A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 20

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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 20

Because she keeps saying only nice things to me, it’s hard to believe what the woman says.

“It’s true! Young Master, are you afraid of teddy bear dolls?”

“No! Who would be afraid of something like that.”

“Me too. You’re so cute like this. There’s no way you could be scary.”

The woman smiled gently. Her sprout-like eyes looked at me and curved softly.

‘…Cute?’

Jayden found himself staring blankly at Viola’s face without realizing it. Her pink hair swaying in the breeze looked exactly like sweet cotton candy.

Her round, wide-open eyes, and even the dimples that appeared every time she smiled.

‘Cute things are like Viola. Not like me.’

Who’s calling who cute.

Jayden was about to grumble slightly, but seeing Viola’s eyes, it seemed undoubtedly sincere.

He wasn’t sure, but… it didn’t feel bad. It seemed like Viola liked him.

“Do you like cute things, Viola?”

“Of course. Where would you find someone who doesn’t like cute things.”

If that’s really true.

“…My cheeks are really soft and squishy too.”

Jayden glanced around nervously and tried to appeal in his own way.

Because cute things are soft and squishy. Maybe Viola might like it.

But pfft! For some reason, Viola burst into loud laughter.

Then, as if she couldn’t help it, she habitually stretched Jayden’s cheek. Squishy.

“Ah?”

As if it was a mistake made unconsciously, the woman was startled and pulled her hand away.

“Oh? I’m sorry! I did it without thinking! You must feel bad, Young Master.”

Jayden just shook his head and asked as if confirming.

“So.”

“Yes?”

“…Is it soft and squishy?”

Saying that, Jayden rubbed his cheek against Viola’s hand like a clever cat.

Actually, Jayden found people’s emotions difficult. He hadn’t had many people to share emotions with until now.

He had family when he was young, but his father and mother died on the same day.

His brother left for the academy. His uncle, the only remaining blood relative, was scary. He hadn’t even been at the manor much until recently anyway.

So things like other people’s feelings were difficult, but… he felt like he understood one thing.

If he did this, Viola might like him more.

As expected.

She poked his cheeks with joyful eyes, poke poke.

Hmm. I see. This is how it’s done.

Jayden just pushed his cheeks forward more, pretending to be prim while trying to suppress his lips that wanted to curl up satisfactorily.

“When will you come again?”

Jayden asked Viola, who was packing her things, in a wheedling tone. He still had the pink ribbon pin in his hair.

“Anytime you call for me, Young Master. Of course, I’ll come every day even if you don’t call.”

Tch. If that’s the case, just stay here all the time.

Jayden was about to pout his lips but pulled them back in. He was a whole six years old this year. He couldn’t act like a little child.

“Then where are you going now?”

“I’m going to check the apothecary. Now that your fever has completely gone down, I thought I’d try changing your medicine.”

“Medicine? Mine?”

“Yes! It’s yours, Young Master.”

Viola answered cheerfully, but Jayden unconsciously frowned.

“I’m not hurting right now anyway… Do I really have to take medicine?”

Although yesterday was painful due to the burning fever and dizzy headache, he really didn’t hurt at all right now.

Jayden asked in a slightly wheedling tone, but Viola was only firm.

“Of course. You have to take medicine for the illness to get better.”

“That’s true, but…”

Certainly, after taking the medicine Viola made for him, the pain had subsided instantly. A miraculous effect he had never experienced before.

But still, when he thought about taking medicine, he felt strangely resistant.

“What’s wrong?”

As if she caught his subtle expression, Viola asked with worry.

“No. It’s nothing.”

However, despite his agreeing words, his heart was complicated.

“Depending on medicine is something only weak humans do. Young Master has dragon blood.”

“You overcome it with your own strength. Look at Count. He’s on a completely different level from a half-wit like Young Master!”

His sword instructor’s voice kept echoing in his head.

Not only was he sick, but now taking medicine too. If his instructor found out, he would definitely call it shameful.

Jayden looked up at Viola. There was no reproach whatsoever in the woman’s eyes. Like the kind person she was, she seemed to worry more about his health.

But still, he felt like he was committing a sin.

* * *

After leaving Jayden’s bedroom, I headed straight to the apothecary.

‘Hmm. I should gradually move to the next stage.’

It was too early to judge hastily, but there seemed to be no sign of Jayden’s fever rising again.

Since his condition had stabilized, it was worth preparing for full-scale treatment now.

However, one thing that bothered me…

‘Jayden pretended otherwise, but no matter how I looked at it, he seemed reluctant to take medicine, right?’

Hmm hmm. I understood.

No? Rather, saying I was familiar with it might be more accurate. Even during my time in Hailon Village, children would try to run away whenever I tried to give them medicine.

But there’s no way I’d just let that slide.

In the rural village, I had captured the children in less than a week. With special syrup medicine.

‘Wait, Jayden! I’ll make you the most delicious children’s syrup in the world.’

I began writing down the recipe with a wicked smile like a witch.

“So what I need now is…”

Getting up from my seat, I checked the types of herbs that were prepared in advance.

‘There’s plenty of pointed-leaf grass.’

Cain had bought it expensively and dried the seeds, and there really was a whole lot of it.

It was enough to last for several years.

‘But with just this, treatment is practically impossible.’

While pointed-leaf grass did suppress the rampaging dragon energy, its effect was too minimal.

But what if the medicinal effect could be amplified?

That would mean everything could be solved at once.

And thanks to the original work, I knew that method well.

If he just takes the medicine well, Jayden will never be sick again for the rest of his life!

Was it because I was too focused on work?

Before I knew it, it had grown dark outside the window.

‘When did time pass like this.’

After cleaning up and returning to my room, I waited for Melody to come.

Knock knock. At the sound of knocking on the door, I immediately brightened up and went to the front of the door.

But unlike yesterday, Marie and Melody were nowhere to be seen, and it seemed Becky had come alone.

“Lady Viola, could we have a word for a moment?”

“What’s wrong? What about Melody and Marie?”

“Oh, Marie is bringing Lady Melody right now. But there’s something I need to tell you first…”

Becky’s lips turned down as if she was about to discuss something quite serious.

What is it! What could have happened!

‘Did something happen to Melody?’

Fortunately it wasn’t that, but what Becky told me was more shocking than I expected.

Last night, on the way to the laundry room, she had gotten into an argument with Celia.

“I’m sorry, Lady Viola. It seems you’ve been misunderstood because of us.”

“I’m not the problem right now. Are you okay, Becky? What about Marie?”

Becky’s eyes glistened with emotion.

“Thank you for worrying about us. But we’re fine. We never lied in the first place. And we never stole anything either.”

“Then I’m really relieved.”

I had been extremely nervous, but my heart felt much more at ease.

“More than that, I came to tell you to be careful. You’ve been strangely misunderstood because of us.”

“That’s fine, really. I’m grateful you told me about it instead.”

When I encountered Celia in front of Jayden’s bedroom, she showed an unusually hostile attitude toward me.

Now I finally understood the situation.

She must have heard about Cain lending me his jacket and misunderstood our relationship.

Hmm, this is troublesome…

‘That was really just the Duke showing consideration for me.’

But I decided not to worry about it too much.

It’s a ridiculous misunderstanding anyway. It’ll naturally resolve itself someday.

However, contrary to my expectations, the misunderstanding only deepened.

* * *

Two days had passed.

Celia Dorn was currently irritated to the tips of her hair.

Viola, Viola. Go ahead and sing your song, sing your song.

She muttered irritably.

It had been since two days ago. Jayden had started going on about Viola the moment he opened his eyes.

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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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