Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 150

At his question, Lily pressed her lips firmly together.

“Do you know why she left?”

She also gave no answer. Rather than demanding a reply again, Lucius simply turned away. Someone who had gone so far as to help her escape with a stand-in was unlikely to reveal any information. It was far more efficient to spend that time searching for Brianna.

Just as Lucius grasped the door handle, a voice rang out from behind.

“There should be a letter from Brianna left at the ducal residence. That’s all I can tell you.”

He hesitated for a moment, lightly biting his lip before letting go. Leaving Lily behind, Lucius dashed down the stairs. He climbed into the carriage waiting in front of the theater and immediately headed for the train station.

After all, Brianna had only two means of travel available: train or carriage.

Last time, Brianna had already experienced that even if a carriage departed first, it could easily be caught up to. So this time, she would surely have tried to take the train.

Inside the carriage, Lucius had only one thought.

Why…

Why, Brianna.

Why did you leave me? What did I do wrong to deserve this?

Clutching his head, Lucius retraced his actions over the past days. Was it the shock from what happened during Thanksgiving? Brianna had told him not to search for the culprit, but perhaps he should have found them at all costs and made them kneel before her.

Or perhaps, caught up in his recent busyness over capturing the crown prince, he had neglected something important. Had she felt that he was treating her coldly?

First, he had to meet Brianna and talk to her. No matter what problem arose, they had always resolved things through conversation, and it could be the same this time.

As long as he didn’t lose her—if only he could catch her.

However, when Lucius arrived at the station, all he saw was an empty waiting room. On the long stretch of track, only snow had piled up; nothing else could be seen.

Lucius stared blankly at the vanishing point of the railway tracks.

As he stood alone on the snow-blown platform, a station attendant approached him and said, “Did you miss the train? The one to Planeg left about ten minutes ago.”

Planeg. A region up north, centrally located without leaning east or west.

He turned his head and asked the station attendant, “When was the train before that?”

“The previous train?”

The station attendant tilted his head. It was common for passengers to ask when the next train was, but rare for someone to inquire about the previous one. Finding it rather peculiar, the attendant answered, “About two hours ago, a train bound for Brandel passed through.”

Then it was certain that Brianna had taken the train to Planeg. She would have still been at the ducal residence two hours ago.

There was no need to check how far a ticket she had purchased. She wouldn’t get off at the scheduled final destination anyway. Brianna would know well enough that her movements would be easy to trace that way. She would likely get off at a station midway and transfer to a carriage.

Lucius clenched his fist tightly. Though rage was gradually building, he first had to take care of what he could do now.

“I’d like to contact the attendants who were on the Planeg-bound train today. Is that possible?”

Lucius pulled some money from his wallet and handed it to the station attendant. The amount far exceeded the man’s monthly wage, and he gaped in astonishment.

“Of course, I will compensate everyone generously, including yourself. And if you and the staff visit the Carlisle Duchy by tomorrow, I promise double the reward.”

Only then did the station attendant realize who the young man standing before him was.

Lucius Carlisle. The Duke of Carlisle, said to wield more wealth and power than the royal family.

“I—I’ll visit right away tomorrow, Duke Carlisle!”

Clutching the money in his hands, the attendant bowed deeply. Lucius gave a light nod in return and exited the station. Now that direct pursuit was impossible, he had to find another method.

Upon arriving at the ducal residence, Lucius gave orders to Carl, who had arrived ahead of him. He dispatched informants to every region to investigate whether someone matching Brianna’s description had gotten off at any of the train stations along the Planeg route. And in case she had taken a carriage instead of the train, he sent people to the major checkpoints to look for a woman with a similar appearance.

Though somewhat surprised by the sudden order to track down the missing duchess, Carl obeyed the command without much visible reaction, as was typical of him.

“Understood.”

“Also, check Brianna’s personal savings at the bank.”

Lucius issued one more command. Normally, no one but the account holder could view deposit and withdrawal records, but he had planted an insider at the bank early on to monitor the crown prince’s funds.

Since running away required money, it was highly likely she had touched the account.

“Yes, Duke. I’ll take care of it immediately.”

After Carl left the room, Lucius went through the connecting door into Brianna’s room. If she had left a letter, it would be on the desk. With that thought, he opened the drawer—and saw the wedding ring sitting forlornly atop the letter. Beside it was the necklace he had given her on their wedding day.

Lucius bit his lip hard for a moment.

Up until he saw that, he had thought there might be a mistake. Maybe Brianna hadn’t left and had just gone elsewhere on an errand, and Lily Serna had made a ridiculous misunderstanding. He had still held a faint and foolish hope that Brianna might walk in any moment, surprised to see him and asking what was going on.

But the moment he saw the wedding ring and necklace placed there so deliberately, he had no choice but to admit it.

Brianna had left. She had vanished from his side by her own will.

Inside the envelope were two sheets of paper. The first he unfolded was a divorce paper. He quietly gazed at Brianna’s clear signature, then opened the other sheet.

It was a letter from Brianna.

[To Duke Carlisle.]

The greeting at the top of the letter was not the way Brianna had addressed him until now. It was the same as how the station attendant had referred to him earlier.

[I know you must be greatly taken aback by this sudden event. I’ve thought and agonized over it for a long time, but in the end, I had no choice but to do this, and I first ask for your forgiveness.]

Lucius had seen the letters she sent to Florian multiple times.

Her words in those letters were always warm and affectionate, filled with her love for Florian. They had never sounded so businesslike and dry.

[After much deliberation, I have concluded that I can no longer continue this marriage with you. However, this is absolutely not your fault. I know better than anyone how much kindness and grace you’ve shown me. This is entirely due to my own shortcomings and foolishness.]

“…Grace, huh…”

Lucius let out a bitter laugh. But it quickly stopped, and his grip on the letter tightened so much the paper crumpled.

When he first realized she was gone, his initial feeling was not shock but worry. He was concerned something might have happened to her while she was alone. He only thought he had to find Brianna as soon as possible and bring her to safety.

But now, a furious anger toward her was welling up.

[In the beginning, you proposed the contract for my safety. I am no longer in danger. You know well that Viscount and Viscountess Robert can no longer do anything to me. The bad rumors about me are also things of the past. So I want to tell you that you no longer need to feel any responsibility or guilt for me.

Therefore, I want to return to a normal life as before.]

A normal life. The kind of normal life she spoke of surely meant one where he was completely excluded.

Yet he himself could no longer even imagine a life without her.

[However, I deeply apologize for failing to keep the promise regarding an heir. But considering that there has been no news for the past six months, even if we continue our marriage, I believe there is no guarantee that I could bear an heir. I’m only sorry that through our marriage, you gained nothing. I believe that ending this marriage quickly and finding another woman to have an heir with is a better path for you as well.]

At that point, Lucius slammed his fist onto the desk.

With a loud thud, the desk shook violently. From the force of the blow, blood oozed from his knuckle joints.

It was fortunate Brianna wasn’t in front of him right now. Had she stood before him and said this kind of nonsense to his face, even he couldn’t say what he might have done to her.