A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 58

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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 58

Why? Such a question arose for a moment, but he soon understood.

It would be stranger if flowers didn’t remind him of her.

In his memories, the only meaningful recollection related to flowers was her alone.

It wasn’t anything special, just a natural association.

As someone with dragon blood, he wouldn’t be able to understand the emotion called “liking” that the Emperor spoke of.

Cain eventually decided to think about the next thing, but was immediately blocked.

Someone who comes to mind when eating delicious food.

That was a question he couldn’t even consider from the start.

Taste was a matter of preference.

For Cain, whose likes and dislikes were both vague, “delicious things” didn’t exist.

But if he had to pick something that came to mind…

It seemed to be that day.

The day he went out to eat with Viola and the children.

It was noisy and chaotic, but even emotionless Cain felt some strange satisfaction that day.

Then he suddenly realized.

Ah. It was Viola again.

But this too wasn’t anything special.

In a colorless world, the only being with color naturally remains deeply in memory.

Viola was exactly like that.

Before discussing likes and dislikes, Cain had no choice but to think of her.

Because she was unique.

“…”

When Cain fell into deep thought and gave no particular answer, Walter looked somewhat surprised.

Normally, Cain would have curtly said “I wonder” and dismissed it, but here he was seriously pondering for so long.

Someone who becomes emperor of an empire develops an instinct for reading people.

Especially a middle-aged man who had maintained a marriage for over ten years while reading his wife’s moods had an even sharper sense.

‘Could it be…?’

The Emperor smiled suspiciously, unable to hide his joy.

“Duke. Don’t tell me you have a woman?”

Unfortunately, this time the usual cold response returned.

“No.”

“Really? I have good instincts, you know? No matter how I look at it, something seems to have happened?”

“Think whatever you want.”

“Hmm? Am I really mistaken? Your reactions have been unusual since earlier?”

“You’re mistaken.”

Cain turned his head as if annoyed and let out a small sigh.

But the Emperor didn’t give up and laughed heartily.

“Fine, I’ll think whatever I want then. I’ll be looking forward to good news! Yes, this puts my mind at ease too.”

“Enough. More importantly…”

Cain changed the subject as if to cut off further small talk.

“You surely didn’t call me here for such personal matters.”

Instantly, the Emperor’s eyes turned sharp.

The appearance of the irresponsible family man who had just been going on about loving his wife and bragging about his children was nowhere to be seen, and the stern aura of royalty settled in his gaze.

The corners of his mouth were still raised, but his current smile felt chilling.

The moment he saw those eyes, Cain intuited.

“Is this about the mutant monsters?”

“As expected. You already knew? Accurate.”

The monster waves that had repeated over the past three years were a strange phenomenon.

Generally, monsters wouldn’t venture outside dangerous regions unless their population exploded and food became scarce.

Therefore, Cain had voluntarily traveled to dangerous regions across the empire since his youth, controlling populations to prevent waves in advance.

He had certainly managed them safely that way.

But during the time when Cain’s brother and sister-in-law died in an accident, and the previous duke died suddenly from the shock.

Sudden changes occurred in the monsters.

Their population abnormally exploded, and monster waves burst out simultaneously across various regions.

That wasn’t all.

The already troublesome creatures mutated into even more bizarre forms and became dramatically stronger.

Thanks to monster hunters led by Cain desperately traveling across the empire to stop them, three years passed without major disasters, but questions remained.

‘It definitely wasn’t natural occurrence.’

Even the recent peace felt unnatural.

The endlessly pouring monsters had suddenly stopped one day.

There must be a cause, but no one in the empire could find the reason.

If the Emperor had perhaps obtained even a clue…

After one last look around, the Emperor finally spoke the secret story.

“As you know, monster magic has similar properties to mana.”

Cain nodded.

It was a well-known fact.

The mana used by mages and the magic energy abundant in monsters.

They had the same root power, but were divided by one clear difference.

What humans could handle was mana; everything else uncontrollable was magic energy.

Therefore, research on monsters had mainly been handled by magitech engineers and mages.

But…

“It seems the entire approach was wrong. The head magitech engineer at the Imperial Palace said so. The magic energy found in the mutant monsters seems closer to a different kind of power than before.”

“What kind of different power?”

