CH 3

—

“Of course,” Laniakea replied, bowing politely.

The marriage contract.

It was a document that anyone with a certain level of status and wealth across the continent was required to draft before marriage.

Marriage among the powerful was less a union of love and more akin to a transaction between families.

This was because marriage involved not only the movement of people and property but also the future of entire families.

For that reason, marriage contracts were more complex and detailed than any other agreements.

They specified what each party would bring to the union, where they would live, how many servants they would employ and under what terms, and even mundane details such as the number of meals they would share per week.

Even the most ordinary aspects of daily life were outlined in the contract in meticulous detail.

Of course, if the couple had a good relationship, the contract’s importance diminished.

If both parties agreed to overlook breaches of the contract, who would enforce it?

However, when relations soured, the contract became critical—especially in cases of divorce.

At such times, the original contract was compared to determine which party violated more terms, assigning responsibility for the separation.

While marriage contracts were essential in noble unions, they were even more crucial for marriages between royalty and nobility.

“It seems the First Prince has returned to the palace today. If it’s acceptable to you, I’d like for the two of you to sign the contract today.”

The empress’s voice was kind, but her tone made it clear this was not a suggestion, but a directive.

“I have no objections.”

Laniakea answered as such. But in truth, she did.

This was her first long journey. It had taken her twenty grueling days by carriage to travel from Priatra to the empire.

Having rarely stepped beyond the palace walls in her life, Laniakea found the trip to the empire torturous.

But she was perceptive enough to understand that voicing a desire to rest in this situation was out of the question.

Perhaps her submissive response pleased the empress, as her smile softened slightly.

“You must still be weary from your travels. I apologize. But as this is a joyous occasion for the empire and as a mother eager to see her son’s union, I hope you’ll understand my desire to hasten this process.”

“Not at all, Your Majesty.”

The moment she crossed the empire’s border, she had realized how much influence the empress wielded.

Appeasing the empress could only work to her benefit.

For the sake of a peaceful future, enduring her exhaustion was a small price to pay.

Perhaps noticing Laniakea’s efforts, the empress turned to her ladies-in-waiting and issued instructions.

“Even so, some preparation is in order. Assist the princess in refreshing herself so she can review the contract comfortably. With her beauty, she’ll look stunning in our empire’s attire.”

The ladies-in-waiting bustled about following the empress’s command, and Laniakea quickly realized that this brief respite was an unplanned display of the empress’s grace.

It was a promising start.

* * *

Following the empress’s instructions, the maids tended to Laniakea with great care.

After a bath scented with fragrant oils and flower petals, they dressed her in a white summer gown.

From undergarments to the gown itself, the style of clothing was completely different from what she was used to in Priatra.

Once her attire was in place and her hair neatly brushed and pinned up, the waiting maids couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Oh my!”

“Truly… you’re so beautiful.”

They stared at Laniakea, unable to close their mouths.

At the same time, they felt pity.

If only she were to marry a prince other than the First Prince, she would be showered with affection, wealth, and honor.

But no matter how beautiful she was, this princess would have none of those.

Once her preparations were complete, Laniakea was escorted to the conference room.

“Please review the marriage contract before the arrival of His Highness, the First Prince,” said an elderly official, placing a thick, leather-bound document before her.

“This is the contract?”

The document’s thickness was more akin to a book. Though she didn’t say it aloud, the official seemed to read her thoughts.

“For an imperial marriage, this is standard. The sections regarding international relations have already been agreed upon with Priatra, so there’s nothing to worry about there.”

In other words, the diplomatic aspects had already been settled, and she need not concern herself with them.

“All that remains are a few personal agreements between the two of you as a couple. Please review them at your leisure.”

With that, the official left the room, leaving only Laniakea and two maids behind.

The maids stood a distance away but kept their eyes on her.

‘They expect me to start reading.’

Feeling the unspoken pressure, she opened the book-like contract.

Under the name of the divine, a pledge of mutual trust, loyalty, and love…

The preamble was as tedious and conventional as one might expect.

