A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 47

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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 47

 

“…Squirrel Lady?”

 

“Yes?”

 

At the words that slipped out without thinking, Yujin panicked and quickly shut his mouth.

 

‘Yujin Hart. In the end, you’re the one causing trouble!’

 

To make such a slip of the tongue to someone who might become the future duchess!

 

Cold sweat ran down his spine, but fortunately, the healer didn’t seem to have properly understood what he said.

 

She just tilted her head curiously and waited for his response.

 

Yujin hurriedly put on a friendly smile as if nothing had happened. At the same time, he decided to steer the conversation in a different direction.

 

“Ah, it’s nothing. More importantly, you’re Lady Viola, right?”

 

“Oh? You know me?”

 

She looked startled and opened her eyes wide.

 

Her large, clear pupils blinked slowly.

 

Hmm? Yujin made a small sound of understanding.

 

‘…Now I understand why His Grace called her a squirrel.’

 

The way she opened her eyes wide and clasped her hands together looked exactly like a squirrel holding an acorn.

 

Among squirrels, she resembled a small ground squirrel more than the relatively larger flying squirrel.

 

‘Or since her hair is pink, a pink squirrel… no, what am I even thinking right now.’

 

Having quickly finished his thoughts, Yujin immediately put on his characteristically friendly smile.

 

“Haha, yes. I heard rumors that a skilled healer had newly arrived.”

 

It wasn’t a complete lie. Such talk had actually been going around.

 

Though the nickname ‘Squirrel Lady’ that appeared afterward had such a strong impression that it somewhat overshadowed the original story.

 

“Come to think of it, my introduction is late.”

 

Yujin removed his dust-covered gloves and placed his right hand over his chest.

 

Erasing any playfulness and leaving only knightly courtesy, he spoke.

 

“It’s my pleasure to meet you. I am Yujin Hart of the Silver Dragon Knights.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Sir Yujin. As you seem to already know, I’m Viola. I work as a healer.”

 

Viola bowed her head politely and responded immediately.

 

Though it was a simple gesture, the line of her falling shoulders and the movement of her fingertips holding her skirt were elegant and graceful.

 

Though I heard she was a commoner, she naturally exuded the dignity of a noble lady.

 

Yujin found himself unconsciously captivated before clearing his throat and hastily collecting himself.

 

“But what brings you all the way here? I heard you’re quite busy.”

 

“I heard there was someone injured.”

 

She answered calmly as if it were a natural thing to do, but hearing the full circumstances made Yujin’s stomach churn.

 

Normally, this would have been a problem for the knights’ dedicated physician to solve.

 

But currently, there was no reliable healer in the knight order. To be precise, they had all fled because they couldn’t endure it.

 

The reason was simple: Knight Commander Morden.

 

‘Sigh…’

 

Even when there had been healers, the knights didn’t receive treatment very well.

 

People who had decided to walk the path of the sword wouldn’t be afraid of getting hurt.

 

Nevertheless, the knight order needed healers. If they missed the timing for treatment after an injury, they might never be able to hold a sword again.

 

But Morden’s thinking was different. He saw the knight order, including himself, as expendable.

 

If you don’t want to get hurt, become strong enough that you won’t get hurt.

 

You are nothing more than swords and shields to be discarded after serving your purpose for the dragon’s blood.

 

Therefore, Morden didn’t allow even minor treatment when his members were injured.

 

Once, a physician had gathered courage to protest to Morden, saying they couldn’t do their job because of the commander.

 

At that time, Morden coldly warned:

 

“The Silver Dragon Knights don’t need healers. If you truly want to find your usefulness, go clean horse manure instead.”

 

With such unreasonable behavior, physicians with professional pride wouldn’t remain in the knight order.

 

‘Finding healers is already difficult enough to kill me!’

 

Knight order physicians tend to be avoided since they see blood relatively more often than physicians treating ordinary people.

 

Given this situation, it wasn’t easy for Yujin to resolve. Especially since most of the knight order’s personnel authority belonged to Morden.

 

He couldn’t reveal the inside story to the members for fear of lowering morale.

 

In any case, with the vice-commander absent, he was the actual person in charge.

 

He felt ashamed for failing in his role and causing trouble for an innocent person.

 

“I’m truly sorry. Due to poor management, I’ve added unnecessary work for you.”

 

Yujin bowed his head deeply once more.

 

But then it happened.

 

“Unnecessary work? Sir Yujin, please don’t say such things.”

 

What he heard was a voice like a nightingale. When he slightly raised his head, Viola was smiling brightly.

 

“If I can be of help to the Silver Dragon Knights in this way, I would only be happy.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“Though they’re trainees now, someday they’ll become official members of the proud Silver Dragon Knights. I can’t just stand by when future heroes are injured.”

