A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 3

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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 3

‘He’s handsome…’

During my time as an adopted daughter of the Duke of Devoroe, I had opportunities to attend banquets, though not frequently.

But I had never seen a face as beautiful as a sculpture like this.

Sharp nose bridge. Masculine jawline. Even his deep-set eyes. The harmony of it all was unrealistic.

I briefly suspected he might be a character from the original work, but it seemed unlikely. There was no mention of such a black-haired, black-eyed man in the novel.

However, there was an aura about him that felt difficult to approach, making it hard to simply admire his appearance.

An unconscious feeling of breathlessness. Did I speak to him for no reason? It was at that moment of belated regret.

Huh?

The wind carried a fishy scent of blood that brushed past my nose.

A strange smell of blood that was somehow different from human blood. Where had I smelled this before? Certainly…

“Ah! Wait a moment!”

Finally recalling the identity of that familiarity, I hurriedly grabbed him.

“Don’t tell me this is monster blood?”

“What if it is?”

The man answered nonchalantly as if saying ‘1+1=2’. His indifferent attitude made my eyes widen involuntarily.

“Then this isn’t the time for that! You have a scratch on your hand here…!”

This wasn’t the time to stand around dazed. If monster blood seeped into the wound, the flesh would rot!

Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any other major wounds on the man’s body, but I couldn’t be at ease. It would be terrible if blood seeped into the small scratch on his hand.

‘Quickly, disinfectant and ointment…’

The man’s intimidating presence from just moments ago was forgotten. I blocked his path to prevent him from leaving and urgently pulled out the necessary items from my belongings.

However, unlike my urgency, the man himself seemed completely unaware of the seriousness. On top of that, he kept trying to pull his hand away.

‘He’s not some ignorant child, but a grown adult!’

Nagging words naturally spilled out.

“Tsk! Please stay still. What will you do if monster blood gets in, really! Are you doing this because you’re afraid it’ll hurt? If the wound festers, it’ll hurt even more later. Crying then won’t help.”

“Who said anything about crying. It’s unnecessary. It won’t have much effect on me anyway-“

Glare. I looked at him with very stern eyes. Usually, this look made all the children in our village obediently listen.

And as expected.

“…Hah.”

The man let out a hollow laugh and then seemed to give up, obediently accepting my ministrations. Though his eyes somehow seemed to be asking ‘What kind of situation is this?’

‘Anyway, now isn’t the time to worry about such things.’

I couldn’t miss this opportunity. Like when dealing with rebellious children, I quickly finished the treatment before he could feel any pain.

Mmm, good. Now I can finally feel at ease.

When I released the man’s hand I had been holding, he immediately looked down at his hand as if sensing something strange.

“Not bad, right? It’s an ointment I made myself.”

“Yourself?”

“Yes, I’m a pharmacist.”

During our brief conversation, the slightly swollen affected area had already subsided. The pain must have been relieved as well.

The man still seemed surprised, continuously examining his hand.

A proud smile somehow emerged. Honestly, I do have some pride in my medicines.

The medicines I made had always been exceptionally effective in treatment.

‘But maybe I was too meddlesome.’

Now that I had calmed down, embarrassment belatedly washed over me.

To stop an adult like this when he’s not even a child.

‘Ugh. But it can’t be helped. It’s an occupational hazard.’

I had always been unable to ignore injured people, but it had gotten worse recently.

It was because of the village children.

If it hurts, just say it hurts, please treat this!

They could just honestly tell me. But the children always hid it. Then it would just get infected!

So I unconsciously developed this condition of not being able to pass by injured people…

‘Though the person in question seems fine.’

I looked up at his face for a moment. Even though his robe was covered in monster blood, he seemed calm.

‘Is he a monster hunter after all?’

Unlike the capital, I heard there were many monsters around Winterwald. Related episodes often appeared in the original work too. Stories of the Duke’s Knight Order or the Duke himself subjugating monsters.

This man seemed to be that type of person.

Thinking that way, the man’s extraordinary presence from earlier made sense.

In that case, I can’t just stand by as a model imperial citizen.

“Here, take this! It’s very effective.”

“Let me pay you.”

When I held out the ointment, the man immediately tried to take something from his belongings.

“Why would you pay for something like this? That’s not necessary, just be more careful not to get hurt next time.”

“I don’t like being in debt.”

Debt over just one ointment. I waved both hands.

“It’s really okay. You hunt monsters for a living, right?”

The man hesitated, then nodded. As expected.

