It did seem like Lucian had said the wedding was today when they were leaving the Marquis’ house earlier.
She had thought she had misheard and had a.s.sumed he had just said it to get rid of the Marquis.
“The wedding is really today?”
Dalton felt even worse after hearing Ariel’s pure, chick-like question.
“……Yes.”
He was nervous that the lady may feel upset since the Grand Duke’s son was deciding things as he pleased.
She was still a young girl, but it had been decades since a lady had been brought into the house that they needed to serve, and things were like this from the start.
What kind of husband doesn’t even tell his wife when the wedding is?
But Ariel was only slightly fl.u.s.tered and wasn’t too surprised.
Marriages that occurred between children were usually just small ceremonies anyway.
It would be foolish to dress little children in a wedding dress and suit, and it was pointless to have a huge ceremony since they could split up when they grow up.
A small wedding was where there was one attendant, the bride, and groom, and it would end after the wedding rings were exchanged and the contracts were signed.
Ariel nodded after she had completed her thoughts.
“I understand.”
Dalton’s eyes widened.
Just like that?
She was getting married into the Grand Duke’s family, after all, and not some other random family.
He expected that she would at least want a proper wedding, of all things…….
Unlike Dalton’s thoughts, Ariel believed this was normal.
She and Lucian were in a relationship bound by a contract anyway, and since they would split up when they were older, there was no need for a huge ceremony.
And the one who wanted to escape the Marquis’ grasp quickly through marriage was her, not Lucian.
‘Since he said the wedding would be today in front of father earlier, he technically did tell me when the wedding would be.’
She got up after stretching her arms.
“Where is he?”
She had something she needed to confirm with him before the wedding.
Ariel’s condition was that ‘she would be his wizard if they got married’, but Lucian’s interpretation could have been different.
‘I hope it’s something I can accomplish with my abilities.’
She followed Dalton as he led her to the room of the Grand Duke’s son.
Dalton tilted his head in confusion as he matched his pace with Ariel, who walked far slower than him.
He had felt like he was being tricked or watching a terrible play when the Grand Duke’s son announced that he would be getting married to the overnight visitor.
But it was strange to see how calmly the little girl who would be his bride was taking the situation.
‘Is it because she’s someone the Grand Duke La Carte’s son chose, even if he’s not quite sane? She doesn’t act like other children around her age.’
Of course, she just looks like a cute little animal on the outside…….
Dalton struggled to keep his face from loosening up at the thought.
“We’re here, Miss.”
Dalton knocked and opened the door for her.
Ariel gasped in admiration at the tall doors.
But it’s what was inside these doors that she should have really been admiring.
When she stepped into the room, a magnificent scene unfolded in front of her eyes.
It was a large and luxurious room that made her realize that it really was the Grand Duke’s place.
‘You can’t even compare this room to the room I was on the first night.’
The plum-colored carpet on the floor and the huge lion leather carpet next to the bed caught her eye.
The sunlight poured in from several long windows – which were the height of two people – and filled the room.
There was a fire sparking from the coal in the huge fireplace which was made of marble that had a pattern crafted into it as if it were a piece of art, and there was a deer head on the wall above it, showing off its beautiful antlers.
The dark-colored ebony desk was messy as if it were reflecting the room owner’s personality, but there wasn’t a single pen on that desk that was useless.
There was the fur of a rare gray bear on a long chair, and the candle holder by the bedside had been made from red coral.
It was a luxurious and fancy environment that looked like it could compete against the room of any country’s prince.
‘This was why the things in Jerome’s room…….’
This made it easy to understand why he thought of the expensive items in Jerome’s room were all trash.
And in the middle of this room was a beautiful boy whose beauty made all the color in the room except him disappear.
“You’re here, kid.”
Ariel puffed her cheeks.
How dare he call his wife a kid!
“Come in.”
Dalton closed the door silently after letting Ariel in.
She walked carefully on the carpet, which looked too expensive to step on.
Frustrated by this, Lucian walked towards Ariel and lifted her up.
“Ah.”
Then he tossed her onto the large ebony desk.
“It must take hours for you to walk around this room with those short legs of yours.”
It wouldn’t take hours.
Ariel thought that she needed to get used to him lifting her up as if she were a small baby rabbit.
After Lucian sat on the table with her, she carefully asked.
“Can I hear your contract conditions now?”
“You’re impatient.”
He tapped his fingers slowly on the large ebony desk.
Even this simple action looked like a painting when he did it.
“The later you hear it, the better.”
