We’re in a Contract Marriage, But I’ve Imprinted - Chapter 186

I couldn’t take my eyes off the magic circles forming in the air every time Olivia touched Adella.

The intricate, colorful patterns quickly emerged and disappeared, showcasing a dazzling display. I had heard that she was a healing magic user, but seeing such magic, which was rarely displayed in the tower, was fascinating.

“Hmm, hmm…”

“Why? Is there a problem?”

It seemed Lucia was as worried as I was, as she immediately asked. Olivia, appearing to contemplate something, nodded her head before responding after a brief pause.

“It doesn’t seem like there’s an immediate cause for concern… I mean, there’s nothing wrong with her physically.”

“Ah…”

I let out a sigh of relief, but Olivia continued.

“However, I can’t say there are no issues at all.”

“What do you mean by that?”

My heart sank. Was it the effect of not having received her biological parents’ pheromones since she was in the womb?

“Shall we move to a more private space? It might take a while to explain while standing.”

“Sure, let’s go inside.”

Not just me, but the expressions on Lucia and Pedro’s faces were also far from pleasant. It was somewhat reassuring that they were present, being Adella’s godmother and godfather.

Inside, there was a table in the corner of the workspace. Olivia seated us there and brought over some herbal tea.

“I harvested and dried this myself. It should be decent enough to drink.”

“If that’s the case, it should have its benefits.”

Pedro couldn’t hide his joy as he quickly sipped the herbal tea. It seemed he had a great deal of trust in Olivia’s abilities.

“Let’s wrap up the discussion we were having earlier. What’s wrong with Adella?”

As Lucia pressed, Olivia sat down and began explaining right away.

“She’s still very young, so she won’t be too confused. She might think of her mother as both you and her biological mother.”

Her words didn’t make immediate sense to me.

“The problem arises as this little lady grows. Think about it. Omegas and alphas are more instinctual than betas. Part of that instinct includes a sense of belonging. The hardest and most painful part for us omegas isn’t the humiliation and disdain from others. It’s the lack of territory.”

I could begin to understand Olivia’s intent with her follow-up.

“Lucia, the girl you asked about before is indeed this child, right? A fetus that can’t receive the pheromones of its biological parents. You asked if it would be alright to pour in the pheromones of other omegas and alphas.”

“Right, I did.”

“That in itself isn’t a problem. It’s quite a unique situation, but it can provide a sense of stability. However, as she grows, the child will want to feel that her territory is secure. But imagine if the omegas and alphas who made her feel secure weren’t her biological parents.”

“…”

Me, Lucia, or Pedro could not respond to Olivia’s words. The issue, which I had thought would be manageable, was growing more complicated.

“Pouring in the pheromones from others was, quite literally, just a stopgap measure. For that moment, the fetus’s health took precedence. But in the future, it’s best to form a bond with her biological parents whenever possible. Unless you’re planning to raise this little lady as your own in the future.”

She pointed at Lucia and Pedro before fixing her gaze on me.

“I think it’s best to examine your condition rather than this little one’s. It doesn’t make sense for someone with such high mana to not be emitting any pheromones at all. Why have you let this situation go untreated?”

Olivia had picked up on my condition without me explaining a thing. Lucia, looking worriedly at Pedro as he held Adella, said,

“Do you want to step outside for a moment?”

“Yes, of course.”

He carefully got up, trying not to wake the now-sleeping Adella, and left the shop. I felt an inexplicable anxiety and restlessness just from them leaving for a moment.

The treatment of my strange condition meant restoring my pheromone well, and if, by some slim chance, I managed to fix it, I couldn’t dare to predict what would happen next.

I had only just confirmed today that the imprint had broken, but what if the pheromones started circulating again and the imprint revived? What would I do then?

As I tightened my shoulders, Lucia said to Olivia,

“She had a serious accident that damaged her pheromone gland. At the time, the healing wizard from the Magic Tower tried hard to fix it, but it was impossible.”

“Oh dear…”

As I listened quietly, I clenched my fist before looking directly at Olivia and speaking up.

“To give you more context, my pheromone gland was damaged once when I was young. It actually brought that incident back to mind. My mother intentionally damaged my pheromone gland. I think I lost that memory along with the shock of the incident.”

“…”

Both of them listened in silence to my story. It made me feel grateful and at ease, allowing me to share my past, which I had never revealed to anyone before.

“So I lived my life believing I was an extremely recessive omega. I never even thought that my pheromone gland could have been damaged, resulting in reduced pheromone output. I wore the choker my mother made for me every day. It was a magical choker designed to prevent pheromones from leaking out, but now I have my doubts. Did that choker truly just block my pheromones? Or was there another purpose behind it?”

Yes, those suspicions had only recently arisen. My mother, who despised the fact that she was an omega, must have had her own thoughts about me being an omega. Especially during my time at County Rosewood, she acted as though the world would crumble if anyone found out about my omega status.

“She’s no longer here, so I have no way of knowing what her intentions were. My parents died in a sudden lightning accident while traveling in a carriage, but that, too, raises questions. The chances of lightning striking on a clear day are exceedingly low. Others might not have known, but my mother was a lightning wizard.”