A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 65

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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 65

After Jayden’s high fever subsided, I was advised to rest.

“Lady Viola, I heard you collapsed this time?”

“That wasn’t collapsing, I just fell asleep because I was tired-“

“We call that collapsing. It’s a social convention.”

Conrad’s cutting voice left me speechless. Soon after, he added with a slight smile.

“I’ll handle the knight order and the Young Master’s care for the time being, so don’t worry. His Grace specifically said you must rest for a few days.”

“But still, I should be the one taking care of the Young Master…!”

“Absolutely not. Please just rest quietly. Haven’t you been overexerting yourself all this time?”

“Yes…”

Only after hearing my answer did Conrad look relieved and immediately leave.

Seeing the documents filling his arms, it seemed he was frantically busy with Morden’s affairs as well.

Now, four days have passed since then.

Where am I right now, you ask…?

‘Where else. Obviously in the apothecary.’

Sigh.

I let out an involuntary sigh.

‘They say resting comfortably without a care in the world isn’t something just anyone can do.’

I did hear them tell me to lie down quietly with my eyes closed and sleep, but apparently that wasn’t in my nature.

When I came to my senses, I had somehow ended up in the apothecary out of habit.

‘This isn’t right.’

As a healer, I knew how important rest was.

I was always nagging patients to rest, but when it became my turn, it wasn’t as easy as I thought.

Why am I like this?

‘What is it? Why does my mind feel so restless when I’m resting alone like this?’

I couldn’t understand it myself. There was no reason for it.

Morden, who had tormented the knights and Jayden, had been caught and received appropriate punishment.

Jayden, who had been sick, had safely awakened and was recovering his health.

Objectively, everything was being resolved well.

Yet I was so anxious I couldn’t stay still, like someone being chased by something.

‘This is all because I’m not moving my body.’

In the end, with the self-rationalization that doing something was actually true rest, I had been holed up in a corner of the apothecary for the past few days.

‘…If I had made better medicine, maybe Jayden wouldn’t have suffered as much.’

Even though I had already finished the best treatment possible, I continued to immerse myself in work to find even slightly more stable combinations.

Today was the same, as I was lost in thought while diligently recording experimental results on paper.

“I knew this would happen.”

Huh?

Startled by the low, gentle voice coming from the door, I turned around in surprise.

Cain was standing there.

“Your Grace? When did you arrive?”

“I knocked on the door but got no answer. But…”

He naturally strode over and looked at the work table with suspicious eyes.

“Didn’t I clearly tell you to rest for the time being?”

Oh, right.

I was startled and tried to act like nothing had happened, but it was too late for that to work now.

Cain quietly observed me with dissatisfied eyes.

‘Scolding mischievous children who don’t listen is usually my role…’

Feeling like the roles had somehow reversed, I laughed awkwardly.

“Ahaha… Well, you see. Sometimes this kind of activity can also be restful…!”

“You must know yourself that’s nonsense.”

“Ugh, is it that obvious?”

“Quite.”

At his unexpectedly cutting words, I swallowed tears inwardly. Cain chuckled as if he had expected my reaction.

I turned away from my rising embarrassment and carefully changed the subject.

“More importantly… you must be very busy. What brings you all the way here?”

He wouldn’t have come all this way just to make jokes when he was already so busy.

When I asked carefully, wondering if there was some problem, he asked in his characteristic sweet voice.

“Do you like tea and sweets?”

That was the first time he had ever suggested tea time.

* * *

At the tea table set in the Duke’s garden.

Sitting across from Cain, I still felt bewildered.

‘Why did he suddenly suggest having tea?’

We had often taken walks together, but this was the first time we were formally having tea time like this, so I was puzzled.

I stealthily observed Cain’s behavior from behind my teacup.

‘Come to think of it, it feels like it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen him.’

The night Jayden had collapsed.

Cain had silently stayed by my side all night, but we hadn’t been able to converse since I was focused on treatment.

After Jayden woke up the next day, he became busy and I couldn’t even catch a glimpse of him.

According to Conrad, he was busy with various matters, starting with Morden and cleaning up inside the manor.

So I hadn’t expected to see his face this way. Much less for him to come looking for me first.

‘Does he perhaps have something to say to me?’

Or did he just need a moment to rest?

As I made various guesses in my head, whether Cain knew of my questions or not, he simply silently offered me tea.

“Drink it. It’ll get cold.”

“Ah, yes.”

I set aside my questions for the moment and lifted my teacup.

White steam was rising from the water that had a subtle purple tint.

The moment I took a sip of tea, my eyes widened.

“Wow. The fragrance is really unique, isn’t it?”

A sweet yet deep floral fragrance filled my mouth. Lavender and rose, along with various other flower fragrances, blended together in perfect harmony.

It was as if the flavor of an entire spring garden had been captured.

“Do you like it? I heard it’s a tea that’s recently popular among the noble ladies of the capital.”

“Yes! The fragrance is really wonderful. They have tea like this in the capital?”

As I examined the tea with curiosity, Cain asked back as if surprised.

“Have you never been to the capital?”

“No. Until I left my family, I had lived my entire life only in the Eastern Region.”

“I see.”

He gave a brief answer as if understanding, but I could still see a puzzled expression.

It was an understandable reaction.

‘The Deborae Duchy is quite active in the capital as well.’

The Deborae Duchy, where I had once lived as an adopted daughter, was a prestigious family known throughout the Empire and had a magnificent townhouse in the capital.

Thus, the family frequently traveled between the eastern manor and the capital townhouse, dominating both social circles.

However, I had never once been to the capital townhouse.

My family absolutely never allowed it.

‘Even the Count, who cherished me, was particularly opposed to trips to the capital.’

While I could understand my family’s opposition, I found it puzzling that even the Count opposed it, but that was already a thing of the past.

‘When I was young, there were times I felt sad about not being able to go to the capital.’

Since everyone said the capital was an incredibly glamorous and wonderful place, I used to envy my younger sister Shurin who could freely roam around.

So I resolved that when I grew up, I would definitely go to the capital with my own feet, but now my interest had cooled.

‘No, rather than my interest cooling.’

It would be more accurate to say I didn’t want to go.

Since the Temple of the Divine was not far from the capital, there was a high possibility of encountering clergy members.

Since I didn’t want to cause problems for Melody’s safety by visiting carelessly, I had never gone near the capital until now.

Taking another sip of tea, I continued my conversation with Cain.

“…Then did you buy this tea yourself?”

Was Cain the type to buy souvenirs when he went somewhere?

Finding this unexpected, I asked, and he answered matter-of-factly.

“No. His Imperial Majesty bestowed it.”

“Pfft-!”

I nearly spat out the tea I was drinking.

Tea bestowed by His Imperial Majesty!

I choked and coughed repeatedly.

“C-can I dare to drink something so precious…?”

The Emperor probably didn’t give this gift carelessly. He likely never imagined it would end up in the mouth of some ducal family healer.

Unlike me, who was flustered with gratitude, Cain seemed nonchalant.

“Well.”

He remained silent for a moment as if recalling his conversation with the Emperor, then added.

“His Majesty would probably prefer this side more.”

What does that mean.

I stared at him with wide eyes, not understanding, but Cain didn’t particularly answer.

He just lifted his teacup and vaguely deflected.

“…More than that.”

Cain gazed at me intently over his teacup.

“You finally look more at ease now.”

“Ah…”

Only after hearing those words did I realize.

I had wondered why he suddenly brought me here to drink tea out of nowhere.

‘Did I look anxious in Cain’s eyes.’

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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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