Chapter 7
One year ago, at the Duke of Rosenheim’s residence.
In the Duke’s office, a man and a woman sat facing each other with a table between them.
“What’s the reason for insisting on a divorce?”
He couldn’t understand.
Charlotte, the one who had first proposed the contract marriage, had made it a success.
Through this contract, Erhen had cleared his family’s debts, successfully staged a coup alongside Grand Duke Düsseldorf, the current King, and was elevated to the rank of Duke as a result.
Charlotte, the prominent daughter of the Rothschild family, which stood out even among the bourgeoisie, had used her wealth as a weapon, becoming a Marchioness and now rising to the position of Duchess. She had nothing to lose either.
Yet Charlotte, at this moment of perfection, demanded the fulfillment of the contract.
Two years later, they were to divorce.
Erhen had assumed this clause was a ruse to account for her lack of trust in him.
Even so, he had agreed to marry Charlotte because, beyond that, the terms she proposed were too extraordinary to refuse.
Now that everything had stabilized, he thought it wouldn’t be so bad for Charlotte to live as the Duchess.
But Charlotte, with her unwavering emerald-green eyes, looked directly at Erhen.
“We’ve been quite satisfactory partners.”
Receiving her gaze, he thought back to his life before Charlotte had appeared.
The second son of the Rosenheim Marquisate—a family poor but renowned. That was Erhen’s position before becoming the head of the household.
But in an instant, he lost his parents and older brother, inheriting the marquisate in place of his one-year-old niece, the rightful heir.
Having received no training to become a successor, Erhen, as Marquis, was left with a massive debt passed down from his grandfather, the now-diminished Rosenheim estate, and his niece, the true heir.
“Maximilian’s death was my fault. He lost his life because he was with me.”
It was shortly after Erhen had ascended to the position of Marquis.
His brother’s close friend, Michael, Grand Duke of Düsseldorf, whom Erhen also respected like a brother, came to him and knelt before him.
Michael confessed that he and Erhen’s brother had been preparing a coup to resist the tyrant who was destroying Rohadin. In the process, Maximilian had lost his life.
The Grand Duke apologized to the Marquis.
Instead of forgiving him, Erhen chose to follow Michael’s cause, wanting to protect what his beloved brother had sought to achieve.
However, for someone who had spent his life immersed in research from the age of eight, when his magic first manifested, until nineteen, becoming a Marquis, shouldering the family’s debt, and committing to the coup was no easy task.
Even with sleepless nights and relentless effort, the situation showed no signs of improvement. But he didn’t give up.
Charlotte appeared three years later.
“Even if we don’t divorce as per the contract, I’ll guarantee you complete freedom in your actions.”
At his words, Charlotte set her cup down on its saucer and smiled faintly. Her elegant demeanor momentarily captivated Erhen, who stared at her blankly.
To Erhen, Charlotte had seemed like a pure, naive woman who had grown up amidst the wealth of the Rothschild family, the flowerbed of Rohadin.
A woman who had used marriage as a means of social ascension.
All he had expected from her was to clear the Marquisate’s debts.
Yet, contrary to his expectations, Charlotte managed the affairs of the Rosenheim family far better than he had anticipated.
Not only that, but she also discovered new ventures that would become additional sources of income for Rosenheim and willingly participated in the coup efforts.
Thanks to Charlotte, Rosenheim regained its former glory.
Quite literally…
Erhen Rosenheim ensured Charlotte Rothschild’s safety, while Charlotte fulfilled her duties as the Marchioness of Rosenheim.
They had faithfully adhered to the core terms of their contract.
“Between us…”
Charlotte, usually so confident, hesitated to continue her sentence.
Erhen, finding her hesitation unusual, stared at her intently.
“There’s no love.”
She spoke of love.
—Love.
For a brief moment, her emerald-green eyes sparkled with emotion before it faded.
Caught off guard by her unexpected words, Erhen couldn’t hide his surprise.
He had feelings for her.
Perhaps “feelings had crept in” would be a more accurate description.
Even though it was a contract, he couldn’t stop his growing affection for the woman who stayed by his side as his wife.
It felt as if it were meant to be.
He liked her smile directed at him, her sulky expressions because of him, and her concern for him.
At some point, he found himself liking everything about her.
But Erhen had never expressed his feelings. He knew how it would end.
He had learned from the deaths of his loved ones—the heartbreak of losing someone he cared for deeply.
Erhen was afraid. He thought it was better not to reveal his feelings than to risk being hurt.
“I want a marriage based on love.”
For that reason, Erhen couldn’t say anything affirmative in response to Charlotte’s words about love.
“Now, after all this time?”
“Yes, now.”
Despite Erhen’s seemingly cold question, Charlotte answered calmly.
“And we’re just bound by a contract.”
With that, she left, and he remained.
That was when it began.
When his life slowly started to sink.
***
Late at night, a quiet visitor arrived at the Duke of Rosenheim’s residence.
