A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 89

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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 89

Rolling through the darkness with a tumbling sound, Melody escaped outside the door and headed straight to….

“Woo woo!”

Duke Crow Mister!

Spotting the tall, lanky man standing in one corner of the corridor, Melody ran toward him with quick pattering steps.

“Isn’t it time to sleep? Where’s Viola? Why are you alone?”

“Woo!”

I snuck out!

To the question filled with concern about a young child wandering around alone at night, Melody answered spiritedly.

Cain chuckled as if he found it absurd.

“How boldly you say that. What will you do if I tell Viola?”

“Woo woo? Woo?”

Mister, are you a tattletale?

No way…! That can’t be. If that happens, my plan will…!

“Uu waak. Woo uh.”

Shake shake shake shake.

As she shook her head very urgently, Cain lowered his body to match her eye level as much as possible.

Now she could finally see his face.

“Will you promise to go back quietly together?”

“Woo woo!”

I promiiise!

As she cried out urgently, Cain said.

“Alright. I’ll keep this incident a secret.”

Phew.

Thank goodness.

I almost got in big trouble before I could even try anything.

Melody wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand.

More importantly….

Now she was certain.

Duke Crow Mister understood Melody’s words very well.

Just as much as Mother.

It was worth coming to find him. Now she could have a smooth conversation for the deal!

Then, Cain, who was still matching her height, spoke up.

“So, young boy. What brings you here?”

Huh.

I’m not a young boy. I’m Melody!

But now wasn’t the time to correct such things.

She had something more urgent to say.

Melody hurriedly shouted with vigor.

“Woo uh woo! Mother!”

Please protect our Mother!

“You want me to protect Viola?”

Once again, Cain understood Melody’s words immediately.

Nod nod.

Melody moved her head up and down earnestly.

“Woo woo. Woo! Woo woo!”

Bagel told me.

That Duke Crow Mister is the strongest person in the world.

So Crow Mister will be able to protect Mother well.

“Woo woo.”

Melody grabbed Cain’s pant leg with a determined face and pulled it down.

This was a signal to make a deal.

“…You want to make a deal?”

Nod!

Melody nodded without hesitation.

Cain pondered the child’s words for a moment, lost in thought. Then he asked back.

“Young boy, did you come all the way here to say that?”

“Woo! Woo woo. Woo!”

I’m not a young boy, I’m Melody!

As she pounded her chest while speaking, Cain’s lips curved up slightly again.

I didn’t say anything funny at all….

But her meaning seemed to have been clearly conveyed.

“Alright, Melody. I’ll do as you wish.”

“Woo woo?”

Really?

Melody’s eyes widened.

“As much as you want. But… since you said it’s a deal, there must be a price, right?”

Gulp.

Melody swallowed her dry saliva.

Just how difficult a condition was he going to mention?

Melody looked up at him with great tension. But the condition that came from Duke Crow Mister’s mouth was surprisingly simple.

“Don’t sneak around like today, and sleep quietly on time. Is that too difficult?”

“Woo!”

Melody puffed out her chest confidently. But it was too early to feel relieved.

“And brush your teeth three times a day, every single day without fail.”

…Huh.

Melody felt as if the world had collapsed in despair for a moment.

Could it be this mister already heard from Mother that I hate brushing my teeth? How did he know?

I really hate brushing teeth…. Toothpaste doesn’t taste good and brushing is bothersome….

But if it’s to protect Mother…!

Melody nodded her head with determination.

“Woo!”

At her spirited answer, Cain stared down at the child as if looking at a fascinating creature.

“Aren’t you even afraid of me?”

At the sudden question, Melody tilted her head.

Why would Duke Crow Mister be scary?

As she just rolled her eyes, unable to understand, he made a deflated sound.

“…Acting so boldly, did you take after your mother?”

Muttering quietly, he suddenly picked up Melody.

“Woo?”

“If you sleep late, you won’t grow tall. You need to go back before Mother wakes up so you won’t get caught.”

Right. I snuck out without Mother knowing, didn’t I?

Melody settled quietly into Cain’s arms.

Is it because he’s so tall?

Being held in Duke Crow Mister’s arms was fun, just like climbing up a tree.

* * *

A few days ago, after throwing a tantrum at Conrad and hearing the thunderbolt-like answer that ‘a nephew cannot marry until the Duke marries first’.

