A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 29

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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 29

“I heard everything. This is an extremely dangerous poisonous plant, isn’t it? You’re going to make medicine with this? Ha. What would have happened if it weren’t for me? Everyone’s been deceived by this fraud!”

“What?”

Viola looked genuinely bewildered.

As expected, she’s no ordinary person. Even though everything has been exposed, she still has such innocent eyes.

Those round, gentle, sprout-like eyes almost made even me believe she was innocent.

No wonder Conrad and the Count have been completely fooled by this cunning fraud.

“Follow me!”

“Why, could you please tell me what this is about…”

“Don’t know why I’m asking? Ha. Never mind. Even if I explained, you’d just try to bewitch people with lies like the fraud you are!”

Celia forcibly grabbed Viola’s wrist and began dragging her.

“Ah!”

Viola was helplessly dragged along. Her body was as light as cotton candy, making it easy to pull her.

‘Pretending to be fragile.’

A hollow laugh escaped at her disgusting attitude. She must have been seducing men by stimulating their protective instincts like this all along.

The sudden commotion caused passing servants to gather and murmur, but this only made Celia’s steps more confident.

Intoxicated with elation at the thought of catching a fraud, she was in high spirits.

But then it happened. Viola put strength into her arm and shook off Celia’s hand that was gripping her wrist.

“I don’t know what this is about, but I’ll walk on my own.”

Her attitude as she straightened her disheveled clothes was as noble as royalty. Celia let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

An imposter who makes medicine with poisonous plants acting so brazenly was absolutely pathetic.

Well, she’d need that level of shamelessness to impersonate royalty.

Unfortunately, there was no physical evidence for the royal impersonation, but it didn’t matter. She had caught her red-handed dealing with poisonous plants.

Thus, Celia immediately dragged Viola near the Count’s Study. But unfortunately, the Count she so desperately wanted to meet was not there.

Instead, they were greeted by none other than Conrad.

“Sigh. Lady Dorn.”

Conrad pressed his temples firmly and let out a deep sigh. His face clearly showed he was fed up.

“What is it this time? Haven’t I told you repeatedly? Stop taking unnecessary interest in Lady Viola. Focus on your own duties properly…”

“Conrad! That’s not what’s important right now!”

Celia didn’t back down despite Conrad’s scolding. Rather, her eyes were blazing with twisted sense of mission.

She roughly pulled out the persimmon herb she had kept in her pocket and shouted.

“Look at this! This isn’t some medicinal herb, it’s a poisonous plant! I’ve investigated everything!”

“…”

“This fraud was trying to feed this dangerous thing to Young Master Jayden! If it weren’t for me, his dedicated maid, the young master would have been poisoned to death!”

Celia went on a long speech about what she had witnessed in Viola’s workshop and how suspicious this woman was.

She was certain. Upon hearing this story, not only Conrad but even passing servants would applaud her keen insight.

But something strange happened. Instead of the pouring praise she expected, people’s reactions were cold and stern.

‘What? Why is everyone making those faces?’

What were those looks, as if she had become some strange person?

Then, Conrad spoke coldly.

“Lady Dorn. You seem to be greatly mistaken about something. Not only I, but the Count is already aware of this fact.”

“…What?”

“That’s a poisonous plant I personally obtained at Lady Viola’s request. Everything happened with the Count’s permission.”

Celia’s mouth fell open in bewilderment.

“B-but… what if something terrible happens to Young Master Jayden…!”

“Lady Dorn.”

Conrad said curtly.

“Young Master Jayden is a dragon-blood to begin with. It’s only fatal to ordinary people; such poisonous plants cannot harm the young master. And Lady Viola requested it for use in treatment.”

“B-but it’s poison!”

Celia absolutely could not accept it. Her perfect deduction, the information her father had sent, couldn’t be wrong.

“How can poison become medicine? It could kill you if you eat it! Everyone’s been deceived by this woman’s cunning words!”

There’s a saying that someone who’s read only one book is more dangerous than someone who’s read none.

Celia was exactly like that.

Solidly united in her beliefs, she was so absorbed in her own logic that she didn’t even attempt to listen to others.

Feeling that further conversation was useless, Conrad gave a warning instead of an explanation.

“We accepted you as a maid out of consideration for Count Dorn’s reputation, but it would be troublesome if you cause any more disturbances.”

He soon shook his head with a look of disgust.

Celia couldn’t believe the situation given his cold tone.

‘This shouldn’t be happening to me!’

She hadn’t become a maid in the Count’s household without any backing.

The previous Duke of Ashern and her father were great friends.

It was all thanks to that connection that Celia could enter the exclusive Count’s household as a maid.

Even though she was a maid, she was essentially a guest of the previous Count.

Wasn’t it wrong to treat her like this?

Moreover, doing this because of such a pathetic unwed mother was absolutely unacceptable as a noble of the Empire.

Then, Viola approached one step forward with her characteristically calm and kind face. Her voice was gentle, as if trying to clear up the misunderstanding.

“Lady Celia. You may misunderstand, but originally most medicinal herbs contain toxicity. Depending on how you handle that poison, it can actually be used as medicine…”

“Lies! That doesn’t make sense!”

Celia screamed. Poison becoming medicine? Poison is dangerous, and medicine is good. They’re completely opposite concepts.

‘There should be limits to treating me like an idiot.’

She was a noble lady who had received a basic education. There was no need to believe the words of such an uneducated, lowly commoner woman.

But Conrad just sighed again as if frustrated. At that behavior, as if looking at a fool, Celia’s reason snapped.

She pointed accusingly at Viola in fury.

“Then you can eat it too!”

“What?”

“You said it’s medicine! If it’s medicine, you won’t die from eating it, right? Prove it! That it’s not poison!”

“Lady Dorn! What unreasonable demand are you making now? This isn’t that kind of concept…”

Conrad tried to stop her as if absurd, but nothing entered Celia’s ears.

As she screamed loudly, servants passing through the corridor began gathering one by one, murmuring.

“Let’s not do this here and go outside to calm down. Before the Count arrives.”

“No! Everyone watch closely!”

Celia didn’t back down. Rather, as more spectators gathered, she became more spirited and shouted. She forcibly pressed the persimmon herb into Viola’s hand.

“Hurry up and eat it! Don’t tell me you’re trying to feed the young master something you can’t eat yourself? See this! I told you she’s a fraud!”

That’s when it happened. Viola silently stared at the rampaging Celia.

Her quiet eyes, unreadable in thought, lingered on Celia for a moment, then shone with determination as if she had made up her mind.

“Fine. I’ll prove it.”

“What? Lady Viola? W-wait a moment!”

Conrad, startled, urgently reached out his hand. But Viola was faster.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she put the dark green poisonous plant in her hand into her mouth.

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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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