Read Rewriting the Marriage Contract Novel Translation Chapter 10

(다시 쓰는 결혼 계약서)

Original: 백설홍 (White Snow) | Translation: Genie

#josei #drama #romance #contract-marriage #mature #fantasy

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“…?”
“…?”

Laniakea and Hypherion stared at each other, their faces blank with disbelief.

Both of them looked as though they doubted their ears. Tilting their heads slightly, as if struggling to process what they’d just heard, they each repeated the most baffling word from the other’s statement.

“A child?”
“Divorce?”

Laniakea murmured, her voice tinged with confusion, while Hypherion echoed her incredulity.

Then, almost in unison, they spoke again.

“You want me to have a child?”
“You want to divorce me?”

Their simultaneous reactions startled both of them into silence. The room fell into an uneasy quiet, thick with confusion and tension.

Laniakea raised a hand and tapped at her ear, convinced she’d misheard. Every sound seemed perfectly clear—the chirping of birds outside the window, the faint footsteps echoing from the hallway, even the occasional creak of the old building.

She could hear everything. She wasn’t hallucinating.

But still… a child? A child with the First Prince?

Realisation of what he truly meant struck her belatedly, and her eyes wavered, betraying her growing agitation.

Hypherion, noticing her unease, ran a hand over his face and sighed.

“It seems we need to have a proper conversation.”

─── ･: .☽ . :･ ───

The tea set down by the servant filled the air with a pleasant aroma.

But Laniakea couldn’t bring herself to drink. The silence in the room stretched endlessly, an oppressive weight pressing down on them.

As Laniakea fidgeted with the teacup in her hands, Hypherion finally broke the quiet.

“Why do you want a divorce?”

“Why? Isn’t it obvious? You’re about to become Emperor….”

Laniakea’s voice trailed off, her tone resigned. She was well aware of her position. She was just a princess with a passable appearance—a woman with no extraordinary value in the imperial palace.

A princess? If the Empire needed an Empress, every kingdom on the continent would gladly offer their princesses.

Appearance? Laniakea admitted to herself that her looks weren’t bad.

But the role of Empress required far more than a pretty face. It demanded the ability to steer the colossal machinery of the Empire alongside the Emperor.

How could someone like her even begin to fulfil such a role? She wasn’t just unqualified; she had been handpicked by the current Empress, Hypherion’s political adversary, for her insignificance.

“Surely, someone more suited to securing the Empire’s future should be Empress, don’t you think?”

Hypherion sighed, a short breath heavy with frustration.

“You sound just like the ministers.”

Of course.

It was clear that the ministers who had recently cast icy glares her way had approached him with their advice regarding the Empress’s position.

Hypherion fixed his gaze on her and continued.

“They’re not wrong.”

At his words, Laniakea couldn’t help but bow her head. She already knew she was of no help to him, but hearing it confirmed aloud still weighed heavily on her heart.

“Then why…”

She hesitated, unable to bring herself to say the word “child” again. Fortunately, Hypherion seemed to understand and nodded slightly before responding.

“If I followed the ministers’ advice, everything would stabilise more quickly after my coronation. But I will not repeat the mistakes of the past.”

Laniakea nodded, understanding his reference to the mistakes of previous rulers.

‘He’s trying to prevent the rise of another faction.’

She was all too aware of how much control the current Empress had wielded over the royal family. Laniakea herself was living proof—a princess chosen solely at the Empress’s whim to be the First Prince’s bride.

Even while the Emperor was still in good health, the Empress had meddled incessantly in state affairs. After his collapse, she seized complete control.

Her family and relatives had naturally reaped immense benefits, so much so that it became a grim joke that more carriages went to the Empress’s family than the palace itself.

For the royal family, this was a catastrophe. Resources that should have bolstered the imperial power were instead leaking elsewhere, weakening the monarchy and strengthening the nobles.

Hypherion was determined not to allow such chaos to continue.

“And.”

His voice took on a firmer tone.

“You are my wife, are you not?”

The faint reproach in his words startled her, as though he were chastising her for forgetting something so fundamental.

“But….”

Laniakea felt a twinge of injustice, as if she were being scolded unfairly. She could only falter, her words lost in the whirlwind of emotions.

It was true that she had married him. However, how many times had she seen his face over the past three years?

“About ten times?”

He returned to the imperial palace roughly once every four months. He would have a single meal with Laniakea and then leave without even spending a night in the annexe.

Naturally, no meaningful conversations took place during those meals.

When Laniakea asked about life on the borderlands, he responded curtly with “yes,” “no,” or something along the lines of, “Please understand that I cannot answer that.”

Initially, Laniakea had tried to maintain a conversation, but his terse responses made it impossible to ask further questions.

Thus, their meals together were painfully quiet. From the start, they were awkward, but the most difficult part was the final moments when they drank tea together. The silent sitting felt unbearably uncomfortable.

In the end, all Laniakea could do was bring up trivial topics like the newly acquired tea leaves. Predictably, Hypherion responded with nothing more than a polite, “Yes, I see.”

So, when she learned that Hypherion would become Emperor, she naturally assumed he would divorce her and send her away. Yet, why was he now looking at her as though he felt wronged?

At that moment, Hypherion asked another question.

“If we divorce, do you intend to return to Friatra? Is there someone there… waiting for you?”

“No!”

At the mention of Friatra, Laniakea vehemently shook her head.

“I have no desire to return there. There is no one waiting for me.”

Her mind filled with memories of her cold family. If she returned to Friatra, their expressions would only grow colder.

“I see. Very well. May I have your hand?”

Hypherion’s expression strangely relaxed, as though he were relieved. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and held it out to her.

Only then did Laniakea realise that tea had spilt from her cup, wetting her hand.

Thankfully, the tea had cooled somewhat, but the delayed heat made her blush. Embarrassed, she reached for the handkerchief he offered.

But as she leaned forward, Hypherion, with startling naturalness, took her hand and began to wipe it clean himself.

His actions were so effortless that Laniakea could do nothing but stare blankly as he meticulously cleaned her hand, letting him hold it in his own.

Hypherion carefully wiped every corner of her hand. Watching the white handkerchief quickly darken with tea stains, Laniakea suddenly recognised it.

“This… isn’t this—”

“Yes, it’s the one you sent me.”

Hypherion’s voice grew slightly louder, as though pleased that she remembered.

“I’ve kept it carefully ever since.”

At his words, Laniakea’s face reddened—not out of happiness, but sheer embarrassment.

─── ･: .☽ . :･ ───

Every year, the Imperial Palace hosted an event to send care packages to knights stationed in distant regions.

The event, held at the end of the year under the Empress’s sponsorship, featured a grand banquet hall with long tables.

Attendees would place their contributions on the table marked with the name of the region they wished to support.

Since the banquet was overseen by the Empress and attended by nobles from prominent families, the donated items were nothing short of extravagant.

Jewellery, such as rings, bracelets, and brooches, or even cheques written on the spot, were common offerings.

The table that amassed the most donations was, unsurprisingly, the one marked with the border region where the Empress’s younger brother was stationed.

Though technically a borderland, it was a key trade route near an allied nation and posed no real danger.

Naturally, nobles flocked to place their donations there to gain favour with the Empress. Conversely, the table for Hypherion’s station was embarrassingly bare.

Under normal circumstances, Laniakea would have left even the jewellery she wore. But this time, she couldn’t. The jewellery wasn’t hers to give.

“How odd,” she thought. Just days ago, the Empress had sent a warm letter offering to lend her jewellery for the banquet.

Back then, she’d seen no reason to refuse and had graciously accepted. Only now did she realise the intent: to ensure she couldn’t place any donations.

A prince abandoned even by his wife.

The Empress likely wanted the nobles to witness such a scene.

The Empress and her entourage approached, smiling as they watched Laniakea’s discomfort. They feigned concern, offering her platitudes.

“Did you not know about the care packages? Don’t worry too much. There’s always next year.”

“Surely, the First Prince will be delighted with anything his wife gives him. It’s not the value of the gift but the thought that counts, isn’t it?”

The Empress spoke with her most benevolent smile.

In the end, Laniakea was forced to leave the only possession she had on her: her handkerchief.

As she turned away, muffled laughter followed her steps.

─── ･: .☽ . :･ ───