“Then just think of it as a small token of appreciation. Actually, our village was in danger because of monsters a few months ago too.”

Though it had been quiet recently, monster waves had occurred unusually frequently over the past three years.

Without people who subjugate monsters, we wouldn’t be able to live this safely.

I pressed the ointment container into his hand again and smiled slightly.

“We’re always receiving help. Thank you.”

“…Are you from another region?”

“Ah, yes! I have some business to take care of around here.”

“What kind?”

“Um, job hunting…I suppose?”

Of course, it was just a convenient lie.

“Oh, by the way, do you know the way to the Ducal Mansion?”

“Go up that hill over there.”

Looking up in the direction he indicated, I could see a mansion as grand as a castle. Wow. Admiration flowed out unconsciously.

“Thank you for telling me!”

The man nodded slightly.

‘What an unusual man.’

His attitude seemed unfriendly, but he answered all my questions.

Of course, the most unusual thing was his incredible composure.

‘To be so nonchalant even covered in monster blood like that.’

Even for a monster hunter, most people would be horrified.

Oh right. I almost forgot the most important thing.

“You must never take even small wounds lightly! They can become infected and rot. It was fine this time, but next time it could really be serious!”

I made the most fierce expression I could manage.

However.

“Ha.”

The man only raised one corner of his mouth as if mocking.

Hmm. It was my secret weapon. I guess it’s not very scary. All the children in our village would listen well when I did this… Well, I suppose it wouldn’t work on adults.

‘Ugh, but he didn’t have to laugh.’

I was being serious.

Putting aside my embarrassment, I finished greeting him.

“Anyway, farewell!”

The man was about to walk away when he hesitated as if something occurred to him.

“…I believe the Ducal Mansion will be recruiting a healer soon.”

Huh?

Before I could ask for details about what he meant, the man left those few short words and quickly disappeared.

I stood there for a long while, mulling over his words.

‘I was just worrying about how I could meet Cain.’

Jackpot, this is it!

* * *

The man, now far away, murmured in a quiet voice.

“How curious.”

To think a simple ointment could have such a strong effect.

He looked down at his own hand.

The man—no, Cain—was the head of the Ashern Duchy.

Immense power and astronomical wealth. A family with strength comparable to the imperial family.

But the greatest characteristic of the Asherns was their dragon blood.

They were the only ones in the empire who carried dragon lineage, making their very constitution different from ordinary people.

That’s why general medicines had no effect whatsoever on members of his family.

Even bringing in imperial physicians would make it difficult to achieve this level of medicinal effect.

‘Just what is her identity?’

Completely unaware that he was watching her, she was absorbed in sightseeing around the streets.

Her curly pink hair fluttered here and there in the wind.

“…Hah.”

Looking at her again, she really was a peculiar woman.

Not being frightened when she saw me, for one thing.

She even treated me like I was some kind of child…

It couldn’t simply be explained away as having a cheerful personality.

Cain looked down at the back of his hand again. The scratch from earlier had completely healed.

Even accounting for the dragon blood’s recovery power, this wasn’t normal.

She was concerning in many ways. When he came to his senses, his eyes were naturally following her.

Cain attributed this reason to her skills.

‘I should bring her to the mansion right away. She’ll be helpful for Jayden.’

Of course, even without his sick nephew, this ointment alone was reason enough to bring her to the ducal mansion.

Just as Cain made his decision and was about to approach her directly.

“What? Melody! Did you come looking for me with auntie?”

“Woo!”

A small child came bouncing around playfully and threw himself right into her arms.

…A younger brother?

‘They look exactly alike.’

As if they’d been made from the same mold, the pink hair and even the sprout-like eyes—everything was similar.

Cain eventually stopped his steps toward the woman.

‘I’ve delivered the message, so she’ll come.’

He watched the two people for a moment before heading home.

And so he arrived at the ducal mansion.

His aide Conrad hurried over.

“Your Grace! You’ve returned!”

Cain handed over the robe he was wearing. It was something he habitually wore when going out to subjugate monsters for exercise.

When he deactivated even the disguise magical tool, his hair color instantly changed to silver. His black eyes turned red.

The unrealistic quality was added to his already inhuman appearance. You’d think he’d be used to it by now, but Conrad looked up at his master with reverent eyes for a moment.

However, true to his cold dragon blood, Cain headed straight to his office instead of responding. Then, just as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped.

“My lord? What’s wrong?”

“Post a notice. Say we’re recruiting healers.”

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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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