We’re in a Contract Marriage, But I’ve Imprinted - Chapter 197

I was shocked and incredulous at the thought that they could lose the heir to the Duke’s family like this. They had clearly hired a nanny and several other attendants. Even if it wasn’t the nanny, shouldn’t there have been someone watching over the child?

“Buwuffy… Ah Mom! I found flower like Mom eyes!”

Diers shyly offered me a flower petal, but it had been so crushed that its shape was distorted. Still, I could recognize it as a rose petal. I noticed his pale, purple-tinted palm, which reminded me of his eyes.

“…Thank you. But to me, it looks even more like your eyes, Dia.”

“Weally?”

“Of course.”

“Hehe, of course. Dia like Mom.”

Each of his words warmed my heart deeply.

“Right, Diers. You’ve been with me since you were in my belly, so it’s natural.”

“Wight?”

“Mmhm.”

As I spoke, I brushed the leaves and dirt from Diers’ hair, then looked around. The mansion, connected by the back mountain, was nowhere in sight, hidden behind the dense trees.

It seemed like he had climbed up to the middle of the mountain.

I wondered how this little body had made it up here, but more than that, I was angry. There were so many attendants in the mansion, but how could they let a child get this far alone?

And what was Ian, the one supposed to manage them all, doing?

I decided I would speak to Ian properly when we got back to the mansion. Holding Diers tighter, I decided to quickly teleport, thinking it would be best to get him back quickly, considering how late it was and how tired he must be.

If I took him straight to his room, it might be misunderstood, so I decided it would be better to bring attention to the situation and prevent it from happening again. I marked a vague location near the annex as the destination and cast the teleportation spell.

When we arrived, I looked around. Fortunately, I recognized the familiar path, and as I started walking, I saw a silhouette rushing toward us at an incredible speed.

The brief flash of light from the magic made it hard for my eyes to adjust, but as the darkness settled, I recognized the figure.

Ian, looking disheveled and in a hurry, came rushing toward us and grabbed both Diers and me, pulling us into his arms.

“Huuuh, Dia, uhh, Mel…”

As soon as he saw us, he broke into a sob. His desperate attempt to pull us into his embrace made him seem like an animal who had just lost its young.

Wherever he touched me, it felt like fire, and even more intense, his tears fell on my face, neck, and arms like hot droplets.

The emotions I felt at that moment were indescribable. It was as if I caught his anguish, and my throat tightened, and my eyes began to burn with tears.

“Huuh, huk…”

I stayed still in his arms as he was barely stopping his tears. I tried to gently push away from him, but he pulled me even tighter, refusing to let go.

I felt uneasy as he acted like someone hanging off the edge of a cliff. Was this really the same man? Had he always been someone who so openly exposed his emotions without caring about his pride?

As I got closer, I began to notice things that hadn’t caught my attention before. His shirt and pants were a mess, with the collar and sleeves all dirty and disheveled. I had never seen him like this when we lived together.

I remained in his arms, quietly searching for differences between this man and the one I had known. I could empathize with the shock of losing a child, so I waited for his tears to subside.

“…I’m sorry.”

Had he cried all his tears? Ian pulled away with an apology. He fumbled for words with his face still wet with tears.

“I’m sorry. I lost focus for a moment… I never thought Dia would disappear. It’s all my fault. I’m sorry, Mel.”

He apologized over and over again in that short time. I stared at him, then glanced at Diers. The child, startled by his father’s tears, was watching with wide eyes.

Seeing the tears welling up in his eyes, I felt the fear and guilt I had briefly forgotten.

“First, please calm Dia down and hold him.”

“…Dia!”

“Dad, waah!”

Diers burst into tears as he was in Ian’s arms. It seemed like now it was his turn to cry, his loud sobs echoing. I stayed back, maintaining a distance, because like Ian earlier, I couldn’t intrude between them.

I waited for a while, but neither of them seemed close to stopping their tears. Ian was one thing, but if Diers kept crying like that, he would surely get sick from the heat.

I carefully approached and gently tugged at Ian’s sleeve, pulling him a little closer. Even the smallest touch made him flinch, but I couldn’t leave them like this, so I ignored his reaction and pulled him toward me.

Watching him and Diers follow me without saying, the strange feeling returned. When we entered the garden, a few attendants holding lanterns were startled and rushed toward us.

“Duke, young master!”

Among the unfamiliar but familiar faces, the head butler who was sweating profusely, came closer. He froze in shock when he saw me and took a few steps back, as if he had seen a ghost. Why was he so shocked? I was puzzled, but before I could ask, Diers’ nanny hurried over.

“Young Master! Where on earth did you go without telling me?”

Her harsh words hit me like a slap, and for a moment, I couldn’t contain my anger. Was she out of her mind? Who did she think she was to speak like that?

Wham!

In a burst of fury, I grabbed her by the hair and roughly threw her to the floor. She seemed clueless as to why she had been knocked down, so I used magic to slap her face hard.

Smack!

“Mel…”

Ian, still holding Diers, looked at me with a shocked expression and called my name, but I didn’t pay attention.

What mattered right now was fixing this woman’s negligence and her awful behavior.