A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 19

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 19

“Sorry?”

Jayden, who had been fidgeting with his lips, suddenly turned his head and mumbled.

“S-sorry, I didn’t mean to push you. I feel bad that you seem to be badly hurt.”

Oh my. What am I going to do with this young master.

His eyes were full of remorse, yet instead of apologizing, he was trying to save face – just like a typical child.

I softened my stern expression and looked at the child gently.

“Young Master.”

“…Wh-what. Why.”

“In times like this, instead of making long excuses, you should just look me in the eye and say you’re sorry.”

“…”

“That’s how you become a cool adult.”

In my own way, I was trying to comfort him at a child’s level. But Jayden instead pouted his lips and grumbled.

“Hmph. I don’t need to be a cool adult or anything.”

“Pardon?”

“Anyway… I don’t even know how long I’ll live.”

My heart sank at the child’s casual words. His voice was tinged with self-mockery. There was a resignation that seemed to already sense his illness and approaching death.

But I didn’t waver. Instead, I looked straight at the child with even clearer eyes.

“No. Young Master can become a cool adult.”

At my confident voice, Jayden looked up. As if he couldn’t understand, the child’s brow furrowed.

“…How would you know that?”

“Because I’ll be here to help you. So of course you can become one.”

I smiled brightly, crinkling my eyes.

“…Wh-what are you saying!”

Jayden seemed quite flustered and averted his gaze, but I didn’t mind and whispered affectionately.

“There’s only one thing left. Young Master just needs to decide.”

“…”

“Whether to give up, or try to become a cool adult together with me.”

Jayden’s pupils trembled slightly. The child remained silent for a long while, fidgeting with his lips. His face showed he was deep in thought.

And after a moment.

Jayden, who had been biting his lips tightly, squeezed out a small voice.

“…Sorry.”

Then, as if to hide his embarrassment, Jayden immediately added in a deliberately gruff tone.

“B-but don’t misunderstand. I’m not apologizing because I want to become that cool adult you mentioned or anything.”

“Oh? Then why?”

Jayden hesitated and then hung his head low.

“Just… because you probably hurt a lot because of me…”

Though his voice was barely audible, the heart contained within it was transparently clear.

I gently patted the back of the dejected boy. And then.

“That’s right! Well done.”

“…Huh?”

“How cool of you to apologize so honestly.”

“Y-you…!”

Having no immunity to praise, Jayden’s face turned bright red.

“It’s okay. Everyone makes mistakes. What’s important is having the courage to apologize like Young Master did. So I’ll forgive you.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. But you’ll promise me you won’t do it again, right?”

A different light appeared in his ruby-like eyes. The boy seemed to hesitate, then squeezed his eyes shut and extended his hand to me.

Touch. A small warmth reached my fingertips.

Naturally, our pinky fingers crossed. It was a promise between Jayden and me that we must keep from now on.

Jayden awkwardly cleared his throat and pulled his hand away.

However, his gaze remained on my arm. Worry still lingered in his red eyes.

Since he had apologized so well, it was time to give a carrot to this well-behaved child.

“But you know, maybe it’s because Young Master is such a good child-“

I carefully undid my sleeve buttons. Then I quickly rolled up my clothes.

“It all healed in just one night, didn’t it?”

Ta-da! When I showed my forearm, Jayden’s eyes widened. He looked at my arm with disbelieving eyes.

The skin that had been covered in blood just yesterday was now smooth with new flesh grown over it. It was all thanks to Melody.

Jayden’s previously tense expression relaxed completely in an instant.

“Thank goodness!!!”

Gasp!

Jayden was startled and quickly covered his mouth with both hands. It seemed like words he hadn’t meant to say out loud.

Soon, he glanced at me slyly and pretended nothing had happened. Though it was completely useless since I had already heard everything.

“Were you very worried?”

“I-I wasn’t worried!”

The small head shook frantically left and right.

