Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 59

Adelheid suddenly became irritated.

“Who does she think she is to tell you whether or not you should have a pet? And why are you listening to her?”

Michael flared up and shouted back, “The shopkeeper said the same thing! He said parrots are animals that will harm themselves if they aren’t in the right environment or if they have psychological issues. They’ll pull out all their feathers! So, the teacher is right. You have to be prepared to take responsibility if you want to keep an animal.”

“Yes, you’re right. It’s better to be more cautious with such sensitive animals.”

Once again, the Countess took the governess’s side, and Adelheid’s resentment toward Brianna Everett grew stronger.

The Countess instructed Michael to wash up after his outing. Once he left the room, they resumed the conversation they had been having before he arrived.

“These are the people we’ll be inviting to the engagement ceremony. Go through the guest list and see if there’s anyone we should add or remove.”

Adelheid took the list the Countess handed her and scanned the names. Soon, she pointed to one name. “Are we only inviting Florian Robert from the Robert family? What about the Viscount and his wife?”

The Countess sighed softly. “I’ve been agonizing over that. It might be best to exclude the Viscount and his wife. They’ve been openly badmouthing the House of Carlisle. But their son is Lucius’s closest friend, so we have no choice but to invite him.”

Adelheid’s lips curled into a sly smile. “Invite the Viscount and his wife as well. Something interesting might happen.”

“Interesting? What do you mean by that?”

“I’m not sure… I just have a feeling.”

The Countess tilted her head, puzzled, before suddenly recalling something. “Come to think of it, there’s been a lot of talk about the Robert family lately.”

“Why is that?”

“It’s about Florian Robert, their son. Apparently, he’s been seeing a woman in secret. He’s been brushing off all the noble ladies he’s met because of her. The Viscountess seems furious and is determined to find out who this woman is.”

Things were shaping up to be more interesting than Adelheid had anticipated. If the Robert family attended the ceremony, it promised to be a spectacle.

“They need the dowry to free up their finances, but now it seems like it’s all going to fall apart. The Viscount and his wife must be at their wits’ end. They probably feel cornered right now.”

“And when people are cornered, they tend to act recklessly,” Adelheid remarked, and the Countess nodded in agreement.

“True. But inviting them might only create uncomfortable situations. On the other hand, inviting only the son without the parents might look strange.”

“It’s better to maintain appearances. We need to think of Lucius’s reputation as well.”

Adelheid folded the guest list with a sweet smile.

“If they have any sense, they’ll be careful not to ruin their son’s best friend’s engagement.”

***

Brianna made her way to the address Florian had given her. He had once mentioned where he worked and told her to come if there was ever anything urgent.

The address led her to a large building, with a wide clearing in front where several men were gathered, chatting.

She had come with the intention of simply delivering a gift and leaving, but now that she was there, Brianna felt uncertain. Was it okay for her to have come? What if her visit ended up causing trouble for Florian?

As she hesitated, one of the men approached her.

“What brings you here?”

“Well…”

She faltered, unable to answer right away, when suddenly the sound of a creaking window opening came from above. Florian stuck his head out of the window and shouted.

“Brianna?”

You idiot!

Everyone turned to look at Brianna, causing her face to flush bright red.

Flustered, she started to turn away, but Florian called after her again. “Hey, where are you going? Don’t leave!”

I can’t believe this!

Florian came running down like the wind and grabbed her wrist. “Did you come here because you missed me?”

The situation was only getting worse. Behind Florian, some of the men had dropped their cigarettes in shock, their mouths agape.

Unfortunately, though Florian was the one causing the commotion, all the embarrassment fell squarely on Brianna.

“Stop it! People are staring at us!”

Only after her scolding did Florian realize how conspicuous they were, and he scratched his head awkwardly.

“Ah, sorry. I was just so surprised. I saw you from the window, and for a second, I thought I was imagining things.”

Now that things had come to this, Brianna decided it was best to quickly hand over the gift and leave. But before she could, the man who had approached her earlier spoke up, looking at the two of them with curiosity.

“Florian, is this your girlfriend?”

Florian smiled brightly and answered with a grin, “Yes, she’s my girlfriend!”

Brianna gazed at Florian’s face. He looked so genuinely happy as he smiled widely, showing off his teeth.

Come to think of it, this was the first time he had publicly acknowledged their relationship in front of others.

Feeling a lump in her throat, Brianna watched as the man said, “Well, in that case, why don’t you show her around inside?”

“Can we really do that?”

Brianna was about to snap, Absolutely not! What are you thinking? She could hardly believe Florian was considering giving her a tour of his workplace.

This is ridiculous. No way!

“No, no, that’s alright. I just came to give him something.”

Brianna quickly tugged on Florian’s arm. “Let’s go over there for a moment. I need to talk to you.”

“But since you’re here, why not…”

“Come on!”

Before Florian could say anything more, Brianna dragged him away.

They ended up in a nearby park. Far from the bustling streets of Bastogne, the park was just beginning to show signs of spring, with buds sprouting on the trees and flowers blooming all around.

They headed toward a bench under a camellia tree, its red petals scattered on the ground. Before Brianna could sit, Florian quickly spread a handkerchief on the bench.

“Please, have a seat.”

He gestured grandly, as if welcoming a queen, and Brianna couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

After sitting down beside her, Florian looked at her curiously as she handed him a small package.

“I was out today and thought of you, so I bought this.”

Florian’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the gift in his hands. “You came all the way here just to give me this?”

“Yes, I didn’t get you a present last time. Go ahead, open it.”

With his eyes shining, Florian quickly unwrapped the package. Inside was a small leaf-shaped brooch.

Brianna, feeling a bit anxious, asked, “Do you like it?”

“Of course I like it! How could I not? It’s a gift from you!”

She hadn’t even needed to ask. The grin on Florian’s face stretched from ear to ear. Even though he had said he didn’t need a gift when she first mentioned it, he was clearly thrilled to receive one.

“Would you pin it on for me?”

He pointed to his left chest, near his heart. Brianna took the brooch from the box and carefully pinned it to his shirt, right over his heart. As she did, the gold ring on her finger caught the sunlight, reflecting brightly.

“Done. Make sure you don’t lose it…”

Before she could finish, she felt something soft and warm brush against her lips. Startled, her turquoise eyes widened as she looked at Florian, who had already turned away, his face and neck flushed bright red.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself…”

“Oh…”

Brianna touched her lips with her fingers. So, that was a kiss.

It was soft, like a feather or a ray of sunlight gently grazing her lips, leaving a warm, comforting feeling behind.