Reasons for Contract Marriage - Chapter 9

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“So, if she’s not Luce’s girlfriend, then who is she?” Daniel asked, his curiosity evident. Having returned home late, he knew nothing about Brianna. Her modest attire and lack of companions made him only vaguely guess her status. It was surprising enough that Lucius had brought a lady, but bringing an unfamiliar commoner was even more astonishing.

“She’s a friend of Florian’s,” the Dowager Duchess explained. “They grew up together like childhood friends in Harzen. Originally, Florian was supposed to meet her, but plans changed, so he asked Luce to do it. There was an incident at the train station, and that’s why they stopped by here for a while.”

“Ah, I see,” Daniel replied, smiling at Lucius. “Too bad, brother. You could have brought a noble lady instead. I would have arranged the marriage right away.”

Lucius realized from that comment that Brianna had been immediately disqualified as a potential marriage partner simply because she wasn’t of noble birth. It was, in some ways, an expected reaction. After all, he had always assumed he would marry a suitable noblewoman from a respectable family.

“But that girl seems quite capable,” the Dowager Duchess continued.

A fresh teacup had been set for Daniel. As he reached for it, he paused and looked at his mother.

“What abilities are you referring to? Surely you didn’t put a guest to work.”

“Oh, you,” she chided lightly. “I meant she is very intelligent. I would like to have her by my side if possible.”

“She impressed you that much?” Daniel asked, surprised. It was rare for his mother, who was very particular about people, to speak so highly of someone she had just met.

“Dowager Countess Linares must have taught her a lot. I can understand why. I would have wanted to teach her everything I knew too. She even speculated that a war could break out in Sierra. It’s rare for a young girl to have such insight.”

The Dowager Duchess explained the conversation they had earlier, and Daniel chuckled in disbelief.

“While it’s true that the current political situation is unstable, the likelihood of a war in Sierra is very slim. Predicting a war based on the halt of a single export item is an overreach. If wars started that easily, this continent would have been devastated long ago.”

The Dowager Duchess pondered for a moment before speaking again. “Actually, His Holiness sent me a letter recently.”

She called for the butler to fetch the letter from her study. The letter began with a simple greeting. The current Pope, Rino II, is the Dowager Duchess’s uncle, and they are very close. He had always been particularly fond of her and had provided significant support during her marriage negotiations with the Duke of Carlisle.

Most of the letter inquired about her well-being. However, at the end, there was a warning that the situation in Sierra was unstable and advised her to withdraw any investments there immediately.

“…Could it be that His Holiness is behind all this?” Lucius was the one who asked the question. If the Pope was involved, it changed everything. This wasn’t just a trade dispute between nations; it could escalate into a major religious war. Such a conflict would be hard to resolve quickly.

“His Holiness has never been pleased with Sierra being under the Khazak Empire’s influence. It seems he wants to prevent the Empire from extending its power further.”

The Khazak Empire and the Papal States had been in conflict for a long time. On the continent of Granus, where the Pope’s authority was immense, the Emperor’s ambition to dominate created a natural opposition between the two powers.

The conflict dated back about twenty years. Emperor Herman I, a rising power at the time, sought to divorce his Empress and marry Countess Rienz, his mistress. However, the Pope refused to sanction the divorce, threatening excommunication. The Emperor resisted, but an internal rebellion forced him to comply with the Pope’s decree.

Nevertheless, Herman I did not meekly acquiesce afterward. While he did not divorce the Empress, he did not part ways with Countess Rienz either. He openly attended official events with his mistress instead of the Empress, provoking the Pope.

The tension reignited over the issue of clerical appointments. To weaken the Pope’s influence in his domain, the Emperor stripped the Pope of his authority to appoint clergy and filled the positions with his own people.

“If the Khazak Empire uses the excuse of mining development to completely take over Sierra, they would be extending their reach right up to the Papal States’ doorstep. That’s exactly what His Holiness wants to prevent,” Daniel said.

“In the end, Sierra will become a battleground for various nations. Minerals remain, but the land will be ravaged, and lives lost without anyone caring,” Lucius added.

The three fell silent for a moment. Daniel finally broke the silence with a sigh. “For now, it’s best for us to step back and observe. If His Holiness requests support, we may need to send troops, but that is a separate issue…”

“Wait! Surely, Luce isn’t going to be sent there?” the Dowager Duchess asked, alarmed.

Daniel laughed. “Mother, that’s what soldiers do. They fight when the nation requires it.”

“This is why I was against Luce becoming a soldier in the first place. What did you say back then? That there would never be a war?”

Daniel scratched his head. As someone who had underestimated the situation worse than even an uneducated country girl, he had no defense.

The Dowager Duchess’s anger now shifted towards the distant Pope. “I should have known when my uncle kept wanting Luce. He kept singing praises about making him his successor, and now this!”

The Pope had long been searching for his successor. Unable to find a suitable candidate among the current clergy, he turned to his relatives and had favored Lucius the most.

Since noble sons, other than the eldest, could neither inherit titles nor wealth, their career options were limited. Unless they were content with the allowances given out of courtesy, most became soldiers or clergy, the only paths to obtaining titles and power on their own.

Thus, the Pope had tried to persuade Lucius with the promise of grooming him. Of course, these efforts were thwarted when Lucius decided to become a soldier.

“If he wants a successor so badly, he should have an illegitimate child in secret instead of coveting someone else’s son and causing such chaos…”

“Oh, Mother! You mentioned personal funds earlier, right? Shall we discuss that in more detail now?” Daniel exclaimed in panic, quickly trying to cover the Dowager Duchess’s mouth. Regardless of their closeness, what she had just said was not appropriate for someone of the Pope’s stature, who was regarded as God’s representative.

To prevent further blasphemy, Daniel hurriedly escorted the Dowager Duchess out, effectively ending the conversation.

Back in his room, Lucius immediately washed up. As he emerged from the bathroom in his robe, a servant was waiting with a letter in hand.

“A servant from Viscount Robert’s household delivered this,” the servant said.

Lucius tore open the letter. It wasn’t very long. The letter explained that Brianna had told them about today’s events and thanked him for his help. It also mentioned that Brianna would return to Harzen the next morning and that Florian would personally escort her to the train station. The letter concluded with well-wishes for the weekend and a note about meeting at school.

“My lord, I can’t seem to find your handkerchief among your belongings. Did you leave it somewhere else?” the servant asked while organizing his clothes.

The incident in the carriage came to Lucius’s mind. He recalled the glimpse of Brianna’s slender ankle beneath her slightly raised skirt, and a strange heat enveloped him once again.

“I lost it,” he said abruptly, turning away.

“Ah, I see,” the servant replied. It was odd, as the young master had never been one to lose things. Nevertheless, the servant bowed respectfully and said, “Good night, my lord.”

After the servant left, Lucius placed the letter on the table, thinking that once Brianna returned to Harzen, they would probably never meet again.