 

Her transparent eyes, like young leaves holding dew, were full of genuine sincerity without pretense.

 

There wasn’t the slightest sign of disliking the bloody, dusty place.

 

Her slightly curved, gentle eyes seemed to represent her kind nature.

 

‘An angel…?’

 

Ugh, so dazzling.

 

Yujin squinted for a moment.

 

He had the illusion of seeing a halo behind her.

 

The trainee knights around them also seemed moved, their eyes glistening.

 

Who would have thought they’d hear such warm words from someone unexpected.

 

Yujin completely understood the feelings of the trainee knights who were secretly sniffling behind him.

 

They had no immunity to such words.

 

‘We can’t let her go.’

 

His instincts cried out. This person was exactly the talent—no, the benefactor—that their knight order desperately needed!

 

Bringing someone from outside would be problematic because of Morden. But Viola was already an insider.

 

She was Count’s person!

 

Even Knight Commander Morden wouldn’t be able to say anything to her.

 

Thinking coldly, it was an absurd story.

 

Making such a request to someone already busy working exclusively for Jayden.

 

But with worry for his members taking precedence and impatience overwhelming him, Yujin desperately shouted without considering the consequences.

 

“Lady Viola! Could you possibly check on our members’ condition occasionally? No, even just one day a week would be fine!”

 

* * *

 

At the sudden proposal, I was flustered and could only blink.

 

“Ah, I’m sorry. I made too burdensome a request, didn’t I? Sigh. I keep being rude because I’m in a hurry.”

 

Taking my silence as refusal, Yujin drooped the corners of his eyebrows with a dejected expression.

 

His dispirited appearance, unsuited to his large frame, was like a large dog caught in the rain.

 

I almost wanted to pick up his eyebrows that had drooped nearly to the ground.

 

‘…I’ve been feeling this since earlier, but Sir Yujin is quite an interesting person.’

 

The Silver Dragon Knights were both an object of people’s admiration and an object of fear.

 

This was because they were a knight order that protected the estate from monsters, but also a ruthless group armed with powerful force.

 

Following Duke Cain to mercilessly slaughter monsters, their appearance was known to be scary enough to chill even allies’ spines.

 

But from the few exchanges I’d had, Yujin didn’t give off that feeling.

 

Though he seemed like a considerable expert, he wasn’t authoritative and rather gave off a free-spirited feeling.

 

I hurriedly answered before Yujin could turn around and trudge away.

 

“No, Sir Yujin! It’s not burdensome at all.”

 

“…Really?”

 

“Of course!”

 

His eyebrows, which had been about to touch the floor, instantly shot upward. Color returned to Yujin’s face, though it was only for a moment.

 

“Ugh, no. Even thinking about it again, it was too shameless a request. You’re such a busy person.”

 

“It’s really fine.”

 

When I answered cheerfully, Yujin still muttered with an anguished expression.

 

“Perhaps you’re only accepting because I’m being too burdensome and you have no choice…”

 

Pfft. He really is an interesting person.

 

I made a deflating sound and shook my head.

 

“That’s really not the case, so don’t worry.”

 

Yujin still looked apologetic, but this was actually what I had hoped for.

 

Having clearly seen that such a major accident would happen today, I couldn’t just leave things as they were.

 

If I did that, I’d obviously be unable to sleep peacefully at night.

 

I felt it would put my mind more at ease if I could keep watch from nearby.

 

‘According to the contract, my main duty is treating Jayden, so it would be difficult to look after the Knight Order all day long.’

 

But since I did have some free personal time here and there, it seemed I could check on the members whenever I had spare moments.

 

“At least until you hire new Knights’ Personal Healers, I’ll look after them bit by bit whenever I have time.”

 

For saying I’d help, I wondered if this was too small a form of assistance.

 

“But I’m worried whether this alone will be helpful.”

 

“What are you saying!”

 

Fortunately, even just that seemed to be enough as Yujin let out a sigh of relief.

 

“Haah, I’m truly grateful. Thanks to you, I can put my mind at ease. I look forward to working with you, Lady Viola!”

 

“I look forward to working with you too!”

 

I smiled brightly.

 

* * *

 

The good news that Jayden’s physical condition had improved spread to the Duke and his people as well.

 

Naturally, it also reached Morden, who was the Knight Commander.

 

Jayden’s Bedroom.

 

Knock knock.

 

“Viola?”

 

Jayden’s expression had brightened momentarily at the knocking sound, but immediately hardened. It was because he had recognized who the presence belonged to.

 

What entered as the door opened was his swordsmanship instructor, Morden.

 

He politely greeted Jayden.

 

“It’s been a long time, 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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