A Marriage Alliance for Revenge - Chapter 17

At Lucas’s utterances, the gathered employees cast fleeting glances at him and Briella, then bowing their heads. Some individuals fanned themselves to cool their flushed faces while gazing at a distant mountain.

 

In particular, Baron lowered his head as if he had seen something unbearable and swiftly disappeared into the mansion. Following his lead, the employees returned to their respective posts.

 

“Ahem, ahem.”

 

Vinter coughed lightly and finally withdrew. Observing the tranquil garden, Briella let out a soft sigh.

 

‘What was he thinking?’

 

“What were you thinking?”

 

“What?”

 

As Lucas approached, Briella, who had made her way to the terrace of the parlor, asked. The two faced each other across the terrace railing.

 

“Did I seem completely out of my mind to you?”

 

“Ah-”

 

Finally, did she understand why Lucas had uttered such words in front of a crowd. The rumor of his infatuated behavior toward his barbarian-blooded wife had permeated throughout the capital.

Seeing Lucas deliberately creating such an atmosphere, Briella let out a subdued sigh.

 

Unconsciously, she cautiously soothed her pounding heart. While Briella was calming her heart, Lucas gazed at her intently.

 

The gaze in Lucas’s eyes changed at the calm ripples in her green eyes.

 

“In all honesty, it’s astonishing.’

 

Before Briella could respond, Lucas turned his body and leaned against the terrace, gazing out at the garden. A transformation had befallen the garden at the hands of the gardeners employed by Briella and Vinter.

 

Briella, who ended up looking at the same place, followed Lucas’s gaze. he desolate expanse had assumed the semblance of a respectable garden.

 

“Aren’t there any flowers that bloom in autumn?”

 

As Lucas murmured whilst surveying the garden, Briella silently stole a glance at him. She had discussed the simplest and most basic forms of garden design with Vinter when they decided to decorate the garden.

 

They hadn’t built a greenhouse, which was commonly used to display wealth among the nobility, and had abstained from planting costly imported flowers. Such endeavors not only posed challenges in terms of maintenance but also incurred substantial expenses.

 

Briella looked at the garden she had arranged. She regretted that she hadn’t put more effort into it, reflecting upon the prospect that Lucas might prolong his stay here..

 

“If you wish, I will prepare it within a few days.”

 

In response to Briella’s rejoinder, Lucas briefly glanced at her. His countenance contorted ever so slightly, as if he found dissatisfaction in her response.

 

“What kind of flowers do you like?”

 

This time, Briella’s face contorted. It was a question she had never entertained before.

From the first time they met, she was morbidly reluctant to reveal anything about herself. As she said before, she was someone whom wanted to disappear without regrets once her usefulness expired.

 

“Well… I’m not sure.”

 

It took her a while to come up with an answer. Lucas chuckled in response. Perhaps he had expected that answer.

 

“You must have seen the new arrivals entering the manor.”

 

Upon Lucas’s declaration, Briella slowly nodded in affirmation. She had also received word from the housekeeper in the morning.

 

The number of employees commuting to the manor had swelled while the resident employees remained constant.

 

“Yes, I heard about it from the housekeeper.”

 

“They will become the ears and mouths, spreading rumors about the Viterpan manor.”

 

Lucas’s tone was composed. It was quite different from when a man, driven by love, decided to embark on becoming a married man without informing his sovereign.

 

Sensing the distance, Briella, who had been leaning against the terrace, straightened herself. She took a step further away from Lucas.

 

“I shall exercise greater caution.”

 

Lucas turned away at Briella’s response. As Briella distanced herself, Lucas approached closer.

 

“Very well. I suppose we should stick together more closely.”

 

Due to the height of the terrace, Briella found herself inadvertently peering down at Lucas. The sun, which had been burning red, had all but vanished.

 

Dusk settled over the garden, and sporadic lanterns lit up.

 

Before departing work, the voices of the hired hands who were surveying the vicinity she was in could be heard from various places.

 

‘Spread the story outside.’

 

Briella contemplated Lucas’s words as her body gradually inclined towards him. Her gaze, which had been cast from a lofty vantage point, slowly descended until it met his.

 

Their cheeks made contact. Briella’s slender hand delicately rested on Lucas’s shoulder. In response to her cautious gesture, Lucas smirked.

 

“Not what I expected, but it’s not bad.”

 

While embracing Briella, Lucas smiled and spoke.

 

“Did you expect something else?”

