It Seems Like The Infamous Trash Can is Right Here! - Chapter 48
I asked, perplexed. Lionel looked at me as though my question was the strange one.
“Because it is your family, Priestess. That alone is reason enough.”
“…..?”
His response left me even more bewildered.
It wasn’t that he had sought me out because of Solen. Rather, because of me, he had chosen to aid Solen.
“Even if it means making an enemy of the imperial family?”
“I’ve never been particularly loyal to them.”
He shrugged as though it were nothing.
But this was not something to be said so lightly. If things went poorly, he could be accused of treason.
But I…
I couldn’t bring myself to stop him.
That was how selfish I was, I couldn’t dissuade him not to.
Even if I knew politics, Lionel knew more about politics one hundred times more than I do, and of course, he understood the risks.
And if the most powerful house in the empire, Luanax, was willing to stand with Solen, then maybe, just maybe—
I could see my family again. I could see my father and brother again. If Lionel permitted it, I might even be able to live with them.
The mere thought of it made my eyes sting with impending tears, so I quickly lowered my head, pretending to study the contract.
‘It’s still far off. Focus on what needs to be done first.’
For as much as Lionel was offering me, I needed to ensure I could provide something in return.
Which meant I had to scrutinize every word of this contract with the utmost care.
…At least, that’s what I thought.
‘This.. What in the world is this…?’
My tears evaporated in an instant.
The contract was overwhelmingly in my favor—so much so that it made me question whether it was even real.
Out of the seven pages, a staggering three were dedicated entirely to financial matters.
Despite having nothing to my name, the contract meticulously outlined all the assets Lionel would provide for me—one-sidedly.
Even the exorbitant dowry, which would technically be documented as funds from House Dilotte, was completely at my disposal.
‘Wait… Is this amount correct for monthly allowance? How many zeros are there?’
As I stared at the document, counting the dizzying number of zeros, Lionel spoke beside me.
“There is not a man in the empire who has as much wealth as I do, and that is my greatest advantage, I can confidently tell you, Priestess.”
I turned to stare at him blankly.
Well, I mean…
I don’t think his greatest advantage was his wealth.
Even if Lionel were to lose everything overnight and be cast into the streets, there would still be a line of women willing to marry him.
With his face, his body, and… that—the sheer size of which had nearly made me question reality—he was the definition of perfection.
I forcibly tore my gaze away from his lips, particularly the spot where I had just barely brushed against earlier, and returned my attention to the contract.
“Uh… this clause here….”
Page four of the contract.
“You’ve explicitly stated that we will maintain separate bedrooms.”
That wasn’t all. There was even a clause relieving me of any obligation to produce an heir.
“…How were you planning to deal with your desire?”
Had I not already known, I wouldn’t have asked.
But this was the same man who had been so affected by being near me that he had outright inquired whether his… condition could be treated with divine power.
Realizing he had already been thoroughly exposed, Lionel hurriedly responded.
“I’ve managed thus far, and I will continue to do so. There is no reason for you to partake in something you do not wish to because of my personal situation.”
That I didn’t’ want to…. That wasn’t entirely true.
This was… a bit of a dilemma.
I might have seemed like a devout priestess, someone who had dedicated herself fully to the divine. But in reality, beneath this carefully cultivated shell was the very embodiment of corruption and debauchery, someone who, when choosing a book, always checked for the telltale crimson Rated 19+ label first.
