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

Chapter translated by Loulou.

 

“Ah.”

 

“Don’t misunderstand. Well, I’m not forcing it.”

 

In fact, Lady Cyrille was more happy than anyone else about Etisha coming to the north.

 

She really wanted her son to get married.

 

The rumor that Duke Kaiyen was looking for a bride actually originated from Lady Cyrille herself.

 

“I have long waited for Kaiyen to date and marry like any ordinary person. So, I tried every possible way to find him a suitable bride, but my stubborn son always refused to even look at any potential match.” She explained as she gazed at her son with eyes filled with complex emotions.

 

“I just wished for Kaiyen to have someone he could feel at ease with… … .”

 

At that moment, the music stopped, putting an end to the dance.

 

Madame Cyrille gently let go of Etisha’s hand and distanced herself from her.

 

“I hope, Baroness Etisha, that you become such a person for Duke Kaiyen. Someone he can rely on for a lifetime…”

 

Etisha pursed her lips.

 

 She couldn’t bring herself to respond immediately.

 

Contrary to Lady Cyrille’s expectations, she wasn’t truly Kaiyen’s lover or wife.

 

A partner with whom Kaiyen can feel at ease.

 

Can Etisha truly become such a presence?

 

“…I hope so too,” Etisha replied, her voice sounding uncertain yet hopeful.

 

Hearing her words, Lady Cyrille smiled with a twinkle in her eyes.

 

Affection for her future daughter-in-law could be sensed beneath her cold exterior.

 

As the first dance concluded, Kaiyen approached and stood before Etisha.

 

“I told you so. Mother is very shy,” he said with a smile.”

 

“Duke…”Lady Cyrille exclaimed.

 

“In truth, she welcomes the marriage even more than I do.”

 

Kaiyen reached out his hand politely towards Etisha.

 

While the first dance was with family.

 

The second one was reserved for lovers.

 

As the music at the reception changed once again, Kaiyen naturally started dancing with Etisha.

 

Etisha, holding Kaiyen’s hand, murmured softly, “I was truly surprised. I’ve heard of Lady Cyrille’s name for so long. I never expected her to treat me so well…”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“The duel with Marchioness Praline is nothing short of a legendary tale. Same for the incident with the Eastern Kingdom’s princess. How much did the princess pay as compensation back then?”

 

“It wasn’t compensation. It was trading rights of the Eastern Kingdom’s mines. If we were to evaluate its worth now, it would be around 100,000 gold coins.”

 

“For someone like her to be shy; it’s still quite astonishing.”

 

“She’s only like that around family. She’s a good mother to me too.”

 

“Ah…”

 

Etisha stumbled slightly as she turned her foot.

 

So Lady Cyrille treating her well was only because she was going to be her daughter-in-law.

 

But what if the truth about this marriage being a farce were to be exposed?

 

At that time, wouldn’t the angelic mother-in-law image  vanish, and leave place to a social tyrant scarier than anyone else?

 

‘Never….I must never get caught,’ Etisha swore inwardly as she corrected her posture and elegantly finished her turn.

 

The hem of her skirt gracefully spread out, drawing beautiful lines.

 

The attendees watching the couple erupted into applause.

 

Though there was some murmuring, ultimately, Etisha danced the first dance with Lady Cyrille and the second dance with Duke Kaiyen.

 

In other words, she had a successful debut in the Northern social circle. By marrying Duke Kaiyen, she firmly secured her position as a daughter-in-law of the Windell family.

 

Everyone present congratulated the young and beautiful couple who would become the next Duke and Duchess with envious eyes.

 

It was a smooth and congratulatory celebration.

 

 * * *

 

As Etisha danced to the second dance, a quiet conversation could be heard from one corner of the ballroom.

 

“It’s that young lady over there. The commoner Lady Cyrille raised.”

 

“Oh my, Lady Montmartre. Raised her? She’s not a pet…”

 

“But look at that gorgeous blonde hair. If that’s what commoners look like, I wouldn’t mind raising one myself.”

 

“Indeed. Even though she is a commoner, she has a different air about her compared to those you see on the streets.”

 

A few ladies, with their mouths shielded by their fans, scrutinized Yudite from the corner where they stood.

 

“…But, isn’t it rather peculiar? What could Lady Cyrille possibly be thinking, bringing a commoner into the household?”

 

“That’s right. Bringing in someone like a commoner would only lead to trouble. They wouldn’t know their place and might cause inconvenience to Duke Kaiyen. In fact, there were even rumors that she was his mistress.”

 

“You never know, maybe she was so clever at tricking the Duke that she actually became his mistress.”

 

“Then… she’s a mistress and a foster daughter at the same time? That’s hard to believe. If that were the case, would Lady Cerilez have allowed her to stay? She would have surely driven her out immediately.”

 

“Well, we don’t know the details, but it does seem suspicious.”

 

“Yes. She’s a very intriguing figure. It’ll surely stir up the social circles for a while.”

 

The women looked at Yudite like hounds stalking their prey.

 

The social world always needed a bone to gnaw on, and Yudite was a perfect fit to be that bone.

 

A commoner who appeared out of nowhere.

 

However, she is extraordinarily beautiful, and possessed the uniqueness of being Lady Cyrille’s foster daughter.

 

Moreover, there were suspicions of her being Duke Kaiyen’s woman, so there was no way the ladies of the social world could ignore such a person.

