Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 68

In the few months that had passed, Lucius had changed once again.

When Brianna first met him, he still had traces of boyish innocence. By the time they reunited in Bastogne, he had grown into a young man. And now, he had changed even more. His face was tanned, and he had lost weight, making his features appear sharper and more masculine. His tightly set lips seemed firmer, and his gaze had grown deeper.

But it wasn’t just his appearance. It felt like even the air around him had changed. Perhaps it was because he had returned from a harsh place—his presence seemed colder and heavier than before, yet fragile, as if he might shatter at the slightest crack.

When their eyes met, Brianna quickly averted her gaze. Perhaps it was the uniform that fit him so well, but just looking at him felt overwhelming.

“I’m sorry to block your path, but there’s something I need to ask you…”

“I was planning to send you a message, as I couldn’t leave without seeing you. Please, get in the carriage.”

As before, Lucius invited Brianna into the carriage. Once she was inside, he gave the coachman instructions about their destination.

“Let’s find a quiet place to talk.”

Brianna nodded at his suggestion. She wanted to ask about Florian right away, but if this was his wish, she had no choice but to be patient.

The wheels of the carriage began to turn again. It was only then that Brianna noticed Lucius’s bandaged arm. Though hidden by his clothes, the white edge of the bandage peeked out from beneath his sleeve.

“Did you injure your arm?”

Lucius glanced at his left arm for a moment before nodding. “It’s just a minor gunshot wound.”

Brianna took a deep breath. A minor gunshot wound? How could anyone attach the word ‘minor’ to a gunshot wound?

“Is that why you were granted leave…?”

“If you’re asking why I’m on leave, yes, it’s partly because of this injury. I was ordered to return only after my wound had fully healed.”

It seemed there was more to his leave than just the injury, but the injury must have been the main reason. After all, he couldn’t fight on the battlefield with a wounded body.

Brianna gripped her skirt, her hands resting on her lap. She realized belatedly that instead of immediately asking if he was okay, she had been too impatient and selfish.

“…I’m relieved, at least, that it wasn’t a serious injury.”

Brianna let out a small sigh of relief. She was truly thankful that he hadn’t suffered a life-threatening injury.

“Perhaps God has answered my prayers.”

“…Prayers?”

Surprised by his question, Brianna smiled faintly. “I went to the church every day to pray—for both you and Florian to return safely.”

At that, his lips tightened, and he remained silent until the carriage stopped.

The carriage arrived at the hill where they had watched the fireworks together about a year ago. Seeing the familiar scenery through the window, Brianna tried to suppress the unease that had been building since earlier.

Right, he had said they needed a quiet place to talk. That must be all there was to it. Just as he said, this was the perfect place to talk without worrying about being overheard.

After getting out of the carriage, Lucius walked ahead of her, showing her his back. Brianna quietly followed, staring at his broad, angular shoulders. She realized that she had rarely seen his back before—she only remembered him always facing her, reaching out to her.

When they reached the highest point of the hill, he stopped. He lifted his head to gaze at the overcast sky. The faint sunlight cast a fragile glow over his shoulders, and the wind gently moved his dark hair as he stood there, like a statue.

When Lucius finally turned to face her, his expression was one Brianna had never seen before. His pale face, bathed in the weak sunlight, conveyed emotions of loss and deep sorrow, as if he had just let go of something precious. At that moment, Brianna instinctively knew that the unease she had felt was about to become a reality.

“This is something Florian left behind.”

Lucius pulled out an object wrapped in a handkerchief from his coat and handed it to Brianna. It was then that her body began to tremble slightly.

No, it can’t be!

Even though she already knew, Brianna tried to resist the truth. She desperately wanted to believe that it wasn’t what she thought it was.

But when she unwrapped the handkerchief with her shaking hands, she had to admit that her instincts were correct.

Inside lay a broken piece of the brooch. On one side, there was a dark red stain that hadn’t been completely cleaned, ominously reminiscent of blood.

“All of Florian’s other belongings were returned to his family, so this was all I could bring. Since he always carried it with him on the battlefield, I thought it must have been something you gave him…”

Without fully processing the implications of what he was saying, Brianna raised her head, her voice vacant as she asked a question.

“Were you with Florian there?”

“Yes, Florian joined my unit later.”

“But Florian never mentioned you…”

Suddenly, Brianna remembered the phrase in his letters—”friends from the academy.” Could it be that Lucius was among those friends? If that were true, why had Florian kept it a secret? Back when he was attending the academy, he had always mentioned Lucius in his letters.

Brianna shook her head fiercely.

No, Lucius couldn’t have been with Florian the whole time. If they had been together, Florian would have mentioned him at least once.

“Thank you for bringing Florian’s belongings to me. But where is Florian now? Did he come to Bastogne with you?”

“Brianna…”

Lucius let out a rough sigh, and it grated on her nerves. For the first time, she raised her voice sharply at him.

“Or did Florian put you up to this prank? No matter the joke, this is too much! Enough with the joke—just tell me, where is Florian right now?!”

“……”

Lucius couldn’t meet her eyes, lowering his gaze. It was also the first time Brianna had seen such a vulnerable expression on his face.

“He didn’t write for so long, making me worry, and now he’s not even here—pulling such a cruel joke on me…”

Brianna bit her lip hard, trying to hold back tears.

“This isn’t funny at all. Did you really think I’d fall for something like this? You both think I’m some kind of fool…”

But in the end, her voice broke with sobs. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, and no matter how much she wiped them away, more kept coming, blurring her vision until she could barely see his face.

“He said he’d be safe in the rear…”

Florian had promised her. He’d said he would be safe in the rear and that there was nothing to worry about. His letters had always been cheerful, with no hint of death.

No, Florian had never seemed like someone who could die. He had been so bright and optimistic—it seemed impossible for someone like him to die so suddenly.

“He promised he wouldn’t do anything dangerous… so why…”

“I’m sorry, Brianna.”

Lucius’s dark eyes were filled with pain and regret as he looked at her.

“I should have been more careful…”

As she stared at him, Brianna wondered why he was apologizing for Florian’s death. Was it just guilt for being unable to prevent it, even though they had been together?

“How did Florian…”

Lucius dropped his head deeply.

“There was an explosion. A powder accident.”

“An explosion?”

Brianna’s lips trembled violently. A chilling realization washed over her—she understood why the keepsake he had brought was a broken piece of the brooch.

“Then… Florian’s body…”

“The body…”

Lucius couldn’t finish his sentence. But Brianna knew what he meant.

Florian’s body had been torn apart by the explosion, and the only thing left was the small fragment of the brooch he had carried.