Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 44

Daniel’s gaze, which had been following the speech, suddenly shifted to the king and the crown prince. The king had long since relinquished all authority, making the crown prince the de facto ruler of the nation.

Come to think of it, the crown prince is unusually quiet.

The crown prince, who had turned thirty this year, listened to the speech with a faint smile on his lips. His golden eyes and red hair, traits characteristic of royalty, clearly showed that he was born with the strongest royal lineage.

He always seemed to live life without ambition, spending most of his days hunting or attending banquets with a carefree smile. But Daniel could see that this man harbored a stronger desire than anyone else. Given that this was the perfect opportunity to regain royal authority, Daniel had expected him to take action. Yet, contrary to his expectations, the crown prince remained silent, merely observing the situation.

Well, it’s best to keep watching for now… If he acts rashly, I’ll deal with it then.

Daniel turned his attention back to the speaker, clenching his fist resting on his thigh.

At seventeen, his father had died suddenly in an accident. Returning from a hunting tournament hosted by the royal family, the carriage they were in met with a tragic accident. As they raced along a cliff, one of the wheels suddenly came off, and the carriage tumbled down the steep slope.

As the carriage began to roll, his father immediately shielded Daniel with his body. Thanks to his father, Daniel only ended up with a crushed leg, but his father did not survive. It was a blessing that Lucius had not joined the hunt that day due to a cold.

While Daniel lay bedridden, various suspicions about the accident arose. But in the end, no evidence of foul play was found. Even if someone had orchestrated the incident, it was impossible to identify the culprit. There were too many enemies—royals seeking to strengthen their power, opposing nobles, and foreign forces eyeing the Schwerin Kingdom. Pinpointing the perpetrator was impossible, and a hasty accusation could provoke even greater harm.

Moreover, he had to take care of his mother, who had suddenly lost her husband, and young Lucius, who had lost his father. On top of that, he had to support the aristocratic faction, which had lost its leader. Standing on his injured leg was an immense struggle.

Looking back now, the royals were the most likely culprits. At the time, the king had just recently lost all authority due to suspicions surrounding the previous king’s death, and it was the late Duke of Carlisle who had led that charge.

The person who most wanted Duke Carlisle dead back then was likely the powerless king and crown prince.

But that, too, was merely speculation. There was no evidence, and bringing up an incident from eight years ago now would be futile. So, all Daniel could do was keep a close eye on them before they caused any trouble.

“Now, let’s begin the vote!”

With the speeches from both sides concluded, the voting commenced, each person casting their vote one by one.

As Count Kirchner had predicted, the voting was neck and neck.

And by a single vote, fate was decided.

***

Brianna closed her Imperial language study book and exclaimed, “That’s the end of today’s lesson!”

“Yay!” Michael immediately cheered, stretching out his arms and legs. His small frame, tired from sitting for so long, made her smile as he stretched like an exhausted little kitten.

“Make sure to write the incorrect words ten times each before the next lesson.”

But as soon as she assigned the homework, Michael’s mouth pouted. “Do I have to? My hand hurts.”

“You have to.”

When his cute plea didn’t work, Michael tried a different tactic. “Teacher, tomorrow is a day off, right? Let’s go out and play together!”

Michael beamed as he begged Brianna. “There’s a shop in town that has a talking bird. Let’s go see the bird. Please?”

Brianna gently stroked Michael’s head, feeling sorry for him. She wanted to spend time with him, but she had already made other plans.

“I’m sorry, but I already have someone to meet tomorrow.”

“Who are you meeting?”

“A friend.”

Michael’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “You have friends, teacher?”

“Of course I do.”

To be precise, a boyfriend.

Since moving into the Kirchner estate, it had been difficult for her to meet Florian. Although she had free time after lessons, she still had to return early even when she went out. By the time she accounted for the travel time, she only had a few hours to spend. Meeting Florian near the Kirchner estate wasn’t an option either.

So tomorrow, she planned to spend the entire day with Florian, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Can I come too?”

It was rare for Michael to be so insistent. Despite Lily’s concerns, Michael was a kind and gentle child for his age, rarely ever being stubborn.

But lately, he had become more clingy. The whole family had become busy since talks of Lucius and Adelheid’s marriage became official. While it made things easier for Brianna, who barely saw them, for Michael, it meant he suddenly lost his family’s attention.

“Let’s go together next time. I already made plans this time, so it’s difficult.”

Michael let out a sigh so deep it seemed like the world was ending, then nodded. “Okay, I understand. It’s not gentlemanly to trouble a lady.”

Brianna couldn’t help but burst out laughing. If this child weren’t the only son of the count, she would have showered him with kisses on his cheek a hundred times over.

“I’ll bring you a gift when I return. Is there anything you’d like?”

“Chocolate!” Without hesitation, Michael shouted enthusiastically, “I want chocolate!”

Michael loved sweets. The problem was that he loved them too much. So the countess often restricted the sweet treats he received.

“Chocolate might be a bit…”

Seeing Brianna’s hesitation, Michael looked up at her with puppy-dog eyes, tears welling up. “I promise I won’t eat it all at once. Please?”

After all, was there anything this child, who could have everything, truly wanted? To him, chocolate must have seemed like the greatest gift in the world.

“Alright, let’s do this.” Brianna smiled at the boy. “I’ll bring you chocolate, but I’ll give you a little bit each lesson, once a week. Does that sound good?”

“Yes!”

After making that dramatic compromise, Brianna began preparing to go out early the next day. She put on her favorite outfit and carefully tied her hair. After donning her new hat, she gave herself one last look in the mirror before leaving.

Hmm, this should do.

She placed the white envelope sitting on her desk into her bag, a proud smile spreading across her lips.

Yesterday, she received her first paycheck as a governess. Today, she planned to use that money to buy a gift for Florian. Thinking of all the help he had given her since arriving in Bastogne, even spending all the money on his gift wouldn’t be enough.

With a fluttering heart, she headed toward the front door, but before she could leave, Adelheid’s sharp voice rang out.

“Is this the best you can do? Bring me something else! And what’s with your hair? What if it comes undone while riding?”

A riding appointment today, it seems.

Whenever Adelheid threw a fit like that, it made Brianna uneasy within the mansion. Adelheid’s bad mood would lead to the head maid scolding the lower maids, who, in turn, would take out their frustrations on Brianna.

It had been over a month since she started living in the estate, yet she hadn’t made friends with anyone besides Daniel. Lately, Brianna even started doubting her own social skills.

She felt relieved to be going out when the mood in the house was sour, quickly slipping out of the mansion.

The meeting place was in front of Santarino Station.

Upon arriving at the plaza in front of the station, the first thing Brianna thought of was her memories with Lucius here.

From getting her bag stolen to the incident at the theater not long ago. Looking back, she hadn’t met him many times, but so much had happened.

Has there ever been anyone like him in my life…?

As Brianna retraced her memories with him one by one, she suddenly shook her head vigorously. Why am I thinking about him?