Contract Marriage Rewritten
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
“Ugh!”
Caught off guard by the unexpected attacker, the intruder’s grip loosened. But the crow-tit did not relent, pressing its fierce assault.
[Let go, you piece of shit! Won’t let go? You little bastard!]
Spewing foul curses entirely unsuited to its adorable appearance, the crow-tit pecked at the intruder’s other eye.
It wasn’t merely pecking at random; it ruthlessly struck the exact same spot over and over with relentless tenacity.
Unable to endure it, the intruder finally released his grip on Laniakea’s throat, and she seized the opening without hesitation.
“Lucy! Lu—cough—Luciiiiiiiie!”
Laniakea screamed Lucy’s name at the top of her lungs, her voice raw and hoarse. An instant later, the sound of a door being kicked open echoed from down the hall, followed by frantic footsteps sprinting along the corridor.
At her scream, the intruder spat a curse and swung his weapon. A glint of cold steel sliced through the air in a lethal arc.
[Laniakea!]
The crow-tit fluttered over in a flash, throwing itself in front of the blade. Just as the edge seemed about to strike the tiny bird—whoosh! A violent gust of wind erupted throughout the room.
Crash!
A porcelain vase sitting on the display cabinet shattered against the floor with a sharp clatter. The curtains violently whipped around, engulfing the intruder, and in that very moment, the door burst wide open.
“Laniakea!”
“Your Highness the Consort!”
Huh?
She had expected only Lucy’s voice, but two voices called out.
The one calling her ‘Your Highness the Consort’ was obviously Lucy. Then whose voice had shouted her name?
Before Laniakea could find the answer to her question, the two figures moved with blinding speed.
Lucy stepped forward immediately to shield Laniakea, dropping into a combat stance toward the intruder.
And the other person who had burst in with her was…
“Your Highness?”
The man gripping the intruder with a contorted, furious expression was none other than Hyperion.
“Gaghh!”
He hoisted the intruder off the floor by the throat with a single hand.
When she had faced the assailant just moments ago, she thought he was a large, well-built man. Yet dangling in the air and flailing helplessly, he looked surprisingly frail.
It was because Hyperion’s physique was so overwhelmingly massive in comparison.
Just as Laniakea breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she was finally safe—
[What the hell? This bastard is my prey! Let go of him right now!]
The crow-tit shrieked indignantly from above her head in its cute little voice, drawing everyone’s gaze toward it.
Perhaps because his grip had momentarily loosened, the intruder managed to wheeze out a strangled murmur between ragged gasps.
“That’s… a spirit…!”
[That’s right! Yours truly is the Wind Spirit summoned by Laniakea! Lower your eyes, you bastard!]
Without a shred of dignity, the bird continued to spew foul-mouthed threats in its tiny, adorable voice. At its words, Laniakea squeezed her eyes shut.
‘…I’m ruined.’
For three whole years, she had meticulously hidden the fact that she could summon spirits in this place, only to have it completely exposed like this.
One look at Lucy and Hyperion’s faces was enough to see just how shocking this revelation was. Their expressions were the very definition of sheer astonishment.
And rightly so. It was widely known to be impossible to summon a spirit outside the Kingdom of Priatra.
Yet she had summoned one? What was worse, the crow-tit had kindly blabbed who its summoner was with its own beak.
What would happen if word of this got out?
All the gruesome scenarios she had once imagined on her way to the Empire flashed through Laniakea’s mind.
None of those imagined futures had a happy ending. One thing was certain: the peaceful future she yearned for would never come to pass.
“Must… report this… at once…”
The intruder’s faint mutter made Laniakea’s face turn deathly pale. If the hostile forces who had just tried to kill her discovered this secret…
Next time, would they try to kidnap her instead of assassinating her? And after she was taken captive…
Though she desperately tried to keep her composure, she couldn’t stop her body from trembling uncontrollably.
First, she had to silence this man. But what should she do after that? How could she keep this hidden from the rest of the world forever? And what on earth was she supposed to tell Lucy and Hyperion…?
Just then, Hyperion, who had been watching Laniakea, spoke.
“Close your eyes and cover your ears.”
His voice was calm and low, entirely out of place in such a chaotic situation. For that very reason, it rang out with crystal clarity.
Without asking why, Laniakea obeyed his command. She had a feeling that if she didn’t, she would witness something truly horrific.
As she complied, Lucy clamped her own hands over Laniakea’s ears, as if feeling that Laniakea’s hands alone were not enough.
Even through such a tight seal, a faint, muffled snap echoed softly, like something breaking.
When Laniakea finally opened her eyes after what felt like an eternity, the intruder hung limp and motionless in Hyperion’s grip.
She didn’t need to ask to know. The intruder was no longer among the living.
As if trying to shield her from the sight of the corpse, Hyperion blocked her view with his broad back and spoke to Lucy.
