Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 10

***

The next day, while riding in his carriage, Lucius spotted something outside the window that made him urgently halt the vehicle. He could hardly believe what he saw. The woman who was supposed to return to her hometown that morning was now wandering around Bastogne Street alone, even though it was already past noon.

Could he be mistaken? Yet the woman’s appearance and the bag she carried were unmistakably the same as those he had seen the previous day. If his eyes were not deceiving him, it couldn’t possibly be another woman.

“My lord? Is something the matter?” the coachman asked, noticing Lucius’s sudden agitation.

The woman disappeared into an alleyway, leaving Lucius rubbing his aching forehead. He could have ignored it and continued on his way. After all, no one had specifically asked him to look out for Brianna Everett today. Or he could simply mention to Florian that he thought he saw her in the alley.

But what if something happened in that alley, just like yesterday?

Grinding his teeth, Lucius made up his mind. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

The coachman bowed respectfully as Lucius dismounted, thinking it was becoming more common to see this side of the young master. Lucius entered the alley, determined to find Brianna Everett. The alley was lined with small shops, most of them selling handmade goods.

Perhaps she was buying a souvenir before heading back home.

As he walked, he stopped in front of a shop displaying various watches of different sizes and shapes through its window. The sight reminded him of what Brianna had said the day before.

“It’s not an important item. It’s fine,” she had said with a smile, but her expression had been full of sadness.

It didn’t seem like an insignificant item. Maybe it had sentimental value. Would it have been better to make an effort to find it rather than assume it was lost?

“Why are you standing there staring at the watches, just like that young lady earlier?” a voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

Lucius turned his head quickly to see a man, who had been sweeping the shop’s entrance, looking at him curiously.

“If you want to buy something, come inside and have a look,” the man suggested.

“Was there another woman looking at the watches? A woman with brown hair carrying a green bag?” Lucius asked urgently.

The man scratched his chin thoughtfully. “There was a woman with brown hair and a bag…”

“Where did she go?”

The man pointed to a narrow alley on the opposite side. “I saw her heading that way…”

Before the man could finish his sentence, Lucius was already running towards the alley. The area was filled with old bookstores and print shops. It wasn’t long before he heard a sharp, distressed voice.

“Let go of me!”

Lucius kicked the door in front of him without hesitation. With a loud crash, the old wooden door fell off its hinges.

Inside, Brianna was being held by a man. She looked dazedly at Lucius, who had burst through the door.

“…Lu, Lucy? No, Lord Luce?” she stammered.

Without another thought, Lucius swung his fist at the man.

“Ouch!”

With a single punch, the man was knocked to the floor. As Lucius prepared to strike again, Brianna shouted, “Editor! Are you okay?”

…Editor?

Lucius froze, his fist still in the air, and stared at Brianna. She rushed to help the fallen man.

“Oh!” Brianna gasped as she saw the man’s face. Blood was pouring from his nose, from both nostrils. The man also noticed the blood and began to scream.

“Aaah! Blood! My nose!”

Brianna quickly grabbed a cloth and pressed it to his nose. “Why did you suddenly grab the manuscript? If you had just waited, I would have given it to you!”

“I couldn’t wait another second. I’m going crazy wanting to know the ending of this novel! How could I restrain myself?” he replied.

Manuscript? Ending?

Lucius blinked in confusion. What on earth was happening?

Then he remembered the stack of papers that had spilled from Brianna’s bag yesterday, and the familiar name written on them.

“Grisha Astrid.”

As Lucius muttered the name, Brianna’s face turned pale with shock. She turned to look at him.

He then noticed that she was holding the stack of papers from the previous day. So, the man hadn’t been assaulting her; he had been trying to take the manuscript.

“…I need both of you to explain this situation to me right now,” Lucius said through gritted teeth.

***

Grisha Astrid.

The renowned writer of the Kingdom of Schwerin. A literary figure destined to be remembered throughout history, possessing exceptional insight and wisdom about humanity and society.

Bastogne Academy had long sought to invite Grisha Astrid to join their faculty. However, for reasons unknown, he had always kept his identity hidden from the public. No one knew his real name or his age.

Today, Lucius discovered the truth: Grisha Astrid was none other than Dowager Countess Linares.

“…The Dowager Countess’s eyesight has been failing for several years now, so I’ve been transcribing her work for her. I’ve also handled all communications with the publishers,” Brianna explained.

The editor, his nostrils still stuffed with cloth, was too absorbed in reading the manuscript to pay attention to their conversation. Meanwhile, Brianna and Lucius were seated at a small table in one corner of the print shop, discussing the matter.

“Normally, we exchange manuscripts by mail, but this time there was an important contract, so I came to the capital myself. The editor wanted to come to Harzen, but that could have exposed the Dowager Countess’s identity. This is a secret known only to three people. And now…” Brianna trailed off, her voice softening.

“Now it’s known to four,” Lucius finished for her. He could see her concern and reassured her. “I promise you, I will never speak of this to anyone. You have my word. But does Florian not know about Dowager Countess Linares’s work?”

“No, that’s why I planned to handle everything without him knowing,” Brianna replied.

So that’s why she told Florian she was taking the morning train back, Lucius thought. His reverie was interrupted by Brianna’s voice.

“But how did you know I was here?” she asked, tilting her head in curiosity. “And yesterday, how did you recognize me? You didn’t know my face.”

Lucius found himself at a loss for words. He couldn’t exactly say he had recognized her by her eyes alone.

Just as he was struggling to find an answer, a loud wail filled the room. The editor, who had been hunched over the table, was now crying loudly. Seeing Lucius’s confused expression, Brianna shrugged.

“It seems he finished reading the manuscript. Both protagonists die at the end,” she explained.

“Ah…” Lucius responded.

After a while, the editor, still sniffling, approached them. “This is truly the best novel I have ever read. It is such an honor to be the first reader of this masterpiece! I can’t wait for the next book!”

Brianna sighed and looked at the editor seriously. “Actually, I have something important to tell you about that.”

The editor’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Have you already planned the next book? What will it be about?”

“It’s not that,” Brianna said. “The Dowager Countess has decided that this will be her last work. She won’t be writing anymore.”

“What?” The editor’s jaw dropped, looking even more shocked than when Lucius had punched him. “Why? What happened?”

“She’s getting old and doesn’t believe she has the strength to complete another book before she dies. She doesn’t want to leave any unfinished work behind. Moreover, her health has been declining. She collapsed not long ago,” Brianna explained.

“I see…,” the editor murmured, staggering slightly before leaning against the table for support.