Marriage by Contract? No, It’s a Marriage of Convenience – A Countess Who Had Her Engagement Broken

Chapter 42: Friedrich’s Circumstances

After Friedrich finished his meal with Liddellina slowly, when he returned to his office, the servant and soldiers who had been in charge gathered again.

“So, my lord, what will you do in the end?”

Howard spoke on behalf of the room. They all felt that a lenient punishment was unacceptable.

They know how much they have trampled on Liddellina’s life, and they cannot forgive the insult to the Marquise’s family. They are proud to work here.

“First, the barony will be returned to Liddellina. However, I cannot become a son-in-law and succeed to the title, so I will become a guardian and make Liddellina the provisional ruler. I will explain the circumstances and obtain permission from His Majesty the King.”

Friedrich looked around and nodded unanimously.

“Then, the problem is how to deal with those guys who were tied up in the underground prison, but Liddellina said it was fine as long as she didn’t see them.”

Everyone is looking at Friedrich with a serious face.

“So, how do you plan to handle this?”

Howard’s words cause Friedrich’s face to suddenly cloud over.

“It seems appropriate to send them to the penal colony in the north. Take all three of them together and make sure they never come back. However, keep this quiet from Liddellina. Tell her that they have been assigned to labor.”

They all know how harsh the penal colony in the north is, with poor meals and labor in the extreme cold.

“Understood.”

Everyone nods in agreement, understanding that Liddellina is the weak point and returning to their respective places.

Then, only Howard and Dorothy remain.

“So, my lord.”

“What is it?”

“How much of your memory has returned?”

Friedrich groans and holds his head at Howard’s sly question.

“Ah, I want to cancel my marriage contract with Liddellina and renew it.”

Friedrich squeezed out.

“Well, it seems that your fear of women has been cured, which is more than anything.”

Howard says modestly, but happily.

“It’s strange. Thanks to Liddellina, I was able to understand that there are also good things about women.”

“Yes, I think both men and women have that. There are plenty of bad men and good women.”

Dorothy says.

“Yes, Dorothy is right… I vividly remember the day when I first met Liddellina.”

“That was the day you went to propose marriage.”

Friedrich shakes his head when Howard answers.

“It was the same obligation that I fulfilled on a daily basis. But when I got off the carriage and saw Liddellina, the sound disappeared.”

“What?”

Dorothy and Howard open their mouths blankly, not knowing what their master is saying.

“She shone brightly, and the sound and scenery disappeared, and I headed straight for her.”

“Oh, my God…”

Dorothy sighs softly, while Howard opens his eyes in surprise.

“My lord, isn’t that love at first sight?”

“that…yes, is that so?”

After saying it as if in shock, Friedrich regained his composure and hit his head hard on the desk.

“Damn it, I remembered what I said to her before marriage. How can you say that you want to be a normal couple after saying such horrible things to her?”

He clutches his head.

The origin of female terror was the quarrel between his mother and his father’s mistress. As a child, he was almost killed by his mad mistress and suffered a scar on his face. The scar on his temple was not from the battlefield.

His mother locked him in a tower and told him not to be like his father and said “Always remain a child.” He was only given poor meals.

His father was preoccupied with war and did not care about his son. When his lover’s son died, he remembered Friedrich’s existence and took him out of the tower to train him as a warrior and train him to be an heir.

But none of that excuses the way he treated her.

Every time Friedrich’s past gradually comes back to him, he suffers and his love for Liddellina grows.

There were also times when he was busy, but his feelings for Liddellina became uncontrollable and he often went out on inspections alone, leaving the castle.

◇◇◇

After taking a couple days off, Liddellina returned to her duties. However, there was no work backlog and her husband and Howard had taken care of everything. Dorothy was taking care of the details of the workshop and hot spring inn.

Friedrich was energetically working on the construction of a second inn before winter, traveling back and forth on the road. However, he no longer had to leave the castle for more than three days.

Liddellina also had plans to increase the number of hot spring inns in her territory, and recommended young people from the capital who wanted to work in Fie’s workshop.

Of course, Fie’s opinion was important, because she was choosing her apprentice. Sometimes Dorothy also joined them and they seriously chose a person out of the five who came, and hired one of them.

“They have a good sense, enthusiasm, and seem to have a good personality, so it’s good.”

Fie says with shining eyes. She looks so bright and cheerful now, unlike when she first came here, when she was thin and seemed to lack confidence. It was good to hire her.

“Fie, someday I want to sell it in the capital too.”

“What? The things made in this workshop?”

“Yes. Let’s show those bosses and fellow apprentices who made fun of you!”

“Okusama…”

Fie smiles shyly and nods repeatedly.

Since the lord returned and the work on roads and civil engineering increased, the population has increased and the town has become lively. As a result, there are many more restaurants and miscellaneous goods stores, and the first cafe in the capital opened this summer.

Liddellina is happy that the entertainment of the subjects has increased. In any case, before being closed in the cold winter in this territory, she has to do as much as she can.

This winter, the capital, which is often quiet, is expected to be livelier than usual due to the increase in stores.

After that, when she asked Friedrich what happened to her uncle’s family, her uncle was removed from the nobility and is working as a laborer with his aunt and cousin. She seems to be relieved that they avoided the death penalty.

And Kurt returned the barony to Liddellina and is now serving as an official in the palace. It seems that he was abandoned by his fiancée from the neighboring country due to his poor life.

Although Liddellina had not originally intended to return the territory, she was admonished by Friedrich: “Liddellina, don’t easily give up your rights. It’s a territory that has been guarded by your ancestors for generations. Besides, even Kurt alone couldn’t do anything, and the territory is in a hopeless state.” Friedrich again offered to help keep the territory.

“Let’s go to visit the graves of your respected father and mother this time.”

He made such a proposal. The hometown that she had thought she would never return to had returned in an unexpected way.

Liddellina is full of gratitude towards Friedrich. She had intended to support her husband, who had returned from the battlefield with no memories, but she had been supported without realizing it.