We’re in a Contract Marriage, But I’ve Imprinted - Chapter 152

Aside from the newly born Diers, there were no legitimate heirs to Duchy Bryant. Monica, whose fate was at stake, couldn’t easily back down.

In the midst of the scuffle, a large hand reached out and grasped her throat.

“Kuh!”

“Duke!”

Ian, now awake, had seized Monica by the neck and propped himself up.

While Henry was relieved and thrilled that the person he had been waiting for had finally awakened, he was also worried that the situation might escalate unnecessarily. Ian, however, was quicker to act.

“Monica.”

The hoarse voice penetrated her ear.

Monica, trembling uncontrollably at the sight of Ian in this unfamiliar new state, felt a prickling sensation on her skin and her hair standing on end. Having never experienced such malice before, she couldn’t quite understand where these feelings were coming from.

Meanwhile, the doctor and Henry quickly stepped back. With the Sword Master radiating such a murderous intent, staying close was not an option.

“Why, why is this happening…”

Monica, slowly realizing the severity of the situation, barely managed to speak through her shivering. Overwhelmed by fear, she looked at Ian with a pale, terrified face.

“You?”

The question, though blunt, conveyed the meaning clearly. Monica understood immediately what Ian was implying, but she couldn’t simply confess.

“…Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

“It’s you.”

Monica, who had previously tried to act so brazenly, now acted angrily.

“No matter how much of a childhood friend or the Duke you are, this is utterly disrespectful. Let go!”

“Disrespectful? Think of this as payment for the mistakes you’ve made.”

“…Let go!”

Ian wanted to break Monica’s neck right then and there. He resented himself for being alive and not dying. He had been lying still with his eyes closed since earlier.

During this time, he had reconsidered everything. No matter how he thought about it, it seemed suspicious that the coachman had deviated from his orders and taken a different route. Moreover, the coachman had also disappeared.

This led him to consider various possibilities.

Among the possibilities, the first thought that came to Ian’s mind was that the coachman had been bribed by someone to deliberately cause Melissa’s death. If that were the case, the person who commissioned the act would have likely paid the coachman to disappear afterward.

If this were truly the case, who could be behind Melissa’s death? It seemed obvious—someone who would scheme in the shadows, just like last time…

So, when Monica came to visit, Ian could no longer hold himself back. Despite the blood seeping from his still-healing wounds, he didn’t release his grip on her neck.

Monica trembled, facing the beast-like yellow glare in his eyes. Could this truly be the man she had once loved? Where had the man she had known since childhood gone?

Ian’s chest, wrapped only in bandages, heaved up and down. The bloodstains on the white bandages grew darker, and with each stain, the scent of blood seemed to intensify.

His eyes, dry and hollow, his mouth, and his usually tidy hair were now in disarray. However, his aura of intimidation was as formidable as ever—perhaps even more so than when he was properly dressed.

Monica, overwhelmed by his presence, could barely breathe and trembled uncontrollably.

“Ugh…”

Unable to withstand his murderous intent any longer, Monica fainted. Even though Ian hadn’t tightened his grip excessively, he clicked his tongue disapprovingly at the sight of her collapsing.

“Du, Duke! There’s bleeding!”

After Ian withdrew his murderous intent, the doctor rushed in to examine the wounds, while Henry cautiously approached to check on Monica’s condition before stepping outside.

Returning with two maids in tow, Henry had Monica carried out and then approached Ian.

“Are you alright?”

“Does it look like I’m alright?”

“…No.”

“Then if it looks that way to you, it must be true.”

“I’ve sent a letter to the former Duke.”

“…Tch, unnecessary.”

Ian frowned at the mention of calling his father, showing his irritation. But Henry couldn’t back down.

“I should have called for him as soon as the Master lost consciousness. I feel pathetic for not having done so.”

“…Hah.”

“What will become of the young master if you leave this world?”

When Henry mentioned Diers, Ian’s fury erupted.

“Don’t you dare speak of Dia so recklessly!”

“Yes, understood. But please, just one request.”

“Why should I make a promise to you?”

Despite Ian’s cold response, Henry continued resolutely. For Diers, for his master, and as a loyal vassal of the Duchy, it was something he had to say.

“I request that you order another search.”

“For what?”

Ian, dizzy from the blood loss and clutching his forehead, gave a vague reply. However, he had no choice but to look up, his eyes gleaming, at Henry’s next words.

“While the Duke was unconscious, I sent people to search all the way down the river. Yet, no body was found.”

In truth, Henry had already discreetly sent out investigators before the doctor even mentioned it.

“…What are you trying to say?”

Henry pulled out the report he had received just before sending the letter to the former Duke. His weathered face showed only his eyes, which shone with a glimmer of hope amidst despair.

“There is a report from the divers who examined the waters. Duke, if no body was found in the water, the chance of survival is high.”

“…She fell from that height.”

It was an absurdly high distance. Even if the carriage was sturdy, the chances of survival were almost nonexistent.

“Then, there should have been a body. There should have been more wreckage from the broken carriage.”

Clinging to the sliver of hope, Henry pleaded with Ian.

“Please, just one more search, Duke.”

Ian’s heart pounded fiercely at Henry’s words. His imprinted heart urged him to find his lost companion. Having given up once, his heart now beat more fervently, commanding him.

Bring her back.

Return my Omega to its place.