Since My Time is Limited, I’m Entering A Contract Marriage

Chapter translated by Gon.

 

“Ms Etisha. There must be some misunderstanding.”

 

Kaiyan opened his mouth to speak, but the Emperor appeared out of nowhere.

 

“There you are.”

 

He put his arm around Kaiyen’s shoulders as he had earlier, then turned to Etisha.

 

“I’m late, but congratulations on your marriage.”

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

“I hear you made the announcement without a notary. If you were going to do that, you should have asked me, I would have gladly notarized it.”

 

Emperor Ignivan was displeased that the Duke of Kaiyen had announced the marriage without telling him.

 

“And then, without telling me, you handed over the manor and estates I’d given to you…..”

 

No, now that She thinks about it, he was just openly disappointed.

 

“I doubt this is the Duke of Wintel I knew.”

 

Emperor Ignivan tapped Duke Kaiyan on the shoulder. Kaiyen ignored the Emperor’s joke without changing his face.

 

“Your Majesty, don’t be silly.”

 

“Haha.”

 

“You’d better lower this arm as well.”

 

“……haha.”

 

Emperor Ignivan waved his hand away.

 

“Anyway. I don’t know how you decided to get married when you thought you were going to live alone for the rest of your life. I assume you’re having the wedding in the north, and will I be invited?”

 

The Emperor stepped to Etisha’s side and tilted his head. His brilliant golden hair spilled out.

 

“Oh, and…….”

 

Emperor Ignivan lowered his voice to whisper to Etisha.

 

“This is a wedding gift.”

 

A pendant with a small coat of arms was held out in front of Etisha. It was attached to a long string so she could wear it around her neck.

 

“Baroness Etisha, if anything should happen to you in the North, you may contact me at any time. Stamp this crest on your letters and they will reach me immediately.”

 

“Your Majesty…….”

 

“Uh-huh. You don’t need to thank me. But take care of Kaiyen, I’m looking forward to your marriage.”

 

Emperor Ignivan pulled away from Etisha. 

 

“Thank you.”

 

Etisha took the pendant and bowed. Emperor Ignivan turned to her.

 

“By the way, I need to give the Baron a new family name. you’ll be a Wintel soon enough, so there’s no need for a fancy one, is there? Etisha Heinz. If I recall correctly, your late mother was from another country. What was her last name?”

 

“Yes, that’s right. She was from the Kingdom of Thyssen, and her last name was Elle.”

 

“Good. Then I suppose you should take her last name.”

 

Emperor Ignivan simply decided on Etisha’s new name.

 

Etisha Elle.

 

It was her mother’s name, not her father’s.

 

“Etisha Elle. Baroness Elle. Sounds good. I’ll leave it at that. I’ll send you the certificate of honor and the letter of appointment tomorrow.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

“Well, then, take it easy today and enjoy the rest of the Founding Festival, both of you.”

 

Emperor Ignivan walked away.

 

Etisha watched him walk away and placed the pendant in her hand around her neck.

 

“Miss Etisha.”

 

Just then, Kaiyen called out to her in a low voice.

 

“I was thinking of returning to the mansion early rather than partying tonight. What do you think?”

 

Kaiyen’s gaze lingered on Etisha’s neck for a moment.

 

More precisely, he seemed to stare at the pendant necklace that Emperor Ignivan had given her.

 

Etisha nodded, agreeing with Kaiyen.

 

“Yes, Duke. Let’s go back to the mansion, I’m actually feeling a bit tired myself.”

 

“Are you unwell?”

 

“No, not really, just… I think it’s from seeing my father.”

 

“……Yes, well, let’s get back to the house then.”

 

Kaiyen escorted Etisha out of the party.

 

The lights, the people, faded away.

 

“Tomorrow will be the last day of the festival, and then…….

 

We’re finally leaving.

 

To the north.

 

‘I can’t wait for tomorrow.’

 

Suddenly, Etisha realized why she wanted to rest at Wintel’s villa rather than enjoy the party.

 

It wasn’t because she was tired, and it wasn’t because she’d met her father today.

 

‘She can’t wait to go to the North.’

 

It was because Etisha’s heart had already left this place and was in the far north.

 

* * *

 

Viscount Heinz’s mansion.

 

Viscount Heinz kicked the front door of the mansion after returning home. A loud bang brought the servants running out, and Larienne and Madame Dorothea came downstairs to the living room.

 

“Father, what happened? Where’s Tisha? Did you bring her home?”

 

Larienne glanced at Viscount Heinz’s back. But, of course, there was not even a shadow of Etisha in sight.

 

“Yes, my dear. What happened to that dowry you were talking to Duke Kaiyen about?”

 

Lady Dorothea approached and spoke up as well. Viscount Heinz only grunted, but did not answer their questions.

 

“Papa, what’s going on? Are you really going to send Tisha away to the North? You can’t do that, can you?”

 

Larienne shouted, and Viscount Heinz, his anger rising to the top of his head, snarled.

