Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 8

“Sierra has always been a peaceful place, untouched by war. But now you’re saying a war could suddenly break out there?” 

“I believe it’s possible,” Brianna replied calmly.

“Why?”

“I deduced this from the recent cessation of wool exports from the Basel Kingdom to the Khazak Empire,” Brianna explained.

At this, the Dowager Duchess paused, holding her breath for a moment.

While the export of alum ore and wool might appear unrelated at first glance, they were, in fact, deeply interconnected. Alum was an essential material used in dyeing high-quality fabrics. The Khazak Empire had long been making substantial profits by manufacturing and selling cloth and garments made from wool imported from the Basel Kingdom. Should the Empire gain easy access to Sierra’s alum, it was evident that their profits would skyrocket even further.

During such a critical period, the Basel Kingdom had abruptly halted its wool exports.

“War requires a lot of money. I think they intend to start drying up the Empire’s funds now,” Brianna continued. “Otherwise, there’s no reason for them to stop wool exports, even at their own loss.”

Brianna sipped her tea, moistening her throat. The Dowager Duchess remained silent for a while. Only when Brianna cautiously called out, “Your Grace?” did she finally let out a short exclamation, “Ah.”

“I see. Your reasoning makes a lot of sense,” she said, smiling gently. “How did you come to know all this? You seem to possess quite an extensive knowledge of international affairs.”

“You flatter me. All I know was taught to me by the Dowager Countess Linares.”

“She taught you such things?” The Dowager Duchess’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes,” Brianna nodded. “She said that for a woman to protect herself, she must either have a lot of money or the knowledge to earn it.”

“Hahaha!” The Dowager Duchess suddenly burst into laughter. Startled, Brianna widened her eyes, but the Dowager Duchess barely managed to stifle her laughter.

“Oh, forgive me. I just remembered something Luce told me earlier. Apparently, you told Luce that a woman should have at least one weapon to protect herself.”

Brianna’s face turned pale in an instant. The Dowager Duchess must have found out about the incident where she had pointed a gun at him.

Could it be that all the kindness shown until now was merely an act? Dowager Countess Linares had always warned her not to take the kind words and gentle actions of nobles at face value, as poison often lay beneath.

“Your Grace, please forgive me. I mistakenly took him for a thief and…” Brianna stood up abruptly, intending to formally apologize, but the Dowager Duchess gestured for her to sit back down.

“I’m not here to blame you,” she reassured with a wave of her hand. “I’m just surprised that Luce raised his hands in surrender. He’s never shown me such weakness before. Even as a child, he was never one to be easily freaked out.”

“I… didn’t freak out,” Lucius muttered through gritted teeth.

The Dowager Duchess laughed girlishly at his response. “Well, that’s your opinion, but her version might be different. Brianna, tell us how it really happened. I’m genuinely curious. Was he truly freaked out?”

Brianna found herself caught between the two, unsure of how to respond. At that moment, a knock on the door heralded the arrival of her savior.

“Mother, Luce brought a woman in here…” A man entered, bearing a striking resemblance to the Dowager Duchess. His hair and eye color, as well as his facial features, made it clear he was her son.

Daniel Carlisle. It was evident he was the current Duke of Carlisle, having inherited the title five years ago.

“Daniel,” the Dowager Duchess greeted him warmly. Brianna quickly rose and curtsied. As Daniel took a step forward, Brianna averted her eyes.

Though slight, he limped as he walked. Brianna was no stranger to people with disabilities; her hometown, Harzen, frequently suffered from monster attacks, leaving many residents with injuries.

However, the situation differed when it involved a noble. One must pretend not to notice a noble’s flaw. That was one of the rules Brianna had learned in this world.

As she kept her gaze lowered, Daniel approached his mother and kissed her cheek affectionately.

“You seemed to be having a delightful conversation. I could hear the laughter from outside the door,” he remarked with a smile.

“Yes, we were discussing the necessity of wealth and weapons for a woman. I was just agreeing with the sentiment,” the Dowager Duchess replied.

The Duke burst into hearty laughter. “I’m not sure about weapons, but Mother, you’ve always had plenty of wealth.”

“Hmph, what wealth? It’s all your money now. Do you know how much I worry every time I spend it?”

“Mother, if you say things like that, people will misunderstand. Have I ever complained about what you do with your personal funds?”

“That’s how hard it is to spend someone else’s money. If it’s this difficult to use my own son’s money, it must be even harder with a stepson. In that regard, Dowager Countess Linares was wise.”

“Dowager Countess Linares? Are you referring to the Dowager Countess of the Harzen estate?”

“Yes, this girl is from Harzen.”

Only then did the Duke turn to look at Brianna, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I see I haven’t introduced myself yet. Are you Luce’s girlfriend…”

“Shut up. It’s nothing like that,” Lucius interrupted brusquely.

Despite his brother’s rudeness, the Duke laughed heartily. “What a disappointment! I dropped everything and rushed over because I heard you brought a woman.”

“Stop joking around,” Lucius grumbled.

“I was even mentally prepared for you to get married before me.”

“Enough already!”

Brianna looked back and forth between the older brother, who kept teasing his younger sibling, and the younger brother, who grumbled in response, her eyes wide with surprise.

They are, by all appearances, a harmonious family. Such a sight was almost unheard of in the noble society, where most marriages were arranged for strategic purposes. Even in the Linares family, the relationship between husband and wife was purely formal. After the first Countess died, the late Count of Linares, who already had three sons, took a second wife. He needed a wife to manage the estate.

At the time, the Dowager Countess, who was a daughter of the Viscount Robert family, did not want the marriage, but she was ultimately pushed into it by her family’s demands. She made conditions: her family would receive a certain amount of wealth, and the Count, her husband, would not engage in any private marital relations beyond estate management.

The Count, having enough heirs and a mistress of his own, agreed to these terms. The Viscount Robert family, the Dowager Countess’s family, also agreed to give a portion of their wealth on the condition that they would reclaim it upon her death. Thus, the Count and Countess maintained a marriage devoid of love until the Count’s death.

Brianna knew that the relationship of Florian’s parents, the Robert couple, was not much different. Florian had told her that his parents married for the sake of the family alliance and had taken separate lovers after his birth. Engrossed in their own romantic pursuits and pleasures, they neglected Florian, who grew up in the care of servants until he was sent to his great-aunt, Dowager Countess Linares, under the pretext of needing convalescence.

This was the typical image of nobility Brianna was familiar with—families bound by cold, unfeeling contracts. Therefore, it was astonishing to see the Carlisle family, not only on good terms but overflowing with familial affection.

“I think it’s time for me to leave now,” Brianna said suddenly, realizing she had lingered too long in their company. She had enjoyed the luxury of having her wounds treated and sharing tea with the household, but it was time to leave so as not to impose further.

The Dowager Duchess nodded. “Yes, we shouldn’t keep someone with many responsibilities. I enjoyed our conversation today. I’ll have a carriage prepared for you.”

“Thank you once again for your great kindness,” Brianna replied.

She bowed to the Dowager Duchess and the Duke of Carlisle in turn. Finally, she respectfully greeted Lucius before leaving the room.