Marriage Contract with Two Husbands

Black hair, pale skin, and blue eyes that didn’t lose their light even under the lush trees and dark shadows. He reminded her of someone. The only difference was that Julin’s eyes weren’t cold like Melchor’s.

“I apologize for taking so much of your time. I will be heading back now. Goodbye, Roseline.” Julian bowed once and walked away.

Roseline looked at him receding back for a while. She then moved quickly. There was no time. She didn’t know the direction properly but she figured that if the boy who just left was heading towards the academy, then the path opposite to that would probably reach the Postenmeyer Mansion.

* * *

Despite her fear of taking a wrong turn again, Roseline found herself in the garden of rose bushes. There was no disturbance. Everything was quiet. Melchor must have entered the mansion for his treatment. I should go to my room as fast as possible.

Roseline thought that it would be difficult to prevent crime and disturbance when this place was connected to the forest in this way. But she figured there must be a reason it was built like this. After all, this mansion belonged to the Postenmeyer family. Roseline decided not to dwell on it too much.

* * *

“You’re late.”

When she reached the room on the third floor, Melchor was already sitting on the sofa in the drawing-room.

Melchor looked alright. He must have been patched up properly by Damien. The clothes that were ripped by her sword were nowhere to be seen. Instead, he wore a black, navy uniform with sky blue and orange embroidery on the rims. The uniform was similar to the one she had seen on Julian in the forest.

“Melchor. How’s your wound?”

“Not as bad to get you to worry.”

It wasn’t a very deep wound. But at the time, he hadn’t been fine when he got stabbed. Roseline had been angry and frustrated. She had lost control. She had felt apologetic for hurting him. He had been provoking her.

“I’m sorry, Melchor.”

“Why do you apologize?”

“I think was… too childish.”

It was true that he always provoked her. His attitude was a problem for her. But the way she had reacted hadn’t been too mature. She reflected on her actions for a moment.

“Melchor, is there anything you want from me?”

“I’d like you to sign the marriage vows.”

“Other than that?”

“Well, I don’t really have anything in mind right now.”

He doesn’t have anything in mind or whatever he is going to say next is too insensitive? Roseline brushed it off and walked to the sofa. She sat across from where he was seated. Signing the vows seemed so simple at a glance. But writing her name on that piece of paper coated with a gold leaf would completely change her life.

“Melchor, if I do this, you said you would pay the fine for my mother and Alfons?”

“Yes.”

She would be the wife of the Grand Duke. What other choice did she have? She couldn’t leave her family.

“How much is the fine?” she asked.

“70 million gold.”

“What?!” 70 million! My family’s annual income is a little under 90,000 gold!

It was a massive amount that Roseline didn’t think she could pay back in her own lifetime. Considering the management cost of the mansion, the salaries of her servants, and some amount set aside for social activities, she didn’t think it was possible for her to pay him back. The empire might go down first. Roseline felt a chill.

“You told me you bought back the territory at double the price. How much did you pay?”

“Not much. Probably about 3.6 million.”

So, that means it was originally 1.8 million. The Crimson Rose family would be worth half that. Her head was reeling with all the calculations. “That amount of money… You’re going to pay for everything at the Grand Duchy of Postenmeyer?”

“It’s not that big of a sum. Besides Postenmeyer family’s financial situation is not so bad to feel burdened by these expenses.”

That is more than the empire’s annual budget! How is that not a burden? Is the Great House of Postenmeyer really this rich?

Roseline tried to recall the things she had learned at the academy but she couldn’t remember very well. A total figure of 73.6 million flew around in her head.

“It’s not something I can pay you back.”

The amount was far too much. If one-hundredth of that cost had been paid for any bride, the father would happily sell all of his daughters. I should work really hard from now on, Roseline thought bitterly.