A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 84

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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 84

“So this time as well… she wasn’t the Holy Maiden?”

“The test results show she is unqualified. We made her touch the holy relic, but the divine crest did not manifest.”

At the dry report from the mid-level priest who had his head bowed to the floor, the High Priest’s face instantly contorted.

Unlike his holy appearance, his expression stained with greed was far too ugly for one who served the divine.

‘Even this candidate isn’t the one.’

The High Priest’s hand irritably drummed against the armrest of his chair.

Since the death of the last Holy Maiden, it had been 23 years waiting for the arrival of a new Holy Maiden. Enough time for the world to change twice over.

He had risen from a lowly priest to the position of High Priest during that time, but he had never imagined in the past that the Holy Maiden’s seat would remain vacant for so long.

“Didn’t you say this candidate had quite a strong holy power reaction?”

“Yes. The measurement results showed yellow grade. The same level as Holy Maiden Seria from 200 years ago.”

Yellow light.

That level should have been considerable. And yet she still wasn’t the real one.

While failing to find the Holy Maiden was unfortunate, a strange sense of anticipation swelled in one corner of his heart.

‘Just how much power does the true Holy Maiden possess?’

The real one who possesses the divine crest holds stronger holy power than anyone else in the world.

If even the yellow grade wasn’t the Holy Maiden… then the real Holy Maiden hiding somewhere right now must possess powerful authority on a completely different level than before.

If only they could find her, that existence itself would be an incomparable blessing, but the immediate reality was a mess.

“…What shall we report to His Holiness the Pope?”

The High Priest was muttering to himself when it happened.

“I request instructions regarding the disposal of this Holy Maiden candidate. Shall we send her home, or dispose of her?”

At the emotionlessly dry question as if handling an object, the High Priest glared at the priest as if looking at a fool.

“Why would we throw away a precious holy power holder? Keep her well for now. That level of holy power has many uses.”

“Understood. I will transfer her to the underground isolation room.”

Watching the back of the mid-level priest heading outside like an emotionless doll, the High Priest fell into deep thought.

‘As expected, there are limits to this haphazard approach.’

At this point, he had to acknowledge it.

For whatever reason, there was a high possibility that the true Holy Maiden was intentionally hiding herself away.

Then in the end, there was only one method.

A holy relic that could detect the being with the strongest and purest holy power wherever she might be – the ‘Compass’.

They had to complete that holy relic.

“Wait.”

The High Priest called out to the mid-level priest who was about to leave the room.

“How is the development of the Compass progressing?”

“The process is proceeding smoothly, but we are recently experiencing difficulties due to material supply problems.”

“Materials.”

The High Priest’s eyes narrowed.

The materials needed to complete the holy relic.

Among those present here, there was no one who didn’t know what that meant.

“If we’re short, we must obtain them. We can’t have obstacles in our work for the divine.”

The High Priest made the sign of the cross and quietly recited.

“All of this is solely for the divine.”

* * *

It was finally proven that Melody was the Holy Maiden.

Unlike Ernst, who was overwhelmed with emotion at the fact that they had received the Holy Maiden, Cain’s reaction was surprisingly calm.

Though they had been calling her a Holy Maiden candidate all this time, it seemed he had already seen through Melody’s holy power with his dragon blood eyes and was certain she was the Holy Maiden.

Rather, the person who was more surprised was me.

‘I already knew she was the Holy Maiden though.’

The setting I had only seen in text and the miracle unfolding before my eyes were clearly different.

After seeing that brilliant light with my own two eyes, I felt as if I had been clearly confirmed that this place was indeed the world of the novel ‘Future Holy Maiden’.

The bewilderment was brief, and I soon regained my composure.

‘Now that it’s certain Melody is the Holy Maiden, I should start preparing for that problem as well.’

The status problem, that is.

There was one agreed-upon rule between the Empire and the Temple.

While holy power holders were in principle bound to the Temple, nobles of the Empire could be exempt from that obligation.

‘The Holy Maiden’s case might be a bit different, but still, the shield of noble status is essential.’

Sigh.

I let out a sigh.

