A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father - Chapter 92

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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 92

Yujin rolled up his sleeve and examined his wrist.

He followed Viola not only because of her kind nature, but also because he personally owed her a great debt.

Thanks to the ointment she had made, the hideous skin on his wrist had healed.

A miracle he couldn’t have even imagined.

Yujin, who had always hidden his scars under his clothes, could now confidently roll up his sleeves.

Even when the weather was hot, he used to deliberately wear long sleeves.

He was even excited thinking he could spend this summer very comfortably.

“Yujin.”

Just as he was about to take a cheerful step forward.

A low, serious voice came from behind him.

When he turned around, Vice-Captain Ernst was approaching.

“Ah, yes. Vice-Captain. What can I do for you?”

“Where’s Craig? I have something for him to do.”

“Ah, I told him to do some mental training by cleaning the corridor. Around that corner over there…”

Just as Yujin was pointing in the direction where Craig was.

Ernst’s gaze fixed on Yujin’s smooth wrist, then immediately darkened with frightening seriousness.

“Yujin. What is this?”

“Pardon?”

Grab.

Ernst suddenly grabbed Yujin’s wrist firmly.

Perhaps because he was from the Temple? Ernst usually wore a mask-like faint smile on his lips whether he was in a good or bad mood.

But at this moment, his eyes were quite serious, as if he couldn’t even manage a fake smile.

“What’s wrong?”

When the confused Yujin asked back, he carefully opened his mouth.

“Wasn’t there a scar here? From when you were bitten by a monster during the past subjugation… that scar.”

“Ah, yes. That’s right, but…”

It seemed he remembered that although Ernst had treated it with holy power before, a scar had remained due to the strong demonic energy.

“Did you receive scar removal with holy power?”

“Pardon? Holy power? No. How could I?”

Holy power users were extremely rare. Most belonged to the Temple, so Yujin had no connection to them.

Although there were said to be holy power users among the nobility, they supposedly couldn’t use it because they hadn’t learned the proper methods from the Temple.

So how could he have received scar removal treatment with holy power?

For it to be effective, the holy power would need to be stronger than Ernst’s, who had initially treated him.

“Then how on earth did it heal?”

“Ah, I diligently applied ointment. Lady Viola made it for me…”

“Ointment?”

Ernst stared at Yujin’s wrist with disbelieving eyes.

The spot where the terrible scar had been was completely clean, as if it had never been injured.

* * *

Ever since hearing the unexpected words “contract marriage” from Jayden, Cain’s worries had deepened.

Contract marriage.

Contract marriage…

Though it was just a casual remark from his nephew with no particular meaning, those words kept occupying Cain’s mind.

Viola’s status problem.

Originally, he had been considering having her adopted into a loyal retainer family as a solution.

Coincidentally, Count Seron among his retainers was saying he was lonely and wanted to adopt a daughter.

The status of a count’s family wasn’t bad.

If she entered one of Ashern’s retainer families, even if the Temple later caused trouble over Melody’s holy power, Cain would have sufficient justification to step forward and intervene as her lord.

However…

Though he thought he had already found the most rational and clear answer, the option of contract marriage kept circling in Cain’s mind.

Even Cain himself couldn’t clearly understand the reason.

Had he instinctively realized there were advantages that could only be gained through contract marriage?

So he had been deeply contemplating this matter.

As a result of his consideration, there were indeed advantages that could only be gained through contract marriage.

It could perfectly solve the problem of Melody’s biological father.

Even if he didn’t know whether that man who was Viola’s former lover was alive or dead, there was a slim possibility that problems could arise if that man appeared later claiming parental rights.

After going through the trouble of having Viola adopted into House of Count Seron to give her noble status, what if that damned man suddenly appeared one day spouting nonsense like ‘She’s my blood, so I’ll entrust the child to the Temple’?

That would be very troublesome for them too.

Of course, since Viola had raised the child alone all this time, they would have the advantage both morally and legally, but considering the Temple’s cunning, it was best not to give them even the smallest pretext.

‘Also, there’s no evidence of the biological father anywhere in the world.’

If by any chance that biological father was connected to a massive force like the Temple…

‘Certainly, contract marriage seems like the best option for now.’

If Cain himself had a contract marriage with Viola and stepped forward pretending to be Melody’s real biological father, he could prevent all such situations.

The Temple might try to claim he wasn’t the biological father, but how could they deny it?

When the Duke of Ashern himself says she’s his daughter.

Viola was his former lover, Melody is their daughter, and since they’ve met again as lovers, he would register the child and take Viola as his wife.

If Cain claimed that, the Temple would have no more grounds to interfere.

The more he thought about it, it was so perfect that he wondered why he hadn’t thought of this method before.

So he should go straight to Viola and propose it…

Cain, sitting in his study, let out a small groan. His brow furrowed deeply.

Complex doubts swirled in his mind.

Was this really just a matter of efficiency? Wasn’t there even a little personal interest mixed into this judgment? Such doubts.

Though he was someone who never hesitated when making decisions.

At some point, cold thinking had become difficult when it came to matters involving Viola.

Marriage.

Marriage with Viola.

Even if the word was prefaced with “contract,” they would still officially become husband and wife on paper.

Putting her name on his family register and officially taking the place beside her.

Marriage…

Even if it was prefaced with “contract,” it was still clearly forming a marital bond on paper.

Cain had never seriously considered union with someone in his entire life.

Even when his retainers urged him to marry to continue the lineage, he always responded with cold indifference.

The reason was clear.

Cain himself was the product of a dry political marriage formed solely to continue the dragon’s bloodline.

He had lived with an aversion to loveless marriage since childhood.

That didn’t mean he had dreamed of ordinary marriage based on affection either.

In the first place, his emotionless self would never develop feelings for anyone, and the reverse wouldn’t be true either.

When even his parents feared him for having dragon blood, strangers certainly wouldn’t be different.

But that fact had never felt bitter to him even once.

Since he didn’t particularly crave such emotions in the first place.

His retainers often told him to marry because he needed an heir, but even that didn’t bother him much.

He already had his brother’s children, Jayden and Noah.

When the children grew up appropriately, he would ask their opinion and pass on the family to them. That was Cain’s plan.

Marriage was something he neither needed nor welcomed.

So he had never even dreamed of marriage.

Strangely, when he thought of Viola as that partner, he felt no resistance at all.

‘No, rather….’

A scene formed in his mind.

Viola smiling brightly under the sunlight.

She was someone who looked good in any color, but with her snow-white skin, a pure white wedding dress would suit her dazzlingly well too.

In his imagination, she was laughing while covering her mouth with her hand as if embarrassed. A ring was placed on her slender, long ring finger.

“…Ha.”

Cain unconsciously rubbed his face dry and let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

Since when had he become so imaginative?

Viola would suddenly mess with his mind like this.

Until now, he had thought it was natural association because Viola was special, but now even he couldn’t understand why he was acting this way.

Cain was confused about his own emotions.

If it had been there from the beginning, it would be different. But since something that didn’t exist had come into being, it was difficult to understand anything. Like a newborn beast not knowing how to walk.

But whether his thoughts were selfish or not, it was true that a contract marriage would help Viola.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was still rationalizing things in his favor… but what did it matter at this point?

Cain stood up from his seat without hesitation.

Glancing down at the study window, he could see Viola crossing the wide garden, apparently heading toward the main building.

Despite her small stature, the presence of that soft pink hair walking through the green garden was tremendous.

Cain immediately left the study.

To meet her.

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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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