Jayden fell into very deep contemplation.

How could he solve Viola’s marriage problem? No matter how much he pondered, no clever solution came to mind.

Viola said she would get married, but apparently that partner couldn’t be him.

But the thought of Viola becoming someone else’s family and leaving was worse than death. He wished she could become his family, but there was no way.

‘What should I do? Should I pretend to be sick again?’

Viola wouldn’t leave him heartlessly.

But feigning illness meant deceiving Viola, which pricked his conscience.

In the end, Jayden could only force himself to smile as if he knew nothing whenever she came to bring him medicine, even as his insides churned.

As his confused feelings prolonged, it began affecting his daily life.

His mind was as tangled as a ball of yarn, and nothing seemed to go right.

‘This won’t do. I need to concentrate.’

Especially today, when he was receiving sword lessons directly from Cain.

However, thoughts of Viola made his sword-holding hand lose its strength.

To make matters worse, today’s movements were particularly difficult.

“Place your feet like this, lower your center of gravity…”

The movements Cain demonstrated flowed like water, but to Jayden’s eyes they just looked like complicated dance steps.

He wondered if opening his eyes wide would help him understand, but even when he did, nothing seemed to register in his mind.

“Ugh…”

Eventually, Jayden tried to follow clumsily and lost his balance, swaying.

Cain casually caught Jayden as he was about to fall.

“Don’t think of it as difficult. Everything starts from the basics.”

“…Yes! I understand!”

Jayden answered energetically, but inside he wanted to cry.

‘It’s difficult.’

He was sure he had followed the movements quite well at the beginning of the lesson, but why wasn’t his body listening today?

The Duke had said to speak up whenever it was difficult, but he was reluctant to do so.

It was hard for him to know whether this was because the movements were truly difficult or because he couldn’t concentrate due to other thoughts.

Jayden pressed down the thoughts of Viola that kept bubbling up in his mind as he swung his sword.

One step, two steps. Exactly as Cain had done.

But stray thoughts couldn’t be suppressed just by trying. His movements kept getting tangled, and his sword tip wavered.

‘This won’t do. This is a precious opportunity.’

The Duke was watching.

The strongest Duke in the world was teaching him personally.

It was such a precious opportunity that others couldn’t get, so he wanted to do his best. But it wasn’t going as he wished.

The pressure of not wanting to disappoint Cain weighed heavily on his shoulders.

‘What should I do? Am I so bad that the Duke will get tired of teaching me?’

He’s such a busy person. And I’m taking up his precious time.

And here he was, in this sorry state just because he was having stray thoughts.

‘They say the Duke is a genius who became strong without proper training as a child.’

Yet here he was, struggling like this despite receiving direct instruction. He felt intimidated thinking he must look like a fool in the Duke’s eyes.

“Try it once more.”

“…Yes!”

Was it because of his dejected mood?

He tried to step through the sequence again, but this time too his feet got tangled and he stumbled.

‘Ah…’

The Duke might sigh. Whenever this happened, Morden would look at him like he was looking at a bug and scold him harshly.

What if the Duke also got angry because he was being so frustratingly clumsy?

Just as Jayden was about to squeeze his eyes shut.

“When holding a sword, you must cast aside distracting thoughts.”

Gasp. As expected, he was being scolded.

“I’m, I’m sorry.”

Jayden hung his head low, dejected and ready to apologize immediately.

But warm words came back from Cain.

“I’m not scolding you. I’m saying if you have worries, I’ll help solve them, so tell me.”

His worries? Could he really talk about that?

As Jayden hesitated, Cain added.

“I’m your uncle and guardian.”

A very faint but gentle smile appeared on his face that had always seemed cold.

The moment he saw that, courage welled up in Jayden’s heart.

Right. The solution he had known deep down. The way to solve his worries at once.

He had known it all along but couldn’t muster the courage to ask, so he hadn’t been able to voice it.

If it was the Duke, no… if it was his uncle, he might grant this request!

Unable to contain his surging emotions, Jayden suddenly called out to him.

For the first time, with a different title than “Duke.”

“Uncle!”

Cain’s eyes widened slightly.

Riding that momentum, Jayden passionately shouted the words he had so wanted to say.

“Please marry Viola!”

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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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