A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 72

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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 72

Phew. I thought I was going to die.

I caught my breath that had risen to my chin and looked back.

“Now, huff. There’s no one around, right?”

“It seems so.”

At Cain’s quiet response, my tension finally melted away. Thank goodness.

“It was worth running.”

The moment I said that and raised my head.

My eyes met with Cain’s.

Unlike me who was panting heavily with my breath caught up to my chin, Cain looked calm as if this kind of full sprint wasn’t even light exercise to him.

Was it because that disparity was fascinating, or was it because I felt refreshed from running so hard?

As soon as my eyes met Cain’s, laughter burst out of me for some reason.

“Ahaha!”

He made a puzzled face as if he couldn’t understand why I was suddenly laughing.

“…I don’t understand why you’re laughing.”

Even at his calm tone, I answered without being discouraged. Because Cain was the same as me.

“For saying that, Your Grace is also smiling slightly, aren’t you?”

“Me?”

“Yes! Here, you’re smiling, aren’t you.”

I placed my index finger at the corner of my mouth and pushed it up, mimicking Cain’s smile.

He touched his own mouth as if he didn’t understand, following my gesture.

It seemed like he really didn’t know that he had been smiling.

‘Well, whatever the case, it was worth escaping.’

Earlier when we were surrounded by people in the town square, Cain’s expression looked strangely unpleasant, which had been bothering me.

Fortunately, his eyes looking down at me now seemed as comfortable as usual.

‘By the way… is it because I ran? I’m hungry.’

We had come out to eat an early dinner, but the situation got twisted in various ways. I didn’t know I wouldn’t be able to drink even a sip of water until the sun completely set.

‘That’s fine for me, but Cain must be hungry too.’

He must have used a lot of energy fighting the monsters.

Just then, he asked.

“More importantly, did you know the way when you brought me here?”

Cain lightly looked around. The alley that seemed to have nothing was just dark and gloomy without a single sign.

“I don’t think there would be a restaurant in a place like this.”

His tone was somewhat doubtful.

I smiled confidently and puffed out my chest.

“Hey, just trust me.”

It might seem like I had run blindly to avoid people, but actually I had been calculating the direction quite meticulously.

‘It was definitely somewhere around here…’

When I had just arrived in Winterwald, my friend Catherine, who was a local resident, had recommended several places to eat.

‘But I never actually got to go there.’

Because I ended up staying at the Ashern Estate shortly after.

I had been a bit disappointed, but it seemed like today was the opportunity.

‘They should still be open, right?’

These alley restaurants usually stay open later than the fancy restaurants that cater to nobility.

I traced my memory and led Cain deeper into the alley.

A place where soft light leaked through an old wooden door.

Fortunately, we arrived well at our intended destination.

Ding-

Cain, who had taken a seat in a corner of the restaurant, looked around the interior with unfamiliar eyes.

“I didn’t know such a place was hidden in the alley.”

“Well, there are many residents living around here. It seems there are several places where you can eat late.”

I spoke as if I knew, but actually I was just as amazed.

There wasn’t a fancy chandelier like the upscale restaurant we had planned to go to, but the rough wooden accessories with traces of time created their own charm.

Since it was a place that also sold alcohol, the overall lighting was dim, which actually felt cozy.

Only after ordering food that would adequately fill our stomachs did we face each other.

There weren’t many people in the restaurant. Just one couple whispering sweet nothings in the late hour and one mister drinking beer alone.

A peaceful space.

Our seat was also in a secluded spot, so we didn’t need to worry about people’s gazes like when we were in the town square.

“By the way, we couldn’t finish our conversation properly earlier…”

“Hmm?”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

No matter how strong Cain was, he had faced those ferocious mutated monsters alone.

Moreover, he had to fight while protecting the evacuating people, so he might have gotten injured.

It was at that moment when I was examining his hands with a worried heart.

I realized one fact only now and opened my eyes wide.

“Huh? Come to think of it, weren’t you wearing gloves when we came out?”

Even before we left for the town square, he was definitely wearing the gloves I had given him as a gift.

But now his hands placed on the table were bare.

‘Did they get damaged during the fight?’

Well.

When he was emitting that deadly sword energy and cutting down monsters, how could such thin everyday gloves have survived?

‘They looked good on him. What a shame.’

I was thinking it couldn’t be helped when.

Cain slowly reached into his inner pocket. Soon, without any particular explanation, what he took out was none other than the very gloves I had given him as a gift.

‘Huh? I thought for sure they were damaged and thrown away.’

It seemed I was mistaken.

It appeared that Cain had carefully taken care of the gloves even in the midst of chaos, worried they might get damaged.

The moment I realized that, a corner of my heart tickled.

‘What… This is so touching?’

He was a man worth giving gifts to.

I smiled proudly, resolving to give him another nice gift that would suit him when the season changed.

It was right at the moment when Cain was about to put the gloves back on.

‘Huh?’

I noticed a red line drawn on his wrist area that was revealed below his jacket sleeve.

It was night so it was dark, and the lighting inside the restaurant was so soft that I hadn’t noticed it until now.

“Oh, you are hurt! Wait a moment, could you give me your hand?”

A small scratch that seemed to have been grazed by debris during combat.

It wasn’t serious, but I was still concerned, so I took out the medicine bottle I carried with me.

For some reason, Cain obediently rolled up his jacket sleeve to show the wound without even being asked.

‘Huh, come to think of it…’

As I was taking out the disinfectant, one fact suddenly came to mind.

When we first met, he used to act indifferently, saying there was no need to treat such things.

“Now you receive treatment very well, don’t you?”

It wasn’t even stained with monster blood, and it was a much smaller wound than that day, yet he was obediently entrusting the affected area to me.

My nagging was worth it, wasn’t it?

I was surprised by his changed attitude when Cain chuckled.

“Unlike someone, I’m quite good at listening.”

A mischievous answer with a barb.

Ugh. I could tell who that someone was without asking.

He was pointing at me very clearly with his eyes.

‘I guess he sees me as a contrarian?’

I felt a bit wronged wondering if I was really that bad, but since it wasn’t entirely wrong either, I kept my mouth shut.

I just pretended nothing was wrong as I disinfected the wound and applied medicine.

I was about to take out medical tape to secure the gauze I had placed over it when—

Clatter.

Oh.

I accidentally hit the box placed at the edge of the table with my elbow, and all the small items inside spilled out.

“What’s this?”

What Cain was looking at intently was the tape I had pre-cut into cute heart shapes.

This was exclusively for young children.

It was my secret weapon, prepared in shapes that kids would like to tell them not to cry when they got hurt.

‘Even though it seems trivial, sometimes things like this can make them stop crying instantly.’

I gathered up the scattered tapes and answered casually.

“This is something I only put on good children who listen well.”

“Like that young boy earlier?”

“That’s right.”

When did he see that?

He must have seen the heart shape I put on Tommy’s knee earlier.

“There, treatment’s all done!”

I was about to put away the medicine bottles, but for some reason Cain didn’t move his arm.

With his usual calm expression, he pointed at the heart-shaped tape I was trying to put away and asked.

“I think I listened well today too.”

“Pardon?”

“Aren’t you going to put one on me?”

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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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