We’re in a Contract Marriage, But I’ve Imprinted - Chapter 127

He had already considered the remaining time and deliberately distanced himself. After all, since I wasn’t someone he planned to keep by his side forever, he probably didn’t want to waste more time.

Although I understood him in my head, emotionally I couldn’t accept it. Strangely, I kept feeling betrayed. It was absurd to feel this way about him, but I couldn’t shake off those thoughts.

“….Why did you look at me that way if it was going to be like this?”

Just a few days ago, he looked at me with such concern. Whenever I glanced away and looked back, I would meet his affectionate gaze.

I felt suffocated and my body kept trembling. The slowly approaching future felt like it was strangling me.

I was already missing his refreshing pheromones, could I really uphold this contract?

Could I live without seeing Diers for the rest of my life?

I didn’t need to think deeply to know it was impossible. Holding the contract in my hand, I sat numbly on the bed.

As the day turned to night and the room darkened, I couldn’t bring myself to stand. I was unable to accept the reality that had suddenly overtaken me.

Normally, a maid would have come to assist me by now, but as the evening passed, no one came. Naturally, I realized the succession ceremony was already underway.

Guests would have gathered before sunset, and given that it was the Duke’s succession, many nobles from the empire would have attended. It was a significant day, so the maids would have been busy.

Although I understood everything logically, I couldn’t deal with the feeling of being left alone in the dark room.

Having sat for a while, I gripped the contract and stood up. My body swayed, but I managed to stand on my own. I put the contract back in the drawer and walked to the balcony.

Even though it was night, a warm breeze blew, and the subtle scent of roses reached the balcony. I leaned against the railing, staring at the brightly lit annex.

That was the largest banquet hall of the Duke’s residence, quite far from the main building, but I could feel the commotion. Staring blankly at it, I suddenly felt an impulse.

I hadn’t been invited by Ian, but wouldn’t it be okay to watch from a distance?

Surely, he would understand if I just observed from afar, unnoticed by anyone.

After all, I’m the one who gave birth to Diers, I’m his mother.

“So, that should be alright, shouldn’t it?”

I muttered to myself, although there was no one to hear me. Overcome by impulse, I reached for a robe, but hesitated as I noticed the dress room packed with items.

Since Nicola’s passing, I had deliberately avoided entering the dress room.

Remembering how she always brought gifts back with both hands full, the room was now filled with items she had given me.

Ian still hadn’t told me where Nicola’s grave was. Was it because I hadn’t been included in what he called ‘my family’?

Negative thoughts rapidly spread, seemingly infecting not just my mind but my entire body.

It felt like sinking in a swamp of anxiety. It was too late to realize how deep I had sunk…

As I forced myself to clear my thoughts, I wrapped myself meticulously in the robe and stepped out of the dress room.

As I was about to leave the room, I burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all. Even grabbing the doorknob felt awkward, and so I laughed like a mad person, shoulders shaking.

How have I been living all this time?

Leaving the room with those confusing thoughts behind, unsurprisingly, there was no one in sight.

Today was Ian’s succession ceremony, so it was understandable, but I still couldn’t shake off my anxiety.

I couldn’t go back to the past, in the annex where no one came. How could they expect me to return to how things were when I already knew too much?

Despite it being midsummer, the air felt refreshingly cool. The scent of roses was stronger outside than what I had smelled from the balcony.

I realized then that it had been a very long time since I had last left the annex. Only after stepping on the soil did I acknowledge that the time I had spent was not normal.

But I couldn’t just stay in one place and think. I didn’t want to miss Ian’s succession ceremony. I wanted to see Diers being introduced to the people.

“I deserve to be there…”

I muttered, almost as an excuse, as I ran down the deserted path.

Though I confidently said it was my right and sneaked down the deserted path, I couldn’t hide my confusion.

Waves of emotions surged like the tide.

Resentment, sorrow, injustice…

If only he had told me, I might have accepted it and waited quietly in my room.

Yes, I’m merely his wife in name, not in reality.

Knowing our connection was just a bond on paper still couldn’t stop the ache in my heart or the sting in my eyes. It felt like the solid ground I stood on was suddenly giving way beneath me.

Ian, who used to be possessive to the point of putting shackles on me to prevent me from leaving his sight, no longer existed.

While others might find such restraint bizarre, I found comfort in it. I believed it was Ian’s clumsy but earnest way of showing care.

Even if it was a mess, or an abnormal relationship, I didn’t mind. As long as he kept coming to see me, I was content to never leave the annex for the rest of my life.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, my legs gave out and I fell down ungracefully. My body, confined to indoor living, trembled from just a bit of running, and my heart throbbed as if it would burst from my throat.

Drenched in cold sweat, I dusted off the dirt and leaves from my clothes as I got up. The bright lights ahead twinkling invitingly.

With shaky legs, I struggled to stand and moved toward the light. Like a moth to a flame, I didn’t consider the potential misery it could show me.

Crawling towards the annex where the celebration was held, I reached near the brilliantly lit place. The light spilling from inside was so dazzling that the darkness outside felt even more profound.