Lilian of Turin

Tuk, degururu!

“Oh my, brother!”

The pen stand, which fell from Cedric’s hand, splattered ink as it rolled brilliantly over the confidential document he was writing.

Embarrassed, Cedric tried to pick up a pen, but hit the inkwell with his elbow and the inkwell fell and hit the vase.

Attempts to pick up the vase failed spectacularly, disturbing the narrowly stacked pile of papers.

Crash, thump!

It took less than 10 seconds for the tidy office to become a mess.

Cedric, who stood in the middle, looked like a man who had lost his country.

“Oh my gosh… Are you okay?”

He wasn’t okay.

“Lily, that, m, m, m, ma…”

Cedric couldn’t even pronounce the terrible word.

‘Marriage!’

It’s not a sleepwalk in the middle of the night. It wouldn’t have been more shocking had he been struck by lightning while walking down the street.

Cedric held onto one last ray of hope and asked.

“Maybe it was a joke and this brother heard it wrong…”

“Um, no.”

The kind-hearted but resolute sister thwarted Cedric’s last remaining hope.

“Brother!”

“My lord!”

Allen supported Cedric, who was staggering in shock.

Lilian was taken aback, knowing that Cedric was negative about the marriage but never expecting to shock him this much.

“Then…shall I come back later and talk about it, brother?”

“N-no!”

Cedric shook his head right away, even in his listless state. He couldn’t let Lilian go like this.

“Tell me what the hell made you think such a terrible thought.”

For him to describe it as terrible.

Lilian was perplexed and puzzled.

“It’s just speeding up the wedding we were supposed to have anyway.”

“That…ha…but…”

Allen thought as he helped his shocked master into a seat.

‘Anymore and he might cry.’

Of course, Lilian, who was thoroughly insensitive in this respect, had no idea.

“It’s not because of my personal feelings. For the sake of Turin, this marriage must happen now.”

Lilian repeated the explanation that had persuaded Damian.

Her explanation was so logical that even Cedric, who wanted to somehow soften this decision, was convinced in his head.

But his head and heart are separate, so Cedric desperately squeezed out a reason not to.

“But marriage is usually with the permission of the Emperor…”

After talking that far, Cedric hesitated.

…is there any reason why our Islar needs permission from that mongrel?

There was none.

‘He’s like a scumbag who is of no use to anyone in the world!’

Cedric gnashed his teeth.

“No, not right now anyway. I’m not ready to sign your permit.”

“Brother.”

With a very apologetic face, Lilian pulled out her papers.

“This…”

The moment he checked the seal and phrase stamped on the document, Cedric’s hand became stronger. Riip, the paper was torn in two.

“It’s a copy.”

Lilian quietly advised.

“Lily!”

“Brother.”

Lilian whispered in a low voice.

Cedric felt like crying a little.

At first, it felt like a dream that he had tried to force this marriage, and that Lilian had rejected it.

When she was a child, he could take care of her. He was able to carry her without her feet touching the ground.

Even now, it’s not impossible to hold her, but Lilian will refuse, saying that it’s not helpful for the prestige of the Lord and her own reputation.

Cedric looked mournfully at his stern sister. But while Lily was troubled, she wasn’t discouraged.

“I believe that my brother will make the right decision as the Patriarch.”

When he first accepted this marriage talk, he wouldn’t believe it if someone told him that he’s going to ruin it.

Cedric was unable to say anything in the face of this shockingly reversed situation. It was because he realized once again that this situation was from his own actions.

***

So while crying and eating mustard, the marriage of Damian Rupenwein and Lilian Islar was decided a week later.

“It’s a busy time for everyone.”

Although the tax collection work was completed to some extent, it was time to start preparing for the winter in earnest. Moreover, preparations for attending the Grand Reconciliation were still ongoing.

In Turin Castle’s division of labor, this was the same as dying from overwork!

“I don’t want to burden you with a grandiose wedding. Of course, Your Highness will have to understand, but…”

Damian had no reason to refuse.

