FRL 6

Chapter 6

Vanessa slowly went over the conditions she had set for a marriage partner who could help her get revenge.

Did they need time to get to know each other? NO.

They had known each other since childhood. Even if she didn’t know his personal preferences, she at least knew how many bowls and plates were in his mansion, considering how often she had visited.

Did he have enough power? YES.

Did they have a connection? YES.

Would he cause trouble in the future? YES.

The most important one.

Was there any chance he would develop feelings for her? NO!

If it were anyone else, maybe. But Ian Ruthcliffe? Absolutely not.

As proof, just look at the situation.

Even after they had parted ways like that at the mansion, he hadn’t sent her a single letter.

Excellent.

The answer had been right in front of her eyes all along.

Now then…… the final condition.

Would he fall in love with someone else in the future?

“Of course…… NO!”

Ian Ruthcliffe remained single even when he was nearly forty!

His past was clean, and his future was going to remain clean.

He was an absolutely excellent husband candidate.

At least for Vanessa Sharose herself.

“This is no time to be sitting around.”

Carlisle Leonard might have left like a third-rate villain, but he wasn’t the kind of man who would give up over something like this.

For all she knew, by tomorrow morning the entrance to her mansion could be buried beneath wedding-related items.

Vanessa hurriedly took out paper and a pen and began writing a letter.

Fortunately, there was one thing in her favor.

In her previous life, this incident had caused things between her and Ian to become awkward.

But this time, that hadn’t happened.

Had a week already passed?

“Ian Ruthcliffe……!”

Today marked exactly one week since she had sent the letter.

And exactly one week since she had been ignored.

Vanessa clenched her teeth and viciously muttered his name to herself.

The reply she had been waiting for never came, while something completely unexpected arrived instead, making her grind her teeth in frustration.

A wedding ring set with a large diamond.

There was only one man who would send something like this.

Carlisle Leonard.

The moment she saw what was inside, she had promptly thrown it away.

Good grief, what a lunatic.

She had never expected him to simply accept the breakup and leave quietly.

That was why she had been hurrying Ian for a response.

But she never imagined Carlisle would move this quickly.

At this rate, tomorrow morning’s newspaper might carry the news that she was getting married.

The Marchioness of Leonard was particularly skilled at manipulating high society.

The more curious people became about her prospective husband, the more clues she would release one by one so that they could guess who he was.

And this ring would undoubtedly be one of those clues.

She needed to meet Ian before rumors spread all over the capital.

It can’t be helped.

If you wanted to talk face-to-face, you should have said so from the beginning, Ian Ruthcliffe.

Her final letter would be delivered personally.

“I’ve come to deliver a letter to His Grace, the Duke of Ruthcliffe.”

A bolt from the blue was an apt description for Vanessa Sharose’s sudden visit.

Denion, the butler of the Ruthcliffe mansion, gave Vanessa an awkward smile when he saw her arriving so early in the morning.

“Um, if you give the letter to me, I’ll make sure it reaches him. Lady Sharose. His Grace went out early this morning……”

“Isn’t it a little too much that I haven’t even received an answer to my proposal?”

“……Pardon? Your proposal?”

The butler stared blankly at Vanessa with an expression that clearly said he was hearing this for the first time.

It was a proposal.

Every letter she had written over the past week had essentially said:

Marry me.

Granted, there was the word contract attached before the word marriage.

Vanessa lifted her gaze and looked toward the Ruthcliffe mansion.

More precisely, she looked toward Ian Ruthcliffe, who was watching her from the balcony window on the second floor.

Their eyes met.

Denion also followed Vanessa’s gaze.

Vanessa could hear the butler swallowing nervously.

At the same time, Ian gave a slight nod.

Denion bowed his head toward Vanessa.

“Lady Sharose. Please allow me to escort you inside.”

The permission to enter was practically an admission of defeat, and Vanessa willingly stepped inside.

She was being rather forceful, but she had no choice.

A gift from Carlisle had arrived that very morning.

If she wasted any more time, she would be dragged straight to the altar.

Vanessa took a short, deep breath and knocked twice on the study door.

A low, monotonous voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

Perhaps it was because of the table positioned beside the window.

The moment Vanessa saw Ian standing there, illuminated by the backlight, she let out an involuntary gasp.

He possessed an aloof and ascetic atmosphere, like a statue of a god standing in the very heart of the Holy Kingdom’s Papal Palace.

His neatly swept-back hair, not a single strand out of place, and the silver-rimmed glasses perched on his nose undoubtedly contributed to that impression.

And that wasn’t all.

