Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 38

The Countess let out a small sigh. “Lord Lucius is coming today to formally apologize for his past rudeness. But if you greet him with such a bright smile, what kind of message does that send?”

“Alright, then. I’ll just pretend to be angry. How’s that?” Adelheid quickly adopted a pouty expression, turning her head away in mock indignation. The sight was undeniably charming, almost comical, but it left Brianna in a rather awkward predicament.

She was now stuck in the entrance hall, with no way to discreetly slip past the Countess and Lady Adelheid. And it wasn’t as though she could blend in with the line of servants standing by the door. Both the Countess and her daughter were so engrossed in Lucius’s impending arrival that they seemed to have completely forgotten Brianna’s presence.

As Brianna stood there, unsure of what to do, Lucius Carlisle entered the hall. In his hand, he held a bouquet of lush red roses, their vibrant petals strikingly beautiful despite the cold weather.

“Welcome,” the Countess greeted him as he removed his hat.

“Thank you for having me, Countess,” Lucius replied. He then turned to address Lady Adelheid, but his gaze caught sight of Brianna, standing awkwardly to the side. Brianna quickly averted her face, hoping desperately that he hadn’t recognized her.

“…It seems you have another guest who arrived before me,” Lucius murmured, causing all eyes to turn toward Brianna. The Countess, realizing her oversight, quickly composed herself, though her initial surprise was evident.

“Oh, yes, we were just conducting an interview for a governess position,” the Countess explained. “My son Michael’s current tutor will be leaving soon… But why are you still here?” she added sharply, giving Brianna a pointed look that clearly indicated she should leave.

Brianna hastily began to make her way toward the door, but before she could take more than a few steps, Lucius’s voice rang out again.

“Miss Brianna, it’s been a while.”

She froze and looked back at him in shock. Now it was the Countess’s turn to be taken aback.

“Do you two know each other?” the Countess asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

Lucius offered her a polite smile. “Yes, my mother knows Miss Brianna quite well. She’s always regretted not being able to hire her, as Miss Brianna’s talents are exceptional.”

“Oh, really…?” The Countess covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes darting around as she quickly reassessed the situation. Lucius turned back to Brianna.

“It’s good to see you again. I didn’t expect to run into you here,” he said with a respectful nod.

“Ah, yes… It’s good to see you too,” Brianna replied, almost automatically bowing in return.

“I assume you were here for an interview today. I trust it went well?” Lucius inquired.

Brianna glanced over at the Countess, unsure of what to say.

“Well…” she began.

“Of course, it did,” the Countess interjected hastily, cutting her off. “We were just arranging the details. We’re very eager to have her join us as soon as possible, isn’t that right, Miss Brianna—I mean, our new tutor?”

Brianna opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. The situation was quickly turning in her favor, though it had taken an unexpected turn.

“Yes, Countess,” she finally replied.

“Wonderful,” the Countess said, giving Brianna a little nudge toward the stairs. “Let’s have you go with the butler to the study and finalize the paperwork right away.”

The butler stepped forward, quickly leading Brianna to the study. Before she knew it, she had signed the employment contract, and all the arrangements were swiftly made. By the time she collected her thoughts, she found herself standing at the front gate of the Kirchner estate.

What just happened? Brianna thought, staring up at the grand mansion in confusion. The whole encounter had been a whirlwind, but one thing was clear—Lucius Carlisle had deliberately intervened to help her.

But why? Just a few days ago, he treated me like I was nothing. So why now?

Brianna paced back and forth near the estate, trying to sort out her conflicting emotions. On one hand, she felt she should thank him for his help—after all, she hadn’t had the chance to express her gratitude for finding her father’s watch. On the other hand, she was still reeling from his previous harshness.

Should I really thank someone who’s treated me so poorly?

But in the end, her sense of propriety won out. Deciding to wait and thank him properly, she leaned against the estate wall.

She didn’t have to wait long. The gate soon opened, and the Carlisle family’s carriage emerged. As it approached, it slowed to a stop right in front of her. The door opened, and there, of course, was Lucius Carlisle, staring at her with those unreadable eyes.

After a moment’s hesitation, he extended his hand toward her.

“Allow me to escort you home,” Lucius said, his tone calm and matter-of-fact, in stark contrast to the turmoil Brianna had been feeling moments before. The way he seemed to read her thoughts, anticipating her response, made her bristle slightly.

What is that? As if he knew I’d be waiting here for him?

Brianna’s face hardened as she looked at him. “No, it won’t take long, so I’ll just say what I need to here.”

“I have something to discuss as well, so please, get in the carriage,” he insisted.

“Then say it here. I’ll listen from here.”

When Brianna made it clear she wasn’t moving, Lucius spoke again. “If we stand here much longer, people will start to get the wrong idea.”

He gestured toward the gate, and when she followed his gaze, she noticed the guard glancing at them. The moment their eyes met, the guard quickly turned away, but it was clear he had been watching them.

“And they’ll report what they saw to the Countess. Is that what you want?”

With no other choice, Brianna reluctantly reached out to the carriage. Lucius took her hand, helping her inside, and the door closed behind them.

They sat in silence for a while, neither of them speaking. Finally, Brianna broke the silence.

“Thank you for helping me earlier. Thanks to you, I was able to secure the job. And…”

She opened her bag and took out her father’s watch.

“Thank you for finding this as well. I wanted to thank you sooner, but I didn’t get the chance. That’s all I wanted to say.”

The watch’s silver chain dangled from her hand, catching the light. When Brianna noticed Lucius’s gaze fixed on the chain, she hurriedly tucked it away.

“The original chain was old and about to break, so I… well, thank you for this too,” she added, her voice faltering.

Lucius gave her a soft smile, which made her face flush with embarrassment.

Why do I have so much to thank him for? And why is he smiling like that?

“You mentioned you had something to say…” Brianna’s cautious question caused the smile on Lucius’s face to gradually fade. He hesitated for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully, before speaking, “First of all, I want to apologize for my previous rudeness.”

Brianna lowered her gaze, fiddling with the watch on her lap. Right. He probably thinks that by apologizing, he’s done his duty. And I’m supposed to be grateful that a noble like him is even offering an apology.

She had grown accustomed to this kind of treatment. With a resigned nod, she accepted his words.

“I later realized how baseless my assumptions were,” Lucius continued. “I wanted to apologize sooner, but…”

He paused, pressing his lips together before finally continuing, “The truth is, on the day of the opera, I saw you leaving the hotel with that gentleman.”

Brianna looked up at him, surprised. “The hotel… Do you mean the Grigio Hotel where the Drevises were staying?”

“Yes,” Lucius confirmed.

Brianna took a deep breath. “That evening, before the performance, I had dinner with the Drevises at a restaurant near the hotel. After dinner, Mrs. Drevis suddenly felt unwell, so we escorted her back to the hotel. Mr. Drevis and I then went to the theater together.”

She finally understood why he had made such an odd assumption. Seeing her leave the hotel with a man and then attending the opera together—it all made sense now.