Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 45

Yes, this was the place where I first met him. So it was only natural that I would think of him here.

As she was convincing herself of this, someone suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder from behind.

“Ahh!”

Startled, she turned around to find Florian standing there with a surprised look on his face.

“Oh, did I scare you? I’m sorry.”

He quickly withdrew his hand, embarrassed by how much he had startled Brianna.

“What were you thinking about that made you so jumpy? You didn’t even notice someone coming up behind you.”

Brianna placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart, trying to calm herself down. “When did you get here?”

“Me? About an hour ago?”

“What?”

Brianna glanced up at the clock tower in the center of the plaza, then back at Florian.

“I was on time! I wasn’t late!”

Florian grinned widely. “I just came early because I wanted to see you sooner.”

“You’re such a fool. Coming early doesn’t make me get here any faster. You should’ve just arranged for an earlier meeting time.”

“You don’t get it, do you? If we had set an earlier time, I would’ve come another hour earlier.”

“What…?”

Brianna couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it.

“So, what should we do today? If there’s anything you want to do, just say it.”

Excited by his words, Brianna reached into her bag and pulled out an envelope. “I got my paycheck.”

Brianna chuckled softly. “To celebrate, I’ll buy you a present. What should I get you?”

“A present?” Florian pondered for a moment, then suddenly broke into a bright smile, “Will you buy me whatever I want?”

“Of course!”

“Great, let’s go!”

The first place Florian took Brianna was a boutique. The problem was that it was an overly luxurious place, and it only catered to women’s clothing.

As they were guided inside by the staff, Brianna looked around. No matter where she looked, there were only women’s clothes; not a single piece of men’s clothing in sight. As she walked, she kept glancing around, unsure if this was really the right place.

“Please wait here for a moment,” said the staff member before leaving to fetch the owner.

Still puzzled, Brianna sat down and whispered cautiously to Florian, “Are you really buying a gift here?”

“Yes.”

“Florian, you’re supposed to buy a gift for yourself, not for me.”

“But I am. There’s a graduation ball coming up soon, right? I’m picking out a dress to give to my partner.”

“Oh…”

Brianna hesitated, then closed her mouth. Florian’s graduation was approaching. To attend the ball at the end of the event, one had to bring a partner.

Since it was a public event, he couldn’t possibly take her, so he was likely planning to attend with a young lady chosen by his family. But even so, asking her to buy the dress for the young lady he would be attending with seemed a bit…

“I knew it!” Suddenly, Florian playfully pinched Brianna’s nose. When she winced and rubbed her nose, he scolded her gently, “You’re such a fool. Who else would my partner be if not you?”

“What? Then…”

Florian sighed deeply, as if the ground might cave in. “I was hoping to finally see you get jealous this time, but I guess not. It’s really hard to get you to be jealous, you know.”

Irritated by his lamenting tone, Brianna puffed up a little. “So, you said that on purpose? To make me jealous?”

“Of course. I was hoping you’d get mad and slap me. Then I’d have been so happy, I would’ve laughed like a madman.”

“Then what about the present…?”

“I’ll get that later, with interest. Right now, we’re buying the dress you’ll wear to the graduation ball.”

At that moment, the boutique owner approached them. Florian stood up immediately and whispered something to her. Soon, the owner’s sharp gaze pierced through her glasses and landed on Brianna. A satisfied smile spread across the owner’s face.

“Leave it to me. I’ll choose the perfect dress and shoes to make sure you shine the brightest that night.”

Brianna suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

***

Two hours later, when they finally left the boutique, Florian’s hands were full of several boxes.

Florian had purchased not only a dress but also a hat and shoes. Of course, it was Florian, not Brianna, who paid the hefty price from his wallet.

As they walked, Florian, who didn’t seem burdened by the boxes at all, hummed happily. Then he suddenly stopped in his tracks and shouted, “Oh, right! I still need to buy jewelry!”

“No more jewelry! Stop buying things!”

Despite Brianna’s desperate plea, Florian still looked longingly at the surrounding shops. Eventually, Brianna used the excuse that her legs were tired to drag him into a nearby tea house. The truth was, she was indeed exhausted after two hours of trying on and taking off clothes.

Sipping tea, Brianna finally took a breather. Looking at the pile of gift boxes on the chair next to her, a wave of worry started to wash over her.

“But is it really okay for me to go to the graduation ball? What will people say…?”

Florian, already aware of her concerns, smiled brightly. “Don’t worry. No one will be able to see your face that night.”

“What do you mean?”

“This time, it’s going to be a masquerade ball.”

“A masquerade ball?”

Florian proudly explained, “Actually, I’m kind of close to the student council president. I suggested we make this one a masquerade ball, and he thought it was a great idea. So, you can enjoy yourself without worrying about what others think. You know this will be the first time we officially dance together, right?”

Even when Florian stayed in Harzen, there had never been an opportunity for them to dance together. On festival days, Florian would enjoy the parties in the castle’s banquet hall with the nobles, while Brianna would dance with the townspeople by the bonfire in the village square.

So, as Florian said, this would be their first official dance together.

“And right after graduation, I’m going to tell my parents that I have someone I want to marry.”

As Florian continued, Brianna quietly looked at him. The playful expression from earlier was gone, replaced with a serious demeanor.

“This graduation ball will be the last time we meet in secret. After that, I want to be able to walk with you openly in front of everyone.”

Brianna understood what he meant. From now on, they would have to face the opposition of the Viscount Robert family head-on.

Suddenly, tension gripped her, and her fingers grew cold. The last time she met his parents, she had to admit, they were not people she wanted to see again. The thought of facing them directly made her feel suffocated.

Just as Brianna was about to wrap her hands around her teacup for warmth, Florian placed his hand over hers.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. All you have to do is trust me.”

As a child, Florian was often sick and hardly knew how to do anything. So it had always been Brianna’s job to take care of him and look after him.

And now that child has grown up to say things like this.

Brianna looked at him, a proud smile spreading across her face. “Alright, I trust you.”

As they smiled at each other, Florian spoke softly, “Actually, it was Lucius who first suggested the masquerade ball.”

Surprised by the unexpected revelation, Brianna’s eyes widened. “Lord Lucius did?”

“Yeah, I was worried about the graduation ball, and he suggested we make it a masquerade ball. I thought it was a great idea, so I went straight to the student council president and told him.”

“Then… will he be attending the graduation ball with Miss Adelheid?”

“Most likely. The talk of marriage has already become official.”

She was suddenly grateful that it would be a masquerade ball. Without it, attending would have been difficult, especially with Adelheid there.

“Come to think of it, that guy will be deployed soon. When will he hold the wedding? There’s not much time before his departure.”

“Deployed?” Brianna asked, puzzled by his words.

“Oh, ordinary people don’t know yet, do they? It’ll be announced officially soon. The Parliament recently decided to support the Basel Kingdom. As soon as Lucius graduates, he’ll be commissioned, so he’ll be heading to the battlefield within a few months.”