Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 82

After a long silence, Carl carefully spoke, “You can’t wait too long, though. You need to attend the Duke’s funeral.”

Daniel’s funeral was to be held in five days. Lucius had to leave this place before then. They couldn’t let the Dowager Duchess send off Daniel alone.

“I know. I must.”

“So, I’d like to suggest asking Miss Brianna to testify in advance…”

Lucius’s sharp gaze made Carl quickly shut his mouth. His voice was cold.

“She wasn’t there that day. That’s what everyone must believe.”

“But if you reveal your whereabouts, the identity of the woman you were with will inevitably come to light.”

The innkeeper had already seen a man and a woman enter together, so a lie about being alone wouldn’t work. Investigators would insist on identifying the woman and securing her testimony. It was an unavoidable issue.

Lucius lowered his eyes, lost in thought. This was his biggest concern. He didn’t want to drag Brianna into this, but it seemed almost impossible to avoid.

“…Say it was a woman of the streets.”

“Pardon?”

“Say I hired a streetwalker and brought her to the inn. If they believe she’s untraceable, they’ll eventually give up.”

“But that’s…”

Not a courtesan, but a common prostitute wandering the streets, selling her body to any man. If it became known that he had spent a night with such a woman, Lucius’s reputation would take a severe hit.

Just as Carl was about to advise him to reconsider, there was a sudden knock at the door. A knock at an unusual time meant a visitor.

Moments later, a staff member opened the door and announced, “His Highness, the Crown Prince, is here to see you. Will you meet him?”

***

Brianna looked up at the tall tower in front of her. Known as Luton Castle, she had only seen it in passing but had never been inside.

And for good reason. Only those who had committed crimes or were accused of them entered that place.

She took a deep breath. She had already resolved to come here, but her hands still trembled. There was no more room for hesitation. She had to enter and say what she had prepared.

After gathering her courage, Brianna approached the entrance. The guards holding guns immediately blocked her path.

In a steady voice, she said to them, “I’m here to testify to the innocence of Lucius Carlisle in the murder of the Duke of Carlisle. Please escort me in.”

***

Descending the tower stairs, Carl was deep in thought.

As Lucius had predicted, the Crown Prince had come to see him. Carl had left the room with an armful of documents to give them privacy for their conversation.

It should be fine…

He sighed heavily. Although Lucius was young, Daniel had also taken on the dukedom at a similar age and had carried out his duties admirably. Lucius could do the same.

Of course, Daniel had been trained as an heir from a young age, while Lucius had not. That lack of preparation was a significant disadvantage.

Initially, Carl had expected Lucius to face many challenges. It was rare for someone not groomed as an heir to suddenly inherit a title.

But in the past few days, Carl had realized his worries were unfounded. Lucius had quickly grasped Daniel’s work and prioritized urgent matters, handling them efficiently.

Lucius had readily acknowledged his lack of experience and actively sought advice from Carl and others around him. Yet, he didn’t overlook problems he didn’t understand, relentlessly pursuing answers until he was satisfied. This was starkly different from Daniel, who knew when to let minor issues slide.

“My little brother is brilliant, isn’t he? To become the top student as soon as he entered the academy—isn’t that incredible?”

Carl recalled Daniel’s excited words. When Lucius had first achieved top marks, he had been nonchalant, but Daniel had been overjoyed. Daniel had never been jealous, even though he could have been, especially given his own limitations with his leg. He had even once heard someone suggest that Lucius should take over as heir.

So Carl had asked Daniel if Lucius’s intelligence ever made him feel pressured. Daniel had laughed heartily and replied,

“Isn’t it great that my brother is smarter than me? It’s reassuring to know Lucius will do well even if I’m gone.”

Recalling Daniel’s pride in his brother, Carl smiled bitterly.

“In the end, you were right…”

When Lucius left this place, a significant transformation would begin. Carl resolved to return to the duchy and caution the staff. It was also time to compile a list of those who had turned their backs on the Carlisle family—Count Kirchner being one of them. He hadn’t visited Lucius even once and had done nothing to help, even publicly declaring his intent to break off the engagement. For the Duke’s longtime friend to abandon them so quickly was a betrayal no one had anticipated.

As Carl reached the ground floor, lost in his thoughts, he recognized a familiar face.

Brianna Everett?

Brianna was entering with the guards. Carl realized she must have come to testify to Lucius’s innocence. There was no other reason for her to be here. But Lucius had firmly decided to keep her out of this matter. She had to leave.

“Miss…”

Carl stopped himself mid-sentence.

It was better for Lucius if she testified. Even a sliver of black in a sea of white could stain everything gray. If any lie in their story was discovered, even the truth could be dismissed as a fabrication.

Carl quickly hid behind the staircase wall. He reappeared only after Brianna had entered the room.

Her testimony was the safest option. It was also better for Lucius if she were implicated rather than a prostitute.

Even if it meant Brianna would face social ostracism and great humiliation.

“It can’t be helped.”

To protect Lucius, even at the cost of others, he had to ensure his safety—for Daniel’s sake.

***

Lucius’s first memory of the Crown Prince was from when he was eight years old, during his father’s birthday banquet at the duchy. At the time, his father had successfully transferred royal authority to the parliament without shedding a drop of blood, earning a reputation as the most powerful man in the nation.

The Duke’s birthday banquet had become so prestigious that nobles and wealthy individuals scrambled to receive invitations. The Duchess had invited as many people as possible, turning the banquet into an event rivaling a royal ball.

Among the guests was the 20-year-old Crown Prince, who had come on behalf of the King to congratulate the Duke. Having been the King’s nephew before becoming Crown Prince, he had no remaining royal authority to inherit. His presence at the banquet might have been a profound humiliation for him.

Perhaps his desire for revenge had begun then.

That day, Lucius found no enjoyment in playing with children his age. He took a ball his father had given him and went to the garden to play alone. While kicking the ball around, it flew off into the distance. When he went to retrieve it, he found the Crown Prince smoking a cigarette alone. In his hand was Lucius’s ball.

“Hey, kid, is this your ball?”

Lucius nodded. He knew the man was the Crown Prince, but being called “kid” irked him, so he didn’t offer a proper greeting.

Seeing Lucius’s sulky expression, the Crown Prince burst into laughter.

“Hey, kid, if you want this ball, you’ve got to beg for it. Otherwise, I won’t give it back.”

Lucius had no intention of begging. He wasn’t particularly attached to the ball. He figured he could simply play with another one.

As Lucius turned to leave, the Crown Prince chuckled. It was then that Lucius noticed the strong smell of alcohol mingling with the cigarette smoke. The man was clearly drunk.

After laughing for a while, the Crown Prince spoke again.

“Your name is Lucius Carlisle, isn’t it? Even a child from the Carlisle family dares to ignore me. Fine, if you don’t want the ball, let’s do this.”

He stubbed out his cigarette on the ball. The ball burst with a loud pop from the heat of the embers.

He looked straight at Lucius’s startled face and smirked.

“Oh dear, what will you do now that the gift your father gave you is broken? Shouldn’t you have begged to have it returned sooner?”