Laniakea forced herself to focus, willing her eyes to stay open as she scanned the pages.

As the maid had mentioned earlier, there wasn’t much she could change.

The crucial points had already been decided, leaving only a few personal matters within her purview.

Still, a contract was a contract. It wouldn’t hurt to familiarize herself with its contents.

Determined, Laniakea carefully began reading through the dense document.

The contract covered a multitude of details, from where she would reside after the marriage to mandatory banquets and the budget allotted to her as the prince’s consort.

‘50,000 gold per year, huh.’

It was an oddly specific amount.

It wasn’t a small amount, but as the budget for an imperial prince’s consort, it felt lacking.

‘I have to cover the salaries of the maids, personal purchases, and even banquets with just this much?’

Although Laniakea wasn’t familiar with the empire’s cost of living or the salaries within the imperial palace, she was certain this was the bare minimum needed to maintain the dignity of an imperial prince’s consort.

‘If I want more, I’ll have to get the empress’s approval.’

As soon as she read that clause, Laniakea was convinced.

The amount was sufficient for a modest lifestyle but barely enough to host even a small banquet. In other words, it wasn’t enough to engage in proper social activities.

The empress intended to control all of Laniakea’s actions.

It wasn’t surprising—she had expected this.

‘Honestly, I don’t have to do anything.’

But doing nothing would also likely displease the empress, so she’d need to humbly request additional funds from time to time.

She wondered how often she should make such requests as she continued to flip through the contract.

What especially caught her attention were the map of the imperial palace and the layout of the annex where she would reside.

‘As I thought, it’s the most remote annex.’

Not only was it small, but it was also adjacent to a small forest within the palace grounds. Compared to other annexes, its size was less than half.

It was more of a retreat lodge for resting in the forest than a proper annex.

‘I actually like it better this way.’

Such a secluded location—and with its small size, there wouldn’t be many servants.

This meant she could live a quieter life.

Feeling lighter at the thought, Laniakea carefully examined the layout of the annex.

The more she looked, the more she liked it.

Unlike the other annexes where members of the imperial palace lived, it didn’t have a shared bedroom for a couple.

Her room and the first prince’s room were at opposite ends, meaning even if he returned occasionally, they’d rarely cross paths.

There was also a large garden between the forest and the annex.

Perhaps because of her faint fae lineage, Laniakea enjoyed places with natural elements like forests and lakes.

‘Though there’s another reason as well.’

She glanced down at the thickly carpeted floor before turning her gaze to the open terrace.

Being on the ground floor, the terrace led directly to the palace garden.

Laniakea turned to the maids and asked.

“Would it be alright if I reviewed the contract in the garden? The long carriage ride has left me feeling unwell, and I’d like some fresh air.”

“But…”

The maids exchanged glances. The only instructions they’d received were to serve the future imperial prince’s consort well. And…

“The empress seemed to be quite taken with her.”

Another maid had mentioned that since the empress was pleased with her, they were to treat her kindly, not harshly.

After a brief hesitation, the maids looked toward the garden.

The garden connected to the empress’s palace appeared serene and beautiful, but it was heavily guarded.

It was one of the safest places in the imperial palace. Refusing her request to visit the garden would ironically imply the palace’s security wasn’t sufficient.

“The fountain looks lovely, and there are flowers I’ve never seen before. I’d like to take a brief look.”

Laniakea deliberately sighed lightly as she spoke.

The maids, now reluctant to refuse outright, exchanged glances before bowing their heads.

“Understood. We’ll escort you.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary. I’d just like to rest alone for a bit.”

Saying so, Laniakea stood up with the contract in hand. Her quick movements left the maids hesitating at the terrace.

If the empress liked this princess, they didn’t want to risk earning her displeasure by being overly intrusive.

Leaving the maids behind, Laniakea walked to the fountain in the center of the garden and sat on the bench beside it.

After confirming that no one else was around, she spoke softly toward the ground beneath the bench.

“No one’s watching. You can come out now, Mole.”

The moment she spoke—

Rustle.