A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 2

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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 2

The title of the novel I was reincarnated into was 『The Baby Saint from the Future』. Shortened to Future Saint.

My favorite work that I had read more than five times in my previous life.

‘But liking it didn’t mean I wanted to be reincarnated into it…!’

Just because you like horror doesn’t mean you want to become a ghost, right?

Anyway.

I first started reading the novel because the setting was quite fresh.

『Future Saint』 wasn’t regression, possession, or reincarnation, but a ‘time leap’ story.

The plot is a bit complex, but to summarize it goes like this.

Melody, who awakened as a saint, is abused and exploited by the Temple people despite her young age.

In the midst of this, she gains the power of time leap and decides to escape to a time period 7 years before she was even born.

Thus she arrives at the time period of 636 AD.

Melody gets adopted by a woman and begins a happy life, but…

‘If it ended like this, it wouldn’t be a child-rearing story.’

Her adoptive mother suddenly dies and Melody is once again in danger of being captured by the Temple. And then, like a miracle, she becomes the adopted daughter of the Duke of the Dragon who saves her.

From then on, it’s a typical doting child-rearing story.

The cold Duke becomes more of a daughter-fool each day, and his nephews also become sister-fools – that kind of story.

‘For some reason, I can’t remember the ending exactly though.’

But as these kinds of works usually go, it’s definitely a happy ending.

Sigh. I let out a breath.

Yeah, well. Our Melody’s life having a happy ending. That’s not a bad thing, but…

Honestly, separate from that, it was devastating. Because the mother who dies early on is exactly my role!

‘Please let the mother live too.’

Even if it’s a child-rearing story.

I’m human too, human!

If possible, I’d like to grab the author by the collar, but it was impossible now anyway.

“Haah, such is my fate.”

Just when I’m about to be happy, it’s always like this.

In my previous life, I was a kindergarten teacher.

Maybe because it was the job I’d dreamed of my whole life, it was a perfect fit.

Though it was a bit physically demanding, seeing the children smile and call “Teacher!” would melt away all my fatigue.

So I thought I wanted to live surrounded by children my whole life, but…

‘Who would have known I’d die less than a year after getting the job.’

And even now that I’ve finally been reincarnated, I’m destined to die soon. Sigh.

When I suddenly lifted my head that had been hanging low, I saw Melody tiptoeing around stealthily.

This little one. Mother is dying of worry right now.

Don’t tell me she’s trying to pretend nothing happened?

“You there, child trying to sneak away. Stop right there.”

“Hwaaam. Woo?”

Melody yawned pretending to be sleepy, but it was obviously an act.

I called the child with a deliberately stern voice.

“Come here, Melody. You have something to tell Mother, don’t you.”

Mmph.

Sensing that further pretending was useless, the child approached hesitantly.

“Mommy. Hehehe.”

This time, perhaps planning to get by with cuteness, she lifted her chubby cheeks and smiled charmingly.

This mischievous little child.

Does she think I’ll fall for this?

Of course I’ll naturally fall for it.

Ugh, so cute. Her beaming smile was so adorable that I gently pinched her flour-dough-like cheeks without hurting her.

“Hehe…”

In the softened atmosphere, Melody acted cute again. She really knows me too well.

But I can’t be swept away like usual.

When I held her hand so Melody couldn’t run away, the child rolled her eyes around.

“I’m not going to scold you.”

“Woo.”

“Really? I won’t scold you.”

Not only that. I had no intention of asking for detailed circumstances. I already understood everything through the original work.

‘Most importantly, Melody is a child with many wounds.’

Knowing full well that she even developed mutism from the Temple’s abuse, I didn’t want to stir up her trauma.

But the child still seemed worried, fidgeting with her fingers.

“…Melody knows too, right? People with holy power have to go to the Temple.”

“Woo woo?”

Thud. With an expression as if the sky had fallen, Melody pointed to herself with her finger. As if asking whether she’d be sent away too.

“No. It’s not like that. I won’t do anything Melody doesn’t like.”

“Woo woo?”

Really?

“Have you ever seen me lie?”

Shake shake.

As if she had been very worried inside, the child shook her head vigorously and kept patting her chest in relief.

Oh my. How did she hide such a huge secret all this time while being such a scaredy-cat.

Now that I knew they were the villains, I would never send Melody to the Temple.

But that didn’t mean I would continue the same lifestyle as now.

‘At this rate, I’ll be murdered in a few months.’

In the original work too, Melody hides her identity from Viola. She believed that way they could live happily together forever.

But this was just a naive child’s wish.

