We’re in a Contract Marriage, But I’ve Imprinted - Chapter 150

Although it wasn’t as harsh as Lucia might have liked, Pedro’s distressed expression was a bit overwhelming. He looked at me with a pained expression and said.

“Why are you looking at me while saying that…”

I regretted for unconsciously looking at him as an Alpha, but the situation was so absurd that I couldn’t help but stifle my laughter.

* * *

Henry quickly wrote a letter with a look of deep concern. After hastily sealing it, he handed it to the waiting knight.

“You mustn’t delay. It mustn’t go through the servants. It must be delivered directly to the former Duke. Absolutely.”

“Understood.”

The knight, who had a vague grasp of the situation’s gravity, gave a brief salute and mounted his horse. After watching him depart swiftly, Henry took a moment to steady himself.

He recalled the scene from a few hours earlier and staggered slightly. He leaned his sweaty and worn out body against the stair rail and exhaled slowly.

Ian, who had been unconscious for over two weeks, finally woke up this morning. Henry had been watching closely to ensure there would be no further outbursts, but Ian began the day as if nothing had happened.

Henry was relieved to see his master back to normal, and he felt tears of joy, though he tried not to show them. Ian might not remember everything, after all.

However, just as Henry was feeling reassured, the sound of a tearing scream pierced through the morning.

Rushing to the Duke’s room, Henry found chaos. Ian, who should have been in his office, was sprawled on the floor in the center of the room with a sword wound in his belly. The vivid red blood flowing from his master made the scene seem unreal.

Henry didn’t even know how to call for the doctor or silence the servants.

He couldn’t believe it. Was it possible that the master, who had always been proud and arrogant, had tried to take his own life? And if it was because of the missing Omega, it was even harder to accept.

Hadn’t Alphas always been indifferent to what happened to Omegas? They had once been so cruel in leaving her to suffer, so why now, when the world seemed lost, was he acting so devastated?

Henry knew it was wrong to second-guess his master’s thoughts and intentions, but he was frustrated by his inability to understand the Duke and the former Duke’s motives.

With trembling limbs, he forced himself to return to the Duke’s room. Approaching Ian, who lay pale on the bed, Henry turned to the doctor, who, like himself, had a haggard appearance.

“What happened?”

“…No matter how sharp the sword was, it seemed it wasn’t enough to penetrate the body of a Sword Master perfectly. Perhaps it was God’s intervention.”

Henry felt a sense of relief, despite the massive loss of blood, that a fatal wound had been avoided.

“Just to be clear, this matter must remain between us.”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

The fact that the Duke had attempted to take his own life must not leave this room.

“…I asked the knight who accompanied the Duke at that time. Considering the terrain and circumstances, it seems the late Duchess’s death is indeed confirmed.”

“I meant for you not to bring this up. Didn’t you understand my previous statement correctly?”

Henry felt his irritation rising. Nevertheless, the doctor continued.

“But isn’t it strange? Even though the gorge was steep with deep, swift water, human life is often more resilient than we think. If the carriage had fallen near the water’s edge, it’s possible that the late Duchess might have been thrown from the carriage and fallen into the water.”

“…”

“We didn’t find a body, so isn’t it hasty to conclude that the late Duchess is definitely dead?”

“So, what are you suggesting?”

“As someone who has seen the two closely, I can say that the Duke certainly loved the late Duchess. He wouldn’t have had such a fearful look otherwise.”

Henry agreed with the doctor’s observation. However, he couldn’t show it because he thought that, as an Alpha, the Duke would have different views.

It should be normal for Alphas to behave coldly towards Omegas who have borne their children, and they were expected to excel in everything: duties, swordsmanship, and interactions with people.

Henry thought that even in the final act of taking a life, the Alpha Duke would carry it out with ease, or with an emotionless demeanor, as his sole focus was likely the revival of his house.

“…It is presumptuous of us to even consider the master’s thoughts.”

“Yes, of course.”

The doctor remained silent, only replacing the bandages with fresh ones. Henry silently stared at the Duke’s pale, deeply distressed face.

* * *

For a while, Monica couldn’t bring herself to visit Duchy Bryant. She wasn’t able to bear watching Ian in his distraught state.

It was just the disappearance of a single foreign substance. It should have been of no one’s concern that such an Omega had vanished.

Yet, Ian, who had voluntarily expelled her, was unable to accept Melissa’s death.

“…How foolish.”

She should have realized something was off when he changed after only needing an heir…

Monica had known from the beginning that Ian had no interest in herself. However, when the former former Count had proposed her as the Duchess, she had accepted it without question, believing that was enough.

But after bringing Melissa into the household, Ian began to change. He stopped visiting Monica, as if he had no further business with her, and even when she visited the Duchy, he showed no reaction.

Ironically, the only time he, who had been indifferent to anything, showed any response was after seeing Melissa’s tears.

Hadn’t Monica been tormenting her from the start, not just a year or two? While it irritated her to see Ian suddenly act as if he cared, she reflected on her own complacency.