Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 143

The great flow of an era cannot be stopped by anyone. What matters is not resisting the tide of the times but maintaining insight into the world.

That was something Leona always emphasized to Brianna.

Having borrowed the eyes of a sage to foresee the direction of the era, the rest now depended on the princess’s abilities.

“But why are you telling me all this?”

After a moment, the princess asked with curiosity-filled eyes, gazing intently at Brianna.

“Wouldn’t it have been more convenient for you to sign the contract as originally planned? Is it simply to obtain evidence against the Crown Prince more quickly?”

That was certainly true. Brianna wanted to resolve the Crown Prince issue before she left. She didn’t want to run away after dumping everything on Lucius.

But there was another reason as well.

This would likely be the last time the Pope wielded power…

Brianna didn’t believe the Pope’s authority would last much longer. With the advancement of science, people’s religious faith would inevitably fade, and the influence of religion would diminish. Leona had agreed with her on that point.

“Yes. If someone other than the current Pope held that position, they might have already bowed to the Emperor twenty years ago. Considering how the world has changed, it’s strange that papal power remains so strong.”

Leona believed the current extent of religious influence was largely due to the Pope’s personal capabilities. It was solely by one man’s strength that a flame that should have died long ago had been revived and continued to burn with past glory.

Moreover, the Pope was already quite old. He had failed to find another suitable successor besides Lucius. Even if, by chance, he succeeded in forcing the Emperor to kneel this time, there was no guarantee for the next.

If the Pope were to suddenly pass away, the political climate would immediately shift.

Thinking of that, it was wise to have at least one alternative. Having already become enemies with the Emperor, clashing with the next heir—the princess—would serve no one.

But this wasn’t something she could carelessly tell Lucius.

Even perfect people have their flaws, and Lucius was no exception. His flaw was that he was weak when it came to those close to him. The Pope had been a close relative and companion since Lucius’s youth. Though he had refused the offer to be successor, it was clear Lucius still held the Pope in special regard.

It was difficult to say in front of him that the Pope would soon die or lose his power, and that they should begin to distance themselves now.

“That is part of it. But when I first heard Your Highness’s name… I thought it would be nice if we could be on good terms.”

Brianna had felt sympathy from the beginning for the princess, whose circumstances were similar to Leona’s. On the other hand, she felt sorrow for Leona, whose life had already ended despite sharing that background—even though the princess, for all her adversity, still had time left to shape her fate.

“I suppose I’ve always had a particular interest in those who live hidden away from the world.”

Brianna reached for the manuscript spread on the table. Then, struck by a sudden thought, she smiled at the princess.

“If it pleases you, I’d like you to take this first edition copy as a gift. For Her Majesty the Empress. As a devoted reader of Grisha Astrid, I imagine she would be quite pleased.”

The princess looked surprised and brought her hand to her lips.

“How did you know…”

“It was a guess—if she named her beloved daughter after him, I figured it must be true.”

It wasn’t difficult to guess that the Empress had named her daughter herself. The Emperor, known for tormenting both mother and daughter, would never have chosen a name that meant “the brightest one in the darkness” from an ancient language.

The princess held the manuscript close to her chest with great care. Then, she smiled more radiantly than she ever had before.

“Thank you. My mother will truly be overjoyed.”

“Then from here, you’ll speak with the Duke…”

“Duchess.”

Just as Brianna was about to rise from her seat, the princess grasped her hand.

“We’ll meet again someday, won’t we?”

Brianna looked slightly surprised for a moment, then smiled gently and lightly patted her hand.

“Of course. Let’s have a long talk then, when a better world arrives.”

Of course, that was a lie. There would be no such thing as meeting the princess of the Kazakh Empire again in the future.

Just moments ago, Brianna had told the princess that she had an interest in those who lived hidden away from the world—because soon, she herself was about to become one of them.

“And please give the evidence directly to the Duke.”

With those words, Brianna exited the room not through the door she had entered, but through the back door. A servant who had been waiting there saw her leave and immediately ran to Lucius.

Brianna was about to return to the ballroom but changed her mind and turned her steps elsewhere. Her heart felt troubled, and she thought it would be good to walk a little.

She wandered aimlessly and eventually arrived at the guest room in the most remote part of the ducal estate. It was the place where she had stayed after being brought to this mansion by Lucius, just before they married. To avoid prying eyes, she had secluded herself there until the wedding.

Come to think of it, this was the first time she had come here since getting married.

“Madam? What brings you here…”

The maid cleaning the room approached in surprise. It was only natural, since the Duchess, who should be at the ball at this hour, had suddenly shown up in such an unexpected place.

Brianna spoke to the maid in her usual calm voice, “I’d like to rest here for a bit—would that be alright? If there’s still work left…”

“Oh, no. I’ve finished cleaning, so you’re free to rest. You must be very tired, aren’t you?”

The maid immediately understood her weariness. Today was the first major event Brianna had hosted as Duchess. She had spent hours on edge, and by now, she must have been completely drained.

“I’ll inform the other servants not to come here. Please don’t worry about a thing and rest comfortably.”

The maid gave a slight bow and left the room.

Brianna slowly wandered through the room. She ran her hands along the bed and sofa where she had spent so much time.

Then she turned her body and looked around the entire room. Now it was neatly arranged and silent, but when she had lived here, the room had always been filled with the scent of flowers that Lucius had sent.

Flowers were delivered here every day. One day it was peonies, another day lilies, and the next, hydrangeas. In that way…

Then one day, he had called her and said, ‘Please marry me.’

At that time, Lucius had offered her two reasons why they should marry. One was for her safety from the Robert couple, and the other was to quiet the slanderous rumors spreading in society. And in return, he had asked for only one condition:

“You need a safe place, and I need an heir to carry on the family name. So how about we do this?”

Now, both of her two conditions had been resolved. The Robert couple had collapsed under massive debt and self-destructed. Society had long forgotten their existence. If the war ended with the Kazakh Empire’s defeat, they would fall even deeper without hope of recovery.

And the slanderous rumors had also vanished after her marriage to Lucius. No one called her a whore anymore. She was simply accepted as a duchess from common birth.

If there was one condition of the marriage still unmet, it was the only one he had asked for—to bear him an heir.

But that was impossible.

Brianna smiled bitterly. She felt sorry that she had received so much from him but had given him nothing in return.

At least she had secured the evidence of the Crown Prince’s collusion earlier than expected. She hoped that would bring him some consolation.

Brianna let out a brief sigh. Just as she turned to finally head to the ballroom, the door opened.