Contract Marriage Rewritten - Chapter 1Contract Marriage Rewritten
Chapter 1
Prologue
Night fell upon the Imperial Palace.
The daytime bustle had subsided, leaving only the steady, rhythmic footsteps of guards and those who had yet to finish their duties echoing through the halls.
The stillness was soon broken by the sound of hurried steps.
At the sign of someone entering the Main Palace, everyone nearby bowed their heads toward the approaching figure.
Even without looking closely, they knew who it was.
With his tall, broad-shouldered frame and the handsome features revealed beneath the scattered lamplight, the man was none other than the master of this Imperial Palace: Hyperion.
Hyperion swiftly strode past the bowed heads.
Only after his footsteps had completely faded did the maids release the breaths they had been holding and slowly raise their heads.
Their eyes followed Hyperion’s retreating figure as he disappeared inside, murmuring in hushed tones.
“He returned to the Main Palace again today.”
“I know. He must be so busy now that the council meetings have begun.”
Starting last week, the grand lords of each territory had begun arriving at the Imperial Palace in succession.
Since this was an important occasion to grant direct audiences to the newly crowned Emperor and receive their oaths of loyalty, an emperor would typically reside in the Emperor’s Palace during this period.
Yet unlike his predecessors, Hyperion always returned to the Main Palace the moment the meetings ended.
Looking toward where the Emperor had vanished, one of the maids murmured with a dazed expression, “Her Majesty the Empress must be so happy.”
“Indeed…….”
No one serving in the Main Palace was unaware of it.
The fact that the newly enthroned Emperor and Empress shared a marital bed every single night.
Of course, those who served in the palace were forbidden from speaking of what they saw and heard to others.
Was it not the most fundamental rule for those working here to live as though they had no eyes, no ears, and no mouth?
Even so, one could easily guess just by seeing the senior maids responsible for the bedchamber swiftly carrying rolled-up bedsheets to the laundry room every single day.
In truth, this was a blessing for the Empire.
With the imperial couple sharing such deep marital affection, news of an heir would surely arrive soon.
The maids hurried their steps, their cheeks flushing red.
Convinced that tonight, too, the imperial couple would be working hard for the sake of an heir.
Tap, tap. His footsteps echoed softly through the corridor. Becoming conscious of the sound once more, Hyperion let out a wry smile.
Even to himself, his pace was fast. Fast enough that if anyone were beside him, they would have asked what had him in such a rush.
Even knowing that, he couldn’t slow his steps.
The maids tending to the bedchamber bowed toward the approaching Hyperion.
“Where is the Empress?”
“She retired to the bedchamber immediately after dinner.”
At the maid’s reply, the corners of Hyperion’s mouth softened faintly.
Yet because everyone had their heads bowed, no one noticed.
Not even Hyperion himself.
“All of you, dismiss.”
At the Emperor’s command, the maids bowed respectfully once more and hurried down the corridor and down the stairs.
Now that he had arrived, no one would linger on this floor.
When he had first given that order, the Chief Attendant had worried about security.
“Your Majesty, if you do so, there may be safety concerns……”
“I believe I am more than capable of protecting the Empress. Having the rest stationed below is sufficient.”
To which Hyperion had answered flatly.
Realizing his slip of the tongue, the Chief Attendant had bowed his head.
For if an enemy was beyond Hyperion’s ability to stop, none of the palace’s other knights would be able to stop them either.
After that, no one remained outside to guard the bedchamber.
Hyperion opened the door. The warm air of the room washed over him, carrying the rich scent of wood, the clean fragrance of sun-dried bedding, and an indescribably sweet aroma all at once.
Hyperion focused particularly on that last scent.
Lately, it was the very fragrance that filled his arms every morning when he awoke.
“Lania.”
Stepping inside, he called his wife’s name in a low voice.
Her full name was Laniakea, but not long ago, he had begun addressing her more affectionately.
It was an endearment that only he was allowed to call her within the Imperial Palace. For that reason, the name felt all the more dear.
“Lania?”
Passing through several doors into the bedchamber, he called her name again in bewilderment upon finding the room empty.
Whenever he arrived, Laniakea would always come out to greet him in person.
Yet she was nowhere to be seen in the room.
They had clearly said she retired here right after dinner…….