“Well. Since it’s a power that didn’t exist before, I can’t say for certain, but…”

The Emperor carefully added.

“The nature itself seems rather similar to the power unique to dragon blood.”

* * *

It was a day when I was spending peaceful daily life.

It seems the rumor that I’m also working at the knight order has spread widely.

“Viola, Viola. I heard you’ve been busy lately helping with knight order work?”

Jayden asked with sparkling eyes.

I had deliberately kept it secret in case he felt hurt that I was playing with him less, but where did he hear that from?

‘Fortunately, he doesn’t seem hurt?’

Rather, Jayden’s eyes were sparkling with curiosity as if he’d heard an interesting story.

“Yes. It’s an intensive training period, so I decided to lend a small hand. It would be terrible if the knights got hurt.”

“Intensive training?”

I nodded.

Due to the repeated monster waves over the past three years, the knight order had been too busy with daily missions to train properly.

Fortunately, things were quiet now, so they planned to rebuild from the basics and train new apprentice knights during this time.

“…I see.”

Jayden’s lips twitched.

“Is everyone training hard?”

“Of course. They spar every day and swing their swords. Everyone is incredibly diligent.”

I answered the question for now, but Jayden’s expression became strangely dark.

The child repeatedly clenched and unclenched his hands on his knees, restless.

After hesitating for a long time, the child blurted out his true feelings.

“Viola.”

“Yes.”

“When will I… get healthy?”

“Young Master, you’ve already become much healthier.”

Jayden pouted his lips, seemingly dissatisfied with my light response.

“No… I don’t mean just not being sick. I mean healthy enough to do sword training again.”

A dejected voice.

Only then could I sense the anxiety lingering in the child’s eyes.

‘Come to think of it, his Tamutarr disease worsened and he couldn’t hold a sword.’

He seemed to feel anxious about being left behind alone.

I quietly examined Jayden.

In fact, his condition had improved remarkably lately.

The child who had been sensitive and prickly from pain when I first met him was nowhere to be found. Recently, he was so overflowing with energy that he could barely contain himself.

Like a bored cat, he would run around the manor here and there, and even after playing with Melody until they were drenched in sweat, he was perfectly fine.

‘And yet he never had a fever and remained stable.’

The balance of power within his body, controlled by medication, seemed very well maintained.

‘At this level, preventing him from doing it might actually cause unnecessary stress.’

I decided to make a decision.

“Young Master.”

“…Yeah?”

“Is it because you’ve been taking your medicine well? Your condition has improved a lot lately.”

As if sensing the changed atmosphere, Jayden responded with anticipation.

“R-really? I took my medicine really hard! I didn’t skip even one!”

“Of course, I know. I checked every day.”

Color returned to Jayden’s face. I met the child’s eyes and smiled gently.

“You may take sword lessons.”

“…Really? Can I really do it?”

“Yes. But you have to promise me. Only light body exercises, absolutely. If you get too out of breath or tired, you’ll stop immediately. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, I understand. I promise!”

Jayden nodded his head firmly. The gloom from just moments ago had disappeared.

“Do you like swordsmanship that much?”

“Mm-hmm, I do. But more than that…”

A strange shadow suddenly fell over his previously bright expression.

“Because I want to show that I can become strong too.”

Jayden swallowed dryly. His red eyes gleamed with determination as if making some resolution.

“When I learn swordsmanship… will you come too, Viola?”

“Me?”

“Yeah. Watch what I do. I’ll really work hard. I can do well.”

Jayden added while clenching his fists tightly.

I felt both proud and somehow bittersweet. I gently patted Jayden’s head.

‘Hmm. That would definitely be better. It’ll be good for monitoring so Jayden doesn’t overdo it.’

“Alright. I’ll be looking forward to seeing your magnificent form, Young Master.”

“…Thank goodness.”

If Viola is there with me, I won’t be scared. Jayden muttered in a very small voice.

“What? What did you say?”

When I asked back because I couldn’t hear, Jayden shook his head back and forth.

“Nothing!”

As if a blocked airway had finally opened, the boy smiled his usual mischievous smile.

* * *

But things don’t always work out as expected.

“I refuse.”

“Pardon?”

“The Young Master’s sword lessons are entirely my jurisdiction. I cannot permit outsiders to observe.”

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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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