Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 153

Brianna realized that she had become accustomed to the life of a noble before she even noticed. Receiving treatment immediately when ill was also a privilege of the nobility. For the poor and powerless, even that was a struggle. She had forgotten that reality.

“…Let’s go to the doctor first. I’ll find a way to make him treat you.”

“H-how?”

Brianna gave them a faint smile. “Right now, money holds more power than authority.”

Together, they went to a nearby village. When the doctor refused treatment upon seeing their appearance, Brianna offered him money. Upon seeing the rather large sum, the doctor overturned his earlier words about only seeing nobles and began the treatment. Thanks to that, they were able to get through the emergency.

Though she told them not to worry about the medical fees, they repaid the debt little by little whenever they had money. And they tried to do everything they could for Brianna.

That was the reason she ended up moving next door to them.

“But Nana, have you really never thought about remarrying?”

At that moment, Levin suddenly asked, and Natalie jabbed her elbow into his side. Levin let out a groan. When Natalie glared at him as if to ask why he would suddenly bring that up, Levin defended himself.

“I don’t think that guy is going to give up easily. But if you had a husband, he’d have to back off, right?”

“So you’re saying Nana should just marry anyone? Do you hear yourself?”

“That’s not it. I just know a decent guy, and I thought I might introduce them if she was interested…”

“Forget it! Go home with Romi first! I’m going to talk with Nana for a bit before I head back!”

Natalie shoved the child onto Levin and pushed him out the door. Then she smiled and turned to Brianna.

“Nana, should we have a drink together? I still have some of that liquor I was drinking last time, right?”

Recently, Natalie had started drinking again after abstaining during her pregnancy. But Levin didn’t drink at all and also didn’t like it when his wife drank. So, naturally, the place where she drank ended up being Brianna’s house.

“…So that’s why you had me move next door, isn’t it?”

Brianna handed over the drink with a pointed remark. Natalie burst into laughter.

“How did you know? Actually, it’s been so convenient and nice having you next door. I can drink like this, and sometimes you watch Romi too. Turns out I picked up a blessing that day, huh?”

Natalie seemed to recall that day six months ago and then asked curiously, “Come to think of it, I’ve always wondered—why did you give us such a large sum of money that day? Even if we knew each other in the past, it had been ten years since we last met.”

“And you, what did you trust about someone you hadn’t seen in ten years to bring them straight to your house? What if I had grown up to be a bad person?”

Natalie hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Actually, that day, I was watching you the whole time.”

Brianna looked at her in surprise. “You were watching me all that time?”

“Yeah. I was passing by and saw a woman with such a terrible expression that I wondered if she might be thinking something extreme. So I kept watching. Then, the more I looked, the more familiar your face seemed. That’s when I realized it was you.”

It was only natural that her expression hadn’t been good that day. After all, she had just left Lucius. But it was the first time she’d heard she looked like she might take her own life.

That day, she hadn’t thought of dying, but it had been unbearably painful.

“So I thought first, save the person. You need someone beside you at times like that.”

“…It’s the same for me. There are children who die without ever being born, so the ones who are born should be saved no matter what.”

Brianna lowered her hand and gently caressed her abdomen. There had once been a small life within her. But before her belly could even swell, she had to let it go. Even after all this time, recalling that made her chest ache.

If that child hadn’t died then, she would now be heavily pregnant, waiting eagerly for the day the baby would be born…

“Hey, um… about what Levin said earlier. Do you really have no thoughts about it?”

Natalie cautiously brought up the topic again.

“I might’ve scolded Levin earlier, but honestly, I hope you do remarry. You know how it is. Men think it’s fine to hit on a widow like she’s public property. They treat you like some unclaimed object. They’re unbelievable.”

Natalie poured out her anger, and Brianna gave a small laugh.

“Right? It’s not like I can just shoot them in the head.”

Natalie flinched. She felt like she had just heard something terrifying, but firmly convinced herself it must’ve been her imagination. No way sweet, gentle Nana would say something like that.

“Ah, anyway, if you change your mind, try meeting someone. For what it’s worth, Levin’s pretty good at judging people.”

“I’m sorry, but I have no intention whatsoever.”

“Are you… still unable to forget your late husband?”

To her question, Brianna lifted the glass before her and took a sip.

When she first came here, she couldn’t pretend to be a maiden, so she said her husband had already died. She could have said she was divorced, but in this countryside, divorce was extremely rare. And since divorce itself was seen as a serious stain on a woman, the general perception of a divorced woman wasn’t good either. If she had told the truth, by now she would have been caught up in rumors far worse than before.

Brianna thought it would be easier to live here if she said her husband had died. And the most suitable excuse for his death was the war. Widows who had lost husbands in the war were everywhere, so people didn’t question her words much.

“He must have been a really good person, if you can’t forget him like this.”

“Yes, he was a good person.”

Brianna recalled Lucius’s face. His deep, dark eyes that looked at her. His expressionless face that would immediately brighten into a smile whenever their eyes met. Even his warm and gentle voice.

They were things she longed for so desperately, every single day.

“He was someone far better than I ever was.”

At her quietly murmured words, Natalie immediately frowned. “What are you talking about? You’re a good person too.”

Brianna quietly shook her head. “I did something terrible to him.”

Before leaving the ducal residence, she had written him a letter, suppressing all her feelings as much as possible. She even deliberately left a line telling him to marry another woman. Since she was running away from him, a half-hearted confession wasn’t something she could allow.

As she wrote the letter, she actually hoped he would come to hate her. A thankless, terrible woman. If he came to resent her like that, it might ease her heart a bit. That way, he would give up on searching for her and accept the divorce.

“Something terrible? You didn’t cheat on him or anything, did you?”

If nothing else, Natalie had a firm rule: cheating and violence were absolutely unforgivable in a marriage. When Brianna smiled and shook her head, she finally let out a small sigh.

“As long as it’s not that, then fine. Seems like something is weighing on your mind, but just forget it. This might sound cold, but he’s already dead, so what can you do?”

Brianna nodded. To her, Lucius might as well have been dead. She would never meet him again.

“Oh, did you hear? There’s going to be a victory celebration soon.”

Trying to change the mood, Natalie beamed as she cheerfully chattered on.

“Sounds like there will be fireworks across the country. Don’t just stay home that day, just come watch with us, okay?”

During the six months Brianna had been in hiding, many things had changed in the world.

First, the empire, which had been suffering from a severe financial crisis throughout the long winter, finally admitted defeat. It was a complete victory for the allied forces. As a result, the empire had to pay huge reparations to various countries, and the emperor’s prestige hit rock bottom.

Seizing the opportunity, the empire’s only legitimate heir, the princess, emerged from her secluded life and began political activities in earnest. While tending to the disordered internal affairs, she also formed friendly relations with several foreign nations. It was a stark contrast to the previously hostile emperor.

Some criticized her actions, but far more imperial citizens now simply wanted peace. They were utterly exhausted from the prolonged war.

“Come to think of it, that man, the Duke of Carlisle—he’s really something, isn’t he?”

At Natalie’s next words, Brianna’s fingers twitched slightly as she held her glass.