The moment an uneasy thought flashed across his mind, he saw that the door to the adjoining study was open.
And that the lights inside were brightly lit.
Hurrying over, he saw Laniakea sitting at the desk in the study.
Confirming her presence, Hyperion let out a quiet sigh of relief and walked over to her.
“Lania? What are you doing here?”
He had thought that calling her like this would startle her into looking up and rising to greet him.
Yet contrary to his expectations, she merely raised her head to look at him, offering no greeting to welcome him back.
Instead, she sprang up from her seat and spoke to him.
“I—I have something to tell you.”
Meanwhile, Laniakea clenched her fists as she watched Hyperion’s expression stiffen slightly at her words.
‘I can do this. I can do it! No, I have to!’
Had she not resolved this dozens, hundreds of times before he arrived?
Even so, seeing that look on Hyperion’s face still made her shrink back a little.
‘But things can’t go on like this.’
She had thought all along that she needed to speak up, but whenever she saw his worried expression before she could even say a word, she had ended up swallowing what she meant to say.
But this was the limit.
Tonight, she had to tell him what had been weighing on her mind.
“Something to tell me? What is it?”
His voice was polite, but that only made Laniakea shrink back further.
Because she knew full well how important what she was about to say was to him.
As Laniakea hesitated, Hyperion swallowed a short sigh, took a long stride forward, and stood right in front of her.
Then he spoke first.
“I apologize.”
“……Pardon?”
“I wanted to have lunch with you today as well, but the documents Grand Lord Sorel brought were lacking so much that I had to speak with him at length. Tomorrow, I will make sure to have lunch with you.”
“Ah…… I see…….”
Come to think of it, just as he said, they hadn’t been able to have lunch together today.
Hyperion even looked a bit downcast, as though he considered that a grave fault.
“Thank you for understanding. Then let us return to the bedchamber. I will wash up and return shortly.”
With that, Hyperion quickly began unbuttoning his shirt.
At the faint snap of buttons coming undone, Laniakea snapped back to her senses and spoke again.
“No. That’s not what I wanted to talk about, Your Majesty.”
“Your Majesty?”
At the words ‘Your Majesty,’ Hyperion’s hands halted. He lowered his head to meet Laniakea’s gaze and whispered in a low tone, “Did you not make a promise with me yesterday, Lania?”
He put gentle emphasis on the name Lania. At his words, Laniakea hesitated before speaking with difficulty.
“W-We did…… Ri……on.”
The moment the name ‘Rion’ spilled from her lips, the tension melted from Hyperion’s expression.
In contrast, Laniakea lowered her burning face, unable to look up.
Because the moment she called him Rion, the memories of yesterday that she had been desperately suppressing all day rushed back with vivid clarity.
“N-Ngh! Rion, I called you Rion, so why do you keep lick—ah, ahn!”
Just how lewd were the things Hyperion had done to coax the word ‘Rion’ from her mouth?
Just recalling it for a brief second made her feel as though she were growing wet between her legs all over again.
“I will return quickly.”
As if understanding, Hyperion stroked her lower back with his large hand. Just that alone sent a jolt tingling through her entire body, as if struck by lightning.
If things continued like this, it would be just like every other night.
Once he washed up and returned, they would climb into bed together and fulfill their marital duties.
An act far too embarrassing to simply dismiss as being for the Empire and the Emperor’s heir.
As always, all night long, until the dawn arrived.
‘I can’t let that happen!’
Laniakea bit her lip hard. She couldn’t back down any further. She had to say it tonight.
She slipped out of his arms, which she had nearly fallen into without realizing.
Then, picking up the piece of paper on the desk that she had been staring at until the moment Hyperion arrived, she thrust it toward him.
“This is…….”
Hyperion’s eyes widened as he realized what Laniakea was holding out to him.
At the same time, she shouted, “L-Let’s rewrite it!”
Though she had practiced countless times throughout the day, the voice that emerged was trembling terribly.
Laniakea squeezed her eyes shut and shouted again, “Let’s rewrite our Marriage Contract! Starting with this one!”
Where her finger pointed, the clause read:
[The two parties shall share a bed for the purpose of producing an heir times every .]
An incomplete clause, with the timeframe and the frequency left completely blank.