 

Since they were in an embrace, her breath brushed against Lucas’s ear. The warm breath, imbued with a distinct heat unlike the night breeze, caused the hairs on his body to stand on end.

 

Lucas, who had been hugging Briella, reached out his hand with strength.

 

“You’d better hold on tightly.”

 

“What?”

 

Briella’s body swiftly jolted in surprise.

 

The trailing hem of the gown she had donned to meet Lady Lawrence, the Countess, trailed behind her like ethereal butterfly wings.

 

There was no time to pay attention to the faint gasps coming from behind. Briella’s figure, elevated into the air by Lucas’s strength, was embraced in his arms.

 

Thump.

 

“Vinter and the maids seem to be working quite diligently.”

 

Lucas, having caught Briella, cradled her in his arms and lifted her akin to an infant. It was a gesture that bore semblance to weighing an object.

 

“Your Highness!”

 

“Oh, dear. My wife, you’re being too cold to me.”

 

Lucas’s resonant voice reverberated through the dimmed garden. Briella, who had buried her face in his chest, trembled slightly.

 

In an instant, her body moved involuntarily, regardless of her will, and her heart continued to beat frantically.

 

“I-I was startled, Your Highness.”

 

Gently, she pushed against Lucas’s chest. However, instead of retreating from Lucas, his solid frame drew closer.

 

” Oh, I presumed it was because of me, but it appears that you were merely startled, causing your heart to abruptly race so audibly.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

Unwittingly, Briella pressed her hand against her own heart. Even if it beat resoundingly, there was no conceivable way for the sound of her heart to reach Lucas’s ears.

However, it was true that her heart was pulsated more vigorously than usual, just as he said.

 

Lucas took Briella’s hand and placed it on his left chest.

 

Thump.

 

Thump.

 

Thump.

 

Resounding heartbeats reverberated, and she instinctively tried to withdraw her hand that had been ensnared without her knowledge. However, Lucas didn’t let go of Briella so easily.

 

Briella, tightly held by Lucas without the slightest movement, gazed up at him, nestled in his arms.

 

“When will those beautiful lips open? How much longer must I wait to hear?”

 

Lucas’s breath tangled with her whispering voice as they faced each other. Briella, who had been lost in a reverie, gazing absentmindedly at his black eyes as if drawn into their depths, snapped back to her senses.

 

“Ah… I was going to tell you today.”

 

“My wife can be quite charming. I’m already looking forward to tonight.”

 

The moon, silently suspended in the sky, stood witness to their union.

 

Briella cast a shy glance at her hand, which had been cradled by Lucas.

 

The warmth had dissipated, leaving her hand strangely cold. Yet, the warmth within her heart remained untouched by the changing seasons.

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Oh, my goodness.”

 

Baron lifted his chin in disbelief. Vinter, too, maintained a wordless demeanor, mirroring Baron’s sentiments.

 

“I must say, I made an excellent choice in marriage.”

 

Lucas smiled at Briella. With a satisfied smile on her face, Briella turned her head. If there were no one else around, she would have even ruffled his hair.

 

“Is the information reliable?”

 

Everyone sitting at the conference table looked at Briella with meaningful eyes. However, there was one person who didn’t.

 

Count Delevinge stood apart.

 

He stared at Briella with a stern expression. His gaze was filled with suspicion.

 

“I have already met Lady Lawrence, and she has confirmed it.”

 

“But what if she is lying?”

 

Indeed, was this the response from the so-called Western Gatekeeper of the Rhone Empire? He was a person with no room for error.

 

Briella carefully observed Count Delevinge.

 

This was a man who had never turned up during Empress Olivia’s reign, yet had suddenly rushed over upon hearing that Lucas had gotten married.

 

The more she got to know Lucas in his company, the more she realized how remarkable he was. He far surpassed Briella’s standards with the web of connections woven and wealth he had accumulated.

 

“There is no way the information I provided is false.”

 

Count Delevinge smirked in response to Briella’s resolute words. His commanding presence exuded an aura reminiscent of one who had spent extensive time on the battlefield.

“You haven’t even divulged the source of the information, and there is no evidence to substantiate Lady Lawrence is Princess Kali. What exactly do you expect us to believe?”

 

One corner of Count Delevinge’s mouth twisted.

 

‘Sigh-‘

 

During Empress Olivia’s reign, it was true that she remained behind her desk and handled affairs solely through paperwork, hence she would step back when meeting someone directly involved in the matter. But she couldn’t retreat now.