Rather, he welcomed it with open arms, but the cunning man hid his true feelings for some time and answered politely.

“Yes, you can do whatever you want, my lady.”

Ivan thought the smile on Damian’s lips was hideously heinous, but he couldn’t say anything for the sin of being a loyal servant.

“Ah, yes.”

When Damian reached out his hand behind him, Ivan sighed and handed over the documents he had prepared.

“I prepared the prenuptial agreement mentioned at that time, but…”

Lilian accepted the papers in a flash. Damian added in a non-trivial tone.

“Please look at it and if you have anything else to add, feel free to do so.”

“Ah, yes…”

Fwip, Lilian turned over the papers. However, as she read line by line, Lilian’s expression hardened.

“Your Highness, this makes no sense.”

Usually, the main content of a prenuptial agreement is ‘how to compensate the other if the marriage breaks down’.

However, the contents of the contract that Damian had prepared were not common.

“What exactly doesn’t make sense?”

“Excuse me, but it’s everything.”

She didn’t know where to start commenting.

Once under this ridiculous contract, as soon as Lilian signed her marriage certificate, she was to be immediately handed over real estate, including the Cantacun villa that belonged to the Grand Duchy, and a few historic jewels.

Even after that, Lilian could receive 50 gold coins once a month as long as she maintained the marital relationship normally.

It was stated that this was an entirely separate money from the budget she was allocated as Grand Duchess.

Money that she could spend as she please without the need for expense processing or accounting reporting.

In addition, three gold coins was enough for a family of four for a month. It was a ridiculous amount of money given without conditions.

After six months like that, Lilian will receive a lump sum of 500 gold coins. After one year, it’ll be 1000 gold coins, and after three years, she will receive the tax right of Excelsior, the lakeside city that’s said to be the most beautiful in the Grand Duchy.

Even the condition that Damian mentioned earlier, ‘If Damian Rupenwein commits adultery, half of his property will be transferred to Lily Islar.’

But, more than anything else, the condition that made Lilian feel absurd was…

“When Lily Islar commits an affair, ‘she can’t file for divorce for 10 years’ it says.”

Even after rubbing her eyes and looking again, that was the only condition that could be said to be disadvantageous for Lily.

No, she didn’t even know if this can be called a disadvantage.

‘If I have an affair, I won’t be divorced right away, but I’ll be unable to divorce for the next 10 years.’

It was a provision that Lily’s normal common sense way of thinking could not understand at all.

Anyway, one thing was clear.

“It’s an unfair contract.”

It was too much in favor of Lilian.

These were conditions that Damian would not write down even if he was a 70-year-old man who had remarried ten times.

Damian nodded his head with a hum.

“All right. If ten years is too long, should I cut it down to 7 years?”

“Pardon?”

As Lilian was surprised by the unexpected answer, Damian’s expression turned a little sullen.

“Is it too long? If so, 5 years. I’m sorry, but I can’t yield any more below that.”

“No, Your Highness, I mean…”

Words didn’t work at all. Lilian was speechless for a moment. However, with her natural composure, she quickly came to her senses.

“I don’t mean that, Your Highness. These conditions are too much for me.”

“Is it too much?”

Damian looked genuinely surprised. Lilian was stunned.

What the hell does this person think of this marriage and her?

To put it bluntly, this engagement was a kind of transaction. And Lily thought Damian was paying too much.

“Yes, it’s too much. It’s completely unacceptable to my conscience.”

Damian blinked, then burst into laughter.

Apparently, Lilian was mistaken that Damian was giving away both his liver and gallbladder.

‘As if I’m a poor man.’

But Damian had no intention of letting the naive bride know that in fact, this was a deal far below her worth.

‘She’s cute as well.’

Her conscience won’t allow it.

Damian, who was born and lived his whole life in battle, found Lilian’s integrity and innocence strange and cute.

‘Anyway, this is a big deal.’

It’s because the only advantages Damian could give his bride were worldly things such as wealth and power, and incidentally, his beauty.