Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 155

A huge crowd gathered for the festival celebrating the victory.

Natalie and Levin barged into Brianna’s house uninvited and dragged her to the village square. Having lived a life no different from confinement, Brianna found herself surrounded by a crowd for the first time in a long while.

Only after being introduced to a man there did Brianna realize why that couple had been so persistent about her attending the festival.

“Ah, hello? I’m Ethan Schmidt.”

He was a neatly dressed young man, rare in the countryside. With a gentle expression and light brown hair, he blushed shyly as he introduced himself. He was the second son of the village blacksmith and currently studying law at a university in Planeg.

“Ethan’s going to be a lawyer. Isn’t that amazing?”

Next to him, Natalie enthusiastically began promoting him. She was so eager to make this meeting a success that she went on about how, once he became a lawyer, he would earn enough that his wife and kids would never go hungry, and since he was the second son, he wouldn’t have to care for his parents. She only stopped talking after Levin gave her a firm look.

“…At least for my sake, just meet him once. He’s too good to let slip by.”

Levin quietly whispered to Brianna.

“He has a good personality and is a really decent guy. If you meet him, your mind will change.”

Brianna thought she understood his intent. For a widow living alone, a law student with a promising future was certainly a desirable match. Levin probably didn’t want her to miss this chance.

Including Romi, the five of them wandered around the festival, taking in the sights. Up to that point, it wasn’t much different from the festivals she had enjoyed before. Back in Harzen, she had enjoyed festivals with many people as well.

But then, Natalie came up with all sorts of excuses, disappeared with her husband and daughter, and left the two of them alone in the middle of the square. Only then did an overwhelming awkwardness wash over her.

“……”

“……”

As neither had anything to say and stood there hesitating, Brianna decided it was best to part ways here. She felt sorry toward Levin, but the fact that the man was such a good match for her only meant she wasn’t good enough for him. Perhaps Ethan, too, had been pushed into this situation.

“Um…”

Just as Brianna was about to come up with an excuse to leave, he spoke first.

“Actually, I was the one who begged Levin to introduce me to you.”

Brianna looked at him with wide eyes. “Have you seen me before?”

“Yes, a few times around the village… And actually, when Mr. Heinz lived here, he was one of my father’s regular customers. You used to come to our blacksmith’s with him sometimes… You probably don’t remember since you were so young, right?”

Brianna shook her head. Unlike with Natalie, she had no memory of him.

“Back then, I actually begged Mr. Heinz to let me marry you.”

“Pardon?”

At the abrupt confession out of nowhere, Brianna’s mouth dropped open, and he laughed lightly.

“He told me to shut up if I didn’t want to die. So I gave up right away. I had no chance against a top-ranked mercenary.”

“…Ah?”

It was yet another unexpected turn. Seeing her somewhat baffled expression, he laughed heartily.

“So what I mean is, I’m someone who gives up quickly, so don’t feel pressured. Just have fun with me today. It’s a festival, after all.”

“But…”

“Then let’s just stay until the fireworks. That much is okay, right?”

Before Brianna could say anything more, he pointed ahead and shouted, “Oh, look! There’s a claw machine. Want to try it with me?”

He grabbed her wrist and led her there.

“There’s no roast pig, but they do have pig plushies.”

Brianna quietly bit her lip, recalling something similar that had happened before.

“If there’s a plushie you want, just tell me. I’ll get it for you all.”

Ethan boasted confidently as he picked up the gun. But perhaps because he had never properly learned to shoot, his stance was already sloppy from the beginning.

The bullets he fired repeatedly missed the target. Occasionally, he would get lucky and hit a plushie. Each time, he would turn to Brianna with a confident smile. But Brianna saw someone else overlaid upon his image. As she followed her memories of the past, she fell into deep thought.

“My wife will be the one shooting, so there’s no need to worry.”

Back then, Lucius hadn’t even attempted to shoot and had handed the gun to her from the start. In his words was the pride of knowing that she would shoot better than anyone else. Even though it was Lucius who possessed unmatched shooting skills.

Come to think of it, he had so much yet never once bragged or tried to flaunt it. Still, just being near him, you could tell—he was someone entirely different from ordinary men.

Any typical nobleman would have disapproved of his wife handling a gun. He would have called it dangerous and forbidden her from touching it, insisting on more ladylike hobbies. But Lucius had been proud that she was good with a gun.

“W-wait! Give that back!”

“You can’t just take it back after giving it!”

“Luce! I said give it to me!”

She remembered the squabble over snatching the pig plushie from his hands. The teasing smile on his face, so unlike his usual self, rose in her memory, and before she knew it, her eyes turned hot.

“Nana, I got three plushies…”

As he came happily toward her with the plushies, he stopped in his tracks when he saw the tears running down Brianna’s cheeks.

“…Nana?”

Brianna hastily wiped away her flowing tears. Then she quickly said, “I’m sorry. I can’t watch the fireworks with you.”

She turned her back and ran. She heard Ethan calling from behind, but she didn’t look back.

Before she reached home, a loud boom sounded, and a bright light soared high into the sky. Soon after, the sound of fireworks exploding echoed from all directions.

Brianna stopped running. Then she looked up at the sky.

Bang! Bang!

Brilliant fireworks bloomed like flowers and spread across the black sky. Watching the breathtaking spectacle that always made her heart race, Brianna recalled the two fireworks displays she had watched with Lucius.

The first one, when her heart was pounding. And the second, which came with a heated kiss.

“…Lucius.”

For the first time since leaving him, Brianna let his name fall from her lips. Until now, she had never spoken it aloud, fearing that saying his name would make the tears fall.

But the emotions that burst out at the claw machine earlier surged so violently now that she could no longer hold them back.

“…Are you doing well?”

At the moment she whispered his well-being, tears welled up again in her teal eyes that had briefly dried. The water-filled stars and fireworks sparkled in the night sky and soon faded into a hazy blur. She blinked to shake off the tears, but her vision blurred again and again.

She had heard that this year’s fireworks were being launched simultaneously across the country to commemorate the victory. That meant right now, in Bastogne too, fireworks must be lighting up the sky.

Are you, at this very moment, thinking of me even a little as you watch those fireworks? Or are you so angry at the woman who left without even a goodbye that you’re turning away from them entirely?

Brianna lowered her head. No matter which it was, either would break her heart.

***

Fireworks continued to be launched one after another over the hill. The long-running display finally came to an end about an hour after it had begun.

When the fireworks that had lit up the sky all went out at once, the hill was quickly engulfed in darkness. Yet the man standing there in the shadows hadn’t moved an inch and still stood watch over the place.

“Your Grace.”

After a while, someone called him from behind. When he slowly turned around, the man said, “It seems we’ve found the madam’s whereabouts.”