Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 162

He thought about it the whole time while riding the carriage to where Brianna was.

What if, in the meantime, Brianna had met another man and he saw her in his arms? What should he do then? What if she said they were already divorced and no longer husband and wife, so he should no longer interfere in her life?

He had thought it over countless times, but the conclusion was always the same. He would take Brianna back even if it meant killing the man. If Brianna resisted and said she wouldn’t go, he planned to subdue her and force her into the carriage.

So when he saw the neighbor rush over without even dressing properly, Lucius momentarily felt a murderous intent. Pointing the gun at the man’s head was not just a threat. If that man had not simply come to help Brianna but had other ulterior motives, there might already be a bullet lodged in his skull.

Unexpectedly, Brianna obediently followed him, and thanks to that, they were able to leave the village without a major commotion.

Lucius looked down carefully at Brianna’s face as she slept in his arms. Considering she had been living in a shabby house that looked like it could collapse at any moment, her complexion wasn’t bad. Her hair was shorter, perhaps trimmed in the meantime, and her body had become thinner than before. Still, she looked generally healthy, which meant she had been eating well and living without major discomfort.

It was a relief. That she hadn’t gotten seriously ill or met with any misfortune while living alone.

Lucius let out a sigh of relief and held Brianna tightly in his arms.

Now, he had to prepare thoroughly so Brianna would never dare to run away again…

With that thought, Lucius slowly closed his eyes.

He had no intention of letting go of this warmth he had regained with such difficulty.

***

Someone was holding her tightly. It was a little stifling, but it was a warm body heat she hadn’t felt in a long time. Having gotten used to living alone, the oddity of it surfaced even in her half-asleep state.

Body heat? Whose?

Brianna slowly lifted her eyelids. She spotted Lucius’s face right in front of her and was momentarily startled, but then remembered what had happened the night before.

Ah, right. Lucius had suddenly come in the middle of the night…

Quickly organizing her thoughts, Brianna looked around. She distinctly remembered falling asleep in the corner of the bed, but now she was lying in the center with him. She wasn’t the type to toss and turn much in her sleep. Seeing that her position had changed, it seemed Lucius had moved her after she’d fallen asleep.

Brianna silently stared at the man still in deep sleep. Lucius now looked so composed that it was hard to believe he was the same person as yesterday. Like a beautiful sleeping god in a noble icon, even his disheveled appearance seemed graceful.

He was the same man who had looked ready to shoot Levin last night and had engaged in a heated tryst in the carriage right after they reunited—it was almost hard to believe.

Brianna slowly lifted her head and looked out the window. It seemed quite some time had passed since sunrise. Him sleeping in this late was very rare. He had never once overslept before. As he had said, two nights of staying up must have been exhausting.

Wanting to let him sleep more comfortably, Brianna carefully grabbed the arm draped over her shoulder with both hands. It was just one arm, but it was limp and heavy, making it quite difficult to lift. Brianna clenched her lips and gathered all her strength.

Just as she succeeded in pulling her body free and lowering the arm to the bed, her waist was suddenly pulled tight. The arm she had just managed to lower was now wrapped firmly around her waist like a snake.

Brianna inhaled sharply and stared into the dark eyes that had suddenly come close. His gaze, unexpectedly clear for someone who had just woken up, quietly watched her. As if reproaching her, asking if she was about to run away again. Brianna, without realizing, started to offer an excuse.

“I wasn’t, it’s just… so you could sleep more comfortably…”

Before she could even finish speaking, Lucius’s lips touched the tip of Brianna’s chin. His lips wandered around her jaw, then moved upward to gently lick the scarred lips he had bitten. Soon, his tongue slipped between her lips.

“Mm…”

His soft, supple tongue searched for its place, brushing around inside her mouth and rubbing against the tender flesh. As if the six-month gap meant nothing, he explored her with practiced ease, and Brianna, too, accepted his kiss without resistance.

What had started lightly grew more intense, leaving them breathless. Just as the deeply sexual kiss began to trail down her nape, the sounds of people moving outside the door reached them. The noise of guests at the inn already awake and stirring.

“Luce, stop…”

Brianna, realizing he had climbed on top of her at some point, pushed him away with all her strength. She couldn’t make the same mistake again as she had yesterday.

Surprisingly, Lucius withdrew easily. Even though the bulge below was clearly visible, he obediently got off her and stepped out of the bed.

Standing by the bedside with a nonchalant expression, he said, “Let’s have breakfast and leave right away.”

With that, Lucius went straight into the bathroom. A moment later, the sound of running water could be heard.

Breakfast was delivered to the room. A simple meal of bread and jam, ham, and soup. They ate in silence. A heavy quiet lingered the entire time. Even so, Lucius carefully cut the bread and meat on her plate into bite-sized pieces for her. But his expression remained cold and stiff, making it impossible for Brianna to tell whether he was still angry or had calmed down.

The silence continued even in the carriage. It would have been easier if he had initiated a conversation, but unless it was necessary, he didn’t speak. Brianna also found it difficult to start talking. She might provoke him again like yesterday. Having already experienced that the carriage was far from a safe space, she became all the more cautious.

After leaving the inn, they traveled more than another full day by carriage. Toward the end of the journey, Brianna, utterly exhausted, dozed off leaning against the wall of the carriage. Then her body was lifted into the air.

Realizing Lucius was carrying her, Brianna rubbed her sleepy eyes. Naturally, she assumed they had arrived at the duke’s residence, but the building visible in her dim vision was not one she recognized.

“…This isn’t the duke’s estate. Where are we?”

Instead of answering, Lucius looked ahead. Outside a rather modest building, a few staff members came out and greeted them.

“Duke, Duchess, welcome.”

All the faces were unfamiliar to Brianna. They seemed to be staff who worked exclusively at this place. Lucius gave a slight nod and walked straight into the building.

The interior was styled similarly to the duke’s estate, like a miniature version. But compared to the formal main residence, this place had a more charming, relaxed, and comfortable atmosphere. Brianna recalled a story she had once heard from Veronica. She had mentioned that there were several villas belonging to the duke’s family in the outskirts of the capital. If so, this must be the summer villa, said to be the coolest one and used mostly in summer. The only villa fitting that description along the road from the north to the capital was here.

“Is this the summer villa? I think I heard about it from Mother before.”

“Yes.”

Lucius answered lightly and climbed the stairs to the second floor. He entered one of the rooms there and laid Brianna on the bed.

“A maid will come soon to assist you. You must be tired today, so get some rest.”

As Lucius turned to leave, Brianna quickly jumped down from the bed and grabbed the hem of his clothes.

“Can we talk for a moment?”

Lucius stopped in his tracks and stood still. After a pause, he turned around and said with a still-hardened expression, “Talk? What about?”

“You can’t avoid talking forever.”

It was something they would have to go through eventually. Better to get it over with quickly.

“I’m sure you have a lot to say to me too.”

Though she barely managed to gather the courage to say it, what returned was a twisted, bitter smile.

“I don’t know… I didn’t think we were lacking in conversation all this time.”