A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 24

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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 24

Heading to the apothecary, I immediately began reviewing the bundle of documents I had received in advance.

The densely written file was none other than Jayden’s medical records.

‘I had already heard a brief overview of his medical history, but…’

Still, that wasn’t enough.

Since he was a child patient, I wanted to be even more careful not to miss anything.

But as I was diligently reading through the text, that’s when it happened.

‘As I thought… something’s strange.’

Although Tamuthar disease was known as an incurable illness, Cain hadn’t completely given up on treatment during this time.

‘After all, that’s why he obtained the pointed leaf grass in the first place.’

Over the past few months, Jayden had been prescribed medications using it. Even if it couldn’t provide a complete solution, the symptoms should have been suppressed to some degree…

‘Why was Jayden’s condition so severe then?’

As if he hadn’t received any treatment at all during that time.

One possibility came to mind, but…

Hmm. This won’t do. I really need to check this right away.

While Jayden himself might not know much due to his young age or might be hiding something, there wasn’t no way to confirm it.

‘His dedicated maid should know something.’

I immediately got up from my seat and headed straight toward Jayden’s bedroom.

But the maid’s waiting room was completely empty. When I caught a passing maid and asked, I got an absurd answer.

“Oh, yes… Lady Celia hasn’t come to work yet.”

“What? She hasn’t come to work yet?”

The sun was already high in the sky? When I asked again, wondering if she might be feeling unwell, the maid looked around nervously and answered in a shrinking voice.

“Well… she’s still sleeping. She gets angry when we wake her up.”

“…Then what about the Young Master’s breakfast and medicine?”

“I took care of those instead. Lady Celia is often late like this…”

* * *

Where should I even begin with this.

When I first went to Jayden’s bedroom and thought the environment was a mess, it wasn’t for nothing.

My head was throbbing, but what I had to do remained unchanged.

Only after waiting a full two more hours for her to arrive did I finally hear the clicking sound of high heels from the end of the corridor.

Walking leisurely toward me, she was dressed in her usual fancy dress.

Celia, who spotted me, mercilessly furrowed her brow. She looked as if she had stepped in something disgusting.

“What? Why are you here?”

“Lady Celia, I have something to ask you briefly.”

“Ha. This is exactly why lowly commoners are no good. No manners, showing up without appointments. Do you know how busy I am?”

Celia waved her fan in front of her nose and snapped irritably.

Normally, I might have endured it. To avoid causing unnecessary trouble.

But this was absolutely not something I could just let slide. Jayden’s health was at stake.

I gathered my courage and spoke in a clearer tone than usual.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not here to meet Count Dorn’s daughter right now.”

“What?”

“I’m here to meet Young Master Jayden’s dedicated maid. On business.”

“This is really…!”

At my words, Celia’s face instantly flushed red.

“So. What do you want to say? Are you trying to find fault with something again?”

“Find fault? I need to check something regarding the Young Master’s medication.”

“Check?”

Celia let out a hollow laugh as if she couldn’t believe it.

“Are you my supervisor? What? How dare you try to check up on me?”

“Not as a supervisor, but as an apothecary. I found something strange while reviewing the records…”

“This is ridiculous. Are you suspecting me right now?”

Celia snorted and glared at me.

“Pardon?”

“You’re suspecting whether I didn’t give the Young Master his medicine, whether I was slacking off!”

“…”

“Why are you even talking to me about the Young Master’s medicine in the first place? You’re his dedicated apothecary!”

As if mocking wasn’t enough, she poked my shoulder with her index finger.

Though my head started aching again from the complete lack of communication, I tried to maintain my composure.

“No, that’s not what I’m trying to determine. I was wondering if there were any adverse reactions when he took the medicine, or if there was anything unusual…”

Even when I asked as politely as possible, it didn’t get through to Celia. Her eyes were already full of hostility.

“Excuses! In the end, you’re trying to find something to report to Lord Conrad, aren’t you? You seemed to really enjoy that.”

Since she had been scolded by Conrad recently, all that anger was now directed at me. The blazing hostility was enough to leave me speechless.

Sigh. I swallowed a deep sigh inwardly.

Even if Celia hated me, it was problematic for her to be this uncooperative. This wasn’t about my pride, but about a sick child.

“…It seems there’s some misunderstanding. But.”

I tried to appease her as calmly and maturely as possible.

“Lady Celia. Let’s set aside our personal feelings for now. This is about the Young Master’s health. I need to know his condition accurately to treat him, so please…”

“Enough!”

Celia cut off my words sharply.

“I did my job properly! I took care of his medicine and put it in his room. Whether he takes it or not is his business!”

“Then you’ve never confirmed that he actually took it?”

“Ha! Am I a servant? Do I have to watch over every little thing? Do you know how hard it is to cater to a child’s whims?”

Celia shot back sharply, but that didn’t bother me.

I had obtained all the information I needed.

I immediately returned to the apothecary and quietly fell into thought.

‘As I thought. It seems Jayden has been secretly throwing away his medicine instead of taking it…’

But why?

I recalled Jayden’s condition from a few days ago when he was burning like a fireball.

His body was in terrible shape from the excessive fever. It was admirable that he had endured even that much.

Suddenly, Jayden’s voice flashed through my mind.

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

When I first heard those words, I thought it was just a typical child’s complaint.

Children who like medicine are rare. Even grown adults don’t particularly welcome it.

That’s why I had prepared syrup medicine. Making it sweet would reduce his resistance to it.

‘But…’

What if the reason Jayden said those things wasn’t such a simple problem?

‘I need to find out what’s going on.’

That’s where treatment begins.

After making my own plan, I immediately got up from my seat.

Then I gathered only what I needed and headed to Jayden.

* * *

“Young Master. Today I brought something a little special for you.”

“Medicine… you mean? Mmm.”

Jayden, who had been grinning, suddenly drooped as if dejected. I spoke in a deliberately brighter voice.

“You seemed to dislike medicine, so I put a little more thought into it this time.”

Ta-da!

I opened my fist to reveal the medicine I had been hiding.

Round in shape. Even wrapped in packaging, it looked more like candy than medicine.

As expected, Jayden tilted his head in confusion.

“This is medicine?”

“Yes, it’s Viola’s special candy medicine!”

I smiled brightly and added an explanation.

“You’ll be able to take this easily, Young Master, right? It’s not bitter at all and it’s really delicious. Even when I was living in Hailon Village, all the neighborhood children would line up to get this…”

I deliberately exaggerated to spark his interest. Like an innocent child, Jayden perked up his ears, but soon pouted his lips sullenly.

“I’m not that much of a little kid.”

“Let me correct that. Even adults would line up together for it.”

“That’s quite an exaggeration.”

Jayden gave me a strange look as if he couldn’t believe it. That look was so cute that I almost reached out to pat his head but stopped myself. There was something I needed to do first.

“Anyway, you just need to take this medicine today. It’s much better than bitter powder medicine, right?”

“Yeah.”

“You can take it right now.”

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

Despite my gentle tone, when I looked at him with firm eyes, Jayden’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

But he did obediently accept the medicine I offered.

‘Now? Is it now?’

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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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