Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 138

“The Night of the Patrons?”

“Yes, it’s a gathering where existing patrons and artists can meet. It’s also an opportunity to connect nobles who wish to support the arts with artists in need of sponsorship.”

And a very important guest was scheduled to attend.

“It’s truly important to me. Please, I’m counting on you.”

***

After parting ways with Lily, Brianna returned to the ducal estate. Once home, she spent time checking on parts of the mansion she had neglected while bedridden and also spent time with the Grand Duchess.

While organizing the accounting books, Lucius returned.

“…You’re working again?”

Seeing the stack of documents spread out on her desk, Lucius immediately frowned. Even after she had recovered, he had encouraged her to leave the ducal affairs to his mother for a while. But Brianna had insisted on doing it herself. As always, Lucius didn’t try to force her against her will. Still, he made no effort to hide his displeasure whenever she worked, and today was no exception.

Brianna smiled at him, who looked as though he might set the papers on fire with his glare. “I’m almost done. It’s not something that takes very long.”

She rose from her chair and walked over to him. Standing on tiptoe, she brushed her lips lightly against his firmly closed ones. Only then did Lucius smile and return her kiss.

After a fresh, ticklish kiss that made her lips tingle, he asked with his mood visibly improved, “How was your meeting with Miss Lily? She didn’t badmouth me, did she?”

Brianna burst out laughing. “Not at all. She was actually on your side.”

“That can’t be. Last time she was…”

“I mean it. Lily truly seems to think well of you now.”

Since she had grown close to Florian first, Lily had never looked kindly on Lucius. But today, she had asked Brianna several times:

“Are you really okay leaving him? Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

To be honest, Brianna had already known. That if she left Lucius, she would spend the rest of her life missing him.

Even so, she had made up her mind to leave him—because she didn’t want to fall apart any further. She might end up like Adelheid, who had become bitter and unsightly. She had once been a lovely and happy young woman, until she realized Lucius didn’t love her. If Brianna stayed by his side any longer, she might someday lash out, demanding to know why he didn’t love her, and end up resenting him.

It was better to end it before it came to that.

“…Did the talks go well?” While loosening his tie, Brianna asked.

Lucius let out a soft sigh and nodded. “Yes. It took longer than expected. There were so many differing opinions.”

“What did you decide to do?”

“We’ve decided to try negotiating with the Empress again.”

In the two months Brianna had spent bedridden, the political situation around them had grown increasingly urgent.

Though she had lied that the ones who attacked her were just common thieves, she had not forgotten to pass on the most important information to Lucius. Disguising it as a story about her mercenary father, she had hinted at how mercenaries recover their payment when unpaid. From that alone, Lucius had immediately realized the danger facing the Mont region near the battlefield.

He advocated in parliament for reinforcements to be sent to protect Mont. The region accounted for a significant portion of the Schwerin Kingdom’s economy, and any damage to its industrial base would bring enormous losses. Most of the assembly members agreed with his assessment, and thanks to swift action, the mercenaries had no choice but to abandon their plans to raid Mont.

Lucius didn’t stop there—he launched a detailed investigation into the mercenary corps. From that, he gained one important discovery.

“It seems the Empress was negotiating not only with us but also with the Crown Prince.”

She had initially claimed that her assailants were simply petty thieves for Lucius’s sake. If he learned that, just like his father and brother, she too had been attacked by the Crown Prince, he might be overwhelmed with guilt.

But over time, that lie turned out to be useful. Once the incident at the Thanksgiving event was concluded as a mere robbery, the mercenaries hid from the Crown Prince the fact that the secret had already been leaked. Desperate to cover their own mistake, they believed they could simply fulfill the contract by joining the war and seizing the spoils in the Mont region. While the ignorant Crown Prince remained complacent, Lucius managed to uncover the covert dealings between the Empress and the Crown Prince.

“They intended to side with us if the Empire lost the war, and with the Crown Prince if it won.”

The Empress had always been an extremely cautious person. That’s why, despite enduring countless humiliations, she had kept her head down and waited for the right moment. She didn’t want to risk everything on a single bet. Though the Empire was more likely to lose, she had to prepare for the opposite outcome as well.

“If the Empire wins the war, the Crown Prince would regain his former power. Meanwhile, the Empress would be divorced. It seems she preferred to leave with the princess and start a new life elsewhere than be imprisoned forever.”

To flee abroad, she needed a supporter outside the country. She chose the Crown Prince because she held something he most desired.

“Had the Empire won, she would’ve handed him fabricated evidence claiming I was colluding with them.”

If the Crown Prince wished to swiftly seize power, his first move would be eliminating Lucius, his most troublesome opponent. The quickest and surest way to do that was through a charge of treason. As it turned out, both sides had their claws aimed at each other.

The Crown Prince had planned to use the mercenaries as his personal agents, for a variety of purposes. Since he couldn’t command official troops or private soldiers, it was a necessary measure. That’s why he had disclosed far too much information to the mercenaries—and Lucius had caught the trail.

He had even intended to dispatch the mercenaries to rescue the Empress and the princess. It was indeed the more sensible choice. Sending official soldiers and getting caught would’ve led to a national scandal. In the worst case, he could simply claim he had nothing to do with the mercenaries.

So that was why a separate contract with the Empress had been necessary.

Only then did Brianna realize who the mercenaries had been waiting for during Thanksgiving. Having been betrayed by so many clients, the mercenaries must have quickly caught on to the Crown Prince’s true intentions. Anticipating the worst, they had likely obtained separate evidence to hold over him.

In any case, by attempting to strike a deal with both sides, the Empress had deceived Lucius. Normally, it would’ve been right to break off their agreement. But Brianna cautiously suggested to Lucius:

“Why not give the Empress one more chance? This kind of opportunity doesn’t come often.”

If they gave up now, their chances of bringing down the Crown Prince would vanish. And there was no telling how long it would take to find more solid evidence. Brianna didn’t have the time to wait for that.

She would soon leave Lucius’s side. But before that, there was one thing she had to do—bring down the Crown Prince. The man who had driven Florian to his death, harmed Lucius’s family, and contributed to the death of her child.

Fortunately, Lucius had reached a similar conclusion. He found it more beneficial to draw the Empress completely to his side rather than discard her.

Still, before making a decision, he had to discuss it with his close aides—and today, they brought him their response.

“This time, I’ll demand that she send her closest aide. With the plan to deploy mercenaries now compromised, they must be feeling the pressure too.”

“That’s good news.”

After loosening his tie and taking off his jacket, Lucius sat down in a more relaxed state. Brianna smiled as she took a seat across from him.

“I happened to talk to Lily today about the Night of the Patrons. Why not meet with the Empress’s people then? It’ll be crowded, and with Lily’s help, we can disguise them as someone from the opera circle. It’ll be the safest way.”

Lucius nodded with a smile. “A great idea. I was looking for the right setting anyway. This works perfectly.”

He continued to talk with Brianna for a while longer. Ever since her recovery, he had made it a habit to stop by her room first whenever he returned home. Then, just before going to bed, he rose from his seat.

“You must be tired. You should get some rest.”