The End Of The Special Contract Marriage (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
The Duchess summoned her. It was the same place as last time.
Aracila immediately informed Damian of the news. After all, it was he who had asked her to tell him if anything went wrong, so she was merely complying faithfully.
“I’ll go in your stead, so please rest at home, my lady.”
“No. If we go together, it’ll better show how solid our bond is.”
In truth, Damian didn’t want Aracila and House Vandermir to clash directly. He still harbored the underlying anxiety that Aracila might back out of the marriage at any moment.
Yet, watching Aracila beside him at the coffeehouse—whom he’d reluctantly brought along—left him somewhat confused.
Was her assertiveness due to her naturally combative disposition, or was there another reason?
“Whatever the Duchess says, I’ll handle it myself. Please just watch quietly, my lady.”
“No. Why do you keep telling me to sit still since last time? If that’s what you want, just bring a doll instead.”
“I’m only saying this out of consideration for you.”
“I don’t need that kind of consideration that makes me want to tear my hair out.”
Just as the two were lightly bickering, the Duchess arrived—fifteen minutes past the agreed time.
Aracila, who spotted her first, greeted her with a cheerful smile.
“You’re here, Duchess?”
However, the Duchess’s gaze remained fixed beside Aracila. Seeing Damian seated there—uninvited—she wore a look of utter disbelief.
“Damian, why are you here?”
“You’re late, madam. If you summon someone, please be punctual.”
The Duchess’s cheeks flushed at Damian’s blunt remark about her tardiness. She sharply turned her head and glared at Aracila.
“Did you call Damian here, my lady?”
“Yes. You never said I had to come alone.”
“That’s implicit understanding! How could you possibly lack the patience to stay put and instead rush over like a little chick?”
The Duchess pressed her fingers to her forehead, exasperated. She’d come fully prepared to give Aracila a proper scolding, yet things had already gone off track from the start.
With Damian Vandermir present, she couldn’t intimidate Aracila as she’d planned.
“Both the lady and I are busy people. Please make today your last summons before the wedding.”
Amidst this, Damian drew a firm boundary, making it clear there would be no more such meetings. The Duchess’s lips twitched.
“Damian, you truly have a talent for hurting your mother with your words.”
“Is that so? It feels like I only become your son in those moments you find hurtful—so I’m hurt too.”
“You…!”
A fierce glare passed between them. Aracila simply sat quietly, watching the spectacle with wide eyes. She had no intention of interfering.
“What did you call us here for today?”
Once their glaring match finally ceased and the ordered tea arrived, Aracila asked.
“Lady Hugo, come live with us in the ducal territory.”
The Duchess declared it unilaterally. Aracila, who had been about to lift her teacup, froze mid-motion. She shook her head firmly.
“I’m sorry, Duchess, but I’m currently employed at the Mage Tower. That’s impossible.”
The Mage Tower was in the capital. If she moved to the ducal territory, commuting would be impossible, effectively forcing her to resign.
After all, it took three days by carriage from the ducal lands to the capital.
“What on earth are you saying? Of course you must leave the Mage Tower once you’re married.”
“I have no intention of doing so.”
“What did you say?”
Sensing her opportunity, the Duchess’s eyes gleamed sharply. She exaggerated her gestures as she pressed further.
“Then who’s going to support Damian? Who’s going to manage the household? Lady, if you act like this, I’ll have no choice but to oppose the marriage again.”
Aracila was dumbfounded by the Duchess’s audacity—acting as if she’d ever supported the marriage in the first place.
Damian was equally unimpressed, hearing her pretend to be some paragon of maternal virtue.
“I’m not marrying His Lordship to play the dutiful wife, madam.”
“What nonsense is this? Just what kind of upbringing did House Hugo provide…?”
The Duchess clicked her tongue in disdain. Aracila, now branded as poorly raised, couldn’t hold back.
“My father taught me never to run errands for other people’s sons. He also said that correcting senseless talk from even elders isn’t backtalk—it’s simply speaking truth.”
“You’re calling my words senseless?”
The sharp-witted Duchess flared with fury. Aracila offered a faint, serene smile.
“I never said that—but if you felt it that way… whose fault might that be?”
“Lady Hugo!”
The Duchess nearly shouted before barely regaining composure and speaking again.
“Choose: either come live with me in the ducal territory to learn from me, or we call off the engagement.”
“I’ll choose for her. Lady Hugo will live with me in the capital.”
Damian interjected firmly on her behalf. The Duchess scowled, glaring at him.
“Damian, step aside. This is something I, as the mistress of House Vandermir, must say to the new family member.”
“Since when have you shown such eagerness to treat me as family? Unless you intend to train her as your successor, please stop.”
The Duchess bit her lip hard. Of course, she had no intention of mentoring Aracila.
Doing so would be tantamount to acknowledging Damian’s succession.
“I’m sorry, madam. His Lordship has spoken, so I must comply.”
Aracila covered her mouth with an exaggerated gesture and smiled, the corners of her eyes curling up in the most irritatingly sweet manner.
“After all, isn’t the best support a wife can give simply obeying her husband?”
“…!”
The Duchess clenched her fist tightly under the table. There was a reason she’d tried to bring Aracila to the ducal territory.
