Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 129

“Does the Duke of Carlisle treat you well?”

The question came as they danced, and Brianna responded with a smile.

“Of course. His Grace treats me very well.”

“Well, he would. I imagine he has plenty of guilt where you’re concerned.”

His next words were clearly loaded. Brianna feigned ignorance, responding with a naïve expression.

“Pardon? What do you mean by that…?”

“I mean, because of his late friend, he has no choice but to be good to you.”

In a way, his remark wasn’t wrong. After all, Lucius had married her because of Florian’s final request.

Brianna blinked, feigning surprise. She’d apparently grown skilled enough in aristocratic manners to craft her expressions with ease now.

“Do you already know about our situation, Your Highness?”

At her cautious question, he smiled meaningfully.

“Duchess, I know many things. For instance, why Florian Robert ended up dead—those sorts of things.”

The one who had killed Florian was none other than the Crown Prince standing before her. Hearing him bring up Florian’s death was sickening, but Brianna kept her composure and murmured with a feigned tone of confusion.

“But His Grace said he died in an accident…”

“It was no accident. The Duke of Carlisle is hiding a great deal from you. If you want to know the full truth, Duchess, you’re welcome to come to me anytime.”

Brianna was glad she had found Florian’s letter last night.

If she had heard the Crown Prince’s words without knowing anything, she would have been thrown into terrible confusion. She might even have gone to him herself to seek the truth, instead of asking Lucius.

Just before the dance ended, he whispered in her ear, “Allow me to give you one piece of advice: never trust Lucius Carlisle. Your husband is far more dangerous than you think.”

She couldn’t say for sure what the Crown Prince’s true intention was. Was he trying to incite division? Or perhaps he intended to lure her out under the pretense of Florian’s death and kill her?

One thing was certain: neither the Crown Prince nor Lucius knew that she already knew the truth. That meant the person best positioned to take control of the situation—without being swayed by either side—was Brianna herself.

After the music ended, the Crown Prince escorted her back to Lucius. As soon as Lucius received her, he suggested she take a short rest, and Brianna nodded.

“A light sparkling water would be nice.”

The two of them stepped out to the terrace for some air. Lucius handed her the drink and, uncharacteristically impatient, asked, “What did the Crown Prince say to you?”

Before replying, Brianna took a sip from her glass. After a long pause, she turned to him with her usual smile. “Nothing in particular. He just asked whether you were treating me well.”

“That was all?”

“Yes.”

Lucius furrowed his brows slightly. Clearly, he found it hard to believe. Seeing his reaction, Brianna decided to test him.

“Why? Should the Crown Prince have another motive toward me? You’ve always seemed wary of him. May I ask why that is?”

As expected, Lucius said nothing. He clearly had no intention of ever revealing that the Crown Prince was behind Florian’s murder.

“There’s no specific reason. But as you already know, our family has a long history of bad blood with the royal family. It was my father who took the lead in stripping the king of all power. As long as they bear a grudge, there’s no harm in being cautious.”

“…I see.”

“From now on, if the Crown Prince asks you to dance, just say your feet hurt. That’ll make it hard for him to insist.”

“All right, I’ll do that.”

Brianna nodded absently and turned her gaze beyond the terrace. The heat of summer had passed, and now a pleasantly cool breeze was blowing. Lucius took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Brianna pulled it close and let out a bittersweet smile.

He always thought of what she needed before she even realized it herself. It had been impossible not to fall for someone like him.

Yes, even if half this marriage had been born from obligation, not much had changed now. He would continue to be kind to her, to care for her with all he had. That was all she had ever wanted from him to begin with. Wanting more was just greedy.

More than anything…

Brianna gently touched her flat belly. There was a chance she might already be pregnant. A part of her sincerely hoped she could use that as a reason to remain by his side.

She planned to tell him once she was certain. It could just be a late period, after all.

Still, he would surely be happy. If it were a boy, it would fulfill the very purpose of this marriage.

The thought made her feel a little blue—but truthfully, she too hoped deeply that she was carrying a child. Having been without family for so long, she yearned to meet someone of her own blood. To her, this child would not be the result of some contract but the miraculous creation of two people.

Yes, with this child, everything would be okay. As long as the child was born safely…

“…Standing here like this reminds me of something.”

As he looked up at the night sky, Lucius suddenly spoke. Brianna turned to look at him.

“The graduation ball.”

“Ah…”

Come to think of it, they had spent time on the terrace together back then too. After rescuing her from a strange man, he had brought her there and stayed by her side until she calmed down. He had also explained what it meant to head up to the second floor after leaving the banquet.

“Do they also have rooms for lovers on the second floor of the palace?”

At her sudden question, he burst out laughing.

“Of course. The banquet goes on until dawn, and the night is long. But some lovers, too eager to wait, don’t even make it to the second floor.”

“What? Where then?”

This time, her question was genuine. With a mischievous glance, he pointed first to the terrace they were standing on, then to the dark garden across from it.

Brianna gasped. “My goodness…”

She’d heard that during festivals in Harzen, couples sometimes slipped into the woods. But this wasn’t some vast forest—what if they ran into someone else?

As she mulled over that awkward thought, Lucius took the glass from her hand and set it on the terrace railing. He placed his own glass beside it. Then he gently backed her toward the wall.

“Do you know what I was thinking when I saw you on the terrace that night at the graduation ball?”

Brianna searched her memory. Back then, he had rescued her, talked about Florian for a moment, and then they danced. Afterward, she remembered wishing him a safe return from his deployment—and congratulating him on his engagement.

“What…”

As she opened her mouth to ask, his tongue slid in. Brianna hesitated for just a second before closing her eyes. The soft flesh slipped deeper, filling her mouth.

“That night, I actually…”

He started to say something during a brief break in the kiss but then closed his mouth again. Instead, he kissed her more fiercely and caressed her body.

As their breathing quickened and their bodies grew warmer, he whispered in her ear, “Let’s go to the second floor.”

Blushing, Brianna nodded. He immediately took her hand and led her away from the terrace.

As soon as they entered the room, he began undressing her. Clothes were hastily cast aside on their way to the bed. Even before they were fully undressed, their bodies tangled together.

That night, Brianna clung to the man buried deep inside her more passionately than ever—because in that moment, he was wholly hers.