Contract Marriage: Rewritten - Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Translator: Yonnee
—
“Then, I’ll see you again later, Wife.”
As soon as he finished signing, he immediately turned and left.
That was the end of her meeting with the first imperial prince.
After that, while Laniakea stayed in the guest residence and prepared for the wedding, he did not return to the imperial palace.
‘At this rate, will he even come to the wedding?’
According to the laws of the empire, as long as the marriage contract was properly completed, it would already take effect, and the couple would be officially recognized as married from that moment onward.
So, he might not even bother with the tedious formality of holding a wedding ceremony.
But contrary to her thoughts, Hyperion did attend the wedding.
Although, he arrived only on the morning of the ceremony.
He arrived in bloodstained clothing and left immediately after the ceremony, just as he had after signing the contract.
After the wedding, Laniakea, left alone, moved into a detached palace within the imperial palace grounds.
“It’s the most beautiful detached palace. It’s a place with expansive forests and a gorgeous garden.”
In response to the empress’s words, Laniakea smiled brightly and replied,
“It’s a wonderful place that reminds me of my homeland. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness, Your Majesty the Empress.”
The empress looked at Laniakea with a gaze of approval, as if she were watching a new puppy performing a cute little trick.
From then on, Laniakea’s life flowed peacefully.
For the first few months, the empress took Laniakea to banquets. She seemed eager to show everyone that she was taking care of the wife of the first imperial prince.
But that only lasted for about half a year. The empress was a busy person, with many other people to attend to.
As a result, the banquets, which at first took place once a week, gradually decreased to once every two weeks, and then to once a month.
And just like that, three years passed.
.
.
.
02_Nothing Goes as Planned
Laniakea looked at the document sent from the main palace.
Once a month, the main palace would send a schedule to each of the detached palaces, detailing the events that the residents of each palace were required to attend.
Naturally, the term ‘residents of the detached palaces’ referred to the emperor’s four sons and their wives.
A few months ago, Laniakea had accidentally seen the schedule for another palace.
It was a very thick document. But the schedule in front of her now consisted of only a single sheet of paper.
And for good reason…
“This month’s schedule is empty again.”
While the other imperial consorts handled two to three, or even close to ten, events a day, Laniakea’s schedule remained completely empty.
With an air of nonchalance, she placed the schedule back into the drawer.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, followed by a voice.
“Imperial Consort Highness, permission enter.”
“Lucy? Come in.”
At Laniakea’s reply, the door swung open energetically, and a young woman dressed in a maid’s uniform entered.
Though only adults were allowed to serve as maids in the imperial palace, Lucy looked more like a girl than a grown woman.
Pushing a tea cart with a teapot on top, she approached Laniakea.
“New tea leaves. Yum.”
With those words, Lucy lifted the teapot and poured the tea into a cup.
Normally, this would produce a delicate, trickling sound.
Splash!
Instead, there was a loud, vigorous sound, and tea splattered onto the tea cart.
Laniakea simply watched this scene with a calm expression. She was used to it by now.
Lucy, having spilled the tea, wiped the cart with a clean cloth she had prepared in advance. Then, she placed the cup in front of Laniakea.
Her movements were so forceful that the tea sloshed over the edge again.
“…Sorry.”
“It’s fine. It’s just because you’re so full of energy, Lucy. But the new tea leaves are really nice. The fragrance is rich. You should have some too.”
“Thanks.”
Lucy bowed deeply to express her gratitude, then grabbed the teapot and poured the hot tea directly into her mouth.
Watching this, Laniakea thought,
‘The Lupin way is as bold as ever…’
In fact, Lucy wasn’t truly just a low-ranked maid despite wearing the uniform. She was Laniakea’s sole ‘lady-in-waiting’.
Of course, Lucy hadn’t been Laniakea’s only lady-in-waiting from the beginning.
After the wedding, when Laniakea moved into this detached palace, the empress had assigned her five ladies-in-waiting. Lucy was one of them.
‘Although the empress called them ladies-in-waiting, she really just sent me troublemakers.’
Lucy was a member of the Lupin tribe, a minority group from a remote corner of the empire.
With their bronze-toned skin, the Lupin people were easy to recognize, and they were known for their incredible physical abilities.
They were not only exceptionally strong but also possessed extraordinary stamina, endurance, and physical resilience. It was even said that they could endure extreme heat without sustaining serious injuries.
Want to read more? Advanced chapters are available on Patreon! (for selected novels only)
≪ Discord ≫
≪ Novel Updates ≫