 

“Then don’t believe it.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

Count Delevinge was not the only one taken aback by Briella’s provocation.

Lucas, who had been observing the exchange with keen interest, lowered the hand that had been poised to raise the teacup, evidently taken aback by her words.

 

“Please observe me until you can place your trust in me. It shouldn’t take long.”

 

Briella raised the teacup as her throat burned. The teacup with a rose pattern wrapped around her white fingers.

 

” What’s that suppose to mean?”

 

“Didn’t the Count express disbelief in my words? So, I’m telling you to stay out of this matter. I don’t need a skeptical figure like you around.”

 

Count Delevinge’s countenance flushed crimson at Briella’s words. His tightly clenched jaw quivered noticeably, unable to conceal his ire.

 

“I’ll be anticipating it then. I wonder what talents the Duchess will display to astonish us.”

 

Briella’s demeanor remained unaltered in the face of Count Delevinge’s imposing presence.

Observing her, the Count sneered under his breath.

 

Having lived through the years, Count Delevinge was well acquainted with fact that individuals are not what they always appear to be.

However, the fragile appearance of Briella, who stood somewhat timidly next to Lucas upon arriving at the mansion, was nowhere to be found on the conference table.

 

Her slender neck seemed as though it would snap off with a single flick from Count Delevinge.

However, the determination she possessed rivaled that of a knight on the battlefield. Even now, she was not wavering under Count Delevinge’s scrutinizing gaze.

 

“Enough of this!”

 

Count Delevinge clicked his tongue at her. Amidst the whirlwind of urgency, she alone remained serene.

 

“What are you accomplishing here, Count?”

 

Lucas, who had been silently observing the two, stepped forward. His words were cold and composed to the point of cruelty.

 

He neither sided with Briella nor extended a hand to Count Delevinge.

 

“As the Duchess has said, I will refrain from interfering in this matter.”

 

Count Delevinge’s deep voice echoed within the conference room.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Vinter and Baron exchanged uneasy glances, clearly not pleased with the confrontation between Briella and Count Delevinge. Baron’s tightly sealed lips trembled slightly.

 

“Ah, this has become quite troublesome.”

 

Lucas’s gaze fell upon Briella. She sighed at the sight of his slightly upturned lips.

 

“”Forcing collaboration among those who harbor mutual distrust will only breed discord.”.”

 

“It falls upon you, then, to be persuasive.”

 

“That would be forcing it.”

 

“Does Count Delevinge not have a valid point? It’s dangerous to rally allies from the Kali people based solely on your words.”

 

“They are not my allies, but stepping stones. Besides, everything I have said so far has been true, hasn’t it?”

 

The gazes of the two met in mid-air. Neither Briella nor Lucas backed down, intensifying the hostile atmosphere.

 

“Briella.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.”

 

Lucas’s gaze remained fixed on Briella. Sparks ignited within their intertwined gazes. Briella, who had always sought to evade Lucas’s scrutiny, now exuded a different aura.

 

‘How invigorating. What has brought about this transformation?’

 

Lucas silently examined Briella’s resolute countenance, which fearlessly met his gaze.

 

Had she been born into a respectable family, she would have grown up basking in the love of doting parents and siblings.

For a moment, he imagined her as a child, throwing a tantrum befitting her age, rather than being in this rigid and somber conference room.

 

And then he closed his eyes. It was a futile hope, something that did not happen and would not happen.

 

Lucas, who had dismissed the thought, slowly revealed his dark pupils.

 

“Proof must be provided every hour, every moment. And it is something that everyone sitting at this conference table has experienced.”

 

At Lucas’s words, everyone sitting at the conference table lowered their heads.

 

Lucas made eye contact with each and every individual, emanating boundless trust.

 

Briella was not among them. She was like a towering pinnacle built up by time.

 

And his gaze finally settled on Briella.

 

“You promised to make me an emperor, did you not? And all those present here have sacrificed everything to make me an emperor.”

 

“Your Highness, you’ve waited for far too long. I cannot comprehend why you insist on choosing to take a difficult and circuitous path when an easier one is presented!”

 

“It is a lost path that I will not walk!”

 

The conference room reverberated with a thunderous roar. Briella’s eyes widened in astonishment at Lucas’s roar.

 

After briefly gazing at Lucas, Briella slowly lowered her head.

 

What Lucas unleashed was not a mere roar but an anguished cry for those lost.