Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 149

Not long after she began waiting at the train station, a train began to pull in on the tracks.

Brianna, worried that someone might recognize her, pulled her hat down low and stood up. Fortunately, the station was quiet, and no one paid attention to her dressed in ordinary clothes.

As she handed her ticket to the station attendant and walked toward the train, she suddenly noticed white flakes drifting around her and stopped in her tracks.

“Wow, snow! It’s the first snowfall of the year!”

A voice shouted nearby.

Brianna looked up at the sky. Just as the maids had said, it really was snowing.

On the faces of those watching the year’s first snowfall were expressions full of excitement and happiness. Amid the people smiling brightly, Brianna gazed down at the pure white snow that melted the moment it touched the ground, her face tinged with bitterness.

Then she turned to look back toward the ticket gate she had just passed through.

There stood Lucius. Among the crowd bundled up in thick clothing, he alone wore light summer clothes. Unlike now, his face still carried a trace of youthful innocence. It was exactly how he had looked late last summer, when they had watched the fireworks together and he saw her off at the train station.

So that wasn’t real—it was an illusion conjured by her lingering attachment.

The black-haired boy waved at her with a fresh, bright smile. Brianna found herself smiling back before she realized it.

Back then, she had thought he was someone she would never see again and had boarded the train without looking back. And now, thinking she would never see him again, she was clinging to his illusion one last time.

Perhaps back then, did he stand like that, watching her board the train? Or had he, like she had now, simply turned around and walked away?

Only then did the reality of their farewell hit her, and tears welled up in her eyes. Eventually, clear drops slid down her cheeks and fell among the flurries of snow.

“Miss, the train is about to depart. Aren’t you getting on?”

At the station attendant’s words, Brianna quickly wiped her tears. Looking around, she saw that everyone else had already boarded the train. The loud horn of the train blared twice to signal the imminent departure.

“Y-yes, I’m getting on.”

Brianna hurriedly boarded the train. As soon as she placed her foot on the steps, the train slowly began to glide forward.

And soon, it was swallowed up by the snow that blanketed the entire world in white.

***

He realized it was snowing when he happened to glance out the window during the meeting.

Lucius quietly stared at the snow, which had started as tiny white dots before quickly turning into a heavy fall. He soon remembered that this was the first snow of the year.

“Shall we take a short break? The first snow is falling at just the right moment.”

At Carl’s perceptive suggestion, Lucius let out a soft chuckle. “Since when have you been so sentimental? It’s just snow.”

Carl let out a sigh. “People naturally grow sentimental with age. Think about it. How many more times in my life will I get to see the first snowfall? Maybe ten, at best?”

He began to count on his fingers with a deeply gloomy expression. Since he was sixty this year, the calculation wasn’t far off if he lived an average lifespan.

“…Let’s take a short break.”

At Lucius’s words, everyone in the room finally relaxed and slouched in their chairs. After spending hours working without even being able to breathe properly, the break felt like a welcome relief.

Lucius gazed through the glass at the rather thick snow falling for a first snowfall.

Standing there like that brought back the memory of that day. A snowy night just like this, when he had seen her working at the opera theater and, misunderstanding the situation, followed her. That day, Lucius had turned away in loneliness after seeing her accept Florian’s confession.

If he had gone to her before Florian that day, what would have happened? Would he have apologized for the misunderstanding and confessed that he had liked her all along?

Then, would Brianna have chosen him before Florian…?

“Actually, it’s because it started snowing. I know you don’t like snowy days.”

Lucius belatedly recalled what Florian had said to Brianna that day. Right, Brianna had definitely said she didn’t like snowy days. Maybe it was because of her father’s death. He remembered her saying her father returned as a cold corpse on a snowy day.

“…Come to think of it, I think we can end things here for today.”

After the short break, those who had returned to the table with grim expressions stared wide-eyed at Lucius at his sudden words. It was the last thing anyone expected from someone who had been running them ragged over the crown prince matter without letting them sleep. Their eyes seemed to ask, Who are you pretending to be Duke Carlisle?

“Your Grace, are you feeling unwell?”

Even Carl looked at him suspiciously, questioning his sincerity. Lucius shook his head.

“I’m not sick. I just think I need to rest today.”

When Lucius stood up from his chair, the others finally rose with joy, quickly gathering their documents and exiting the room.

“You made the right choice. I thought you were overworking yourself lately.”

Carl smiled brightly, feeling relieved. Lucius hadn’t gotten proper sleep lately. Thinking that he would finally get to return to the ducal residence early and rest deeply brought a sigh of relief.

“Then, shall I prepare for your return to the ducal residence…”

“We’re going to the theater.”

“Excuse me?”

Lucius grabbed his coat and ordered him, “Take me to La Fenice Theater.”

When Lucius arrived at the theater, the prima donna’s climactic aria was ringing out. Lucius immediately went up to the second floor. The two guards stationed at the door recognized him right away and bowed their heads.

“Nothing’s happened, has it?”

At his question, one of the guards answered, “No, sir. The duchess is alone inside.”

“Alone?”

“Her companion left early.”

Did something urgent come up for Lily?

With that thought, Lucius opened the door to the box seats. In the middle of the red seats sat the back of Brianna. So focused on the opera, she didn’t even notice the door open and continued to gaze at the stage. Smiling, Lucius walked toward her, but he quickly realized something was off.

That woman—is not Brianna.

“Kya!”

Lucius strode up and roughly grabbed the woman’s arm. With a short scream, the woman turned around—it was not Brianna, but Lily Serna.

“…How exactly am I supposed to interpret this situation?”

Lucius swept his ice-cold gaze over her outfit. The dress Lily was wearing now was unmistakably Brianna’s. She was wearing Brianna’s clothes and imitating her.

“What is the meaning of this…”

“B-Brianna has left.”

Lily said in a trembling voice. Not only her voice, but her whole body was shaking like a leaf, yet she forced herself to speak.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace. But I really had no choice…”

“Left?”

Lucius couldn’t understand a word Lily was saying. Brianna left? To where?

For what reason?

This was the woman who had still been lying in his bed just that morning. Last night, they had laid side by side, talking, and promised to visit her hometown and pay respects to her deceased parents.

And the day before that, she had given him such intense pleasure that just thinking about it made his hands and feet go numb.

So where—and why—had Brianna gone?

“You probably didn’t know, but Brie had been struggling a lot. After much deliberation, she decided to… ugh!”

The moment he unintentionally applied pressure to the arm he was holding, Lily let out a painful groan.

Lucius quickly let go of her hand. If the person before him hadn’t been a woman, he might have punched them right then.

“Where did Brianna go?”