 

Having done enough probing, it was now time to question the prey directly. Stepping forward, Countess Montmartre addressed Yudite.

“You, there. Did they say your name was Yudite?”

 

“….”

 

However, for some reason, Yudite, lost in thought, didn’t respond to Lady Montmartre’s call and just stood there blankly.

 

Her gaze seemed fixed on the center of the ballroom.

 

And there, like a picture-perfect scene, were Etisha and Kaiyen, still dancing.

 

“Hey, Yudite.”

 

“.…”

 

“Hah, is this commoner ignoring me?”

 

Yudite’s golden pupils, as she watched the couple, trembled slightly. They glistened with moisture, as if on the verge of shedding tears, her expression wavering.

 

“Kaiyen…” she murmured, feeling a pang of sorrow.

 

Because she was a commoner.

 

Because she had spent so many years by Kaiyen’s side.

 

At the age of twelve, she had became Lady Cyrille’s foster daughter. And from that moment on, she grew up alongside him at Windell Castle.

 

Though not her biological daughter, Lady Cyrille had raised her as if she were her own.

 

Yet, despite the care she received, since she was a commoner, Yudite could only grow up differently from Kaiyen, the heir to the ducal estate.

 

While Kaiyen received various noble educations from several tutors, Yudite only played with toys in her room. Although it was nice that she discovered  have to go through the tedious study sessions, being separated from Kaiyen was even more difficult.

 

As the years passed, Kaiyen became more involved in the social world, attending various parties and events, but she still had to remain alone in the castle. It was inevitable giving her commoner status.

 

And then, the war happened.

 

When the Imperial War broke out, Yudite had to remain in Wintel Castle while Kaiyen went to the front lines to fight.

 

 There had never been a time when she missed and longed for Kaiyen as much as during those days.

 

‘But, it was still okay.’

 

Yudite knew.

 

‘After all, no one but me can have Kaiyen.’ She had thought then.

 

Kaiyen Windell.

 

A man similar to a cold and barren wasteland, with no one to keep him company, no one to be with him.

 

Yudite grew up with Kaiyen, so she was confident that she knew him better than anyone else. And so, she was reassured.

 

‘Kaiyen has no interest in any woman, love, or marriage. The only woman by his side will always be me. Always and forever.’

 

She was indeed a commoner, but why should it matter?

 

After all, Kaiyen would always be alone…No noblewoman could ever capture his heart…So, she never despised her status. Instead, she was grateful.

 

It was only because she was a rootless commoner that Lady Cyrille was able to take her in and raise her as a foster daughter, allowing her to become close to Kaiyen as his step-sister.

 

‘But Kaiyen is getting married now.’

 

To be honest, when she first heard the news about Kaiyen’s marriage, she merely laughed. She didn’t  believe it at all.

 

The founding celebration only lasted three days, so how could a bride suddenly appear within that short time?

 

‘There must be some hidden story behind it.’

 

Even as she rode in the carriage with Baroness El to the North, she didn’t feel any sense of urgency.

 

Even when Etisha and Kaiyen stayed in Lexan alone, she didn’t think much about it.

 

And when Lady Cyrille announced the party, Yudite felt relieved.

 

Happy even.

 

‘His Lordship allowed me to attend this party. Finally, I thought I could step forward and reveal myself as Lady Cyrille’s foster daughter, and let everyone know that I am Kaiyen’s sister…’

 

But it was a futile hope.

 

From beginning to end, the star of this party wasn’t Yudite.

 

‘Baroness Etisha…’

 

Neither the first dance with Lady Cyrille nor the second one with Kaiyen was for hers.

 

She was just another lost figure among the countless guests.

 

‘No, I can’t even be a bridesmaid.’

 

Yudite heard the murmurs swirling around her. Those words whispered with keen curiosity as to whether she was Kaiyen’s mistress or Lady Cyrille’s pet.

 

‘I’m just… I am…’

 

She felt despondent.

 

Because she was a commoner.

 

Because she had spent so many years alongside Kaiyen.

 

“Can’t you hear me? You, insolent!”

 

Unable to tolerate the continued disregard, Lady Montmartre swung her fan.

 

Slap!

 

A loud sound echoed as Yudite’s cheek was struck by the fan, turning her head to one side.

 

“Aaaah… … !”

 

“How dare you, a commoner, ignore my call! Do you think you truly are Lady Cyrille’s daughter?”

 

Yudite cupped her numb cheek and looked at Lady Montmartre.

 

With her flashy jewelry, gems, and expensive dress, it was clear that she was a powerful aristocrat.

 

Yudite was startled and stepped back, not even knowing when Lady Montmartre had called her, only realizing that she had been struck by the fan.

 

And naturally, she did not know any noble way to deal with such situation.

 

“K-Kaiyen… … . Mother… … .”

 

Yudite frantically looked around, searching for someone to help her. However, seeing her like this only fueled Lady Montmartre’s anger, making her raise the fan again.

 

“Have you ever seen such insolence? Shouldn’t you be groveling on the ground right now?”

 

But at that very moment, someone suddenly stepped between Lady Montmartre and Yudite.

 

“Please, calm yourself, Lady Montmartre. Today is a joyous occasion, is it not?”

 

The voice was dreamy and sweet, making people feel like they were wandering through a dream.

 

“Are you planning to scar the face of Lady Cyrille’s daughter inside this castle? During Duke Kaiyen’s  wedding announcement ceremony?”

 

“M-Marquis Hexion?”