Lucian looked into Ariel’s eyes.
She shivered subconsciously as she met his cold, dark blue eyes.
Lucian leaned on his arm on the desk where Ariel sat.
“The contract conditions are simple.”
He stretched his long, fair fingers slowly.
“Do your job as my wife. Obey my commands. And…….”
Lucian smoothly lifted Ariel’s red hair.
He spoke in a sweet voice.
“Your life is mine even after the marriage is over.”
* * *
“…….”
Ariel gulped.
What did he mean when he said her life was his even after their marriage was over?
Did Lucian want to own her magic and use it as he pleased forever like ‘he’ did?
Since everyone she met wanted to have her magic, Lucian may not be any different from them.
But deep down in Ariel’s heart, she believed otherwise.
‘No. Lucian said he wanted to help me.’
He had offered his hand to her even when they had met as enemies previously.
She believed he wouldn’t do anything that would bring her harm.
Ariel had a bit of trust in him because of her memory of him from the past.
‘And if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have been able to escape from the Marquis’ house.’
There would have been no life left for her if that happened.
Ariel had nothing to lose.
It was better to jump into something uncertain than walk towards a miserable ending.
“I understand.”
When Ariel replied simply, Lucian paused for a moment and frowned elegantly.
“Aren’t you scared? Who knows what I’ll do with you.”
She bit her small lips.
“I’ll be prepared for it.”
“…….”
He let out a laugh after a long silence.
“You, you’re a funnier kid than I expected.”
Ariel tilted her head.
Lucian whispered ‘I thought she was an herbivore because she’s small and white, but I guess she’s a carnivore’, and pulled out a piece of paper.
“Then let’s write the contract.”
Ariel followed his writing on the contract and read it.
There were four things on the contract.
Lucian was the contractor, and Ariel was the subcontractor.
1. The subcontractor will receive 7 years of protection from the Grand Duke family as the wife of the contractor until she becomes an adult.
2. During the marriage, both will act as a couple publicly and fulfill their own roles.
3. For 7 years, the subcontractor will obey the contractor’s commands as his wizard.
4. The marriage will be over once the subcontractor reaches adulthood.
Ariel raised her head after she had finished reading.
‘There aren’t any conditions that work against me?’
Just be by his side for 7 years as his wizard and then she would be free.
There was no condition anywhere that restricted her forever.
When she looked up at him with confused eyes, he smiled and stamped the area next to the text that said ‘contractor’.
“……Do you not have any more conditions?”
“I don’t.”
He pushed the stamp ink towards her.
“Here. You fearless kid.”
Ariel noticed that the ink was magic stamp ink.
Magical items in the empire were very rare and expensive.
Among those, magical stamp ink could make a normal contract into a magical contract.
This meant the effect of the contract would still be there even if the contract itself was lost.
Ariel read the contract again several times before stamping because she couldn’t believe it.
Push.
There on the paper were two fingerprint stamps which were significantly different in size.
Ariel’s thumb was similar in size to Lucian’s pinky.
Lucian handed the contract to her and spoke as he rubbed the red stamp ink off his finger.
“I’ll let you know now. Even though you’re my wizard, there’s no need for you to protect me. I’m not weak enough to be protected by you.”
“……?”
Ariel felt like she was diving deeper and deeper into a labyrinth.
She was getting into an unfair contract, and it was advantageous for her.
What was she supposed to do at times like this?
Lucian lightly tossed something at her as she continued to be fl.u.s.tered.
“Keep this.”
Toss.
Ariel caught the velvet case he threw in midair with her two hands.
“It’s a wedding gift.”
Ariel wondered what gift she could possibly need at this point.
The mine was given to the Marquis, he refused marriage gifts from her family, and even the contract conditions were advantageous for her.
“Open it.”
“Yes.”
When she opened the box, the family heirloom necklace from earlier was on a piece of silk cloth.
“Why this……?”
Lucian got up from his chair and faced Ariel, who was still sitting on the desk.
He spoke as if he were whispering.
“This is trash, but keep it well until I completely ruin Marquis Lucilleon’s family.”
If you took out what he was saying, it sounded pretty caring.
The problem was that you couldn’t take it out.
Lucian raised her chin with his index finger to meet her eyes.
He seemed strangely joyful.
“This is the last piece of trash you’ll ever have. From now on you won’t be having any more of these poorly made toys.”
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For Ariel, this was already too much.
Since it was like a pillar of the Marquis’ family had been taken out and brought to her.