Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 104

Dinner ended pleasantly.

Over the past month, the three of them had often shared meals together, but now something was different. Previously, after dinner, Brianna would bid them goodnight and return to the guestroom where she was staying. But today, she and Lucius headed to their room together.

“So, you’ve decided to sponsor that soprano singer?”

Their conversation continued as they walked.

Brianna nodded at his question. “Yes, and I’m also thinking of increasing the amount of funding for the theater. I don’t want that old theater to disappear. New theaters can always be built, but once an old one is torn down, it’s gone forever.”

“If that’s what you want, then do it. Choosing sponsorship recipients has always been the Duchess’s prerogative. But is there a particular reason you chose that singer over so many others?”

“Well, actually, Lily was my neighbor when I lived in the tenement housing. She even introduced me to a job at the theater.”

Lucius suddenly halted in his tracks. He turned to Brianna and let out a short “Ah,” his expression momentarily troubled. It seemed he had recalled the misunderstanding he had once harbored about Mr. Drevis.

Brianna chuckled and continued, “Lily was the one who helped me adjust when I first arrived in Bastogne. Thanks to her, I was able to rent that place at a low price, and she took care of me in so many ways when I was just a clueless newcomer. I’ve always wanted to repay her somehow, and I’m glad I can finally do something for her.”

“You’ve had a good friend.”

Friend…

As she resumed walking, Brianna pondered over the word. Her definition of friendship had always been Lucius and Florian—a bond built on unwavering trust, a relationship where they would lay down their lives for each other. For a long time, she had watched their friendship with envy, wishing she had someone like that too.

But unlike them, Brianna had never been particularly lucky when it came to friends. The only person she had thought was close to being a friend, Margot, had met such a bitter end. Now, she held Lily in high regard, but she wasn’t sure how Lily saw her in return.

“I don’t really know if Lily and I are friends. We haven’t known each other that long, and she’s so sociable—she’s always surrounded by people. Maybe she was just kind to me because I happened to be nearby.”

Lily had repeatedly avoided meeting her, saying that being associated with her wasn’t a good look. But what if that was just an excuse to keep her at a distance?

As she grew sullen at the thought, Lucius’s voice rang out.

“Do you know how I found you when you left the Kirchner estate?”

Surprised by the sudden question, Brianna looked up at him. Come to think of it, she had always been curious. How had he found her so quickly?

“How did you find me?”

“One of the maids at the Kirchner estate told me. She said you had boarded a stagecoach to Cassel. She used that same coach whenever she traveled home, so she knew it well.”

“Oh…”

Brianna inhaled sharply.

“It must have been Cecil. Her hometown is Cassel.”

Lucius smiled. “As a maid working for the Kirchner estate, it wouldn’t have been easy for her to provide such information. She risked falling out of favor with her employers. And yet, she took that risk to tell me where you had gone. That means she must have considered you a friend. I’m sure Lily feels the same. There’s always a reason behind kindness.”

Only then did Brianna’s expression brighten, and seeing that, Lucius made a suggestion.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to join you when you meet Lily.”

“You want to meet Lily?”

“Yes. Since she helped you so much, I’m curious about what kind of person she is.”

Brianna bit her lip instead of answering immediately. Lily had been one of Florian’s greatest supporters and had always encouraged Brianna’s relationship with him. Naturally, she harbored doubts and suspicions about Lucius. Given how abruptly the marriage had happened, she was bound to have strong opinions.

Considering Lily’s fiery personality, she wouldn’t hold back just because Lucius was a duke.

Would it really be okay for them to meet like this?

“…Is something wrong?”

At his concerned question, Brianna quickly shook her head and smiled at him.

“No, it’s nothing. I’m sure Lily will be pleased. I’ll send her a letter tomorrow.”

“I’d also like to find a way to properly thank that maid, Cecil, for helping you. Do you have any ideas?”

Brianna had thought about how she could show her gratitude to Cecil, but nothing came to mind. She couldn’t just ask someone who was working diligently at the Count’s estate to suddenly come work at the Duke’s residence.

“Unless she has some difficulty that I could help with.”

“Well… The only concern Cecil mentioned recently was her cousin’s marriage.”

“Her cousin?”

“Yes, she even suggested that I meet him…”

Brianna trailed off mid-sentence, realizing her mistake. But it was too late—she saw Lucius’s eyebrow twitch at her words. No matter how much their marriage was one of convenience, it was only natural that hearing something like this would put him in a bad mood.

“She suggested you meet him…?”

Lucius muttered quietly. Fortunately, they arrived at their room before the conversation could continue. Brianna hurriedly reached for the doorknob and bid him goodnight.

“W-well then, rest well.”

Just as she was about to enter the room, before she could even open the door, a large hand covered hers on the doorknob. Lucius leaned forward, pressing her between himself and the door.

“…So, did you meet this cousin?”

The question carried a subtle pressure, and Brianna hastily shook her head.

“No. It just so happened that the day Cecil said that was the same day I was kidnapped…”

“Just so happened?”

“I-I didn’t mean it like that…”

As he seized on her choice of words, Brianna stammered in an attempt to explain. She wasn’t sure why she even needed to justify herself, but she felt she had to clear up any misunderstandings.

“I had no intention of meeting him anyway. I refused Cecil right away. She said I might change my mind if I met him, but I refused again…”

“That cousin must be quite an impressive man for her to be so confident in setting you up.”

“Oh, I heard he’s good-looking and intelligent. Apparently, he’s made quite a few women cry…”

“……”

As Lucius’s eyes narrowed even further, Brianna decided to shut her mouth. Somehow, the more she spoke, the deeper she sank into quicksand.

When Lucius remained silent for a long time, Brianna glanced up at him. That’s when she realized how dangerously close their faces had become.

With one arm resting against the door and his head tilted downward, their distance shrank even further. Their breaths intermingled, and Brianna’s heart began to race wildly.

She could count each of his dark, delicate eyelashes one by one.

Maybe this time, he’ll kiss me again.

Determined not to avoid it this time, Brianna clenched the hem of her dress. But just as she braced herself, his lips brushed against her forehead before pulling away. Then, he moved the hand covering hers to push open the door.

“That’s enough questioning for now. Go inside and rest.”

It was a completely formal gesture, no different from the kiss he had given Veronica earlier at dinner. Brianna nodded, quickly slipping through the open doorway and closing the door behind her.

Moments later, she heard his footsteps retreating, followed by the sound of his door opening and closing.

Leaning against the door, Brianna traced her lips with her fingers.

Was he refraining from kissing her simply because she had rejected him the first time, or was there another reason?

If it was the latter, she thought it might hurt a little.

***

Lily readily accepted the invitation to dine with Lucius. She even made a rather unsettling comment about how men reveal their true nature when they drink and insisted on preparing plenty of alcohol for the occasion.

As Brianna reconsidered whether introducing them was really a good idea, she sorted through the numerous invitations she had received. Despite already filtering them once under Veronica’s guidance, there were still so many left.

If I attend these gatherings, I’ll end up running into Adelheid…

Brianna recalled the last time she had seen her. Her face, contorted with sorrow and fury at losing the man she loved, still lingered in her memory, making Brianna sigh. But avoiding Adelheid forever wasn’t an option either. If she did, the noblewomen would quickly catch on and ridicule her behind her back.

In the end, no matter how Adelheid chose to act, Brianna had to face her directly.

After careful consideration, Brianna selected a few invitations and penned her responses, accepting them.

And a few days later, the night she was scheduled to share a bed with Lucius arrived.