A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 25

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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 25

I, who had been secretly timing the moment, suddenly jumped up from my seat.

Then I started acting.

“Oh, that’s right!”

“Huh? What?”

“Now that I think about it, I left something behind. Young Master, I’m sorry, but would it be okay if I stepped out for a moment?”

Just yesterday, Jayden would whine a little when I said I was leaving, telling me not to go.

But at this moment, he noticeably brightened up like someone who had discovered an unexpected opportunity.

“Oh! Go ahead!”

“Thank you. I’ll be back in 10 minutes, so please take your medicine while I’m gone!”

“Got it!”

An energetic response. His cheerful voice was pleasant to hear, but at this particular moment, it wasn’t exactly welcome.

‘I’m worried…’

However, I didn’t bother showing it and simply went outside.

And so, 10 minutes later.

After confirming that enough time had passed, I returned to Jayden’s bedroom.

“Young Master. You took all your medicine, right?”

“Yeah, I took it.”

Jayden subtly avoided my gaze and spoke in a more sullen voice than usual.

I didn’t mind and approached him, sitting down right in front of him.

Now our eye levels were somewhat similar.

“How was it? It was delicious, right? I may not know about other things, but I’m really good at making strawberry flavor. I’m confident about it, hehe.”

“Yeah, it was fine… I guess!”

A strangely awkward tone. His voice trailed off slightly.

Just a little more provocation should do it.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Could you tell me specifically how it tasted? I want to use it as reference for next time.”

I deliberately brought my face close to Jayden’s and blinked my eyes wide. At the same time, I gave him a look full of anticipation.

Jayden’s red eyes shook as if an earthquake had struck.

“Um… well, you see.”

“Yes?”

“Since it was strawberry flavor? It was really delicious. Sweet and… I think you could just make it the same way next time?”

Jayden answered earnestly, stuttering almost imperceptibly. Someone who didn’t know might just let it pass, but he couldn’t fool my eyes.

Caught you, you little rascal!

“You must have liked the strawberry flavor.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“But that’s strange. What I gave you wasn’t strawberry flavor, it was grape flavor.”

* * *

When I finally revealed the truth, Jayden’s expression, which had been trying to act nonchalant, crumbled.

“…Huh? What do you mean?”

“That candy was grape flavored.”

When I emphasized it again with a quite serious face, Jayden, who belatedly grasped the situation, began to fumble.

“Oh, right. Right! It was grape flavor! I guess I got confused since I don’t eat candy often.”

Hmm. I watched Jayden with suspicious eyes.

“You’ve already been caught. So that’s how you’re going to play it?”

“N-no. I really ate it.”

He had been lying so well until just now. As expected, at this point it seemed hard to maintain his composure as his voice trembled.

But I decided not to scold him. There was plenty of evidence anyway.

I took out the candy I had kept in my pocket and put it straight into my mouth.

Jayden was startled and grabbed my hand.

“Huh? That’s my medicine! Is it okay for you to eat it?”

Jayden stamped his feet, seemingly worried that it might have a bad effect on me.

Certainly, if this had really been Jayden’s medicine, it would have been a problem.

Since it was specially made to match his dragon-blood constitution, it could cause trouble.

But there was nothing to worry about now.

This wasn’t medicine or anything like that in the first place.

“It’s fine. This is actually just candy.”

Jayden seemed confused, not understanding why I would tell such a lie.

“There was never any candy-shaped medicine from the beginning. This is a specialty candy from Hailon Village.”

While speaking clearly, I slowly let the candy in my mouth dissolve. Like candy made for children, the sweet grape flavor spread throughout my mouth.

‘Hmm. This should be enough, right?’

I stuck out my tongue slightly.

“And when you eat this…”

“Huh?”

Jayden, who had suddenly been shown my tongue, tilted his head as if trying to understand the situation, but soon was startled. As if he had finally noticed what had changed.

“Huh? What! Why is your tongue blue?”

“As you can see, this is candy that turns your tongue blue when you eat it.”

Ah…

Jayden sighed.

“But how about you right now, Young Master?”

The plump tongue visible through the slightly parted gap was bright red, far from blue. It was at that moment when I gestured for him to explain.

“I, I just…”

Jayden moved his lips as if trying to make some excuse, then stopped moving. A hint of sadness briefly appeared in his red eyes.

Soon, tears like chicken droppings fell straight from his large eyes.

“Young Master, are you crying?”

I was startled and got up from my seat, closing the distance with Jayden.

“I’m, I’m not crying! *sniff*”

I hadn’t meant to make him cry.

He was such a brave child who didn’t cry even when he was in pain.

When I approached, Jayden flinched and roughly wiped around his eyes with his arm.

“D-don’t come. Don’t look at my face!”

Like an injured kitten hissing, the boy turned his head away sharply with his guard up.

“*sob* I’m pathetic, aren’t I. Crying over something like this.”

While grumbling with his face red from wounded pride, teardrops kept falling down his white cheeks.

That sight somehow made my heart ache more, so I carefully reached out my hand.

“No, that’s not it. Young Master, wait a moment. Please look at me.”

“No! Go away. Viola is disappointed in me too!”

Jayden curled up his body as if trying to avoid my touch.

“…I’m dragon-blooded. Dragon-bloods, *huff*, shouldn’t get hurt.”

The child, unable to control his anger, gasped for breath. His reddened eyes looked pitiful.

“Someone like me is just a pathetic idiot. So…”

“You’re not pathetic at all. Our Young Master is so kind and smart.”

“It’s all *sob* lies anyway!”

But no matter what I said, it didn’t seem to reach Jayden.

What this small child needed, bristling with thorns while trying to protect himself, wasn’t words but warmth.

I immediately pulled Jayden into a tight embrace.

“…!”

The small back in my arms stiffened rigidly.

“Let go of this…!”

Jayden struggled as if trying to break free, but I held the child even tighter in my arms.

His pitiful resistance didn’t last long and soon subsided.

Sniffling. With his face buried in my shoulder, Jayden muttered in a suppressed voice.

“…I lied. Because I didn’t want to depend on things like medicine.”

I’m of dragon blood who must be strong. I have to overcome it on my own without such things….

Jayden’s voice became wet as he added those words.

“What’s wrong with depending on medicine? Is that a mistake?”

Even while constantly patting the child’s back, I still couldn’t understand.

Why was this young child thinking such things? This wasn’t even dependence to begin with, just normal treatment.

It was hard to know where this resistance came from.

“Th, that’s something only weak half-wits do….”

“….”

“But, sniff… I’m already a half-wit. If I become weak too, then….”

Jayden bit his lips and couldn’t continue his words.

His small shoulders trembled as if trying to somehow swallow the tears that were about to burst out.

“Hic, sob.”

The boy roughly rubbed his eyes with his sleeves to wipe them.

Even though he rubbed hard enough to make his white skin turn red, the spiteful tears didn’t stop and kept flowing down.

“I won’t cry. I, I won’t cry. Kuk.”

Hiccup. But despite trying hard to hold his breath, hiccup-like sobs kept leaking out contrary to his heart.

‘….’

I quietly looked down at Jayden.

Normally, I would have comforted him warmly and slowly listened to his inner thoughts.

I would have gently persuaded him that it wasn’t true, that it was okay.

But at this moment, I couldn’t bear it. My expression hardened like stone, unlike my usual self. My clenched fists naturally filled with strength.

Hah. I took deep breaths to calm my anger.

“Who, just who said such things to you, Young Master?”

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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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