Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 151
[…You have done your best for us, so you need not exert yourself any further. I sincerely hope that Your Grace will now be free from Florian and me. I am certain that Florian, too, is deeply grateful to you for having taken us in.]
And when he read the part where she used the term “us” to bind Florian and herself together, Lucius even felt a desire to kill Brianna.
If she still hadn’t forgotten Florian, if that was why she left him, then what had he meant to Brianna? What were all those times they spent together?
What thoughts did she have when she smiled at him first and kissed him?
To her, had he been nothing more than a live-in partner to satisfy her desires?
[Thank you very much for everything. From afar, I will be wishing peace and happiness for Your Grace and the Dowager Duchess.
Sincerely,
Brianna Everett.]
Seeing that she signed the letter as Brianna Everett, not Brianna Carlisle, Lucius let out another hollow laugh.
He opened the drawers and the jewelry box on the dressing table. The jewelry and ornaments he had gifted her were all there intact. The only item missing was the watch her father had left her as a keepsake.
She had left behind everything he had given her and taken only that.
“This is the worst…”
Lucius muttered quietly as he sat on the edge of the bed.
The overwhelming sense of emptiness and betrayal stopped his thoughts altogether. Lucius ceased all thinking and simply stared blankly up at the ceiling.
After a certain amount of time passed, Carl entered the room.
“I have completed all the tasks you ordered and returned… Your Grace?”
Carl rushed over, startled by the sight of red bloodstains on the white bed sheet.
“What is all this blood… Did you hurt your hand? How did this happen?”
Blood from the joint on the back of his hand had dried and caked. It was unclear how long the wound had been left untreated.
“F-first, let’s get this treated—”
“It’s nothing. Report first.”
“But, Your Grace, if your joint is damaged—”
“Carl, don’t make me repeat myself.”
The voice that came out quietly was chilling enough to send shivers down his spine. Carl immediately shut his mouth. Lucius now looked like a bomb ready to explode at the slightest touch.
“…I have given the order to trace Madam’s whereabouts. The first report should come in by tonight at the latest. Also, I checked her account at the bank, and it seems she withdrew a portion of her funds a few days ago.”
“How much?”
“…Two thousand deckers.”
That amount was enough to last her for years. If she found another source of income, she could hold out even longer.
“Was it Lily Serna who withdrew the funds?”
“Yes, she brought an authorization letter. It appears that part of the withdrawn money was exchanged for jewelry. We’ve secured testimony that Miss Lily Serna was recently seen at a jeweler’s.”
“…She prepared more thoroughly than I thought. While I was chasing shadows.”
Lucius let out a dry laugh.
Just a moment ago, upon seeing that Brianna had left everything behind, Lucius had been worried.
In this cold winter, it would be hard for her to be on the run without money. He had wondered why she left everything behind instead of taking something.
But it turned out she had been steadily preparing to leave him for quite some time. While he was dreaming of a happy future with her.
Just how long had she been planning this?
“…Publicly, say that Brianna’s injuries from last time haven’t fully healed, and that pushing herself too hard worsened her health. Say she went away to recuperate.”
At Lucius’s continued orders, Carl nodded. At this point, there was no other way to explain the Duchess’s sudden absence. The injury she sustained during Thanksgiving would serve as a good excuse.
“I’ll take care of my mother. If she asks, avoid the topic at all costs. Even if Sophie tries to coerce you, do not give in.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
When he finished speaking, Carl silently looked at Lucius. Then he asked with concern, “What will you do now? Whether you find Madam or not, I mean.”
It was a worry either way—whether she was found or not.
If the person going through this had been the former Duke, Daniel, Carl wouldn’t have been so worried from the start. Daniel certainly would have been heartbroken, but he would’ve said, ‘If that’s how she feels, there’s no helping it,’ and would have cleanly agreed to a divorce. The Daniel Carl knew was not someone who clung to others.
But with Lucius, Carl had no idea how he would act.
What Carl was certain of right now was that, either way, Lucius was not going to agree to a divorce easily.
Without a word, Lucius took out a handkerchief from his breast pocket and wiped the blood from his hand. Once he had wiped it all away, he finally said, “It’s only right to let go of someone who left because they didn’t want me.”
And with that, Carl held a sliver of hope. If only he would let her go, it would be best for everyone. They could part ways and go on with their lives.
“But I don’t intend to do that.”
At those words, Carl lowered his head deeply.
At this point, the only option was to find the Duchess as soon as possible. That way, there might be a chance to persuade her. If they didn’t find her, they’d only waste time.
“I hope Brianna manages to run away well…”
At Lucius’s muttered words that followed, Carl lifted his head and looked at him.
“Pardon?”
In a situation where even finding her quickly wouldn’t be enough, he was saying she had better run well?
“I no longer plan to be a good person, a grateful person to Brianna.”
Carl opened his mouth slightly, then closed it.
Lucius’s gaze, staring off into the distance, was calm but had a chilling quality to it, like a pitch-black body of water concealing a deadly creature.
“I protected her, cherished her, and loved her with all my heart. But if I’m going to force a woman who says she doesn’t want me to stay by my side, I have no choice but to give up being a good person. So buying her time is better for Brianna, too. If I find her now, I think I might ruin her.”
Carl realized the situation was heading in the direction he feared most.
Lucius had always been far more extreme than Daniel. While Daniel would tap every stone before crossing a bridge, Lucius would push forward decisively once he thought he had a chance of success. That was how he had swiftly resolved issues that Daniel had been unable to handle for years.
Founding the House of Commons, uncovering the Crown Prince’s weaknesses—all of it.
But perhaps the reason he had been able to carry out such radical changes with stability was because the Duchess had been by his side.
Now that his wife was gone, Lucius was like a runaway train with no brakes, and Carl had only just realized it.
Carl quickly stepped up to defend the Duchess. “Your Grace, I’m sure Her Grace had her reasons. It might be best to find out what those are first…”
“Reasons? You mean something like what she wrote in this letter? That I’m no longer of any use in her life, so she left?”
Lucius laughed as he shook the letter. Carl, unaware of its contents, let out a low groan. If that really was what was written in the letter, then Lucius’s anger was justified.
If she had even a shred of gratitude for his devotion to her, she shouldn’t have left like this, even if she had to leave.
To drive a stake through the heart of a living person, and then tear it to pieces—wasn’t that too cruel?
Thinking that, Carl also began to feel a sense of hostility toward Brianna.
“…First, I’ll call the physician. Please get treated.”
When a seemingly unsolvable problem presents itself, it’s best to begin with what can be resolved. Carl gave a nod and left the room. He went to ask the family doctor to tend to the Duke’s wound, then retrieved a cigarette he had long since quit and stepped out onto the terrace.
He lit the cigarette and brought it to his lips. As he exhaled, the pale smoke dispersed into the cloudy air.
The cigarette he hadn’t smoked in ages tasted bitter and dry. Probably because of the pain in his heart.
Gazing at the falling snow, Carl murmured softly, “Madam, today you’ve truly made a terrible mistake.”
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TOFU_Babe
tbh I’m not on anyone’s side bc they both hide behind blaming each other when neither one of them is brave enough to confess or actually express anything real, I hope the arch is quick bc I can’t stand the loathing they both have
Anyway I love the story lol and thanks for the update!