I pretended to look hurt and clutched my arm.

“Really? Oh, so you weren’t worried about me. Ugh. My arm feels like it’s hurting again-“

“I-I was worried! Does it not hurt anymore?”

Jayden looked flustered and examined my forearm. His busily moving eyes were particularly round.

“Wow. How amazing. Suddenly it doesn’t hurt at all.”

“Really? It’s really true, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

Phew. Jayden kept stroking his chest in relief.

‘Oh, I shouldn’t be doing this. I keep teasing him.’

Trying to swallow the giggles that were bursting out, I looked at the boy.

In the original story, he was popular for being a prickly older brother who took good care of Melody.

The Jayden I actually met was much cuter than when I read about him in text.

Like a cunning baby kitten.

‘Though his face looks incredibly cold.’

How should I put it. He looked exactly like his uncle. When he grows up, he’ll become an incredible handsome man.

I reached my hand toward Jayden’s forehead.

Perhaps because he had been too sick to cut his hair on time, his silver hair was about to poke his eyes.

“…Huh?”

“Just a moment.”

Jayden was confused but didn’t avoid me. When I gently brushed his bangs aside, his round forehead was revealed.

“It’s bad for your eyesight when your bangs cover your eyes.”

“But I’m a dragon-blood.”

“You’re also a growing child.”

Hmm. I’d like to cut his bangs completely, but unfortunately I didn’t have scissors.

‘Is there anything useful I can use.’

As I rummaged through my pocket, I found a small pin.

It was something I often used to keep my hair from falling down while working. It had a small pink ribbon attached, but it would be better than nothing.

Swoosh, when I secured the pin in his hair, the pretty boy’s face became clearly visible.

“There, done. Much better. How adorable.”

“Horrible, not adorable?”

“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”

Those weren’t words that should come from a dreamy child’s mouth. When I looked at Jayden in surprise, his small lips mumbled and whispered softly.

“But… everyone’s afraid of me.”

* * *

“But… everyone’s afraid of me.”

Though it was an impulsive remark, it was actually Jayden’s true feelings that he had kept deeply hidden in his heart.

After his body began to ache, Jayden had met countless healers. It was thanks to his uncle gathering famous people from across the empire.

But whenever they failed in their treatment and left the manor, what saddened Jayden wasn’t because of his body.

Rather, it was because of the eyes of the adults who trembled while looking at him like he was a monster.

Jayden knew it couldn’t be helped since he was born with dragon blood.

But feeling sad was also unavoidable.

He hadn’t done anything wrong, yet everyone feared him, which made him upset.

Even Celia was like that. The dedicated maid who was assigned to take care of him after his parents died in an accident.

She pretended to be kind to him in front of adults, but he could feel through her eyes that she found him disgusting.

So much so that unless it was in front of adults, she would often dump his care onto the lower-ranking maids as if she didn’t even want to face him. She never properly took care of even a single meal for him.

If it was going to be like this anyway, he shouldn’t have had any expectations from the beginning.

So Jayden gradually began to close his heart.

But.

Why was it?

He thought it would be the same, but only Viola was different.

Far from being afraid of him, she even protected him in front of his terrifying uncle.

‘Is Viola really not scared of me?’

If that were true, it would be really, really wonderful.

But in reality, she might be finding him horrible inside.

So Jayden deliberately killed his expectations.

No, he only thought he had killed them.

Judging by how he impulsively blurted out such a foolish question.

Jayden cautiously raised his head to observe Viola’s expression.

The face that had been smiling just moments ago was now distorted as if filled with shock.

As expected, she must find me horrible.

‘I shouldn’t have asked. The answer was already decided anyway.’

“It’s nothing.”

It was at that moment when the completely dejected Jayden was about to turn his head away.

“I’m not scared. Not at all.”

The woman spoke in a firm voice.

“…You’re lying.”

Do you think I’ll just believe you if you say that?

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