Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 81

Count Kirchner’s mention of breaking off the engagement meant that he either suspected Lucius or could not find a way to save him.

“That day, the two brothers agreed to meet alone at the villa for their father’s memorial. It was your fiancé who found the late Duke’s body. So, the Count has no choice but to act as he did. Unless he proves he was elsewhere that day, there’s no other way, right?”

Cecil let out a small sigh.

“Anyway, go inside and rest. I’ll bring you bandages and medicine.”

Cecil gently pushed Brianna inside. As soon as the door closed, Brianna slid down with her back against it.

“It’s because of me…”

Brianna brought her trembling hand to her lips.

“It’s because of me that the Duke…”

That night, the night she was kidnapped, Daniel Carlisle had died—murdered by someone. If Lucius had been at the villa with him instead of coming to rescue her, the Duke might not have died.

Brianna thought of Daniel’s face the last time they met. His gentle voice comforting her, the last words he spoke with a boyish smile.

“And there’s something I must tell you—I’ve always wanted to meet you in person at least once, Miss Brianna.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. The death of someone she had no special relationship with hit her hard because she knew he was a good man.

“Not being able to reveal his whereabouts that day…”

If she just admitted that he was at the inn with her that night, Lucius could be freed easily. Yet, the reason he had kept silent until now was clear. The moment he revealed the truth, she would be branded an unchaste woman.

The world would scorn and point fingers at her. They would accuse her of not only being promiscuous but also of having an affair with an engaged man—the fiancé of her master’s daughter, no less.

If that happened, she would not only be driven out of the mansion but also unable to show her face anywhere in Bastogne.

Brianna covered her face with both hands and buried her head in her knees. Right now, the only way to save Lucius was to destroy her own life.

***

Adelheid paced the room with a worried expression. She eventually began biting her nails, prompting a scolding from the Countess.

“Adelheid, what a terrible habit! Stop it at once. You’re acting completely out of character.”

“Mother…”

Adelheid rushed to kneel at her mother’s lap.

“Do we really have to break off the engagement with Lucius? Isn’t there any other way? You know he would never do such a thing.”

The Countess sighed in pity as she looked at her tearful daughter.

“I understand your feelings. I know Lucius didn’t do it. But what choice do we have? Lucius still refuses to reveal where he was that day. What can we do when he’s like this?”

“Father could intervene if he wanted to, couldn’t he? He could bribe the constables or create false evidence. Wouldn’t everything be solved if we just found someone to say they were with him that night?”

“What nonsense!”

The Countess sharply rebuked her.

“We cannot engage in such illegal actions. Especially for something as critical as this. We could face grave consequences ourselves.”

“But…”

“Adelheid, when a ship sinks, you must be the first to jump off.”

She gently stroked Adelheid’s curly blonde hair.

“And you must swim far away quickly to avoid being dragged down with it. Hesitate even a little, and you’ll be caught in the whirlpool. I know you care deeply for Lucius, but feelings alone can’t solve everything. You don’t want to be the wife of a murderer, do you?”

“No, of course not! But Lucius isn’t a murderer…”

“Truth doesn’t matter. If the world calls him a murderer, he becomes one. If you don’t want to ruin your life over love, forget Lucius. There are plenty of men who can make you shine.”

Adelheid’s eyes blurred. A man who could make her shine—power, wealth. More than any of that, she wanted Lucius Carlisle. But her parents seemed adamant about not changing their minds.

“We’ll find someone better for you than Lucius soon. Don’t worry about a thing,” the Countess said, smoothing back Adelheid’s hair as she smiled.

Adelheid weakly rested her face on her mother’s lap. Her mother’s words were right. Unless Lucius revealed his whereabouts that day, there was no choice but to let go of the hand she was holding.

But an uneasy feeling lingered. She couldn’t shake the ominous thought that she might regret this day.

***

Luton Castle, located in the center of the capital, was a detention center for those accused of crimes before a formal trial. Lucius was also there, in Luton Castle. As he wasn’t yet a convicted criminal, his conditions were not harsh, and visits were freely allowed.

Butler Carl had visited daily since the day Lucius was detained, always with a mountain of documents.

Now, he stood watching Lucius pore over those documents. The young master, or rather, the heir to the dukedom, had not slept since being confined, meticulously reviewing all the papers Daniel had been handling until his death three days ago.

Carl sighed faintly. Most people wrongfully accused of murder and locked up would either lose their minds or desperately try to escape. But not him. He acted as if this was the Duke’s study, spending his time buried in documents.

“Is this all the documents?” Lucius asked suddenly, snapping Carl out of his thoughts.

“Yes. These are all the documents the Duke dealt with over the past six months,” Carl replied.

Lucius put down his pen and pushed the stack of documents toward Carl.

“I’ve marked any questionable areas or sections that need rechecking. Look into them and let me know if I’ve missed anything.”

“Understood…”

Finally, Carl gathered the courage to say what he had been wanting to ask.

“What do you plan to do now? You don’t intend to stay here forever, do you?”

On the day of the Duke’s murder, Lucius’s whereabouts were clear. He had gone to help Brianna Everett instead of going to the villa and had stayed with her overnight at an inn. If her testimony, along with the inn’s registry and the family crest left with the innkeeper, were submitted as evidence, he could be released immediately.

The problem was that Lucius remained silent, refusing to disclose anything.

Instead of answering Carl’s question, Lucius tapped his fingers on the desk. Just as the famously patient Carl was about to lose his temper, Lucius finally spoke in a slow voice.

“I’m waiting.”

“For what?”

“For those who jump ship first and for the one who killed my brother.”

“Pardon?”

“To truly know who my people are, I need to experience both the highest peak and the lowest depths. I don’t doubt my brother’s abilities. But since he and I are different, I won’t deal with them the same way.”

Daniel had tried to accommodate as many people as possible, a decision he made to fill the void left by their father’s sudden death while dealing with his own physical limitations.

But Lucius was entirely different from his brother. The two were almost opposites. Lucius intended to mercilessly cut off and punish those who turned their backs on him.

For the first time, Carl understood why the Pope coveted Lucius as his successor. The clergy, under the guise of divine will, could be the most ruthless faction, capable of extreme cruelty despite appearing infinitely merciful.

“…I see. But what do you mean by waiting for the person who killed the Duke?” Carl asked cautiously.

“Hunters always like to showcase their kill and brag about how they caught it. That’s the essence of hunting.”

Lucius clenched his hand into a fist atop the desk.

Believing the hunt is complete, the killer would surely reveal themselves. They would come forward to boast about their deeds, knowingly or unknowingly.