A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 32

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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 32

 

Whether she was a royal imposter or a fraud was no longer the issue.

 

Celia simply could not understand.

 

Such a lowly unwed mother, a wench raising a child whose father she doesn’t even know!

 

Celia’s hands trembled violently.

 

To think that punishment might befall her just for touching such a wench. She absolutely could not accept this reality.

 

‘No way.’

 

It was a maid position she had barely obtained with her father’s help. A position she had gone to great lengths to secure, hoping to catch Cain’s attention.

 

Judging by the Duke’s atmosphere earlier, it didn’t seem like this would pass quietly. She had no idea what punishment might be imposed on her immediately.

 

‘Father is in the capital.’

 

In this distant estate, there was no reliable father to protect her.

 

The earlier incident had made it crystal clear. Cain was a cruel dragon. And she had touched something precious to that dragon.

 

If she stayed like this, she might disappear without anyone knowing.

 

Celia’s pupils shook anxiously.

 

“Lady Celia. Please stay here for now. Until His Grace makes his decision…”

 

A servant blocked her path and spoke, but Celia didn’t even pretend to listen.

 

Wait here quietly and accept whatever punishment the Duke hands down? Don’t make me laugh. Who do you think I am!

 

“Move!”

 

She roughly pushed the servants aside and knocked them down, then ran straight to the 3rd floor of the main mansion.

 

Jayden. That unpleasant brat. Jayden was the only lifeline that could get her out of this desperate situation.

 

Bang!

 

She burst open Jayden’s bedroom door without warning and stormed inside.

 

Before the startled Jayden could even sit up from his bed, Celia half-knelt on the floor and began pleading.

 

“Young Master! Please help me. Please? I’m begging you!”

 

“…?”

 

“You know, don’t you, Young Master? How devotedly I’ve been taking care of you all this time!”

 

Jayden frowned as if he couldn’t understand the situation.

 

Don’t tell me he’s forgotten all the service I’ve provided until now? What is this ungrateful attitude supposed to mean?

 

When someone is crying and pleading, shouldn’t you at least ask what’s wrong!

 

Celia swallowed her curses and decided to appeal to his sympathy for now.

 

“I’m truly wronged, sob. It’s just… that woman Viola was trying to feed you poison…!”

 

She continued speaking while shedding tears.

 

“To protect you, Young Master, I only told her to try that poisonous herb…! Sob, I’m about to be unjustly driven out.”

 

That’s when it happened. Jayden’s expression, which had been indifferent throughout, changed instantly.

 

“Viola did what?”

 

Ah, as expected. Coming to find Jayden was the right answer.

 

He hasn’t completely forgotten all the kindness I’ve shown him! Of course. A person shouldn’t do that!

 

For the first time, someone began listening to her words. Celia raised her voice, thinking she had seized the opportunity.

 

“Th-that woman tried to feed you Gam-jong grass, Young Master! While lying that it was medicine and safe!”

 

She continued speaking urgently, spitting as she talked.

 

“So I told her to prove it! She acted all confident, but sure enough! That fraud collapsed right there after eating it! See? She was lying! She collapsed because it was poison, right?”

 

Celia rambled excitedly, but fortunately Jayden seemed to roughly understand the whole story. The child asked back with coldly sunken eyes.

 

“So… you’re saying you made Viola eat Gam-jong grass right now?”

 

“Yes! That’s right. Exactly that!”

 

Ah, thank goodness! Celia nodded vigorously.

 

Right. Surely he wouldn’t take the side of that woman who tried to poison him?

 

She believed without doubt that Jayden would surely take her side.

 

But Celia would soon learn that telling Jayden the whole story was not fortunate, but rather a choice that brought misfortune.

 

* * *

 

So that’s why the manor was so noisy today.

 

Jayden, who had just learned of the situation, felt the thread of reason snap.

 

…Viola ate Gam-jong grass?

 

Though he wasn’t particularly interested in herbology, Jayden also knew the notorious reputation of that plant.

