We’re in a Contract Marriage, But I’ve Imprinted - Chapter 154

The sense of liberation from the imprinting was immensely relieving, but that was where it ended. Since the imprinting had originated from feelings of love, the lingering emotions still troubled me.

“…Did you really intend to harm me?”

This was a question that came up every night. I had thought it was a mutual love, but I was the only one bound by the imprinting.

Even though I was cruelly abandoned and my body was left in tatters, I couldn’t easily shake off my lingering feelings. I felt foolish and pathetic, unable to confide in anyone.

Shouldn’t the heart also disappear quickly once the imprinting is gone? Why must I still suffer?

The pain of still loving him.

The humiliation of realizing my own foolishness.

The unconditional scorn and insults from others that I couldn’t understand.

And the unbearable shame every time I recalled the betrayal left by my most trusted mother.

At times like these, I wondered if it would be easier to just let everything go, but thinking about the child inside me pulled me back.

“Haah…”

It was painful to accept all the family issues I ignored.

It would be better if it were all just my delusions, but I couldn’t continue being foolish. Considering the worries of Lucia and everyone here, I had to stop resigning myself.

“…It’s true that Ian wanted to kill me. And it’s true that my mother wouldn’t have cared if I died.”

Even if it was for my own good.

“Not only the two of them but if my mother truly cared about me, she wouldn’t have thought of committing suicide in front of me.”

Yes, everyone claimed it was for my sake, but in reality, each person cared more about themselves. My father, my brother, Monica, and Alex.

None of them truly worried about me. As I organized my thoughts, an endless emptiness overwhelmed me, but it also created a space.

I should clean out this empty space in my heart so that something else can fill it.

Even if it takes time, I need to let go of things one by one.

If I advance step by step like this, perhaps I might find something new.

And I had the child inside me. Whether this child would be an Alpha or an Omega, I wanted to raise it simply as my own. I just wanted to be happy, to live peacefully without any judgment.

After organizing my thoughts, I stared intently at the notebook in front of me, recalling the magic circle I had seen earlier. Even though my energy swirled inside me, the magic flowing from my hands was delicate and thin, like a purple thread.

In no time, I inscribed the magic circle onto the notebook and began practicing what Lucia had done earlier. I followed her example, recalling how skillfully she had used magic.

Next, I remembered the magic circles my mother used to draw and started sketching them into the air. All the distracting thoughts in my mind evaporated in an instant, leaving only the magic circles clear and vivid.

Since I became a wizard because of that incident, I decided to thank Ian for this one thing. Yes, I should be grateful for this.

Even if it was from the man who tried to kill me.

#17_Truth and Misunderstanding

Ian found hope in Henry’s words. The fact that no body was found meant that she might still be alive somewhere. He acknowledged that he had been too hasty in his conclusions.

As he became aware of the imprinting, his brain didn’t function as he wished. Not only his brain but his heart and every organ seemed to instinctively crave his Omega.

But the thought that his Omega might not be in this world…

Just the idea of losing Melissa made it hard for him to breathe and think clearly. How had he not noticed the imprinting until now, despite this agony?

He felt a deep sense of doubt, but looking back, everything seemed so clumsy that he couldn’t find a precise answer.

His heart that failed to recognize his first love, the hidden pheromones of the delicate Omega beneath the choker, his intensified Omega aversion due to his mother, and the responsibilities thrust upon him from a young age because of his father’s ambiguous actions.

He had countless reasons—or excuses—but he decided to stop thinking about them.

After all, it was something that happened because he failed to acknowledge it.

“…I just need to restore things now.”

The murmured voice sounded faint, but it couldn’t hide the madness and obsession that lay beneath. Sitting propped against the headboard of the bed, he recalled how Melissa had once leaned against the same bed.

He could almost feel those violet eyes, which had longed for something with tears glistening, as if she was truly in front of him. He reached out and slowly traced the image of his Omega, as if he was really touching her.

He was merely watching her endure alone under the pouring rain. He had failed to keep her safe and sheltered…

The belated realization and the imprinting continued to torment him.

You foolish bastard. You’re nothing but a worthless idiot. From the moment he became aware, his imprinted heart relentlessly berated him.

He had torn apart and cast out someone he should have cherished. Now, in a state where he didn’t even know if she was alive or dead, he wanted to strangle himself and stab his guts with a knife.

If not for the hope that she might still be alive, Ian might have drawn his sword again and cut his throat repeatedly.

No worth to live. No reason to live.

As the darkened golden eyes stared blankly into the void, the doctor, who had been quietly observing, decided to speak up.

“Duke, I will change the bandages.”

The doctor, feeling a fear he hadn’t expected, noted the Duke’s apparent detachment as if he had forgotten the presence of everyone around him. Despite being in the same space, he seemed to be looking elsewhere entirely.

“Your recovery is impressive, as expected of an Alpha.”

The doctor muttered in admiration while inspecting the wounds, unaware that such comments would provoke his master.