A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 8

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 8

Is it wrong for her to be my daughter?

I almost found myself asking that question in response to Cain’s unusual expression, but I managed to pull myself together.

“…Yes, but why?”

Come to think of it, I was so eager to stamp the contract that I hadn’t yet explained the relationship between Melody and me to Cain.

It seemed Cain naturally assumed the Candidate for Sainthood would be my younger sister.

‘Well… I’m not particularly old, after all.’

Actually, this was a misunderstanding I often encountered. Melody and I looked so much alike that everyone naturally assumed we were family, but they mistook her for my younger sister.

But that had never been a problem before. I could just immediately correct them by saying she was my daughter…

‘But why now.’

The words just wouldn’t come out easily.

Despite his expressionless face, there was something unsettling about Cain’s gaze. His usually dignified eyes looked somewhat dazed, like someone who had just been struck on the head.

‘I must be imagining it… right?’

This was the cold Duke of the Dragon, who supposedly had no emotions. Maybe in the later part of the original story when he becomes a doting father, but right now it must just be my imagination.

I decided to explain properly again.

“Melody is my daughter. I’m raising her alone.”

“Alone?”

“Yes.”

“Where did your husband go?”

“Um, well, I’m unmarried, so…”

“Un, unmarried?”

I had intended to clear up the confusion, but instead it seemed to only worsen as his gaze wavered in a way that was difficult to describe.

“Mama?”

Melody also seemed to sense the strange atmosphere and tugged at my clothes.

“Mm-hmm. It’s nothing. Just grown-up talk.”

“Oh!”

Melody nodded as if she understood, but my mind was still in emergency mode.

Ugh. This is bad.

I knew this pattern well.

Soon there would be an angry question about what kind of bastard the child’s father was to leave me raising a child alone.

‘What should I say. This question is always troublesome whenever I receive it.’

It had been a year since I started pretending to be an unwed mother, but I still hadn’t gotten used to situations like this.

‘Aaah. I need to give some kind of answer.’

I could just casually say I was abandoned by my husband or that he died, but the words wouldn’t come out easily.

Because I wasn’t skilled enough at lying to make up non-existent stories.

‘And it feels wrong to make Melody’s biological father out to be trash…’

Since there was no mention of him in the original work, I didn’t know what kind of person he was, but my heart still felt guilty.

Should I just tell Cain the real situation?

I briefly considered it, but I shook my head slightly.

The fact that Melody wasn’t my biological daughter but my adopted daughter was a secret between just the two of us. I didn’t want to break my promise with Melody for any reason.

Actually, there was a long story behind why I came to claim to be Melody’s biological mother.

Though I’m a commoner now, I was originally an adopted daughter of the Deborae Marquis’ Household.

And like adopted daughters in novels typically are, my family hated me. They locked me up, starved me, and beat me.

‘Later they even tried to sell me off as the fifth concubine to some old lord in the countryside without any conscience.’

I encountered Melody on the very day I was informed of that marriage.

A pink-haired child crying and trembling in the rain.

The moment I saw the traces of abuse covering her small body, I felt like I was looking at my younger self.

Why? I couldn’t understand it myself, but it felt like destiny to me.

‘Now that I think about it, it might have been because of the original story… but anyway, I’m glad we met that day.’

I immediately treated the child and decided to become her family.

The problem was that Imperial Law was very unfavorable to adopted daughters.

If anyone claiming to be Melody’s biological parents showed up, I would have no choice but to hand the child over. To people who might have abused her.

‘Then I’ll just become her biological mother instead, right?’

Now I recall the original story and know that the traces of abuse were from the Temple.

But back then, I thought Melody’s biological parents were strange. So I could decide without hesitation.

Fortunately, Melody and I looked remarkably alike, so it was very easy.

As expected, no one suspected our relationship. Not even my family members.

There were questions about when I had given birth, but since there were frequent periods of over a year when they didn’t see my face after I grew up, it was easily overlooked.