 

“Shut up!”

 

“My dear, why are you shouting at the child?”

 

“You’re loud, too! You’re not doing anything right!”

 

Viscount Heinz took out his embarrassment from the party on them. He raged for a while, then finally came to his senses and dropped down on the couch.

 

“After……. That’s enough. Go get me a glass of water.”

 

Viscount Heinz sat down, wrapped his head in his hands, and drank the water the servants brought.

 

A chill ran through the house at the unexpected turn of events.

 

“We’ve been defeated. I’ve been defeated.”

 

The viscount muttered. Larienne was dying to know.

 

“Beaten. Father, what does that mean?”

 

“Etisha, I don’t know how she managed to seduce the Duke, but she was granted the estate.”

 

“Eh……?”

 

“She’s been granted a manor, made a lord. She got a new family name. She’s not a Heinz anymore. She’s completely out of the family.”

 

Humiliation plastered itself to Viscount Heinz’s face as he explained the situation. He struggled to think of a way to repay this humiliation.

 

But before Viscount Heinz could come up with anything clever, Larienne reacted first.

 

“What…… not…… Heinz?”

 

Larienne’s eyes burned bright red.

 

Twisted, obsession. Larienne looked far more angry than Viscount Heinz ever had.

 

“I told you to do as I said, Tisha should be in my house, I told you to bring her back…….”

 

Larienne clenched her fists and stood up from the living room.

 

She shouldn’t have listened to Viscount Heinz in the first place. He was no help now.

 

“Forget it, I don’t need any of it. I’m on my own from now on.”

 

Everything that belonged to Heinz belonged to Larienne. As of today, Etisha was no longer Heinz, but Larienne didn’t mind.

 

“She’s mine, no matter what.”

 

Larienne had no intention of letting go of Etisha. The twisted affection was unbreakable, only growing stronger and stronger.

 

‘Tisha…….’

 

Cute and adorable, a living doll that exists only for her own sake.

 

Larienne’s toy that she never gets tired of.

 

“I miss her.”

 

Ever since Viscount Heinz and Lady Dorothea remarried ten years ago, Larienne has been obsessed with Etisha.

 

It was so cute to watch her 10-year-old sister chase after her…….

 

<You know……. I think Lari is the prettiest little girl in the world.>

 

Young Etisha’s shy voice.

 

<You’re amazing, Lari. Everyone loves you. You’re my favorite, too.>

 

Cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling and shining.

 

<Yeah, okay, you’re right, I don’t know much about parties and stuff, so I’ll just do whatever you say. Please don’t be mad at me.>

 

Larienne wanted to have it all to herself.

 

She wanted Etisha to stay in her possession forever.

 

Never to go outside, never to make other friends, never to fall in love with a man, always by Larienne’s side. With Larienne.

 

Good. Pretty. Obedient.

 

Just like her 10-year-old sister.

 

‘I was so surprised when she said she suddenly had a hyperemesis gravidarum…….’

 

Larienne couldn’t bear the thought of Etisha dying because it was so horrible.

 

‘I had to keep her locked in her room because I was afraid and scared that my sweet little sister would explode into the world.’

 

But now, she’s leaving her so that she can’t even see her die.

 

She’s going to disappear forever, without anyone knowing how or when.

 

“No.

 

She can’t let her go.

 

“I’d rather die next to me.”

 

Larienne made up her mind. She could not stand by and let Etisha go.

 

“…… carriage.”

 

Larienne strode across the living room and yanked open the front door that Viscount Heinz had kicked in with his foot.

 

“Bring the carriage. To me. Now.”

 

Larienne was planning to rush to the palace party right now. And she was determined to drag Etisha up by any means necessary.

 

“This is how it should have been from the beginning. I was the only one who could bring her back……!”

 

Larienne’s eyes rolled back in her head and she could see nothing.

 

She seemed to have forgotten Duke Kaiyen’s orders.

 

The order to retire to the mansion and not appear in front of Etisha until after the Founding Festival.

 

For a mere viscountess to disobey the Duke’s orders was nothing short of madness. Even if Larienne had been a famous rascal in social circles.

 

Madame Dorothea, who knew this well, stopped Larienne.

 

“No, Larienne!”

 

Mrs. Dorothea tugged on Larienne’s arm.

 

“Mom, let go.”

 

“No, no. What are you doing, take Larienne to her room!”

 

Larienne struggled with her mother, but with the other servants and maids clinging to her, she was helpless.

 

Finally, Larienne was dragged into her room.

 

“Lock her in a room until after the Founding Festival. And make sure she never comes out!”

 

“Mom!”

 

“Be careful she doesn’t hurt herself; I don’t want a single hair of my Lalienne’s head to be spoiled!”

 

Madame Dorothea loved her daughter too much.

 

She gave Larienne everything she wanted and never said no to her. She pampered her. Even when she made a lot of trouble and acted out, she didn’t mind, she soothed her.

 

So She couldn’t let Larienne risk her life just to bring Etisha back.