My Mom Entered a Contract Marriage - Chapter 3

Lilica was surprised, but she soon regained her composure. This is because this seemed much more plausible than the story of her mother falling in love with His Majesty the Emperor and marrying him.

Lilica asked with a serious expression.

“So you’re saying that that’s the task that you’re tackling?”

Ludia bent down to remove the crumbs from her daughter’s mouth.

— A task to tackle

The situation was a little too complicated to be concluded so simply, but there’s no reason why it can’t be explained like that.

Regardless of the terms and means, a deal is a deal, a contract is a contract.

“That’s right.”

At her mother’s words, Lilica became relieved instead. It was easy to accept work or contract.

Who was Lilica Barnes?

Wasn’t she the best of the slums, and bore the mindset ‘work is credibility’ while working? Lilica was able to shake off her panic and picked up a new piece of bread.

‘But I can’t believe that Mother will be marrying His Majesty. Doesn’t that make her an Empress?’

While her smiling mother was really beautiful, and was worthy to become the Empress.

‘Mother?’

After shoving bread into her mouth until her cheeks bulged and washing it down with orange juice, Lilica made up her mind.

No matter what, she had to help her mother with her work.

“Then what will happen to me?”

At Lilica’s question, Ludia looked sulky for some reason.

“I thought that Lily would’ve been more surprised.”

“I was surprised enough.”

“Lilica will be accepted as an adopted daughter. So from the day after tomorrow onwards, Lilica will become an Imperial Princess.”

“An Imperial Princess.”

When the topic shifted to her, Lilica spaced out for a moment, but she quickly focused.

In that case, she was a contract princess. A contract daughter. Anyway, it’s something that she needed to diligently fulfil.

Lilica became a little conceited because she knew a difficult word like work, but then she fell into contemplation.

But what the hell does an Imperial Princess do?

While feeling dubious, Lilica asked about the contract.

“If it’s a contract, when will it end?”

Lilica looked around and whispered in a low voice, and her mother answered.

“Until the Crown Prince becomes an adult and becomes the Emperor. So it should be eight years from now.”

“Eight years.”

It was a very, very long period of time. Eight years, it was incomprehensible. Her mother continued speaking.

“Afterwards, let’s buy a house on the outskirts of the capital and live happily together. With a little garden, hm?”

“Really?”

Rather than the imperial palace and being an imperial princess, a house with a small garden struck a chord in her.

“Yes, we can also go on trips easily. The money I’m supposed to receive is huge. Instead.”

Ludia said seriously.

“You must never tell anyone about this. This is strictly confidential. It must never be revealed.”

“Yes, I’ll never tell anyone. Even if I die.”

Her mother’s lips trembled for a moment. She hugged Lilica tightly.

“I know, Lily. I know you won’t.”

Her voice trembled faintly, so Lilica patted her mother on the back to indicate that she was fine.

As expected, she must be feeling scared because she had to do something important in reality.

Lilica sucked in her belly and made a confident voice.

“Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll do my best to help you.”

At those words, her mother laughed and pulled away.

“Then, you should start by helping me with the first thing.”

“What is it?”

“Being the wedding’s flower girl.”

Her mother smiled.

* * *

Afterwards, the next two days flew by hectically. Lilica tried to maintain a clear head, but she couldn’t do so.

It was because everything went by so quickly.

Of course, it wasn’t just Lilica. The imperial family, no, the capital– the empire was in shock.

The sudden news of the Emperor’s wedding was also as such, and the fact that his partner had nothing, no, a woman with a young daughter, became a huge subject of conversation.

“I’m getting married the day after tomorrow.”

That was all the emperor had to say, but it wasn’t the case for his subordinates.

Fortunately, the spring ball was being held, so the nobles were gathered in the capital. Otherwise, the ceremony would’ve been held in an empty temple.

The hastily prepared wedding dress was also a ready-made dress.

After taking a look at the white dress, the bride said to gather the dress’s hem towards the tush.

As they were pressed for time, everyone frantically revamped based on the bride’s words with all their might, unable to say anything.

Although it had completely skipped the trending fashion, a perfect bustle style, this point wasn’t even perceived at that time.

The emperor’s wedding ceremony should have taken place in parts over the span of a year, but it commenced in just two days.

Everything descended into chaos.

As such, the ceremony ended even before rumours about Ludia got about.

On the day after the wedding, there was another small ceremony to add Lilica into the family register as a foster daughter, which went by like it was unimportant.

