We’re in a Contract Marriage, But I’ve Imprinted - Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Translator: Effe

Editor: Yonnee

—

Whenever I came across a new word, I folded the end of the page so I could look up the meaning of the word later. As I kept discovering new words, a rustling sound accompanied my movements as I folded the corners of the pages.

Only the sounds I made echoed in the quiet bedroom space. But suddenly the sound of the door opening on the other side broke the silence.

There was no separate lock for the annex, but no one ever entered without permission. My shocked heart did not calm down.

Just when I didn’t know what to do, the bedroom door opened.

“Kyaaah!”

Surprised at the thought that an unknown person had invaded, instead of running away, I hid under the blanket and let out a pathetic scream.

I should have run outside, but I couldn’t believe I was just hiding under the blanket.

Unable to see the intruder’s face, I stayed in the blanket and moved slowly. Then one side of the bed dipped.

The intruder seemed to be sitting on the bed, and I hesitated until I heard a familiar voice.

“Come out.”

“…Young Lord?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

I was curious about why Ian came to the annex, but I felt relieved. I let out a sigh of relief and peeked out my face.

As soon as I put my head out, I widened my eyes in surprise at the sight I encountered. As if he too had expected it, he just calmly looked at me and held out a pink bottle.

“Take this.”

I stared blankly at the bottle, then removed my hand from under the blanket. The small bottle that had been in his hand was lukewarm.

Like his lukewarm attitude.

The bottle, which was neither cold nor hot, was small but somehow intimidating.

Then, he took out another bottle—purple this time—from his inner pocket and explained.

“Isn’t there a better way than doing it sober? It’s just a contract marriage of mutual interest, so let’s make things comfortable. We will share a bed once a month until we have a child. Each time, we will spend the night while inducing my rut cycle and your heat cycle.”

The statement was neat. He said everything necessary so that I didn’t get curious, but I couldn’t help but ask back.

“…But I’ve never been through a heat cycle before?”

That was the truth. I had never had a heat cycle. So I had to ask Mother.

Then, the answer Mother gave me was simple: it’s because I was a recessive omega.

A recessive omega has an ambiguous pheromone level, so much so that one would hesitate to call them omegas.

I didn’t know who did the research, but recessive omegas were said to have a fainter body scent. It was vague about equating body scent, but that meant that a scent that others could smell.

Of course, this was also what I heard from Mother.

The conclusion was that I was biologically an omega, but looking only from the outside, I was actually no different from a beta.

Ah, perhaps my biggest difference from betas was that I could give birth to an alpha or an omega, though perhaps it wouldn’t be easy?

There were days when I felt confused about my identity, but looking at the alpha in front of me, I do feel like an omega.

He lowered his eyes for a moment. As if thinking about something, his brow narrowed slightly.

The beauty mark at the left end of his red lips came into view. It’s only a small dot, but why was it so striking to me?

He was sitting and I was hiding under the covers, but when I realized that we were in bed together, my cheeks burned for no reason.

I wondered if it was true that we really had a contract marriage because nothing had been talked about…

“Then, let’s try the inducer. If there is still no response, I believe we should break the contract.”

Though he seemed calm, it sounded like he was a little annoyed at first glance. Well, he was a man who came to me, a recessive omega, because he said there were no other omegas.

If my heat cycle wouldn’t come even after I’ve downed the inducer, it would be very difficult.

And I’ll be in trouble too.

I may be held accountable for breach of contract, but even if that is not the case, it will be difficult.

If I get a divorce, I’ll have to go back to the County again.

Could this be the reason why Father hadn’t put me on the family register?

The times when I was sad because I wasn’t on the family register were actually happy days?

They had a justification for tying me up just because I was on the family register.

Although I was the illegitimate daughter of the County that everyone knew, I was not legally tied to them as I was technically an outsider. But now, if Brother were to imprison me in the name of family, it meant that even the Emperor would not be able to stop him.

The imperial family couldn’t intervene in the internal affairs of the noble households.

So I opened the cap of the pink bottle. An unpleasant smell quickly entered my nostrils and reached the lungs.

It smelled sweet, but artificial.

I hurriedly brought the bottle to my lips and gulped down. A lukewarm, sticky liquid flowed down my throat.

He observed my condition as he gently rolled the purple bottle in his hand. If I would not get a heat cycle now, he would put the bottle back in his pocket.

Gulp—

I licked my lips after drinking all the liquid in the bottle.

I thought that if I drank the inducer, the reaction would come right away, but nothing happened, so I got nervous.

Can’t I really live as just either a beta or an omega?

It would be really disastrous if I had to live without belonging to either side. Now that everyone in the County knew that I was an omega, what would be my value if I became an omega only on the outside but was, in fact, no different from a beta?

What am I supposed to do?

Still curled up in the blanket, I held on to the empty glass bottle. As I held my fingertips until they turned pure white, a sigh of annoyance poured out over my head.

”…Maybe.”

What followed was as expected. With a look of helplessness, I slowly raised my gaze.

I felt like a criminal awaiting sentencing, so my eyes were shaking uncontrollably.

And the deep blue eyes I met were mixed with annoyance, similar to his voice.

I stared blankly at the eyes tinted with annoyance, dissatisfaction, and disapproval one after another, I dropped my gaze.

Want to read more? Up to [24] advanced chapters are available on Patreon: