A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 16

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 16

Suppressing their twitching lips with effort, the two exchanged hurried glances.

Who was Cain, after all?

He was a duke who wouldn’t spare a single glance at any noble lady who approached him.

So much so that there was even a young lady who became a maid at the manor, claiming she would create opportunities to meet him after sending multiple marriage proposals and being rejected.

Jayden’s personal maid, Celia Dorn, was exactly that case.

Of course, she gained nothing from it. Since her target was the Duke of the Dragon.

But that Duke had lent clothes to the little squirrel? The atmosphere was far from ordinary.

‘There’s definitely something between those two!’

She never imagined such a day would come while working at the manor. Was spring finally arriving at the Duke’s family too?

Both Becky and Marie were extremely excited, but they didn’t show it outwardly.

Originally, outsiders shouldn’t interfere in romantic affairs between men and women. They might cause unwanted influence.

Though their fantasy circuits were burning brightly in their heads, the two simply fulfilled their duties as maids calmly without showing it.

“Should we take the clothes to the laundry room for you?”

“Would that be okay? I’m sorry to trouble you…”

“Of course!”

Viola had no idea what the two were thinking and was purely delighted.

‘I was just worrying about how to return them anyway.’

Unlike Cain who mainly spent time in the main building, this was the annex. There weren’t many opportunities to run into each other. It would be awkward to visit just to return clothes.

Taking the jacket from the wardrobe, she folded the clothes with skillful movements and handed them to the maids.

“Then we’ll come again tomorrow to attend to Lady Melody!”

“Yes, see you tomorrow.”

“Hehe. Woo!”

When Viola greeted them, Melody beside her also waved her hand along.

The maids headed straight to the laundry room.

Their steps toward work were unusually light today, undoubtedly because of Viola.

“I was really surprised earlier. I’ve never seen someone so beautiful.”

“Me too… Even when I acted frustratingly slow, she understood…”

While staying at the ducal mansion, she had suffered quite a bit not only from her slow behavior but also from her timidity.

But even though they had just met today, Viola didn’t seem to mind much.

“What kind of relationship does she have with His Grace? A hidden lover?”

“Well… I hope that’s the case.”

If so, someday they might be able to formally serve Viola as their master.

It was when Marie and Becky were excitedly chatting quietly.

Both of them stopped at the same time.

“You there. Stop for a moment.”

At the sharp voice like fingernails scratching glass, the maids squeezed their eyes shut.

“What are those clothes? Why do you dare to have His Grace the Duke’s clothes?”

Ugh. They got caught by the wrong person.

Of all times, they had to encounter Celia.

Though she was said to be a high-ranking person as a count’s daughter, Becky and Marie didn’t really like her. It was because of her quite troublesome personality.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

Even at Celia’s urging, the two only exchanged glances and hesitated to respond.

Though they hadn’t done anything wrong, they were worried that Viola might get caught in unnecessary trouble.

But then it happened. Celia ended up spouting ridiculous nonsense.

“I heard there are low-quality maids who steal clothes to sell them. Could it be you two?”

Her triumphant expression as if she had accomplished something was a bonus.

* * *

Celia Dorn.

She was the noble daughter of Count Dorn’s family and the precious youngest child that the count finally obtained after having three sons.

Perhaps because of such a background.

In high society, she was as talked about for her willful personality as for her glamorous appearance, but she didn’t care.

After all, her life was to live comfortably under her father’s protection and then marry appropriately.

While spending her days like that, one day.

After encountering Cain from afar at a certain banquet, she fell completely for him.

‘…So this is why they call it dragon blood!’

His appearance was utterly unrealistic even from a distance. Celia immediately pestered her father and sent marriage proposals several times. Unfortunately, they were all rejected.

Still, she couldn’t give up.

Eventually, Celia asked her father, Count Dorn, and managed to enter this manor.

Though the Duke’s family was originally exclusive, it was possible thanks to the deep friendship between her father and the previous duke.

She used the excuse of wanting to serve the dragon blood closely, but her true intention was one thing.

An ambitious plan to seduce Cain using Jayden as a pretext.

“The marriage proposal was unfortunate, but this seems like a good opportunity, Celia.”

“Do you think so too, Father?”

“Of course! If only the young duke hadn’t suddenly married some girl from a fallen noble family, you would have become the duchess long ago.”

Indeed, that was the case.

Celia had marriage talks with the young duke when she was young. It was because of the friendship between their fathers.

However, when the young duke fell in love with some woman, it all came to nothing.

Since Cain was that young duke’s only younger brother, this marriage arrangement would surely have been welcomed by the previous duke too.

Count Dorn explained the past story and encouraged Celia by patting her back.

“This time you’ll become the duchess, Celia.”

Celia nodded vigorously.

‘Indeed. Who else but me could become the duchess?’

She was practically the prospective duchess. With such hopeful dreams, Celia entered the ducal mansion.

However, reality was a gutter.

‘Sigh. To think I have to tend to such an unpleasant brat’s sickness.’

Jayden was not an ordinary child.

His utterly cold gaze. Just approaching him was creepy enough to give goosebumps. How hostile he was toward me, who might become his future aunt.

If she became the duchess as planned, she would have to fix that attitude.

But such dreams couldn’t be fulfilled even after three years passed.

Despite becoming a maid, she hadn’t seen even a strand of Cain’s hair yet.

‘Even today!’

Hearing that Cain had come to Jayden’s room, she immediately dressed in the finest dress tailored at a famous boutique and rushed out.

But when he had left again, she ultimately couldn’t encounter him.

Eventually, Celia began wandering the manor in a thoroughly bad mood.

At such a time, encountering maids carrying Cain’s jacket couldn’t possibly make her feel pleasant.

Celia looked the two over with suspicious eyes.

“I heard there are low-quality maids who steal clothes to sell them. Could it be you two?”

There were often such servants at the count’s mansion too.

If these people were really doing such things, it would be the greatest fortune for her.

This might create an opportunity to meet Cain!

But that triumphant attitude didn’t last very long.

It was because of the maids’ unexpected response.

“I’m just bringing back the clothes His Grace the Duke lent out!”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

Celia’s expression hardened instantly. Lent out? To whom exactly?

Given Cain’s usual attitude of being indifferent to others to the point of being almost germaphobic, this was something unimaginable.

“Who did he lend them to?”

“To the apothecary, miss.”

“The apothecary?”

Even without hearing the exact name, a face suddenly flashed through her mind.

‘…Don’t tell me it’s that woman?’

Celia recalled the woman she had encountered in Jayden’s bedroom earlier.

Thinking back, it seemed that the new healer who had arrived was indeed her.

‘His Grace personally lent his jacket to that woman? Why?’

Celia was quite popular in social circles thanks to her pretty appearance.

Being someone who knew how to manipulate men’s hearts, she instinctively understood that such behavior meant at least some level of interest.

But even so, His Grace the Duke toward a lowly commoner?

Though she hated to admit it, the woman did have an incredibly beautiful face.

Pure and delicate features, lustrous voluminous pink hair that shone even when carelessly tied up, and large eyes that seemed ready to spill over.

It was truly an appearance that stirred protective instincts.

‘But that’s as far as it goes.’

That woman had no idea how to dress herself up. To aspire to a position like duchess, one must treat one’s body like a jewel.

But what about that woman?

Her attitude of not even caring when blood was streaming down her arm was completely wrong.

How could someone who treated her body so roughly ever become a noble duchess?

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————