The Search for the Duchess’s Husband

Vivi finally hands over the teapot.

 

Artia took the teapot and recalled a memory from the past.

 “They made fun of her because she could not pour tea properly.” 

People giggled as they watched Artia bobbing and weaving with the teapot.

 

Her father, Benedict, shook his head in disgust.

 “She can’t do anything right.” 

But that was because she was nervous in front of people.

 

After rigorous training from the age of three, Artia poured tea perfectly.

 

As natural as running water.

 

Vivi’s mouth fell open as she watched Artia pour the tea.

 

The teacup in front of her was exquisitely filled with steaming tea.

 “Drink.” 

The master spoke again to Vivi, who hesitated, unable to drink the tea poured by the master.

 “To be a good tea merchant, one must know how to taste tea.” “Then I will drink it gratefully.” 

Vivi bent down and raised the cup to her mouth.

 

After a moment, Vivi’s eyes widened.

 “Delicious.” 

A subtle blush appeared on her scarred cheeks.

 

It was an unusual reaction for Vivi, who rarely showed emotion.

 

As Artia’s shoulders rose in pride, a shadow fell across her face.

 

Looking up, she saw Elma, who had now approached, staring down at her with a terrifying expression.

 “My lady, I have something to tell you.” 

Artia’s face, which had been smiling girlishly at Vivi a moment ago, immediately turned stern.

 

Elma looked at Vivi, then opened her mouth.

 “What is it?” “No matter how much I think about it, Vivi is not good enough to serve you.” 

Elma put her hand on her breast.

 “From now on, this Elma will serve you herself.” 

It was an unconventional statement, coming from an arrogant maid who only moved her mouth to serve herself.

 

Artia replied, completely unimpressed.

 “Never mind.” 

Elma’s eyes widened as if she’d been betrayed. Whether she had or not, Artia looked at Vivi and gently rolled her eyes.

 “Vivi’s good enough to be my maid.” 

Vivi’s dull face blushed slightly at the affectionate title, a term of endearment not usually reserved for a noblewoman.

 

Artia smiled and stood.

 “It’s a beautiful day, and I’ve been meaning to have tea outside for a while, but there’s a distraction. Let’s go inside.” “Yes.” 

Vivi nodded and opened the parasol.

 

Elma called to Artia, who was standing under Vivi’s umbrella.

 “My lady, I come from a noble family, albeit a fallen one. I’ve been a maid for twenty years, and I’ve served many noblewomen of this stature, and I’m far better than the likes of Vivi!” “But you have no heart.”

Artia blurted out with a sour face. 

 “Enough of my attention, you can manage the maids.” 

With those words, Artia turned and walked away from the building, the rain falling behind her.

 

The maids, watching her from a distance, whispered.

 “The mistress kicked the headmaid’s ass, didn’t she?” “Yes, very well.” 

The maids chuckled softly at the sight of Elma; her face contorted as if she had been beaten.

 

Then their eyes turned to Artia.

 

Walking with her head held high under her parasol, Artia was so….

 “She looks like a lady.” “Not a lady, but a real lady.” 

An aristocrat, descended from the venerable Dukes of Edenberg.

 

The maids’ eyes lit up with emotion as they realized what they had forgotten.

 

Respect for their master.

 

Of course, there were other maids who looked down on Artia.

 “Hmph, such arrogance is only for a short time. As soon as the master returns, she’ll get over her fear and return to her old self.” “I’m sure she’ll be severely punished for locking Miss Lyrica in her room, and she’ll lock herself in her room and cry herself to sleep.” 

But some of the maids disagreed.

 “Well, if that’s the case, do you think the headmaid would bow down like that?” 

Elma was a longtime veteran of service to the nobility.

 

She may have had a nasty temper, but her ability to smell power and flirt with it was second to none.

 

The fact that she was so eager to please her mistress meant that she had gained some sort of power over her.

 

One of the maids’ eyes caught sight of Vivi standing close by Artia’s side.

 “I can’t believe that a girl who was just doing menial tasks a few days ago is now serving her…” “She said she was following her orders that day, not Lyrica’s, and that she immediately made her her full-time maid.” 

It may be a power that will be lost when Lloyd returns, but it doesn’t change the fact that Artia is the mistress of the manor.

 

Not to mention that most of the maids envy her service for things like laundry and cleaning.

 

Until now, she’d had to bribe Elma to get there, to flatter her so much that she was willing to lick the soles of her feet, but not anymore.

 “If I look good enough for her, maybe I can be her own maid.” 

The ambitious maid’s eyes sparkled.

 

***

 

The maids who had been ignoring Artia changed their behavior. 

 

Some of the maids in particular had a twinkle in their eyes and tried to impress her.

 “I’m in charge of cleaning your room, and I’ll make sure it’s so clean you can’t see a speck of dust!” “I washed the blanket. It’s sun-dried and fragrant and crisp!” “I brought you the finest carrots from my hometown, do you mind if I give them to you for a snack?” 

Elma added. “No matter how hard Vivi works, she’ll never have enough, so if you need anything, just ask this Elma.”

 

She knew Artia wouldn’t look at her like the stooge she used to, but she hadn’t expected this.

 

The active attention of the maids was a bit overwhelming, but not bad.

 

Fire. Fluffy as a cloud, smelling of sunshine.

 

The room glowing like a birdhouse with its deadly wax.

 

Even the sweet, crunchy, superlative carrot sticks.

 

Everything was perfectly prepared.

 

So beautiful, a day in the life of a duchess…

 

She wanted to live like that in a million years.

 

But against Artia’s wishes, this bliss would soon come to an end.

 

Lloyd would be back soon.

 

Should she send an assassin to Lloyd and make sure he never comes back?

 

She read a little book called 100 Ways to Kill Your Husband, and the thought was quite tempting.

 

It was inhumane, but after what Lloyd had done to Artia, it wasn’t unthinkable.

 “But Lloyd is a terrible person to take care of his body.” 

It would be no easy task to take his life with a bodyguard on his back.

 

And even if she succeeded, if she were found guilty, she would face at least the death penalty.

 

The death penalty.

 “Above all, I do not want to stain my hands with his blood.” 

So, the idea was dismissed.

 

‘Let us think of another way to confront Lloyd.’

Artia chewed a carrot stick and thought to herself.

 

***

 

Artia closed the book she was reading and sprang into action.

 

She may have kept her eyes on the ground and her mouth shut, but that didn’t mean she didn’t feel anything.

 

The faces of those who disrespected her are still vivid in her memory.

 

The one who laughed out loud at the sight of Artia listening to Lloyd’s harsh words.

 

The one who stood by Lyrica’s side and gossiped excitedly about Artia.

 

Artia gathered them and said.

 “You’ve all been a pain in the ass, now get out of this mansion.” 

The workers, stunned by the abruptness of the dismissal, fell to their knees.

 “Oh!”  “Madam, we have done wrong. Please forgive us.” 

They looked very sorry, but she had no intention of reversing her decision.

 

She dismissed these men not simply out of revenge, but to fill the manor with only those who would follow Artia.

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