Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 76

“Doesn’t it feel like a waste to kill her just like this? She’s got a pretty face—why not sell her to a brothel instead? We’d make a good amount of money. She’s an orphan, right? No one will come looking for her.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? We got paid to kill her and dump her somewhere.”

“We’ve already been paid, so what’s the harm? If you don’t like it, you can give me more of your share.”

“You call that a reasonable suggestion?”

“Of course it is! We’re passing up the money we could get by selling her, so it’s only fair.”

“Stop talking nonsense. I let you in on this job as a favor, and now you’re pulling this crap?”

“Oh, and what have you done? I made the plan, rented the carriage—you just sat back and went along for the ride!”

“What did you say?”

The two men raised their voices, arguing with each other. Brianna’s head ached, making it difficult to understand exactly what was happening, but one thing was clear: this was her only chance to escape.

Brianna staggered to her feet. It wasn’t easy to keep her balance with her hands bound, but the urgency of knowing she might die if she didn’t move pushed her to stand.

“Hey! She’s getting away! Grab her!”

But she didn’t make it far before the men caught her. One of them yanked her by the hair and threw her to the floor.

Her body slammed against the floor, and as Brianna writhed in pain, the man pressed her head down with his hand.

“Because of you, we almost lost her!”

“How is this my fault? It’s your indecision that caused it!”

“Shut up! Anyway, I’m killing her right now!”

The man raised a dagger. Brianna shifted her eyes to look up. The blade glinted sharply in the darkness, reflecting the downpour. And in that moment, a thought crossed her mind.

Is there even a reason for me to keep living right now?

Would it matter if I died here? There’s no family or lover who would mourn me. I don’t have any grand purpose that demands I survive. Thinking back on what the men had said earlier, it seemed better to die now than endure what they planned.

So maybe I should just close my eyes, quietly, and let it end. Instead of struggling in vain, maybe it’s better to accept a peaceful death.

Perhaps due to the extreme cold that gripped her body, she felt sleep washing over her more strongly than fear of death. The idea of meeting her mother, father, Madam Linares, and Florian again in death brought her a strange sense of comfort.

Brianna closed her eyes, the image of the raised dagger seared into her mind.

***

“Agh!”

The man let out a scream, dropping the dagger. Just as he was about to stab her, a dagger had flown from somewhere, embedding itself in his arm.

“Argh! My arm!”

While the man clutched his arm and rolled on the floor in pain, the other man frantically looked around.

“Who… who are you?!”

A fist shot out from the darkness, landing squarely on his face. The man crumpled to the floor.

Lucius glared at the writhing men with a look filled with cold fury. He glanced at them only briefly before rushing over to Brianna.

Seeing the rope binding her hands and the gag in her mouth, his gaze grew even colder. Lucius cut them off immediately and held Brianna in his arms.

“Brianna…”

She was unconscious. He tapped her cheek with his fingers, but there was no response. Her lips were turning blue, and her body felt as cold as death. Fortunately, her pulse was slow but steady. Lucius knew he had to get her somewhere warm as soon as possible.

In the meantime, the two men had been forced to their knees by the informants Lucius had brought along. Lucius decided to deal with them quickly and approached the men.

“Who ordered you to do this?”

His question was short and direct. The two men exchanged uneasy glances, saying nothing, which prompted Lucius to draw the gun from his waist. The men barely had time to react before there was a loud bang, and a flash erupted from the muzzle. The bullet pierced through the forehead of the man on the left. Blood sprayed from the wound, mixing with the rain, and his body fell backward.

“Aaaah!”

The man on the right screamed. Even Lucius’s informants, who were watching, were startled. Daniel would have taken his time, trying to extract as much information as possible. Lucius, however, had shot the man without a moment’s hesitation. It was a stark reminder of how differently the two brothers handled things.

“You get one question. One.”

The gun clicked as Lucius reloaded it. Now it was aimed directly at the remaining man, who was trembling, covered in his companion’s blood.

Lucius said again, his voice icy, “Who ordered…”

“V-Viscount Robert!”

The man shouted before Lucius could even finish his question, then collapsed to the floor, sobbing.

Lucius, who had looked momentarily stunned, said again, “Viscount Robert, you say?”

“Yes, I swear! I was only doing what he told me! Please, spare my life!”

Lucius slowly lowered the gun. If Viscount Robert wanted Brianna dead, there could only be one reason—the inheritance from the late Countess Linares. He must have been after that.

Lucius had thought he’d seen the worst of the Robert family, but to find out they could stoop even lower made him let out a bitter laugh.

But the humor faded quickly as he bit down on his lip, hard enough to draw blood.

They made Florian’s life so lonely, disgraced his funeral, and now tried to kill the woman he loved—all for money.

How far will you sink, I wonder?

Lucius said, his voice seething with rage, “You—clean up that corpse.”

“Yes, sir!”

At Lucius’s command, one of the informants moved quickly, wrapping the man’s body in a black cloth and loading it onto a horse. Without delay, he rode off, ensuring the body would disappear without a trace.

Lucius gave the remaining informant another order, “Take this one and lock him up somewhere. I’ll decide what to do with him later.”

The informant bowed respectfully. “Understood. What about you, sir?”

“I’m taking care of her first.”

Lucius picked up Brianna in his arms. Despite her soaked clothes weighing her down, she felt light in his grasp.

He mounted his horse, placing Brianna carefully in front of him, then climbed into the saddle himself. Without wasting another moment, he urged the horse forward.

Jingle.

The bell on the inn door chimed as it opened, waking the drowsy innkeeper. Given the terrible weather, there had been no guests, so the sudden appearance of one was unexpected. The man entering was large, dressed entirely in black, and soaking wet from the storm. He carried something tightly wrapped in his cloak as he stepped into the inn.

He stopped at the counter and said in a low, resonant voice, “A room, please.”

“Ah, yes. Could you please write your name and the time here in the guestbook?”

As the man signed and noted the time, the innkeeper searched for a key, stealing a glance at what the man held in his arms. It was a young woman. Her face, pale and framed by wet brown hair, was partially visible beneath the black cloth. Despite her weight, the man held her easily with one arm while using his free hand to write.

Impressive strength. A soldier, perhaps? The innkeeper speculated while asking, “Is the young lady injured? Should I call for a doctor?”

The man quickly adjusted the cloth, covering her face from view, a clear warning not to pry further. The innkeeper quickly averted his gaze, embarrassed.

The man looked down at the woman in his arms for a moment before speaking again, “I’ll assess her condition myself. If she needs a doctor, I’ll let you know. For now, I need a maid to help change her clothes…”

The innkeeper shook his head. “All the staff have left for the day, and my wife is visiting her family. With this weather, it would be hard to find anyone else. I’m afraid you’ll have to manage that yourself, sir.”

An awkward look of discomfort crossed the man’s face—an expression that seemed out of place given his imposing figure. The innkeeper almost laughed aloud at the sight. It was quite a contrast: a man who looked capable of taking down a bear with one blow, suddenly hesitant at the thought of undressing a woman.