Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 67

[To my dearest Brianna,

Brianna, are you well?]

Seeing Florian’s greeting, Brianna sighed in relief. She had been worried because there had been no news from him. The letter started with the usual phrasing, and the anxiety that had been welling up in her chest subsided somewhat.

[I wanted to write to you as soon as I arrived here, but there have been far more things to do than I expected, so I’m only now picking up my pen. I’m sorry. You’re not mad at me for sending a letter this late, are you?]

The letter, which began with an apology, contained detailed updates about his life on the battlefield while also asking about Brianna’s well-being.

[I’m doing well. My work here is simple. I research ways to enhance the performance of the weapons and collect faulty ones to find out what’s wrong.

Since I came here, I understand why they’re willing to pay me so much. It turns out my graduation thesis is more valuable than I thought. Gunpowder is all about maintaining density and regulating moisture, but it’s incredibly sensitive to changes in environment and weather. Since I’m practically an authority on this topic, everyone seeks my advice… Ah, do you think I’m bragging now? I swear, I’m not. Really!]

It felt like Florian was right there beside her, insisting she believe him, and Brianna laughed. Thankfully, it seemed Florian had adapted quickly and was doing well.

[And one good thing is that I met some friends from the academy here. When I’m with them, it sometimes feels like I’m still back at school.]

Friends from the academy.

Brianna ran her thumb over the letter carefully. It seemed Lucius Carlisle wasn’t one of those friends. If he had been, Florian would have told her immediately.

Come to think of it, what about him… Was he alright?

Seeing Adelheid attending various gatherings, it was clear that Lucius was unharmed. If anything bad had happened to him, his fiancée would have known first.

But still, she often found herself worrying—no, if she were honest, it was quite frequent. Wondering if he was safe, if he was uninjured.

All Brianna could do for Lucius was pray for him whenever she went to the church each week to pray for Florian.

May they both return safely.

Brianna took out a new sheet of stationery from her drawer and began her reply.

[To Florian,

You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for your letter. As soon as I saw your handwriting on the envelope, I felt like dropping to my knees and thanking God.

It’s fully spring here now. How’s the weather over there? Are there a lot of flowers blooming?]

Just like before, the two began exchanging letters again. If nothing came up, a letter arrived every three days or so. Sometimes, an entire week’s worth would arrive at once, likely due to delays in military postal service.

Although Florian was in a place where people died every day, his letters contained nothing of the horrors of war. Perhaps trying not to worry her, he only wrote about small, amusing things from daily life. At times, it felt as though he was in some far-off, peaceful countryside, not on the battlefield.

Brianna decided to pretend not to notice the darker side that Florian worked so hard to hide. As long as he was there, she wanted to grant his wishes, whatever they might be.

Time flowed equally, both in places with war and without.

The yellow chicks that had safely hatched from their eggs were now following the mother hen around. The garden, once filled with the splendor of spring, was now a sea of green. The clothes they wore turned to thinner linen as the sunlight grew warmer, and the ladies walking through the streets were often seen carrying parasols.

Around that time, Florian’s letters began to arrive less frequently.

[To Brianna,

I’m late with this letter, aren’t I? Sorry. The truth is, quite a lot has happened here. I might not be able to write as often as I used to. I hope you understand.]

He didn’t explain what those “many things” were. Unlike before, his recent letters seemed hastily written. The edges of the normally neat handwriting were slightly blurred, and Brianna let out a small sigh.

She wanted to ask if he was alright, to demand he tell her everything that had happened…

Instead, she picked up her pen and filled the letter with cheerful stories, just as she always had.

[To Florian,

Write whenever you have time, and don’t worry too much about it. I’m just grateful to hear from you, no matter how infrequently.

Today, I went out to buy chocolate with young master Michael. There have been so many tea parties and gatherings lately that the madam and Miss Adelheid have been very busy. Master Michael gets quite lonely, so I feel like I have to take even better care of him. Oh, remember the tea house we used to go to? They have a new cake there now…]

Trying to make the letter as long as possible, Brianna ended up including trivial stories. At this rate, she might even start writing about how many forks there were in the count’s estate. She sighed, placing her hand on her forehead.

[…Florian, always remember that there’s someone here praying for your safe return.

I earnestly wish to see you again before this season ends.

Take care, as always. I’ll write again soon.

Your ever-loving Brianna.]

After finishing the letter, Brianna set her pen down on the desk.

The only thing she could do for him, who was in such a dangerous place, was to write kind words on scented stationery in the prettiest ink color she could find.

The reality of that saddened her, and Brianna smiled bitterly.

After that, a few more letters passed between them. By the time Michael’s chicks had grown enough that they could no longer be called chicks, the letters from Florian stopped completely.

She wasn’t worried at first. There had been times before when no letter came for about a week. Besides, he had warned her that he might not be able to write often.

After two weeks, she began to feel uneasy. Why was he so late this time?

By the third week, Brianna was beside herself with worry.

She wanted to know if something had happened to him, but she had no way to find out. Any news, good or bad, would go to the Robert family, but Brianna had no connection to them. She had no means of finding out.

Hoping to find some information about the battlefield, she bought every newspaper she could find, reading each one carefully. She also met with Lily. The opera house often attracted important figures, so perhaps there would be some gossip to hear.

But both sources turned up nothing. Her last hope was to cling to prayer.

That day was the hottest day of the summer. On her way back from the church, Brianna noticed a carriage parked in front of the Kirchner estate.

It was a calm and elegant carriage painted navy blue. On its side was an emblem of two eagles spreading their wings toward the sun.

Brianna’s heart began to pound. It was the carriage Lucius Carlisle always used.

“Miss Brianna, where have you been in this heat?”

Just then, a maid passing by spoke to her, and Brianna hurriedly asked a question in return.

“Did someone from the Carlisle dukedom visit? I see a carriage there.”

The maid looked toward the carriage parked in front of the entrance and nodded. “Ah, yes, the lady’s fiancé is here. He’s on special leave.”

Brianna felt dazed. Lucius Carlisle. The man who had gone to the battlefield was now here.

“Since he came without any prior notice, the estate was in quite an uproar. They rushed to get the best dresses and jewelry for the young lady and polished everything to perfection.”

“Then where are the young lady and her fiancé now?”

“They’re talking in the drawing room with the count and countess. They should be leaving soon… Miss Brianna?”

Brianna immediately turned and started walking back the way she came. It would be difficult to meet Lucius separately inside the estate without running into the count’s family, so she decided to wait on the road where his carriage would pass, just as she had done before.

Brianna paced nervously along the roadside. Lucius might know something about Florian—or, perhaps, Florian might even be here, just like him. Brianna’s lips trembled as she hoped for the best.

How long did she wait? Finally, the navy carriage appeared in the distance. Brianna ran out in front of it, afraid he might pass by without noticing her.

Startled by her sudden appearance, the coachman quickly pulled the reins, stopping the carriage, and Brianna bowed deeply toward it.

“I’m so sorry! I have something urgent to ask…”

As she kept apologizing, the carriage door opened.