A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 63

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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 63

“If I had been a proper dragon blood, if I had been stronger, I could have protected Mother and Father. But I couldn’t. Because I’m a half-wit….”

This small child was blaming himself with such absurd thoughts.

Why on earth did that sword instructor bastard inject such guilt into the child with those horrible words?

Actually, the reason was obvious.

Morden wanted to control Jayden.

He must have planned to shackle him with guilt and refine him into the ideal dragon blood he envisioned.

Whether it had a negative impact on the child or not, he tried to force Jayden to fit his own beliefs.

The tender child who had nowhere to turn was helplessly victimized by that despicable manipulation.

“That’s why I wanted to become strong. This time….”

Jayden gripped my clothes tightly with his small hands. The child’s knuckles turned white.

“This time I want to protect. I don’t want to lose anymore… *sob*.”

He meant he had pushed himself too hard because he wanted to protect me and the people remaining by his side.

My heart felt like it was breaking. I pulled Jayden into my arms.

“No. It’s not Young Master’s fault.”

“*sniff*….”

“Young Master is still a child who needs to be protected. The adults will do the protecting. So please don’t think such thoughts.”

I patted the child’s back and wiped his tear-stained face. Jayden couldn’t stop crying easily and just sniffled in my embrace.

As if the anxiety deeply embedded in the child’s heart couldn’t be completely washed away yet.

The fear that he might lose precious people again was making Jayden tremble.

It was brainwashing that had continued for a very long time.

It wouldn’t break immediately with just a word from me.

‘I need to give him certainty. That everything will be okay.’

I wanted to build a support for Jayden’s heart.

A sturdy support that the tender sprout could lean on and grow.

I held the child’s shoulders and met his gaze.

“Young Master. Would you think about His Grace for a moment?”

“His Grace…?”

“Yes. His Grace is strong, isn’t he?”

Jayden nodded while wiping his tears.

“Mm-hmm. Strong.”

“How much?”

“…Very.”

At his ant-like voice, I pretended to cup my ear playfully.

“Hmm, I can’t hear very well. Could you speak a little louder?”

“V-very, very strong.”

“Mmm, I still can’t hear.”

When I deliberately tilted my head and pretended not to hear, Jayden took a deep breath and shouted energetically.

“The strongest in the world!”

His resounding voice echoed through the apothecary. Only then did I smile brightly and nod.

“That’s right. His Grace is the strongest in the world. And that His Grace is Young Master’s protector.”

I added again for emphasis.

“His Grace will protect Young Master. No matter what happens.”

“…That person will?”

Jayden opened his mouth blankly.

If it had been before, he would have been simply frightened by talk of his uncle, but perhaps thanks to becoming a little closer to Cain recently.

Jayden showed a strange anticipation instead of fear.

But that was only for a moment, as the child asked cautiously as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Will His Grace really protect me?”

“You know the answer to that better than anyone now, Young Master.”

Jayden rolled his lips inward and bit them while lost in deep thought. Then suddenly, as if something occurred to him, his eyes widened.

“I actually had a dream yesterday. It was a dream where His Grace held me and brought me all the way here….”

Though the warmth was too vivid for it to be a dream…. The child added quietly.

It seemed like something the usual Cain wouldn’t do, so Jayden had concluded it was a dream.

Though curious, the child seemed scared to actually confirm it and watched my reaction.

I took Jayden’s hand and told him the truth.

“It wasn’t a dream.”

“…Huh?”

“His Grace personally carried Young Master here. And he waited by my side all night for Young Master to wake up.”

That taciturn man had silently kept watch all night and helped me care for Jayden with sincere devotion.

Cain was truly a busy person.

From subjugating monsters to managing the vast duchy including Winterwald.

I couldn’t even imagine how many documents Duke Ashern, who supported the Empire, had to process.

For such a person to clear an entire day for nursing was impossible unless he truly cherished his nephew.

Jayden’s lips trembled. He seemed unable to believe yet overwhelmed with emotion that Cain had watched over him all night.

“Really? Did His Grace really stay by my side?”