Because one day the Temple realizes the saint’s existence and brutally kills Viola, the guardian, in order to take the child.

‘To survive, I need to twist the original story.’

But how?

‘Come to think of it, there was a holy relic that blocks holy power.’

A necklace-shaped holy relic that disappeared 23 years ago.

If I could just get that, things would be easily resolved, but…

Hmm. Is there any way I could obtain it? Even that great Duke of the Dragon failed in the original work.

Then there was only one path left.

‘Cain Ashern.’

The father figure who takes Melody as his adopted daughter in the original work.

He would be able to protect Melody from the Temple. My life too, of course!

Honestly, going to find him when there are fierce rumors about how scary he is makes me a little, no, actually very afraid, but…

Still, I have to do it. For Melody’s sake too!

Now that I’d made my decision, there was no more time to hesitate.

“Melody, let’s get ready to go out.”

“Woo?”

“We have to go on a long journey. I’ll explain on the way.”

Though Melody was puzzled, she seemed to have expected this inwardly and obediently followed along.

“Now, first brush your teeth.”

“Woo. Eek.”

“This time, raise both arms up!”

“Woo woo.”

Ugh. Melody’s head popped out over her outdoor clothes.

Now that I’ve dressed her warmly, we’re truly ready!

I boldly kicked open the door and resolutely shouted.

“Let’s go, Melody!”

“Woo!”

Grumble!

Huh? I looked down at the stomach growling that was louder than her response, and Melody scratched her cheek.

Ehehe… The child averted her eyes as if embarrassed.

She said she was full earlier, but did she digest it already? Her previously plump belly had somehow become flat.

I closed the wide-open door again.

Let’s hurry and go meet your daddy.

Of course, only after eating first!

* * *

And so we arrive at the present moment.

“Woohoo!”

Melody was excitedly bouncing around but soon staggered as if her legs had given out.

“Ugh.”

“I could tell when you were fooling around. You’re tired, aren’t you?”

Nod nod. Her small head moved.

‘Well, we did come a long way.’

We rode in a carriage for three whole days.

Having arrived at a city, we headed toward a street where houses were clustered together. Fortunately, I knew someone in the area, so we decided to stay with them for a few days.

“Rest here, Melody.”

“Mmm, Mother?”

“I’m going to look around the area and come back.”

Leaving Melody, who had fallen fast asleep, I went outside to find the sun setting.

After leaving the residential street where people lived together, I could see shops lined up in a row. Pedestrians were moving busily between them.

A scene clearly different from the peaceful rural Hailon Village.

Only now did it feel real. Where I had come to.

“I really came to Winterwald.”

The central city of the Ashern Duchy and one of the main settings of the original story.

Whew. Feeling nervous for some reason, I took a deep breath.

Though I had boldly left the village, it was actually impossible to go meet Cain right away.

‘The ducal residence is basically a very closed-off place.’

There’s no way they’d meet with someone like me who isn’t even a noble. I’d be fortunate if I wasn’t dragged away as some ruffian.

So for the time being, I planned to stay here and gather information.

I did have a last resort, but that would take some time to put into action anyway.

As I walked while thinking about what to do, I suddenly noticed colorful toys.

‘Oh. Perfect for children’s tastes! Melody would love those.’

Maybe tomorrow I’ll come out with Melody to look around.

It was at that moment when I was examining the shop window more closely.

Gasp.

In the glass window, I saw the reflection of a man drenched in dark red liquid.

When I instinctively turned around, my mouth fell open without realizing it.

No way, I thought.

But it really is blood?

I said it was different from Rural Village, but this was too different.

A man covered in blood was casually strolling down the street like it was nothing.

Even the people were just subtly avoiding him, as if they didn’t want to get involved in troublesome matters. Is this the coldness of city life?

‘Still, I am a pharmacist by trade.’

I can’t just pretend not to see this. I hurriedly approached him.

“Excuse me! Are you alright?”

“…”

However, the man just ignored me and passed by.

“Excuse me, wait a moment!”

How can someone who’s injured walk so fast?

“You seem to be hurt…!”

Panting and barely catching up to him, the man answered nonchalantly as if annoyed.

“It’s not my blood.”

Ah, yes… I see…

‘Then whose blood is it supposed to be?’

Should I be relieved that it’s not his own blood, at least?

It was when I was too flustered to say anything. The man wearing a deeply pulled hood looked down at me indifferently.

“…!”

The moment our eyes met, my breath stopped without realizing it.

A sharp nose bridge revealed itself from under the black robe. Though it was half-hidden and only glimpsed briefly, the man had an unrealistically handsome face.

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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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