C7
"For my family and, above all, for my precious sister.
That's what most people thought when they heard the news of the long-awaited marriage of the Cassius successor.
I think they made a proper choice among the women from families under their command.
Considering Cassius's tendency to be isolated, it would have been better to form a relationship with another powerful noble family and start a futile nerve-wracking war.
In the future, it would be difficult for the hostess to prioritize her own family's interests over those of Cassius.
In the end, it looked like a relationship with a little added love to an arranged marriage.
"No way."
I could confirm it.
Leandro chose me strictly for the benefit of the family and Liena.
Because Liena needs the abandoned mines in Andala to strengthen Cassius.
One of the few assets of the Wallace family, where magical stones were once extracted but abandoned as profitability became increasingly less.
Who would know?
The fact that in just a few months, that place would turn into a gold mine or even diamond mine.
"Who would know? Liena, a returner, and me, who read the novel."
Naturally, Liena wants to take over this goose. But there was a problem.
The buying and selling of mines in the empire requires state permission, especially when it comes to magical stone mines.
This was a measure that generated concern that wealth and power would become overly concentrated in the hands of specific families or individuals.
Even if you buy it under a borrowed name, would anyone suddenly try to buy a worthless abandoned mine?
Even if it's not Cassius, it seems very suspicious. It would be difficult if someone in the imperial palace smells it and stops it.
How the hell could the Andala mine naturally become Cassius's property?
Leandro made a suggestion to his sister who was thinking about this.
"What if I marry the young lady from Count Wallace?"
The big picture is to receive the Andala mine as a dowry. If it succeeds, the marriage veil can cover the eyes of the imperial family.
His prediction was correct.
Indeed, when Leandro skillfully induced him to do so, Count Wallace quickly sent his daughter along with the abandoned mine.
"If they keep it anyway, it won't give them any money and won't sell. It's better to presume to give it as a dowry."
"Wallace, who doesn't have money, must have abandoned the abandoned mine because he still had to find a way to save it."
This was the true intention of the Count and others who learned of the news.
That afternoon when Leandro returned home with the consent of the Count, I heard that something like this had happened.
"No! You don't need to get married for that reason!"
"It's okay. It's a door that needs to be passed through at some point for the future successor."
"But marrying someone you don't even care about..."
"I said it's okay. There has never been a single woman in my life for whom I've felt romantic interest. I'll marry anyone as long as it helps my family."
"......"
"Haha, from what I've heard, Lady Wallace seems like a good person. She's quiet and thoughtful. She seems nice to me too."
"No! But there's no need for you to sacrifice yourself! If you can get the Andala Mine in some other way..."
"Liena."
"Why?"
"It's really okay."
"...Really? Are you serious?"
"Yes. If you live free and happy, that's my happiness."
"Brother..."
"Don't cry, our princess."
Seriously, wow.
Although I only read it in a book, the part that was vividly represented before my eyes gave me energy every time I thought about it.
The author describes the moving friendship between a brother willing to risk his marriage for his sister's sake... Maybe he wanted to emphasize something like that, but it wasn't my position.
Marrying me is not like going to die on a battlefield, so why cry?
Thank you for marrying me with an indomitable spirit of sacrifice. Do we need to talk like this?
When I got married, I wanted to see only the good sides of affectionate characters, so the price of ignoring the uncomfortable side was great.
"Let's calm down. Calm down."
I took a deep breath to control my anger.
What I need now is not passionate anger but cold and forged composure.
Because from now on, I need to come to my senses and correct past wrong decisions.
I looked at the man in front of me with contempt in my eyes.
"......"
Leandro's face was as white as a sheet of paper. His eyes wandered aimlessly up and down, left and right.
"How... how..."
He has been like this since the Andala mine was mentioned.
The fact that I knew his purpose for marrying me seems to have been a great shock to him.
The response was more intense than ever.
Much more than when he first learned about the divorce or when he found out the truth about the wedding dress.
"How the hell could my wife...?"