 

Because it was a poisonous herb whose toxicity worked even on dragons like himself.

 

Most poisons in the world didn’t work on dragons, but among them, there were very rare ones that had even a slight effect.

 

Gam-jong grass was one of them.

 

The effect would only be suffering for a day at most, but an ordinary person could face immediate death.

 

‘Viola could die?’

 

She was certainly a strong person, but fragile at the same time.

 

With such a thin body, there’s no way she could be fine after eating poison…

 

‘Again.’

 

His heart sank with a thud.

 

Again. Just like when he lost his mother and father in a momentary accident. Viola might die.

 

His vision went dark.

 

Completely unaware of his feelings, Celia had a very proud look in her eyes, as if she had defeated a villain.

 

‘…’

 

Jayden had actually known from the beginning that Celia didn’t like him.

 

Rather, he would have been an idiot not to know. She always looked at him as if he were a disgusting bug.

 

Even with the title of dedicated maid, Jayden had no particular complaints about her insincerity in not even pretending to prepare meals or play with him.

 

Since he was a dragon, it was a natural reaction, and everyone found him uncomfortable anyway. Celia’s attitude wasn’t anything special.

 

Rather, it was comfortable for being alone, so he intentionally left her be. Even though Conrad had tried to persuade him several times to assign someone else.

 

But… that didn’t mean he would quietly watch something like this happen.

 

How dare she touch Viola. Trying to take away the only warmth he had barely found again.

 

Rumble.

 

As his thoughts reached that point, the ferocious energy he had been desperately suppressing surged up explosively. The air in the room instantly became heavy.

 

“Y-Young Mas… Hic.”

 

Jayden only rolled his eyes to look down at Celia. When did she look down on and ignore him inwardly? Celia turned pale and trembled.

 

Overwhelmed by crushing fear, unable to even scream, only shedding tears, she soon collapsed sideways as if fainting.

 

But it wasn’t Jayden’s concern. To the boy, she was just an obstacle to be removed.

 

“Move.”

 

Jayden didn’t even glance at the collapsed Celia and ran toward the door.

 

Viola. I have to go see Viola. I can’t lose her again.

 

It was at that moment when the boy was moving his steps urgently, repeating like a spell countless times.

 

“Please calm down, Young Master.”

 

As if he had anticipated this situation, Conrad stood blocking the doorway. Jayden raised his bloodshot eyes.

 

“Are you in cahoots with her too, Conrad? Move. I have to go to Viola.”

 

“…Would it be alright for you to go to Lady Viola while emanating such ominous energy?”

 

Jayden’s steps, which were about to burst through the door, stopped abruptly.

 

“…”

 

Viola likes cute things. She’s the first person to say that I, whom everyone fears, am not terrible.

 

The only person who hugged me warmly and called me lovely. He couldn’t show such an uncontrolled appearance to her.

 

But… Viola might die…

 

As Jayden bit his lip, unable to do this or that, Conrad calmly added.

 

“You don’t need to worry. His Grace the Duke is with her.”

 

“…The Duke?”

 

“Yes. His Grace said that Lady Viola will wake up without any problems.”

 

At those words, the tightly drawn string of tension relaxed completely.

 

“Ah….”

 

Jayden, who had been eager to go see Viola and hadn’t realized it before, but had been trembling with inner fear, collapsed heavily into his seat.

 

His legs gave out and he couldn’t stand up.

 

The child kept his head deeply bowed as he struggled to swallow back the tears that were welling up. He couldn’t show Conrad that he was crying.

 

‘Thank goodness….’

 

He had been truly terrified. Afraid of losing her again. Like with Mother and Father, he couldn’t even breathe at the thought of having to let her go so emptily without even saying goodbye.

 

Jayden, who had struggled to lift his body by pressing against the floor, clenched his small fists tightly.

 

Viola, at least. He would never let that happen to her.

 

I’ll protect her. No matter what happens, somehow I’ll protect Viola….

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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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