We're in a Contract Marriage, But I've Imprinted - Chapter 113
The next day, Ian left the annex with Diers, leaving behind his anxious Omega. As he got up and looked up, he saw Melissa standing on the balcony.
It hadn’t been a year since they met, yet it felt like an eternity had passed. He had unlocked her shackles precisely because he wanted to see her like this.
Melissa tried to mask her unease with a bright voice.
“Take care.”
“….I will.”
He adjusted Diers in his arms and started walking away. He felt her gaze on his back but deliberately did not turn around.
The news of the new heir to the Duchy spread quickly, and many sent congratulations, gifts, and letters, even the Emperor himself. Alongside the well-wishes, Ian also received numerous letters of concern.
Experienced Alphas uniformly wrote to him, some even visiting in person, to share advice on how to detach emotionally from an Omega who had borne their child. They too had faced many dilemmas and errors in their journeys.
Above all, their greatest concern was the imprinting.
Among Alphas, an imprinted Alpha was considered an anomaly, a potential threat to their established systems. If even one existed, it was believed to undermine their order.
Ian generally disregarded such notions, but he could not help worrying about Melissa. Especially since he had just felt immense reluctance to unshackle her.
The thought of leaving her alone while he protected what was his made him feverish. Previously, she had been a source of warmth and stability, but since the poisoning incident, he had felt an overwhelming urge to bind her more tightly.
He fought the impulse to put her under heavier chains and restrict her further, so she could not even set foot in places that were not under his eyes. A part of him questioned if such feelings were normal. It was an extreme inclination, even in his own opinion.
Whenever these thoughts overwhelmed him, he reassured himself with the fact that their marriage was just a contract marriage. After all, Melissa had entered into this arrangement with full knowledge of everything.
Two years ago, Melissa had come to him in desperation. She was fleeing an unthinkable arranged marriage. Drenched in sweat, her face pale as she recklessly jumped into his carriage.
Yes, this marriage was not a decision he had made alone.
“Huweehh!”
Perhaps because it was the first time away from his mother’s arms, Diers suddenly burst into tears while in Ian’s hold. As much as she had cared for the child, Ian was adept at soothing him.
He released some pheromones and gently patted the baby’s back. The employees around them watched with moved expressions as Ian comforted his child. Henry, in particular, couldn’t hide his joy and approached with a comment.
“This Henry needs to live longer now. That way, I can also serve the young master’s young master, shouldn’t I?”
“Haha, I do hope you will.”
“Yes, just leave it to me!”
“Has my father arrived yet?”
“We just received a message. He should be here soon.”
“Then should we stay out a bit longer. It’s warm today, and a bit of fresh air would do us good.”
“Very well. Ah, I’ll bring a sunshade.”
“That’s alright. I’ll just tuck him inside my jacket.”
Ian poked Diers’s smiling cheek as he stopped crying and started walking towards the mansion’s entrance. Just then, a carriage bearing the Duchy’s crest approached. It was impossible not to know who was inside.
The carriage swiftly pulled up to the front of the mansion. Before Henry could reach it to open the door, it burst open and Ian’s father hurried out.
“I can finally see him!”
He was likely as eagerly waited as anyone could be. Ian approached his father with a faint smile.
“Only now you come.”
“Even if I had come right away, it would have been hard to meet, wouldn’t it? Eh? Do you already recognize your grandfather?”
Diers, who was squirming in Ian’s arms, gazed up with wide eyes. Ian’s father gently released some pheromones as he moved closer to the child.
“Huuhng…”
“Hmm, still unfamiliar with pheromones?”
His father retracted the pheromones with an embarrassed face.
“It might be hot for us but too chilly for the baby. Let’s go in.”
“Yes.”
For Henry, watching the three generations of the family—the former Duke, Ian, and Diers—move together was touching.
They went up to the study where the real conversation began. They exchanged updates about where the former Duke had been and the events of his travels.
Ian was slightly surprised by his father’s playful interaction with Diers. He had expected his father to quickly discuss the matters of the succession ceremony and leave, so this casual, familial interaction was unexpected.
As Diers giggled, his father finally asked the question he had been most curious about.
“When do you plan to send your Omega away?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Ian was momentarily speechless. He had thought about distancing himself gradually, but he had never considered sending Melissa away from his estate.
Seeing Ian’s expression, his father clicked his tongue lightly and continued.
“Don’t just think about detaching slowly; get her out of your sight soon.”
“…I’ll handle it my way. And please, watch your words—there’s a child here.”
“He’s not old enough to understand what we’re saying anyway.”
Ian was annoyed, believing his father’s comment was overly interfering.
“….You’ve successfully produced an heir, I see.”
His father looked at Diers with a sense of renewed sentiment. It was as if he had been eagerly waiting for this moment. Ian adjusted Diers so his father could see him better.
“With two generations of extremely dominant Alphas, it should be enough. I’ll completely retire from front-line duties. From now on, you will handle all the responsibilities of the estate.”
Although living in the capital meant there was no shortage of tasks—given that the family’s main businesses were there—the workload of managing the Duchy was substantial too. Ian had been handling part of it, but now he would have to take on everything alone.
But that was what being a Duke entailed. Ian simply nodded in acknowledgment.
“Yes, father.”
After those words, his father was silent for a while. His eyes wandered around the room filled with nostalgia, perhaps giving himself a moment to say goodbye to the study he had occupied for so long.