His fitted vest and shirt clung tightly to his body, leaving not even the slightest gap, giving him an atmosphere that was both austere and dangerously alluring.

While Vanessa continued staring at Ian for quite some time, he seemed completely uninterested in her.

He removed his glasses and looked at her.

“Sit. Would you like some tea?”

“……Something cold.”

“Bring two of the same.”

Ian gestured toward the butler standing near the door before turning his attention back to Vanessa, who was still standing there awkwardly.

“Are you planning to talk while standing? From your letters, I thought perhaps you wanted to clear up the misunderstanding about what happened last time.”

Ian slowly looked Vanessa over.

“Judging by your expression, I suppose it was that other matter you always mentioned. If this distance was sufficient, perhaps I should have simply shouted toward the outside of the mansion.”

“……So? What’s your answer?”

“……”

“Looking at the mountain of letters over there, all with the Sharose ducal seal torn open, I thought you might have finally decided to answer me.”

Vanessa pointed toward the table with her index finger.

Ian raised the corners of his mouth.

“You have a good eye.”

“……”

“Fine. Since you’re so determined, I’ll marry you. But there are conditions.”

Ian pushed aside the mountain of documents piled on the table and pulled a fresh sheet of white paper toward himself.

With an expression that suggested he had been dragged into an annoying mess, he began writing with a quill.

Not long afterward, he held out a sheet of paper to Vanessa, who had been waiting nervously.

1. There will be no sharing of a bed after marriage.

2. There will be no heirs.

3. Under no circumstances will there be any physical contact.

4. If Vanessa Sharose has any business with Ian Ruthcliffe, she will communicate it through the butler.

5. Breakfast and lunch will be eaten together, but dinner will be eaten separately.

6. Vanessa Sharose will not enter Ian Ruthcliffe’s private quarters unless it concerns something important. If she must enter, she must announce her intention to visit at least one hour beforehand.

7. Vanessa Sharose will not set foot in Ian Ruthcliffe’s study, bedroom, or other private spaces without his permission.

8. When attending public events, they will enter together but return home separately.

“Gasp.”

Vanessa drew in a short breath.

The sheet in her hands was covered with so many conditions that it was difficult to believe the two of them were supposed to be getting married.

Ian continued writing without hesitation, as though he had memorized every single condition.

There were two sheets containing exactly the same terms.

“If you promise to abide by all of these conditions, then marriage should be acceptable.”

Ian said this as he finished signing both documents first.

Were they supposed to become less than strangers?

No, even strangers probably had a better relationship than this……

After thinking for a moment, Vanessa spoke.

“……Do you perhaps dislike me?”

At Vanessa’s question, Ian’s brow twitched.

“What does that have to do with these conditions?”

“No…… It’s just that otherwise, you wouldn’t have set conditions like these……”

She had been about to say you wouldn’t have needed to set such conditions.

But she quickly shut her mouth.

This was already a marriage bound by a contract. There was no reason to force himself to marry someone he disliked.

And while she had to be careful about developing feelings herself, if he actually disliked her, that would only create a different kind of stress.

Of course, as far as Vanessa was concerned, he was an absolutely perfect husband candidate.

……What a shame. He was truly perfect.

Still, should she ask one more time?

It would be such a waste to give up here.

She wasn’t even sure whether she could find someone who met all these conditions within the time she had.

With such a perfect husband candidate standing right before her eyes, there was no doubt that her standards for whoever came afterward would naturally become impossibly high.

“You don’t dislike me, right?”

At her question, Ian frowned as though she had just said something completely nonsensical.

Only then did Vanessa look down at the contract in her hands again.

Huh?

Come to think of it, these are actually perfect contract terms for me.

There would be no physical contact, so there was no chance of becoming entangled with him personally.

She wouldn’t even have to fulfill her marital duties.

With terms like these, she could focus entirely on her revenge without worrying about him, and then they could part ways cleanly afterward.

Vanessa lowered the paper in her hand and looked at the man before her.

“If you don’t dislike me, then as long as I follow these conditions, you’ll marry me?”

“……Yes.”

“Good. If there’s anything you want in exchange for marrying me, tell me.”

“That…… I’ll think about it a little more.”

“All right. I’d like to have the wedding as soon as possible. Is there a particular day you want? Or we could simply have a small ceremony in the Holy Kingdom, if you’re religious.”

As she spoke, Vanessa finished signing the contract.

“……I’ll send you a letter with the contract regarding that matter within a few days.”

“Good. Then, since I’m finished here, I’ll be going. Sorry for disturbing you.”

Vanessa stood up after staring absentmindedly at the paper bearing her signature.

“You might as well take the tea with you.”