We’re in a Contract Marriage, But I’ve Imprinted - Chapter 182

Having experienced the struggles of imprinting himself, Pedro couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Melissa. Now that she had found her freedom and independence, he wanted to support her.

He also wished for Adella to live happily and freely, unlike other Omegas.

So, before Pedro could add anything further about Ian’s imprint, Lucia stepped forward.

“This is not something we can overlook.”

“…I just wanted to let her know about her father’s pheromones.”

“Do you have any proof that our Adella is your child?”

Ian shifted his gaze away from the suddenly sharp Lucia and looked at Melissa with pleading eyes.

“Mel would never carry the seed of another Alpha.”

“That’s not true!”

At that moment, Melissa, who had been silent, suddenly shouted. Other wizards could only stare in surprise, as she was typically so reserved and spoke very little.

Lucia, though understanding, looked at her with a hint of astonishment. Melissa glared at Ian, channeling her magic through her fingertips. Ian evading her attacks from earlier had only fueled her strange competitive spirit.

“Mel, why are you acting like this? I can understand if you hate me, but you can’t deceive our child. Didn’t Dia have a sibling?”

At his words, Melissa’s anger reached its peak.

“I’ve told you countless times that she’s not your child! How long do you intend to ignore what I say? Even if Adella were your child, what good does it do to bring this up now?”

“Mel…”

“I advised you to let the past stay buried, didn’t I?”

“…I love you.”

In response to her icy demeanor, Ian blurted out his confession. He felt that no additional words were necessary.

He had been complacent, offering only half-hearted apologies based on her imprint on him. While he had denied it throughout, he now had to acknowledge the reality echoing in his mind.

Perhaps she had already moved on from him.

No, it was clear she no longer had feelings for him.

Just accepting that reality felt like a knife to his heart, bringing him pain that almost clouded his vision. With no response from her, Ian desperately confessed again, as if clinging to the hope of rekindling their connection.

“I love you. From the very beginning, I loved you…”

Unaware of the others watching, Ian cried as he confessed. The extremely dominant Alpha, who had never known fear, was now weeping and pleading out of the fear of being rejected by his Omega.

But Melissa did not change her cold expression. His confession did not resonate with her. She was filled with thoughts of how late it was, and Ian’s words felt like an unnecessary burden.

Quietly, she began to draw a magic circle beneath his feet. As a purple light emanated from the floor, Ian looked up in shock.

“Ian.”

“Mel, please…”

“I no longer need your love.”

Having tasted freedom and achievement, there was no way to return to the past. Even if it wasn’t entirely true, she could no longer love anyone. She had burned away all her lingering feelings along with the carriage.

Before her words could fully fade, the magic circle finally activated properly. Ian’s figure, which had been causing chaos in the Tower, vanished in an instant.

20_Lower than the Floor

Ian fell with a tremendous crash onto the roof of the Duchy’s mansion. The Duchy’s knights, startled by the noise, rushed over and panicked when they realized the fallen figure was their master.

The doctor, noticing the commotion, hurried over and ordered them to take Ian to his room personally. Currently, both the head butler and the head maid were absent, leaving the mansion lacking in leadership.

Fortunately, there were no major injuries, but Ian had a deep gash on his ankle. While it might not seem serious to an ordinary person, for a knight wielding a sword, an ankle injury was no trivial matter.

The doctor quickly applied medicine to the wound and wrapped it tightly with a bandage. To prepare for any sudden movements when Ian woke, he slightly raised his foot and tied it to the bedpost for support.

“Haa…”

The doctor let out a sigh as he collapsed into a chair. The recent series of events had evidently taken a toll on his heart.

How long would the head maid remain trapped in the underground prison? Why had the head butler suddenly quit? The commander of the Duchy’s knights also spent more time out than in the mansion.

With no middle management present, the situation had become chaotic.

What would happen if even the master of the mansion couldn’t regain his composure during such turmoil…

“Excuse me.”

The senior butler, who was learning the ropes directly under the head butler, entered and the doctor stood up from his chair.

“I’ve completed the urgent treatments.”

“Sorry, I was in the storage room and heard the news too late.”

“That’s understandable. But for now, it’s best to focus on the master’s well-being.”

“Yes, understood.”

Knowing the difficulties of suddenly taking on the head butler’s responsibilities, the doctor offered some encouragement before returning to his room to prepare the medicine the Duke would need.

* * *

Meanwhile, chaos reigned in the palace. Following the sudden attack by an assailant, the Emperor’s garments were ruthlessly torn. Some even suggested that it amounted to a declaration of war against the Aerys Empire.

However, Adrian, the one who suffered this humiliation, was preoccupied with different concerns. Lucia’s sudden appearance, along with the disappearance of Pedro and Ian, weighed heavily on his mind.

Despite the barriers surrounding the palace, both Lucia and Pedro had used magic with such ease.

“Ha… I wonder whether the barriers are functioning properly.”