Liam, the long-serving butler of the Rosenheim family, hurried to find his master upon the sudden arrival of the King of Rohadin.
However, Michael’s steps were faster than those of the aging butler.
Familiar with the place, Michael skillfully made his way to Erhen’s office.
Without knocking, Michael opened the door to the office.
Inside the dimly lit room, a figure sat on the sofa near the reception table.
Michael spoke.
“Duke of Rosenheim.”
Despite the King’s call, the vassal gave no reply.
Sensing the atmosphere, Michael gestured for the others to leave. Even dismissing his secret guards, he entered the room and closed the door himself.
“Erhen.”
In the silence, Michael softly called his name, prompting Erhen to slowly lift his head.
Seeing Michael, he spoke.
“Brother.”
“……”
It was a term Michael hadn’t heard since Maximilian was alive.
After Maximilian’s death, Erhen had never referred to Michael as “brother.”
Surprised by the unexpected reaction, Michael looked around.
Empty bottles of alcohol were scattered around Erhen.
The problem was that, aside from a single whiskey bottle near Erhen, all the bottles were unopened.
Even that bottle was barely touched, with more than half of it remaining.
Clicking his tongue, Michael remarked.
“You lightweight.”
Michael sat on the sofa across from Erhen.
“I thought you’d be holed up in your lab again.”
“……”
“Why bother with alcohol you can’t even drink? No, never mind.”
Pouring himself a drink from the table, Michael started to say something but stopped, leaving his words unfinished.
Even though the coup had succeeded and the world had changed, Erhen, who had given his all, could not fully enjoy the fruits of their victory.
Michael drank in silence.
Maximilian, his most trusted friend and vassal, had been a man who wanted to give his dignified younger brother and his young son a new world, even while struggling with the family’s debt and poverty.
The Rohadin Empire, clinging to its past glory as a magical empire, had failed to adapt to the changing times and was heading toward ruin under a tyrant.
Those who loved Rohadin had prepared for the coup, knowing that survival required change.
In the process, Maximilian died, and his younger brother Erhen took his place.
That was why Michael saw Erhen not just as the younger brother of a dear friend or a reliable vassal, but as someone he owed a debt of happiness to.
“I miss her.”
Leaning on his hand, drunk and staring blankly ahead, Erhen muttered.
“Who?”
“……”
Erhen did not answer.
It was a question that didn’t even need to be asked.
As if trying not to think of someone who suddenly came to mind, Erhen immersed himself solely in his work after the divorce.
Michael, watching him, spoke.
“You don’t look like the greatest mage in Rohadin.”
Erhen let out a faint chuckle.
“If that’s the case, I shouldn’t have let her go.”
“You’re not someone who lacks the qualifications to do so.”
“Such qualifications are something the Duke of Rosenheim must create for himself.”
Michael knew why Erhen hadn’t been able to hold onto Charlotte.
His parents, who had passed away due to illness, and his brother and sister-in-law, who died less than a year later.
For Erhen, who had risen to the position of Marquis under such circumstances, the very emotion of love would always be accompanied by anxiety.
“Then live like that forever.”
Michael spoke coldly to Erhen, who remained silent.
Did he even realize the state he was in as he said such things?
Though the deaths of his family had inevitably shaped him this way, if Erhen wanted happiness for himself, he had to break free on his own.
Michael pulled out a small vial from his pocket and pushed it toward Erhen.
“Drink it. It’s a remedy.”
Erhen quietly picked up the vial.
The remedy, commonly known as a hangover cure, was a potion that, if taken before drinking, would prevent intoxication or, if taken afterward, quickly alleviate the aftereffects.
Since it was no different from what he usually drank, he downed it in one gulp.
The effects of the potion were immediate.
The queasiness in his stomach subsided, and the throbbing in his head cleared.
Erhen straightened his slouched posture and sat upright.
“I came here to give you an order.”
Michael, observing him, spoke.
“They say Illusion has developed a new method of iron refining. This technology is said to be capable of drastically increasing future iron production.”
“……”
“That country, surrounded by mountains, has secretly requested a technological agreement to develop its land.”
This was the very reason why Michael, the King, had visited the Duke of Rosenheim’s residence with only minimal guards.
Although Michael made it sound like recent news to Erhen, it was actually a matter that had been under review among the technicians for some time.
However, Michael used it as a pretext to pull Erhen out of his research lab, where he would likely lock himself away again by tomorrow.
“Duke of Rosenheim, I appoint you as the envoy to be dispatched to Illusion.”
Michael murmured in a low voice.
As if understanding his intent, Erhen’s eyes gleamed faintly.
It was after completing his third mission that Erhen went to find Charlotte.
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midori
thanks! uhuhu, i do very much enjoy when they fulfill the contract and separate and then get back together! that was a great chapter! the divorce part, him sinking in heartbreak! angsty, oh hoh hoh!