Who would have thought that the noble status I once discarded as unnecessary would become necessary again now.

Even though I was once an adopted daughter of the Marquis Devoroe household, having left home on my own feet, I was now just a commoner without any title. Naturally, my daughter Melody was the same.

If Melody’s identity as the Holy Maiden became known to the world while we were commoners?

The Temple would try to legally take the child away by invoking the law.

‘Of course Cain would stop them from doing so, but…’

Once the Temple discovered Melody’s existence, from that point on it would be a battle of justification, not force.

If a duke was forcibly keeping a child who legally had to go to the Temple, people would see it not as protection but as kidnapping or confinement.

The Temple bastards wouldn’t miss such a propaganda war.

‘Either way, the status problem must be resolved quickly.’

So I had been thinking about ways to obtain noble status in my own way.

When I once consulted Conrad about it, he said it could be resolved at the Ashern level.

He told me not to worry since they could register me into a retainer family.

‘Certainly. That would be easy and simple.’

It’s a bit embarrassing, but that would be the best solution for putting out the immediate fire.

But…

‘There’s still another problem that gets in the way.’

Sitting in the apothecary and absentmindedly grinding herbs, I sighed and put down the pestle.

Ugh. My head hurts.

So there was an important and complex problem that wouldn’t be solved just by obtaining noble status.

The fact that I was an unwed mother.

‘Of course it’s just pretending, but anyway, outwardly I am indeed an unwed mother.’

The reason this was problematic was simple. Because the Temple could use this as an excuse to devise schemes.

If it was revealed that Melody was a holy power holder, they would immediately investigate my background.

With just a little investigation, they would discover that I was an unwed mother and couldn’t find any trace of the child’s father.

When that happened, there was a possibility they would try to steal my parental rights by presenting a fake father. If the Temple pushed forward, no matter how much I claimed he was a fake father, it would be useless as a commoner.

You might think it’s an excessive imagination, but you can’t underestimate the Temple bastards. They are very cunning.

‘Actually, there was a similar episode in the original work.’

Was it around the middle of the original story?

There was an episode where the Temple presented a fake father to steal away Melody, who was Cain’s adopted daughter, asking that the child be returned to her father.

Fortunately, in the original work, Cain found evidence that the claim was false and resolved it safely.

But if the Temple used the same trick this time, it was uncertain whether things would go as well as in the original.

What was certain was that if they presented a fake father, our side would be in considerable trouble.

‘No, there’s even a possibility they might bring the real one instead of a fake.’

Because Melody’s real father was actually alive somewhere in this world.

I drew the timeline of the original work in my head.

Currently it was 637.

And the year Melody was born before the time leap back to the past was 640.

For the child to be born in the future, both the father and mother had to be alive and well in this current timeline.

Only then could the two meet in the future, conceive the child in 639, and give birth to Melody in 640.

Of course, the probability of the real biological father showing up on his own was slim.

He hadn’t even made a child yet, so there was no way he’d know he had a daughter.

‘The biological father’s identity isn’t important anyway.’

What mattered was that if the Temple found some suitable man, real or fake, and claimed “This is the biological father, he will exercise parental rights,” I had no way to stop it.

Even if I argued against it, they could fabricate evidence and frame me as the fake one instead.

‘Since I actually am fake. It would be troublesome if they came at me that way.’

Therefore, simply obtaining noble status wasn’t enough.

I needed a safeguard that would completely block this biological father problem.

Only one solution came to mind.

‘It would be better to make the first move from this side.’

Before the Temple could act, I would create Melody’s ‘legal biological father’ first.

If I prepared convincing evidence beforehand, the Temple wouldn’t be able to interfere.

So to summarize…

“…I guess marriage is the only option after all.”

When my thoughts reached that point, a deep sigh escaped me without realizing it.

“Hah, marriage.”

Not a marriage born of true love, but a contract marriage performed for mutual benefit.

There was nothing I couldn’t do to protect Melody, but…

‘It still feels strange.’

I never thought I’d be considering marriage in this way.

But at that moment.

Rustle.

“…?”

Huh?

I thought I heard someone outside the door just now.

I got up from my seat and headed toward the door.

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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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