We’re in a Contract Marriage, But I’ve Imprinted - Chapter 201

Monica wondered why the head maid had boarded the carriage with them.

“Ian, why is the head maid here?”

As soon as she spoke, the carriage began to move. The large, heavy carriage provided an extremely comfortable ride.

“Ah… I told you to keep it light, but I was worried about you.”

“Hmm?”

“I thought it might be better to have at least one maid with us, so I brought her along. Why?”

“Well, if that’s the case, I could have brought Jesse. It would have been more convenient.”

“Should I turn the carriage around then?”

Monica, looking worn-out, couldn’t bring herself to dismiss the head maid, who was looking at her with earnest eyes. Wanting to start the trip on a positive note and not wanting Alex to interfere, she decided to continue the journey as it was.

“No, no, it’s fine. The head maid will do just fine, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

“If that’s your decision.”

With that, Ian reclined comfortably in his seat, his face adorned with a relaxed smile. Monica couldn’t take her eyes off him, but she didn’t even realize where the carriage was heading.

After what felt like a long journey, Monica finally asked him about their destination.

“So, where are we going?”

“You know it well.”

“Really?”

As Ian spoke, Monica thought back to the places she had visited before. There was a famous hot spring resort a day’s travel from the capital, a place she had visited often as a child.

She was almost sure that was where they were heading, but just as she was making the connection, the carriage jolted to a halt.

“Kyah!”

She wasn’t particularly startled, but she deliberately leaned into Ian. As she entered his broad, familiar arms, her heart raced wildly.

Yes, this was the man she wanted. The one she had longed for his whole life. It felt absurd to think about the time wasted with the wrong men. Monica cursed Alex inside, blaming him for encouraging her to meet others while she gazed up at Ian with a delicate expression, feeling his firm grip on her shoulder.

Slowly, when their eyes met, Ian’s gaze was different than before. The warm golden eyes she remembered were gone, replaced by a chilling, dead look that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

“…Ian?”

At Monica’s call, Ian smiled broadly, his eyes and lips curling up, blooming like a flower. Then, in a voice that sent shivers down her spine, he spoke.

“We’ve finally arrived, Monica. Honestly, I’ve waited so long for this.”

Monica, seeing the disturbing joy on his face, felt a cold shiver run down her spine. His smile, once warm and gentle, now seemed strangely eerie.

“I, Ian. What do you mean?”

“This is the place I wanted to visit with you. Do you know where we are, Monica?”

“Where is this…”

Monica couldn’t hide her growing suspicion, but she still didn’t want to give up her last hope. She finally looked outside for the first time since boarding the carriage.

“Kyaak!”

The sight that greeted her was not what she expected. The carriage had stopped right beside a dizzyingly deep gorge. Trembling, Monica asked in a shaky voice.

“Where, where are we? Why are we here in such a dangerous spot?”

Ian squinted his eyes at her question and asked back.

“You really don’t know where we are?”

“How would I know such a place?!”

Monica’s frustration showed in her tone. She was clearly annoyed that she had ended up in such an unexpected location when she had thought they were going on a simple trip.

“…You really don’t know?”

After muttering with disbelief, Ian let out a dry chuckle.

“Ha… You drove an innocent person to death, and you don’t even recognize this place?”

“… What are you talking about?”

She unconsciously shuddered at the mention of death and instinctively whispered a name that flashed in her mind.

“Melissa…”

Just as she muttered it, Ian grabbed her arm tightly and whispered with a mad face.

“Yes, Melissa. The one you killed, who fell and burned here.”

Of course, Melissa hadn’t died, but having endured pain akin to death, she had come out of it as though she were already dead. Ian didn’t feel the need to tell Monica that Melissa was alive. What mattered was not that.

“Then why are we here?”

Ian answered Monica’s question with a bright smile.

“To make everything go back to how it was.”

“….What do you mean by that?!”

Monica’s heart raced, realizing just how serious the situation had become. She tried to break free from his grip, but she was firmly held by him. Frustrated, she shouted at the head maid, who was sitting there motionless.

“Help, help me!”

“…”

“Why are you just sitting there?!”

The head maid slowly turned her head with a blank face. She spoke to Monica with a strange calmness.

“Miss, your face looks so good.”

“Is this really the time for such nonsense?”

“How do you think my face looks?”

“Is that really what you’re going to ask right now?”

“If not now, then when? You should be more concerned about me! Do you know how much pain I went through in the underground prison? And who’s to blame for that?!”

“…”

Seeing the rage building in the head maid’s expression, Monica fell silent. In the tense, helpless atmosphere, a dull thud echoed from the carriage.

Thud. Thud.

Though Monica couldn’t identify the source of the sound, she sensed it wasn’t a good sign. She struggled to free herself from Ian’s grip, but he remained motionless, staring at her with a blank face.

“Ian… this isn’t right. How could you do this to me?”

“Then how could you do this to Melissa?”

His furious voice rang in her ears. His tears, falling quickly and uncontrollably, chilled her heart, as if dousing it in cold water.

Ah, Ian still carries the imprint of Melissa. His feelings for her haven’t changed, and they never will. The belated realization shocked Monica.