After that, everything went surprisingly smoothly.

When the fact that I was an unwed mother became known, the arranged marriage that had been planned fell through instantly.

‘I was originally planning to run away. Yahoo!’

The people from the detestable Marquis’ Household even kicked me out. I was expelled from the family without any complicated legal battles.

‘It’s all thanks to this little sweetheart.’

I looked down at Melody. I had only wanted to become her family, but all my lifelong worries were solved at once.

Since then, I’ve been living as Melody’s biological mother.

So the conclusion is.

I’m pretending to be an unwed mother, and I actually am legally an unwed mother, but…

The trashy man who supposedly abandoned me never existed in the first place.

As I finished my recollection, I naturally sighed.

Hah.

‘So what am I supposed to answer…’

No matter how much I thought about it, I felt hopeless, so I eventually pressed my lips together as always. Then I made the most sorrowful eyes I could manage.

It wasn’t acting. Because…

‘Sob. I really am sad.’

Thinking that I would often face similar situations in this manor made me tear up naturally.

It was at that moment when I finished thinking quickly.

As expected, Cain opened his mouth as if to ask the anticipated question.

“Then where the hell is the child’s father-“

I covered Melody’s ears in case she might hear. Then I looked at Cain’s face with still moist eyes.

“That…”

“Yes?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

What’s this about?

This was a first. Someone who didn’t ask about the child’s father!

I didn’t know the reason, but I was grateful for it. My tears dried up instantly.

“It’s getting late. I’ll tell the servants, so go inside and rest.”

“Thank you for your consideration!”

Cain nodded slightly and left the room.

‘Were his footsteps always that fast?’

His hurried steps as he walked out seemed like someone desperately suppressing anger.

* * *

That night, in Duke Ashern’s study.

“I’ve completed the investigation on Miss Viola as you instructed.”

At Conrad’s report, the pen that had been moving ceaselessly finally stopped with a thud.

Cain commanded in a cold voice.

“Tell me.”

“According to the investigation, she doesn’t appear to be a spy. However… what’s concerning is that she seems to have lived quite a troubled life.”

“What do you mean?”

“She may be a commoner now, but she was originally an adopted daughter of a noble family. The previous Marquis of Devoroe apparently took in an orphan from the streets.”

Cain knew who the previous Marquis of Devoroe was. He had been a longtime guard of the now-deceased Imperial Princess. After becoming a marquis, he retired from his guard duties and returned to his territory, but was famous for being virtuous and highly respected.

“The problem is that after the previous marquis’s death, the remaining family members showed their true colors. She has been continuously subjected to quite severe levels of abuse ever since.”

Flinch. Without realizing it, Cain’s fist clenched with force. Unaware of this reaction, Conrad continued his report.

“Her self-taught knowledge of medicine also seems to stem from this background. The level of harassment was so high that the maids who couldn’t bear to watch smuggled herbs to her…”

Conrad’s subsequent explanation went like this:

The people of the Marquis’ Household wouldn’t even allow young Viola, who was a mess from abuse, to see the family physician, and while the maids who pitied her could bring herbs, they knew nothing about medicine.

In the end, Viola had to secretly study herbs on her own from a young age. What started out clumsy eventually became skilled enough that she could even care for the maids.

“How did she end up being expelled from the family?”

“It seems the Marquis’ Household originally planned to sell her off as a concubine. When that reached her limit of endurance, she revealed the fact that she had secretly given birth to a child. That became the reason for her expulsion.”

Ha. The absurdity made him let out a hollow laugh before words could form.

“What about the bastard who’s the kid’s father? What was he doing during such a crucial moment?”

As if the words were difficult to speak, Conrad answered carefully with a trembling voice.

“Well, he completely disappeared without a trace. He didn’t appear anywhere…”

Crack. The fountain pen Cain was holding in his hand snapped clean in half.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————