Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 39

“So that’s why you said those things…” Brianna murmured, finally understanding the situation. Anyone who had witnessed what Lucius did might have made the same assumption. It was only now that everything made sense.

“Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that I made a grave mistake,” Lucius admitted. “If I had seen Lady Kirchner leaving a hotel with Mr. Drevis and attending an opera with him, I would have thought her tastes were peculiar, not anything worse.”

Brianna couldn’t help but cough in surprise. “Peculiar tastes?”

“As you pointed out, my judgment was influenced by a biased standard. I’ve been reflecting on my foolish behavior ever since, and I wanted to sincerely apologize.”

He smiled wryly, and as Brianna watched him, she began to realize that she might have been the one who misunderstood him all along. She had assumed that, as a noble, he looked down on her and made harsh judgments without a second thought. But now she saw that he was someone who could admit his faults honestly.

“Thank you for apologizing,” Brianna said, her smile genuine. “Your apology made me realize that I had also misunderstood you, Lucius.”

She felt a wave of relief wash over her. She was glad she didn’t have to continue feeling disappointed in him.

“Earlier, I wasn’t sincere enough, so let me thank you again properly. Thank you so much for finding my father’s watch. It meant a lot to me, especially after the loss of the Dowager Countess.”

Lucius smiled softly. “I’m glad it brought you some comfort.”

“And there are so many other things to thank you for as well. Like mentioning me to the Countess just now, and for the watch chain… Oh, and speaking of that, your advice helped me a great deal. I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

“My advice?” he asked, his expression puzzled as he tried to recall what he might have said.

Brianna laughed. “You once told me that if I ever have to pick up a gun again, I should be prepared to use it to kill. Thanks to that, I was able to get out of a dangerous situation.”

Lucius’s face turned serious, more serious than she had ever seen before. “Did you shoot someone?”

“No, not exactly…” Brianna found herself recounting a story she hadn’t even shared with Florian.

“The Count of Linares has a youngest son named Franz. One night, he snuck into my room. I took up a gun and told him to leave or I would shoot. I meant it, too.”

If things had gone wrong, she might not be sitting in this carriage now but locked away in some dark prison. But even so, she wouldn’t have regretted it.

“If I had only intended to threaten him, he wouldn’t have backed down. He must have realized that I was truly prepared to kill him.”

When she finished her story, Lucius remained silent, offering no reaction. Concerned, Brianna looked up at him.

“…Lucius?”

He seemed to be in shock, his expression pale and tense. It took him a moment to respond, and when he did, his voice was cold, almost chilling.

“Is that why you didn’t get a recommendation from the Linares family?”

“Ah…” Brianna nodded slowly. “Franz went to his mother first and lied, claiming that I had seduced him. Of course, the Countess believed her son.”

“But even so, it’s inexcusable for the Countess to dismiss you without investigating the truth or providing a recommendation after you had served their family for so long. That’s negligence on her part,” Lucius said, his voice icy with anger. His reaction, fierce and protective, was an unexpected comfort to Brianna.

This man… he gets angry on behalf of someone he has no connection to.

“Thank you for saying that,” she replied softly. “But please, don’t tell Florian about this. It’s over now, and knowing the truth would only upset him.”

She tried to move on, but Lucius’s next question caught her off guard.

“Why haven’t you told Florian about this?”

“Well…” Brianna hesitated. Maybe it was because she had grown accustomed to taking care of Florian, who had been frail since childhood. The idea of burdening him with her troubles felt out of place.

“I just didn’t want to worry him unnecessarily,” she explained.

Lucius’s expression softened slightly. “That may have been true until now, but from now on, you can trust him, rely on him, and share everything with him. Florian would be happier knowing that. After all… you’re not just friends anymore.”

Brianna’s cheeks flushed slightly. So, he knows she thought, realizing that Lucius was aware she had accepted Florian’s confession.

“Does it not bother you, Lucius, that I’m with Florian?” she asked cautiously.

His expression hardened, prompting her to quickly clarify. “I mean, considering how close you two are, I thought you might prefer him to be with someone more suited to his status.”

“…Because we’re friends, I respect Florian’s wishes,” he replied curtly.

A heavy silence fell between them after that, and Brianna couldn’t help but wonder if she had said something wrong.

Did I make a mistake? she thought, trying to read his mood.

Hoping to lighten the atmosphere, she changed the subject. “I noticed that Lady Adelheid seems to like you a lot.”

The young girl, who resembled a delicate porcelain doll, had seemed overjoyed at the mere thought of Lucius visiting her home.

“It might be presumptuous of me to ask, but are you considering a serious relationship with her?” she inquired.

It took a while for Lucius to respond. “I’m planning to,” he finally said.

“Congratulations!” Brianna beamed.

“Then, I suppose we’ll be seeing each other more often,” she added cheerfully.

“Perhaps,” Lucius replied coolly, his tone icy, and after that, the conversation came to an abrupt halt.

Brianna, sensing that she might have overstepped, mentally scolded herself. That was definitely too forward of me.

Eventually, the carriage came to a stop. Lucius stepped out first and offered his hand to help her down. She accepted his assistance and disembarked.

“From now on, it would be wise to be more cautious when you’re heading home,” he advised. “You never know if someone suspicious might be following you.”

His sudden warning puzzled Brianna, but she nodded in agreement. It was an odd thing to say, but she couldn’t disagree with the sentiment.

“Of course, I’ll be careful.”

“Goodbye, then,” he said, before reentering the carriage and leaving.

It was only after he had gone that Brianna realized something unsettling.

How did he know where I live?

***

“Cheers!” Lily exclaimed, raising her glass of wine high into the air.

The moment she heard that Brianna had secured a job, Lily insisted on treating her to a fancy dinner at an upscale restaurant. Despite Brianna’s protests, especially when Lily began ordering expensive dishes and wine, she couldn’t stop her friend, who was already bubbling over with excitement.

Brianna clinked her glass against Lily’s, a bright smile on her face. “Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“What are you talking about? You’re the one who did all the hard work,” Lily replied.

“If you hadn’t introduced me to that opportunity, I wouldn’t have even gotten the interview. The Kirchner family only allows people with recommendations to take the exam,” Brianna pointed out.

“Anyway, it all worked out, and I’m so happy for you!” Lily beamed, her joy as evident as if it had been her own success.

“You mentioned it’s a little boy, right?” she asked.

“Yes, he’s seven years old,” Brianna confirmed.

“Wow, a seven-year-old boy… That’s not going to be easy,” Lily said, her expression turning serious, causing Brianna to laugh softly.

“Luckily, I’ve had plenty of experience with boys that age back in my hometown, so I think I’ll manage.”

Lily’s eyes suddenly sparkled as she leaned in closer. “And there’s something else to celebrate, isn’t there?”

“What do you mean?”

Lily grinned, her eyes narrowing into playful crescents. “How does it feel to officially be dating a nobleman?”

At that, Brianna’s cheeks turned a deep shade of red. She absentmindedly tapped her fingers against the base of her glass. “Honestly, I’m not sure yet. It doesn’t feel all that different from before.”

“How can you say nothing’s changed?”

“It just feels the same as before.”

Since the snowy day when she had accepted Florian’s confession, not much had changed between them. He still visited sometimes for dinner, and he smiled a lot more than before. But if someone asked her to pinpoint what was different, she would struggle to find an answer.

“Or maybe… is this what dating is supposed to be like?” she wondered aloud.