Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 169

“So I misunderstood you, Your Grace.”

Setting down his teacup, Carl smiled with great satisfaction. At that, Lucius lifted his eyes from the document he had been reading.

“Misunderstood?”

“I thought something unpleasant would surely happen once Madam returned to the ducal residence. But contrary to my worries, it seems Your Grace has handled things wisely.”

Two weeks ago, the Duchess, who had been away for nearly half a year, returned. And as if she had never left, she quickly resumed her previous routines.

Coincidentally, both the Dowager Duchess and the Head Maid, who had been managing the residence, were absent at the same time. In just a few days, the mansion had fallen into disarray. Letters piled up like mountains, the servants’ vacation schedules were a mess, and due to delays in ledger entries, items were being double-ordered. Carl had been so overwhelmed he would’ve gladly borrowed a cat’s paw.

The Duchess, upon her return, quickly grasped the situation and began resolving each issue one by one. As if there had been no six-month absence at all.

Most importantly, her relationship with the Duke, which had been the biggest concern, didn’t seem bad at all. No, the two of them stayed so close together that it seemed their relationship had improved. Of course, it helped that the Duke was now spending more time at the mansion than before, but if their relationship had been strained, they wouldn’t be together all day.

Carl hadn’t imagined the situation would turn out like this when she was still at the summer villa. Back then, the Duke had seemed nearly mad and looked like he might cause a serious incident. But over the past week, aside from being unusually strict about the Duchess’s outings, he hadn’t changed much.

“Unpleasant things, huh…”

Lucius propped his chin in his hand and murmured quietly after a brief moment of thought.

“They nearly happened. Those unpleasant things.”

Carl ignored the follow-up comment and continued speaking.

“In any case, well done. It seems the time apart has helped. Madam appears noticeably more at ease.”

“Really?”

“Yes. The other servants say in unison that her expressions have become much more lively.”

While Carl poured more tea into his cup, Lucius recalled Brianna’s expressions.

Come to think of it, while Brianna had smiled often since their marriage, that was about it. Before they were married, she had expressed a wider range of emotions.

When they first met, he had scolded her for a reckless act, and although she answered with a yes, she turned her head and wore a clearly displeased expression. When he misunderstood her as doing something dishonest to earn money, she had coldly snapped at him in anger.

Even in Florian’s letters, though she was described as quiet, she was never portrayed as meek or submissive.

Thinking back, it was natural. She wasn’t like the usual noble daughters who were raised to obey their family and husband. Her guardian and teacher, Madam Linares, had taught her self-reliance rather than obedience, and Brianna was indeed used to living independently.

Honestly, that had been a bit of a sore point for Lucius. If she were someone who depended more on others, she might not have said she’d divorce him and live alone.

Fortunately, since returning to the ducal residence, Brianna had not brought up divorce again. Perhaps she was still considering his advice to think it over carefully. She would often gaze at him in thought. In any case, it felt like a breath of relief. At least she no longer seemed to be thinking of running away.

Now, there was only one remaining worry…

“…Do women need to have children to be happy?”

At the murmured question, spoken almost to himself, Carl paused his hand. He cautiously gauged the atmosphere before speaking.

“Well, that depends on the person. What about you, Your Grace?”

“To be honest, I don’t particularly mind not having children.”

He had never been especially interested in children, nor had he felt a strong need to continue the Carlisle line with his own blood. After all, had it not been for his brother’s death, he would never have taken the position of family head.

It wasn’t that he didn’t have a desire to see a child who resembled Brianna, but that desire never surpassed his feelings of possession toward her.

“But I worry that Brianna might be unhappy because of it.”

It seemed that reason accounted for a significant part of why Brianna had left his side. It was the first thing she mentioned when explaining why she left.

For now, he had managed to hold onto her with the claim that infertility wasn’t yet certain, but if it were to be confirmed, he couldn’t predict how Brianna might react. She might once again suggest he take a successor with another woman, or even bring up divorce and tear him apart all over again.

“There are many possible ways. But you’re both still young, so even if you start thinking about those things later, it won’t be too late. Worrying in advance is one of the most foolish things.”

To that, Lucius gave a light nod.

Yes, after all, they still had time. If that were the only reason Brianna left, then it was something that could certainly be resolved. There were many couples who spent their whole lives cherishing each other even without children.

At that moment, a knock sounded. A servant entered the room, handed Lucius a letter, and exited. As soon as he saw the name written on the envelope, Lucius furrowed his brow slightly. Carl’s expression mirrored his.

“A letter from Her Highness the Princess…”

They had exchanged several letters with the Princess in the meantime. Most of them were about postwar negotiations and the whereabouts of the fugitive crown prince.

The crown prince, who had fled to avoid trial, had ultimately ended up in the Kazak Empire. More accurately, it would be fairer to say that no other country would take him. He requested the emperor for protection, and the emperor accepted his asylum. Perhaps he thought that although the crown prince had lost the political struggle, he still had royal blood and might be useful in the future.

In reality, it wasn’t easy to capture and bring back someone located in another country. Moreover, the moderate faction among the nobles wanted to wrap up the case at this point. There was too much to do after the end of the war.

In exchange for letting go of the crown prince, Lucius had asked the Princess for one favor: to watch over him and immediately report anything suspicious regarding his whereabouts.

Lucius opened and read the letter, then murmured, “One more thing to worry about.”

“What does it say?”

“They say the crown prince has gone missing. Publicly, it was known that he was living in seclusion in a mansion near the capital, but it turns out he hasn’t been seen for several days.”

Carl’s expression darkened immediately. “Where could he have gone? Is he trying to seek asylum in another country again?”

“Who knows…”

Lucius lowered his gaze, staring at the letter.

Then, he suddenly remembered something the crown prince had said to him long ago.

“Kid, remember this day well. If the day comes when I take something precious from you again, you’ll already know what to do.”

Something precious.

The most precious thing he had left now…

Lucius’s face turned cold.

“…Did Mother say she was planning to go to the Papal States soon?”

Carl nodded at Lucius’s question. “Yes, according to the last report, before departing for a trip to the east, she said she would visit the Papal States to pay her respects to His Holiness.”

“Then send a telegram telling her not to move and to stay there for the time being. Tell her to cancel the eastern trip and that I’ll soon send someone to escort her.”

Carl immediately understood his meaning. Lucius was now worried the crown prince might once again try to harm his family.

“I’ll send it right away.”

“And when Brianna goes out, make sure someone discreetly follows her. So she doesn’t notice.”

That too was necessary for the Duchess’s safety.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

After Carl left the room, Lucius went to find Brianna.

She was sitting on the sofa in the parlor, arranging flowers. The floral arrangements in the parlor had always been handled by the Dowager Duchess, but during her absence, Brianna had taken over.

Something didn’t seem to be going well. Holding a flower in one hand and scissors in the other, Brianna tilted her head several times. Focused on trimming the stems, she didn’t even notice Lucius’s presence until he suddenly embraced her from behind. She jumped and let out a short scream.