The child’s cheeks flushed pink.

Jayden’s eyes briefly turned toward the door as if searching for Cain’s absent figure.

“Yes! Now you understand, don’t you? Behind Young Master is the strongest and most reliable protector in the world.”

“…But why?”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t understand. Why would His Grace….”

It was a question that didn’t need consideration. I immediately answered with a clear voice.

“Because you’re family.”

“Oh….”

Jayden looked bewildered and fell silent for a moment.

As if his thoughts had finally organized, the boy shyly nodded. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Yeah….”

Just when Jayden seemed to finally believe completely and I smiled back at him.

Jayden suddenly tugged at my sleeve and asked.

“What about Viola? Isn’t Viola behind me too?”

Even in this situation, he was subtly seeking my affection.

What should I do with this cunning little child who knows the answer better but asks just to confirm?

“Of course I’ll save Young Master when you’re in danger too. Reliable, right?”

I bent my arm as if showing off my muscles. Seeing me like that, Jayden firmly shook his head.

“Not reliable at all. Viola is skin and bones. Your arms are too thin. Like tree branches.”

Jayden added in a whisper.

“Now if I were to protect Viola, that would be different.”

This little child? When did he ask first?

I made a stern expression and wagged my index finger.

“You’ll be in big trouble if you underestimate me. Don’t you know how scary I am?”

“Hmph, not scary at all.”

This won’t do. I need to show him what spicy tastes like.

I smiled wickedly and spread my arms toward Jayden.

Then, “Waaah!”

Making monster sounds, I pulled Jayden into my arms.

I’ll hug you so tight you can’t breathe!

When I squeezed with all my strength and trapped him in my embrace, Jayden’s face got squished like a steamed bun.

I laughed “hehe” and asked Jayden.

“How’s that, my attack technique. Scary, right?”

“No! It’s not scary at all.”

Jayden answered with bravado even with his cheek pressed down.

“Really? Melody was scared though.”

My head tilted sideways in puzzlement.

As expected, it doesn’t work on a six-year-old even if it works on a four-year-old.

But then Jayden revealed a shocking truth.

“She was just pretending.”

Jayden added as if driving the final nail.

“Even a two-year-old wouldn’t be scared, let alone a four-year-old!”

Well then, I have nothing to say!

* * *

Just because Jayden had awakened didn’t mean the situation was completely resolved.

The most important matter remained – punishing the criminal.

The Count’s study.

“Your Grace, please reconsider!”

Morden, who had been informed of his punishment, cried out miserably while bound in restraints and forced to his knees.

A pitiful figure stripped of all the gleaming things he had worn as Captain of the Silver Dragon Knights.

However, his eyes were filled not with remorse or indignation, but with a strange conviction.

“I can understand being stripped of my qualification as swordsmanship instructor. If you say it was my oversight for daring to fail to fully understand Young Master Yonghyeol, I will accept it gladly. However…!”

Morden bowed deeply, striking his head hard against the floor.

From the strong impact, his wrinkled forehead split and blood flowed.

“Dismissal from the position of Captain of the Knights? I am the Captain of Ashern’s Knight Order, personally appointed by the Previous Count. Why do you give me such humiliation!”

He simply could not accept this situation.

Though he had expected to be punished, stripping him of his captain position was absurd.

Once appointed as Captain of the Knights, maintaining that position until one voluntarily laid down their sword was an iron rule and tradition that had continued in House of Ashern for hundreds of years.

“I have served Ashern with dog-like loyalty my entire life, yet you urge dishonorable retirement over such a trivial matter. I was merely trying to raise the Young Master to be strong-“

Bang!

Morden’s words were cut short with a thunderous sound as if the desk would split in half.

A deafening ringing shook his head as if his eardrums would tear.

Cain, who had been focused only on documents as if the criminal’s words weren’t worth hearing, slowly raised his head.

“Raising him to be strong…”

His red eyes rippled with such murderous intent that it was difficult to meet his gaze.

“It turns out all of Jayden’s refusal to take medicine was your doing.”

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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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