We're in a Contract Marriage, But I've Imprinted - Chapter 124
Having never encountered such a situation before, Ian could not hide his confusion, feeling his toes twitch involuntarily.
Still unable to move, he bit the inside of his cheek hard until sensations gradually returned and he could move his body.
He staggered towards the bed, he lifted her with trembling hands. Each contact with her hot skin made his vision darken and then clear repeatedly.
Ian entered the bathroom, sent Henry out, and gently lowered Melissa into the tub. As she lay in the lukewarm water, she let out a drowsy sigh that was barely conscious.
Staring blankly at her, Ian slowly poured water over her. His hands trembled noticeably as he repeatedly poured water over her, and then carefully wiped her face.
Each time the slimy mucus washed away and floated in the water, his body twitched in shock. Even after several washings, the stickiness remained, making him painfully aware of how many times he had left his mark on Melissa.
When he thought that he had acted without awareness of her pain or unconscious state made him close his eyes tightly.
What would he do if Melissa suffered lasting effects or pain because of him?
Was there any compensation he could offer her in this situation? No material compensation seemed sufficient. What then, could he possibly do?
“…I’m sorry, Mel.”
Though their time together hadn’t seemed long, how many more times would he need to apologize to her?
He had vowed not to repeat his father’s clumsy mistakes, yet his actions seemed even worse than his father’s.
The lukewarm water seemed to help lower her fever, bringing a sigh of relief from Ian. Even if the water temperature dropped slightly, he would refill it and wash her again. Despite his efforts, his trace seemed indelible on Melissa’s body. He closed his eyes, overwhelmed by troubling thoughts.
Even in this moment, he felt a perverse satisfaction. Undoubtedly, something was wrong with his mind.
The strong realization that he must not stay close to Melissa any longer hit him forcefully.
“For the next year…”
Recalling the duration stipulated in the contract, Ian resolved to distance himself from her during the remaining time. He also planned to look for a place for her to settle and prepare for her departure.
After meticulously washing Melissa, he carried her back to the bedroom, which had been tidied up. Knowing that reducing fever and lowering body temperature were different issues, he quickly tucked her into the bedding and noticed the shackles on the nightstand.
Seeing the item he knew he should discard first, he roughly grabbed the shackles and handed them to Henry.
“Dispose of these.”
“Yes, Master.”
After administering the fever reducer concocted by the doctor, Ian stayed by her side, nursing her. Although worried about Diers, he found it impossible to leave Melissa.
As he took care of her, his heart and mind were at odds, making him feel as though he might go mad.
His heart did not want to let her go, but his mind insisted that he must not keep her by his side. However, as always, he would arrive at a rational conclusion.
Now that he had become the head of Duchy Bryant, it was even more so.
* * *
My body was in so much pain. In a drowsy state, I coughed as I swallowed the bitter medicine that slipped between my lips. I remembered the time my mother took care of me when I was young.
I couldn’t remember exactly why I had been sick, but I recalled struggling through a critical condition with thick bandages around my neck.
I remembered the moment I was so badly injured that I didn’t know why I even forgot about it all this time. I even remembered my mother’s words.
‘Why do I still sense pheromones?’
The chillingly cold voice was so unlike the mother I knew that it jolted me awake.
“Hah!”
“Madam!”
“Hup, haa!”
“Quickly, tell the Master!”
“Understood.”
“Ugh.”
“Are you coming to?”
As I slowly regained consciousness to Henry’s voice, I felt the bustling atmosphere around me. Turning my head, I saw a maid hurriedly exiting the room.
“Madam, please drink some water.”
My throat felt like it was tearing, so I quickly took the offered glass of water. Even swallowing a sip was painful and it made my face grimace.
As I started to feel one sensation, another pain came alive.
“Huh.”
“Madam, you need to take your medicine as well.”
Although my eyes were open, my mind felt as if it was floating beyond my senses. I floundered in my blurred vision, scanning the surroundings, but Ian was nowhere to be seen.
I couldn’t hide a fleeting expression of disappointment, having assumed he would naturally be by my side.
“….The Master had to step away briefly to prepare for the succession ceremony.”
Has my expression really given me away so openly? Henry answered, without being asked.
“…Huh.”
Just parting my lips made my throat burn and sting. As I instinctively grabbed at my neck, I noticed my usual choker was undone. A dream I had just had flashed through my mind, causing my fingers to lightly trace down.
My fingertips brushed over a scar at the junction of my neck and shoulder, a scar I had heard was from when I was very young. But whose origins of when, why, or how it happened I did not know.
Whenever I had asked my mother about it, she only responded with a bitter smile, never giving a clear answer.
As I touched the scar with trembling fingertips, Henry handed me a bottle of medicine. My whole body felt like it was screaming, but I managed to sit up and leaned against the headboard.
I forced down the bitter medicine and drank some water. Even swallowing the liquid was a struggle. My throat was so sore, and my lower body twitches involuntarily.
“It’s a fever reducer. You’ve been asleep for quite some time, Madam.”
“….How, long?”
“Three more days since the Master first woke up.”
He explained in a roundabout way, but what he meant was it had been three days since the end of the heat cycle. That made the reason why Ian wasn’t here more understandable.
The Alpha’s limited obsession period must have already ended.