We’re in a Contract Marriage, But I’ve Imprinted - Chapter 195

She spoke calmly at first, but her voice dropped low at the end, as if recalling the pain of that day.

Before leaving, Melissa gave a brief kiss on the child’s forehead and placed the gift she had brought beside him.

The moment she straightened from her body, a magic circle was drawn, and her figure disappeared. Only then did Ian collapse, unable to show his shock in front of her.

A beast-like sob escaped him. He stifled his tears, swallowing the agony, as he fought to contain himself.

He felt he had no right to hurt.

* * *

Despite knowing that he had to carry out the Emperor’s orders and that the mansion was still in disarray, Ian couldn’t get out of bed. For the first time in his life, he felt a crushing sense of helplessness.

His thoughts kept returning to Melissa, who had visited a few days ago.

Her expression, emotionless and resigned, as she calmly spoke of her pain, wouldn’t leave him. It should’ve been about her own pain, but how could she talk about it so detachedly? Clearly, she had accepted everything, and that’s why she could speak like that.

Even the right to suffer felt like a luxury for him. Ultimately, all he had experienced was the side effects of the imprinting. That was all. And when she said she no longer loved him, he could only wonder why.

Why had she rejected him? Didn’t she love him enough to imprint on him? Surely, something must have been misunderstood. Or perhaps it was the wounds she had suffered that had made her afraid.

He thought to himself that it would be fine from now on. If he surrounded her with love so overwhelming she could barely breathe, surely she would look at him again with longing, just as she had before. His thoughts were simple and naïve.

But he hadn’t expected her to be so badly hurt in the carriage accident. If she hadn’t awakened as a wizard, she might not have survived.

“Huhk!”

Just thinking about her death nearly made him suffocate. If Melissa hadn’t miraculously survived, neither would he have.

He struggled to breathe, his body wracked with pain. He was ashamed, sorrowful, and desperate to hide. The words about her pheromone gland being damaged hit him like a physical blow, and the memory of the tea she used to enjoy made him feel nauseous.

The pain and suffering she had endured flooded his heart, and he was left gasping for breath, too weak to even eat. His animalistic cries echoed through the mansion, leaving the servants uneasy.

What if he started imprisoning everyone again? Should they run? As Ian’s condition worsened, the staff could only watch in silence, but one person continued to stroll down the hallway, cheerful.

No, to be exact, two people.

“Young Master, would you like to go outside and see the flowers in the garden today?”

“Ung!”

“Let’s go see the flowers with the same color as Young Master’s eyes, okay?”

“Ung, ung! Nanny best!”

“Good, good! Just don’t forget.”

Diers, holding the nanny’s hand, toddled down the stairs. The servants, who had been nervously watching over Ian’s state, were so distracted they didn’t immediately react to the sight of Diers and the nanny.

“What are you all doing?”

The sharp voice sliced through the corridor on the first floor. Only then did the flustered maids scramble over and greet the nanny.

“Good afternoon, nanny.”

“Are you going for a walk?”

The fact that nanny was the first one they greeted instead of Diers didn’t seem odd to the nanny or the maids around her. Usually, she would think that if she had to remind them of manners every time, it would prove the worth of her teachings.

With a raised chin, she commanded one of the nearby maids.

“I’m going to enjoy a light picnic, so prepare fruit, strong black tea, cake, and some fruit and meringue cookies for the young master.”

“Yes! Understood.”

She was pleased to see the servants moving with such precision. Smiling with satisfaction, she took Diers’ hand and led the way out through the front door.

It was midsummer, and the sun was scorching, so she instructed a maid to bring an umbrella for her. She even had the maid carry it along behind her.

As a result, it wasn’t Diers but the nanny who shielded herself from the sunlight with the umbrella. But Diers, chasing after butterflies and seeking joy, ran around, sweating profusely without a care.

While she let the child be, the nanny became completely absorbed in the luxurious and sweet desserts the maids had brought.

“Hmm, this could use a little more zest. Tell the kitchen to make this lemon cream cake even more tangy.”

“Yes.”

“Who made this tea?”

“I, I did!”

“Really? From now on, you’ll be the one to make my tea.”

“Th, thank you!”

“You’re quite skilled with your hands, huh? Mmm, the meringue cookie melts so smoothly.”

With six or so maids around her, the nanny was too busy eating to pay attention to anything else. As a result, no one noticed that Diers had wandered off to chase the butterflies, heading somewhere else.

* * *

As soon as Diers entered the garden full of purple flowers, he became ecstatic. Everywhere he looked, there was purple. The entire flower bed, dyed in shades of purple, felt like heaven to Diers.

“Hnngg, not thiss.”

The child, being clever, knew not all purple flowers were the same. Some purple flowers had a bluish tint, making them look blue from a distance, while others, with too much red in them, looked like deep pink.

Among all the flowers, the one that most resembled Melissa’s purple eyes was a perfectly purple rose.