“Escort the Consort to my palace.”
* * *
Wrapped in a blanket over her shoulders, Laniakea was still trembling from head to toe.
‘Who? Why were they trying to kill me?’
Though she had been brought to the annex of the Main Palace where Hyperion resided, far from calming down, she shook so violently that she couldn’t even hold her teacup.
Seeing Laniakea unable to regain her composure, Lucy grew visibly distressed and whispered to her.
“Lupin tribe. Secret. Protect.”
It seemed Lucy thought Laniakea was terrified of her because of the spirit revelation.
“Yes… I trust you, Lucy.”
Even if Lucy hadn’t been a member of the Lupin tribe, she still would have.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a voice asking for permission to enter.
Lucy opened the door warily, revealing a massive man—one even larger than Hyperion—stepping inside.
“Greetings. My name is Signo. I serve as Lord Hyperion’s secretary.”
“A secretary…?”
He possessed such a fierce, imposing build and ferocious visage that it wouldn’t have been surprising to see him wielding every weapon known to man.
She had naturally assumed he would be Hyperion’s adjutant in charge of his personal guard, but a secretary? Weren’t secretaries usually gaunt, frail men with dark circles under their eyes from chronic overwork and lack of sleep?
Noticing the bewildered looks on Laniakea and Lucy’s faces, Signo scratched his head with an awkward grin.
“Contrary to how I look, I have a rather frail constitution. And as for swords… good grief, I wouldn’t even know how to swing one. But I happen to be quite adept with numbers, which is why His Highness took me under his wing.”
A frail constitution? He looked like he could wrestle an ox to the ground with his bare hands.
“Is this young lady Your Highness’s bedchamber maid?”
“No, Lucy is—”
“Me. Lupin warrior. Duel. Challenge.”
Apparently offended by being referred to as a bedchamber maid, Lucy flared up and glared daggers at him.
Having spoken an uncharacteristically complete sentence, Lucy began rolling up her sleeves. At that, Signo dropped to his knees with an audible thud.
“I misspoke! Please, spare my life!”
Staring at him in utter disbelief at his lightning-fast apology, the Lupin warrior smoothed her sleeves back down.
“Knows place. Best.”
Watching the spectacle unfold, the tension on Laniakea’s face softened slightly.
“You apologize quite quickly.”
“I have long heard of the Lupin tribe’s renown, after all. I heard there was a Lupin warrior in the Imperial Palace, but I had no idea it was her. Please forgive my insolence.”
“Ahem. Hmph.”
At Signo’s deferential attitude, Lucy puffed out her chest with pride. Because of her youthful appearance, most people refused to believe she was a Lupin warrior even when told.
It seemed she was thoroughly pleased by how swiftly he had apologized and bowed his head.
Seeing Lucy communicate so seamlessly with another person for the first time allowed Laniakea to momentarily push aside the terror of the attack.
Having thoroughly groveled before Lucy, Signo rose to his feet with a sheepish look and addressed Laniakea.
“The man who attacked Your Highness has been quietly and cleanly dealt with. It seems he took precautions to hide his identity, but His Highness said we have gained more information than expected from his weapons and attack patterns. His Highness believes we will soon uncover who sent him. And…”
At the word ‘and,’ Laniakea swallowed hard.
Had Hyperion told this man about the spirit?
“His Highness recommends that you stay here for the time being rather than returning to the Detached Palace. He asked me to assure you that he will settle everything as quickly as possible so that you may rest comfortably.”
Hearing Signo’s words, Laniakea let out a quiet sigh of relief. Fortunately, it seemed Hyperion had not mentioned the spirit to his secretary.
“I understand. But… is His Highness very busy right now? I wished to see him in person to express my gratitude…”
“Pardon? You are willing to see His Highness?”
“Of course… Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well… you witnessed an unpleasant sight, so I feared you might find it difficult to face him.”
“Ah…”
Signo’s explanation made Laniakea realize why Hyperion had sent him instead of coming himself.
He must have thought she would fear him after watching him kill a man right in front of her.
When her thoughts reached that point, Laniakea realized something: she truly didn’t mind the fact that he had killed that man.
“If Your Highness is comfortable with it, His Highness will come to explain everything in person.”
Signo spoke with an imploring look. When Laniakea nodded, he practically flew out of the room.
A moment later, hurried footsteps approached, and Hyperion appeared at the doorway.
Seeing that Laniakea had stopped trembling, he ordered Signo and Lucy to wait outside.
Normally, Lucy would have stubbornly insisted on staying by her side, but she gave Hyperion a respectful nod and stepped out into the hall.
Laniakea’s eyes widened in surprise. It was the very first time Lucy had trusted someone else enough to leave her side.
While Laniakea was still reeling from shock, the door clicked shut.
Once the two of them were alone, Hyperion walked over to her and suddenly bowed his head.
“I am sorry. This attack was entirely my fault.”
