Contract Marriage: Rewritten - Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Translator: Yonnee
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“Your Highness the First Imperial Prince?”
Laniakea looked at the man who had addressed her, feeling bewildered.
Before coming to the empire, she had heard many stories about the first imperial prince.
Her sisters had endlessly gossiped about how he had no foundation in the empire, how poorly he was treated, and how powerless he was.
During the journey here, the lady-in-waiting sent by the empress had incessantly talked about how cold, stern, and unfeeling the first imperial prince was.
Of course, the lady-in-waiting hadn’t been so blunt.
“His Highness the First Imperial Prince, has… well, a very strong presence. Other members of the imperial family find it difficult to approach him.”
Even as the lady-in-waiting spoke, her face betrayed a trace of pity that she couldn’t entirely hide from Laniakea.
From the maid’s attitude, Laniakea mentally prepared herself for the man who would be her husband.
‘So, he’s powerless, but terrifying and bad-tempered.’
Normally, the eldest son would inherit the throne, but the empress had taken all of that away from him.
Naturally, there was no way he could harbor any goodwill toward the wife the empress had chosen and forced upon him.
That’s what she had thought—until their eyes met.
In that instant, Laniakea realized something.
‘He doesn’t seem to dislike me as much as I expected.’
She had braced herself for hostility or disgust, but the first imperial prince, Hyperion, simply looked at her with a calm, neutral gaze.
This left her even more flustered.
When men saw her for the first time, they usually displayed surprise, followed by a smile.
Laniakea hated those smiles. Beneath them, she could sense their contempt and base desires.
But Hyperion neither reacted with surprise nor smiled. Instead, he merely looked at her steadily, his expression serene.
Perhaps thinking it impolite to stare, Hyperion averted his gaze and went to his seat.
“……”
Without a word, he began reading the contract placed before him, as though the brief greeting he had given earlier was sufficient.
Laniakea watched him silently, her heart still pounding.
To be honest, she had assumed the description of the lady-in-waiting was exaggerated.
But now that she was seated across from him, she realized the lady-in-waiting hadn’t exaggerated at all.
‘He’s huge.’
She recalled that the imperial prince had lived in a monastery from a young age.
Monastic life was said to involve extreme austerity, with little food and rigorous discipline, resulting in lean physiques.
Yet, the first imperial prince sitting before her had a build comparable to lifelong knights.
He was tall and broad, with a commanding presence. Despite his size, he didn’t seem sluggish, likely due to his disciplined, efficient movements.
Even with him merely sitting across from her, Laniakea felt paralyzed.
It was as though a statue of a god from myth had come to life.
The sight of him alone was overwhelming.
Laniakea gripped her trembling hands tightly and stole another glance at him.
As her initial shock began to subside, she finally took in his face—and was startled again.
‘He’s… handsome?’
The oppressive presence she had barely managed to endure was paired with a face so striking it left her speechless.
Laniakea, accustomed to beauty due to her family, rarely found herself moved by appearances.
Even when she saw the most handsome noble scion in Priatra, her reaction had been lukewarm at best.
‘Strong features… Or rather, solid.’
Unlike the refined elegance of the noble heirs she was used to, Hyperion’s appearance was distinctly different, making it all the more impactful.
It was as if a figure had been sculpted from steel.
But her astonishment ended there.
As she watched him flip through the contract with the same emotionless expression, her earlier amazement gradually faded.
Though he was now her husband, he was likely someone she wouldn’t see often.
‘I won’t want to see him anyway.’
At most, they might meet two or three times a year.
With that thought, Laniakea’s gaze drifted to a stain on one side of Hyperion’s clothing.
She wondered what it could be and leaned forward slightly for a closer look.
“Is there a problem?”
Noticing her gaze, Hyperion lifted his head and met her eyes.
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