Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 131

“Brianna, there’s nothing more foolish than entrusting your entire life to a single piece of paper.”

That was something Leona always used to emphasize to Brianna. Of course, what she meant was marriage. It was advice not to place your whole life in a marriage certificate. In a way, all the time Brianna had spent living with her had been preparing her for that lesson.

If even an individual’s life shouldn’t be entrusted to one sheet of paper, then how could something as monumental as imperial succession be based solely on a signature?

Surely the Empress and the princess would face even greater hardships ahead because of it.

“The Empress is well aware of that. She also knows that some degree of sacrifice is necessary for the princess to inherit the throne. For us, it’s actually a fortunate turn of events.”

Lucius dismissed Brianna’s concerns without hesitation.

“Her demand isn’t particularly burdensome to us. If we win this war, the Emperor of the Empire will have to bear the responsibility for the defeat. That means he will be forced to relinquish power. Even if the Empress hadn’t made that request, His Holiness would have considered the princess for the next sovereign. A daughter kept distant from the Emperor’s attention is far easier to manage than a son consumed by his father’s resentment. Whatever hardships she may face later aren’t our concern.”

Brianna nodded slowly. She had briefly forgotten—unlike her, Lucius was a cold, calculating politician. What mattered to him was the success of a deal and the gains to be had. The safety of an ally was never a priority.

“The princess doesn’t seem to engage in public life much. Does she mostly stay within the palace?”

“Yes. I heard she spends most of her time tending to flowers in her quarters. There was a time the Emperor tried to marry her off to a foreign nation, but she’s consistently avoided it. That’s likely why she rarely appears at balls. Few people even recognize her face.”

Hearing that, Brianna was reminded of Leona. Hadn’t she also avoided the marriages her family tried to arrange, staying in her room reading instead of attending balls? No one could say for certain whether the princess was truly tending to flowers—or doing something else entirely within the palace.

“Now that I think of it, the princess’s name was Astried… something like that?”

“Astried Abrillia Sverie.”

Upon hearing Lucius recite her full name, Brianna felt an even stranger sense of familiarity. Even her name resembled Leona’s pen name.

“…In any case, I hope everything turns out well.”

Brianna forced a smile. She wanted to ask more about the Crown Prince’s recent actions, but there wasn’t a natural way to bring it up.

Looking back, it was a shame she hadn’t made better use of the last opportunity. If she’d had more time, she might have heard what the Crown Prince was really thinking.

She did want to speak with him again somewhere safe—just once. But with Lucius explicitly warning her not to even dance with him, there was little chance of that now.

Having nearly finished her meal, Brianna set down her utensils. Instantly, Lucius voiced his concern.

“You’re finished already?”

When she nodded, Lucius glanced at her plate, which was still half full, and furrowed his brows.

“You’ve been leaving a lot of food lately…”

“I just haven’t had much of an appetite.”

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Brianna quickly shook her head. “It’s not that. Really, I’m just not very hungry.”

“…I should tell the head chef to pay more attention to your meals.”

“Luce, it’s not his fault. I always lose my appetite a bit when the seasons change.”

Worried that the innocent chef might get blamed, Brianna hurried to defend him.

“I really mean it. I left my dinner, yes, but I finished lunch. That meat pie he made was so delicious I even asked for seconds…”

Lucius stood and came over to her, then embraced her as she sat in her chair. His hands gently ran along her arms and waist as if to measure their thickness.

“You seem thinner than before…”

At his suspicious remark, Brianna scoffed. “You’re imagining things. I’ve actually gained weight since coming here.”

He took her slender wrist in one hand and gestured at how much space was left between his fingers, clearly unconvinced.

“This is what you call gaining weight?”

“Have you considered that your hands are just too big?”

“Brianna, I’ll give you a month. The next time I grab your wrist, I want there to be at least a finger’s width less.”

When he made this remark, holding up his fingers, Brianna gasped in horror. For her wrist to grow that thick, just how much weight was she supposed to gain?

“Unbelievable. Are you telling me to roll around like that pig plushie of yours?”

Watching Brianna leap up in protest, Lucius burst into laughter.

“That reminds me…”

He started to say something but stopped midway. Then he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. It was just a light kiss, lips pressing gently then lifting, but the desire in his breath made it clear—he wanted to hold her early tonight. No, perhaps he had wanted to from the moment dinner began.

Brianna raised her hand and gently stroked the back of his neck. As she felt the fine hairs on his skin rise at her sensual touch, she smiled sweetly at him.

“Come to my room in a little while. I’ll be waiting.”

***

Brianna awoke in the middle of the night, long before sunrise.

Lying quietly in Lucius’s arms, she blinked in the dark. After a moment, she slowly began to move. Her caution paid off—Lucius remained fast asleep, his breathing deep and even.

“Ah…”

As she set her feet down from the bed, she let out a soft groan from the dull ache between her legs. She should have grown used to it by now, but her body always felt strained after their nights together. Thankfully, he usually paced himself with care, or else—on the days he lost control—she wouldn’t be able to get out of bed for half a day.

He had chided her for losing weight, but did he realize he himself was one of the reasons why?

Brianna picked up the robe from the floor and wrapped it over her bare body. Then, sitting down on the chair by the window, she looked at Lucius, still fast asleep.

Lately, she often found herself awake at night. Meanwhile, Lucius had started sleeping more deeply. In the past, even the slightest movement from her would wake him, but now, like tonight, he wouldn’t stir even when she got out of bed.

His sleeping form reminded her of something—like a stray cat that had finally found a home. Street cats, when first brought indoors, tend to sleep lightly and wake easily at every sound. But once they feel safe, they sleep soundly, undisturbed.

This was his home, so it wasn’t that the house had grown unfamiliar. No, perhaps it was her presence that had finally become familiar to him…

Brianna let out a dry laugh.

Good grief. What am I even thinking? Comparing Lucius to a stray cat?

She stared at his sleeping face for a while longer, then turned her head to look outside the window. She pulled her bare feet up onto the chair, resting her face on her knees. And she gazed at the dark sky, where no moonlight or clouds could be seen.

When she woke like this in the middle of the night, it was hard to fall asleep again. If she stayed curled up in Lucius’s arms, she couldn’t move for fear of waking him, so she had no choice but to sit in the chair and wait for morning.

Sometimes, she would cling to him and beg to be held tighter. That way, she could fall into a deep, dreamless sleep until dawn.

It had all started after she found Florian’s letter. During the day, she felt happy—but once night fell and she was alone in the silence, loneliness and sadness would well up inside her.

She had survived losing her parents young, and she’d been strong even when Madam Linares passed away. Even when she heard of Florian’s death, the sorrow hadn’t consumed her.

Compared to those times, she had so much more now: a noble title, a Grand Duchess who treated her like a daughter, and a husband that everyone envied.

And yet, why did this feel like the unhappiest time in her life?

It must be because her feelings for him had grown too deep.

What if, after a long time passes, she still didn’t feel better—what then?

As those thoughts swirled through her head, a quiet voice broke the silence.

“Brie…”