She’d planned to use the Dowager Duchess Vandermir to break Aracila’s spirit and, together, intimidate her into fleeing.
But with Damian acting as a shield like this—and Aracila using him as an excuse not to budge—she was powerless.
‘So his promise to protect her wasn’t just empty words after all.’
This would make it difficult to summon Aracila alone again. Suppressing her mounting rage, the Duchess realized she lacked any valid grounds to press further.
“Then I’ll see you both at the wedding. Shall we go, my lady?”
“Yes, my lord. Duchess, please stay well until then.”
Her perfectly courteous farewell was the most infuriating part. Even when it would’ve been fine to simply leave, she never forgot to bow—and it felt like mockery.
The Duchess trembled, unable to stop them as they departed.
Back home, she erupted in fury before her husband and son.
As the Duke listened to her tearful, exaggerated account of Aracila and Damian’s behavior, he lit his cigar.
“So, in short, you failed again today to prevent their marriage?”
“…I’m sorry, darling.”
Deflated by his sharp question, the Duchess glanced nervously at her husband.
Despite her bold promises to stop the wedding, she’d achieved nothing—and only strengthened their resolve. The Duke stubbed out his cigar and spoke.
“It seems mere verbal threats won’t suffice any longer. After all, there are countless reasons a wedding might not happen, aren’t there?”
Beyond voluntary cancellation, numerous obstacles could prevent a marriage. A cruel smile curled at the Duke’s lips.
“For instance, if the bride suffers a serious accident, the wedding would naturally be canceled. And if such incidents kept recurring, they might grow suspicious enough to oppose the marriage altogether.”
In truth, the Duke had hoped to avoid this method until the very last resort. Harming a noblewoman was dangerous.
But circumstances left him no choice—and the greater the risk, the surer the effect.
“Darling, you really are a brilliant man.”
“I know. And I’ll handle this myself—so you just stay quiet.”
“Yes, understood!”
The Duchess nodded, gazing at her husband with adoring eyes.
She felt not a shred of guilt about harming another family’s precious daughter—only complete faith in her husband.
[This is the timeline separator]Wedding preparations proceeded smoothly. The wedding dress and formal attire were chosen, and invitations were sent out to everyone nearby.
After Damian’s warning, the Duchess never summoned Aracila again. As a result, truly peaceful days continued.
All that remained was drafting the prenuptial agreement and marriage registration.
“Kids, I’m off.”
“Yes, senior! Please take care!”
Receiving her juniors’ farewells, Aracila left the Mage Tower. As the wedding drew closer, her meetings with Damian to negotiate the prenuptial terms had increased.
Her juniors, unaware of the details, assumed she—a notorious workaholic—must truly adore Damian to leave early just to see him. It wasn’t a bad misunderstanding, so she let it be.
Stepping outside to head to today’s meeting place—the knights’ office—Aracila spotted a carriage bearing the Red Hawk banner.
What’s that doing here?
Her confusion lasted only a moment before a servant standing by the carriage approached and bowed politely.
“Good day, Miss Hugo. I was sent to escort you as instructed.”
Aracila narrowed her eyes, studying the unfamiliar servant.
“Sent by whom?”
“By Lord Vandermir.”
The servant answered without hesitation. Since Damian had never sent a carriage or servant before, Aracila was slightly surprised.
Lord Vandermir wasn’t exactly known for such thoughtful consideration.
Besides,
‘I clearly said I’d stop by home first and would be a bit late.’
It made little sense for him to suddenly send someone without word. Aracila hummed thoughtfully, then asked,
“Did Lord Damian Vandermir truly send you for me?”
“Yes, miss. Please hurry and get in.”
The servant opened the door and gestured insistently. Aracila signaled her own waiting carriage to leave without her.
Without taking the servant’s hand, she climbed in herself and asked one final question.
“Where am I meant to go?”
“To the mansion.”
Ah. Aracila gave a brief nod and closed the carriage door. Soon, the carriage moved smoothly forward.
She observed the passing scenery to guess their destination. The carriage, which had seemed headed toward the bustling district, gradually turned toward increasingly deserted areas.
‘Now that I think about it, it was strange how the other side quieted down just from Lord Vandermir’s warning.’
Wasn’t House Duke desperate enough to push their cursed, future-traitor eldest son? If they truly opposed Damian’s succession, they should be doing everything possible to sabotage this marriage.
Yet they’d only pressured them verbally a few times and called it quits. Even if Aracila were in House Vandermir’s position, she wouldn’t have acted so half-heartedly.
‘Well, let’s see what they’ve prepared.’
Aracila’s lips curved upward as she tapped the window frame. Even walking willingly into a trap, she felt no fear.
Though currently focused solely on research without active duties, she was, in truth, a mage exceptionally gifted in offensive magic.
In other words, she had more than enough strength to protect herself.
Soon, the carriage halted in a shabby clearing surrounded by trees. Aracila drew the curtains shut, blocking the window. This way, she couldn’t see outside—but neither could anyone see her.
Remaining perfectly still, she waited—and as expected, someone outside reacted first.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Someone hammered the carriage door like thunder. Her calm blue eyes turned toward the entrance.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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Thank you for translating/sharing this. Such an adorable story!