be a member of the House of Edenberg and obedient to my every word.” 

There were many families and men who wanted to be associated with the Duke of Edenberg, but the choice was not easy.

 

Artia’s inability to speak, even to her maidservant, was exacerbated in the presence of grown men, and she trembled as if confronted by a fierce beast.

 

Not for the first time, he was worried about her daughter.

 “She’s not going to make it through the first night in that condition.” 

Maybe over time, but still.

 

Benedict intended to pass on the dukedom to a child born to Artia, a child of his own blood, so his daughter’s marriage was very important to him.

 

***

 

The duke had an unexpected visitor.

 

It was Lloyd.

 “Duke, do me the honor of being the husband of the Princess of Edenberg.” 

His voice was polite and eager, but the Duke’s expression was cold.

 

Even if Artia was not good enough, the fourth son of Viscount Reiner was far too inferior.

 

But the moment he saw Artia sitting next to him, his eyes widened.

 

She used to look at the floor and tremble whenever she saw a nobleman proposing to her.

 

But now she was looking at Lloyd with a face as red as a rose.

 

Even Benedict, who had never seen a speck of dust, could recognize the emotion of romance.

 

It was the face of a woman being proposed to by the man she loved.

 

Benedict asked.

“Do you like him?” 

For the first time in her life, Artia had the courage to speak.

 “Yes, father, I want him to be my husband.” 

Benedict wasn’t the kind of man who cared about his daughter’s wishes.

 

But he knew that Lloyd would be able to bed Artia without any problems, and then he could have a real heir.

 

Finally, Benedict made his decision.

 “I accept Lloyd von Reiner’s hand in marriage.” 

Lloyd and Artia smiled at the same time.

 

***

 

That night, Lloyd came to visit Artia.

 

He carried a bunch of pink hydrangeas, the exact color of her eyes.

 “I love you, Artia, and I’ll protect you forever.” 

Artia smiled through her tears at the unexpectedly sweet confession.

 

The previous duke’s will had stipulated that the title would pass to any child born to his daughter, Artia von Edenberg.

 

However, if the Grand Duke died before Artia had children, the title would pass to…

 “It states that the ducal title will pass to Artia von Edenberg’s husband.” 

The lawyer continued.

 “But that is only temporary, and as soon as Artia von Edenberg’s child is born, he must take the title.” 

Lloyd smiled.

 “Whether or not there is.” 

And so Lloyd became the 23rd Duke of Edenberg.

 

And it was the worst mistake Benedict ever made.

 

As Duke of Edenberg, Lloyd became a different man.

 

He no longer smiled at Artia.

 

He didn’t even call her name affectionately.

 

In response, Artia gathered her courage, grabbed Lloyd by the collar, and said.

“My love, please tell me if I’ve done anything wrong.” 

Artia thought that she was the reason why Lloyd, who was so sweet, changed in an instant.

 

So she tried to apologize to him.

 

She tried to fix the things he doesn’t like.

 

Maybe then he’ll come back to his old self.

 

But his reply was brutal.

 “Don’t you see, Artia? I was only being nice to you because I coveted the name Edenberg.” “Marrying you was the only chance for the fourth son of a viscount to become a member of the great nobility, when he would have inherited neither title nor fortune and would have been forced to live as a beggar.” “I didn’t expect the former duke to be so upright as to become a duke, but here we are, less than a hundred days after our marriage, and the old man is dead.” 

Lloyd smiled crookedly.

 “I suppose I was meant to be the Duke of Edenberg.” 

Artia couldn’t breathe.

 

The first man she’d ever loved was being so harsh.

 

Lloyd looked at Artia, who couldn’t make a sound and had tears streaming down her face, and said sternly.

 “If you understand, from now on, you will stay in your room like a dead rat because there is no one in this mansion on your side.” 

Lloyd was right.

 

The mansion’s servants would rather follow Lloyd than the powerless Artia.

 

No matter how mean Lloyd was to Artia, no one would help her.

 

During this hellish time, Artia slowly broke down.

 

One day, when the sun was shining brightly, she stood in front of the lake in the garden.

 

Her tears had dried up, and she stared into the depths of the lake with a smile on her face.

 Plop— 

As the still-ice-cold water rushed into her lungs, Artia’s mind was filled with no will to live, no resentment toward her husband.

 

It was only contempt for her own stupidity.

 ‘I hate myself so much.’ 

I wish I could just disappear forever.

 

Please.

 

Please.

 

Please.

 

Artia opened her eyes.

 

She blinked her pink eyes and froze.

 “Weren’t I… dead?”Visit my Ko-fi for advance chapter discounts!!