Lilica met her mother on that day, but she seemed rather tired, like she didn’t have a good night’s sleep, so Lilica was quite worried.

From that day onwards, Lilica was no longer Lilica Barnes, but ‘Lilica Nara Takar’.

“As such, there are only three people that Princess Lilica has to bow their heads to. His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress, and His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Lilica listened seriously. Her gaunt face wasn’t as chubby as a child’s, but her big eyes sparkled.

Madam Gwendolyn, who was teaching her, looked at Lilica with a piercing gaze.

When she was first told to teach Lilica, the Madam hesitated.

It was because she was worried if she could teach a child with a background like that.

However, the right of access into the palace won her heart.

There are two types of nobles in the Empire; those with the right of access to the Sun Palace, and those without.

Any noble could enter up until the Sky Palace, but the Sun Palace, where the emperor lived in, was different.

It was one of the rights bestowed by the emperor, but most high-ranking aristocrats possessed that right.

Of course, if the emperor was dissatisfied, that right could be taken away, so although this was a method to strengthen Imperial authority, it’s a method that must be passed on.

Therefore, nobles with access to the Sun Palace weren’t nobility, but bluebloods and this term of address was used half jokingly and half sincerely.

[T/N: so the korean word used for bluebloods is actually (권족, gwon-jok), a made up compound word with the hangul for ‘right’ (권, gwon) + the hangul for ‘nobles’ (귀족 gwi-jok). I chose to use ‘bluebloods’ to replace it because most of the nobles with access are high-ranking nobles.]

To Lady Gwendolyn, a court noble without a fief, it was an opportunity that’s not to be missed.

Therefore, she vowed to tolerate the person she was to teach, no matter her personality, but the girl that she met was completely different from what she’d imagined.

She was neither distracted nor disorderly, and she didn’t run around or use vulgar language.

She had a much better attitude than those spoiled children from aristocratic families.

For a teacher, nothing would match them better than a student that’s eager to learn. It delighted them as well.

As such, the time spent teaching Lilica went by more comfortably and joyfully than Madam Gwendolyn had expected.

Although Lilica was still quite rigid, she was bound to get better gradually.

“Now then, let’s go over the greetings again.”

Lilica jumped up from her seat. While the purpose of practising was to make her curtsies, which was a bend of the knee in greeting, smoother, Llica’s curtsies were still too energetic.  

She dipped down properly, but sprang up suddenly.

After repeating the greetings several times, Madam Gwendolyn moved on.

It’s because there was much that she had to teach and very little time.

Lilica became worried after spending most of her time in class.

She could only see her mother in the morning, as Madam Gwendolyn would enter the palace in the afternoon.

However, whenever she went to visit her mother in the morning, often heard that she was sleeping as she was exhausted.

She could clearly sense annoyance from the maid that was talking to her, but Lilica was worried about her mother.

‘What in the world is going on at night? That she continued to sleep out of exhaustion.’

Lilica was only able to meet her mother after several visits. At first glance, her mother, who greeted her in bed while dressed in a gown, appeared rather tired.

“Mother, are you okay?”

The astonished Lilica asked, and Ludia nodded.

“Of course I’m fine.”

“But you look so tired. Are you sleeping well at night?”

“At night…”

Ludia murmured and gritted her teeth.

“I don’t get much sleep.”

“You have to have a good night’s rest.”

Ludia smiled at her daughter’s worried words and answered with, “Don’t worry. I’m fine,” and began asking a question after another.

What has your life in the palace been like? Does Lilica feel tired because of the etiquette lessons that last all day long?

Lilica left early as she didn’t want to bother her exhausted mother any longer.

She was worried about whether the maids took good care of her mother.

The young girl sighed and murmured.

“I wonder why Mother is so tired?”

The maid that opened the door for Lilica giggled upon hearing her words.

“That’s because His Majesty bullies her every night.”

Hints of sarcasm were contained within her words, but they simply came as a shock to Lilica.

“His Majesty?!”

Startled, Lilica looked back at the maid, and with an undisguised smile, the maid said, “Yes, of course.”

“Right, It’s a secret that I told you about this, right?”

Lilica nodded, flabbergasted.

‘His Majesty is bullying Mother every night.’

She broke out in a cold sweat while wondering what he was doing.

Lilica was also aware of the rumour that he’s a terrible emperor.

Was he abusing her mother every night by hitting her or yelling at her?

When she thought about her exhausted mother’s face today, her unease turned into certainty.

