Contract Marriage: Rewritten - Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Translator: Yonnee
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As the banquet neared its end, knights entered the hall. They had come from various regions to collect the donated care packages.
Everyone watched the gathered donations with pride, unable to hide their satisfied smiles.
Of course, only a portion of these would actually be distributed to ordinary soldiers—most would serve as bribes for those in higher positions. Even the knights collecting them might secretly pocket one of the more expensive items for themselves.
Laniakea fidgeted anxiously as she waited for Hyperion’s knight to arrive.
When he eventually entered, he showed no change in expression, even as he looked at the pitiful offering—just a single handkerchief and a few gold coins that amounted to mockery. He seemed entirely accustomed to such situations.
However, his eyes widened slightly at the sight of the handkerchief. Then, with impeccable decorum, he bowed deeply to Laniakea.
The nobles nearby began murmuring, making sure their words were loud enough for her to hear.
“Quite a few deaths in the last year, I heard.”
“Isn’t that a failure of leadership? Just look at Her Majesty the Empress’s territories—her forces always complete their missions without a single injury.”
What nonsense.
Comparing a secure region near the capital to the treacherous lands where barbarians and beasts frequently descended was absurd. Of course knights stationed in the harsher regions suffered more injuries.
Yet, they spoke as if the knights—and Hyperion himself—were simply incompetent.
Laniakea quietly approached the knight who was gathering the handkerchief and gold coins and spoke.
“I… I didn’t know there was a donation event at today’s banquet. If I had, I would have prepared more…”
“It’s all right. His Highness has already ensured that preparations for the winter are complete. He always inspects the care packages before sending them back.”
In other words, he never accepted them in the first place.
A few weeks after the banquet ended, Laniakea overheard the ministers talking at another gathering. They mentioned how Hyperion had returned most of the few gold coins he had received.
‘He must have thrown the handkerchief away.’
It wasn’t worth much, so perhaps his knight had simply discarded it.
She had thought nothing more of it after that.
But now—he still had it.
Laniakea hastily reached for the handkerchief in his hands, her heart sinking.
When he said he had ‘treasured’ it, was he actually mocking her for offering nothing else that day?
“I was unaware of the donation event and, embarrassed, I could only give a mere handkerchief. I apologize.”
She quickly tried to grab it and stuff it into her pocket.
But unlike what she had expected, Hyperion didn’t let go.
For a brief moment, the two of them engaged in a silent tug-of-war over the handkerchief.
Of course, the victor was Hyperion.
With just a slight pull, he had enough strength to make Laniakea stumble forward.
Startled, she released her grip, and Hyperion swiftly tucked the handkerchief into his own pocket as if hiding it away. Then, as if nothing had happened, he reached out to steady her.
Once she was seated again, he continued speaking in a completely composed manner.
“If you aren’t returning to Priatra, what are your plans after the divorce?”
His words reminded Laniakea of the reason she had wanted to meet with him in the first place.
“Well… actually, that’s what I wanted to discuss with you.”
She fidgeted with her now-clean fingertips and hesitated before finally speaking.
“I would like to remain in the empire even after the divorce. Not in the imperial palace, of course—I’d prefer to live in a distant province and spend my days quietly. But… As shameful as it is to admit, to be honest, I don’t have enough funds despite my efforts to save money…”
Her voice grew quieter.
The budget allocated to her palace was painfully tight. Without the empress’s so-called ‘generosity’, even purchasing a new dress for a banquet was difficult.
Skipping banquets was one thing, but she couldn’t refuse when the empress summoned her.
Laniakea was well aware that the empress invited her deliberately—forcing her to attend events despite knowing she lacked the means to afford new attire and jewelry, making her dependent on the empress’s favor.
Fortunately, about a year ago, the empress had stopped summoning her.
Still, while avoiding banquets had helped cut costs, the upkeep of her residence required unavoidable expenses.
She couldn’t simply reduce the wages of her attendants just because she was short on money. Instead, she let go of anyone who wished to leave and managed the palace with a skeleton crew.
Lucy helped as much as she could, but they were always short-staffed, so Laniakea often took on chores herself.
In particular, she had taken responsibility for cleaning Hyperion’s bedroom in his separate residence. Since Lucy frequently broke furniture in fits of frustration, it was easier for Laniakea to handle the room herself. With no one using it, all she had to do was dust it occasionally.
It was around that time that the empress’s ladies-in-waiting had visited unexpectedly.
Upon seeing Laniakea holding a broom and a duster, they exchanged glances, their whispers dripping with both pity and disdain.
“A princess consort wielding a broom? How pitiful.”
They clicked their tongues in mock sympathy and left.
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