‘No, I have to do something. But what can I do? Lilica Nara Takar.’

Lilica racked her brains as she kept repeating her unfamiliar full name, trying to get used to it.

However, she was more preoccupied with worry than coming up with ideas.

After walking down the long hallway to her room, Lilica swallowed and spoke to the maid.

“Can you request for an audience with His Majesty?”

The maid looked at Lilica in surprise.

“You’re going to request for an audience?”

“Yes, no, mm.”

[T/N: The first yes is considered formal, the mm is just an affirmative hum. Lilica is trying to be informal to the maids.]

“Understood.”

The maid called for an attendant and delivered Lilica’s words. The attendant seemed rather surprised, but he left soon and returned shortly after.

“His Majesty says that he has time for a short audience.”

“I, I’ll go.”

Lilica sprang up from her seat. When her request for an audience was accepted, the maids’ faces were half-puzzled and half-expectant.

One of them asked if she should change her clothes, but the maids remained still.

Most importantly, it was because the attendant prevented it all first.

“He truly doesn’t have much time right now. There won’t be any time for you to tidy up your attire.”

Lilica nodded. The attendant bowed his head respectfully.

“Then please come this way. I’ll lead you there.”

“Let’s go.”

Lilica felt rather awkward when she spoke informally to others, but she should do so if it’s something a princess had to do. Lilica felt her hand shake as she walked behind her servant.

‘It’s alright, Lilica. It’s alright.’

As she comforted herself, for some reason, the long corridor became shorter this time, and she arrived in front of the office in the blink of an eye.

Lilica took a deep breath as it was her first time here. The attendant opened his mouth.

“Princess Lilica has arrived.”

The office door was opened silently from the inside. As the attendant bowed, Lilica entered the room by herself.

She was so nervous that she forgot that she wasn’t supposed to look straight at him.

She didn’t even see the people inside His Majesty’s office. At the sight of His Majesty, who was seated at a large desk and didn’t take his eyes off the documents, Lilica hurriedly bent her knees and curtsied.

“What is it?”

As a low and heavy voice rang out, cold sweat began running down Lilica’s back.

“I’m here to ask for a favour.”

“Speak.”

“M—mother…”

After a momentary pause, Lilica sucked in her belly

“Please stop bullying my mother every night!”

She tried her best to project her voice, but she wasn’t that loud. But the office suddenly quietened, as though time had stopped.

And in the next moment, a soft sound “Pfft,” and “Hah,” came from her surroundings.

Surprised, Lilica couldn’t help but add a justification.

“It seems like she’s unable to sleep properly at night, so much so that she can’t even wake up in the morning… Because she’s very tired… Please stop tormenting her…”

His Majesty stared blankly at Lilica and opened his mouth flusteredly.

“Wait, your mother, too, clearly liked—”

“Ahem!”

“Khem, hem!!”

Lilica was taken aback by the series of coughs that suddenly appeared. His Majesty kept a straight face and his mouth was closed.

She hasn’t learnt it, but was coughing while His Majesty is speaking a part of etiquette?

After reading the atmosphere, Lilica opened her mouth in a small voice.

“Cough, cough?”

“Puahahaha.”

An explosion of laughter suddenly appeared. Startled, Lilica raised her head.

A large man that’s holding documents in front of the large office desk was curled up and trying to hold back his laughter somehow, but his back kept trembling like he couldn’t endure any longer.

Irritation was written all over His Majesty’s face.

Only then did Lilica realise that someone other than His Majesty was present in the office.

No, although she was aware, she only realised it concretely then.

The large, smiling man appeared to be a knight, did the other person assist with documents?

The man standing at the back walked over when he saw Lilica standing there abashedly, not grasping the situation. He gave off a gentle impression, with brown hair and brown eyes.

The monocle that he was wearing was rather eye-catching.

The tear marks around his eyes gave others a deep impression of him.

He knelt down on a knee, trying to make eye contact with Lilica, and spoke.

“Don’t worry, as that idiot isn’t making fun of you, Princess. Courageous Princess.”

With a smile, he added.

“His Majesty will no longer torment the Empress every night.”

“Hey.”

His Majesty shouted, but the man was unmoved and looked back at him, asking.

“Isn’t that right?”

With a face that made him seem like he was chewing on a muddy clam, His Majesty looked at Lilica. He sighed at the sight of her pale white face.

“Alright.”

“T—thank you very much!”

Lilica smiled broadly and thanked him.

* * *