We’re in a Contract Marriage, But I’ve Imprinted - Chapter 213

He, like Lucia, harbored a deep mistrust of the imperial palace. Perhaps that’s why they hit it off so well from the start—both had a common enemy.

Pedro’s suggestion to meet with the Emperor was a bit perplexing. Lucia couldn’t help but wonder what his intentions were. As she stared silently at him, he spoke, his usual playful expression changed into a more serious one.

“Isn’t it time for the Tower Master to truly free herself from the past? Only then can others trust and follow you. That’s the only way forward.”

* * *

After talking with Ian for a long while, Melissa arrived at the Duchy with Adella.

Honestly, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t nervous. Her face was tense as she arrived, and Ian, who was waiting with Diers, approached with the same nervous expression. Adella, seeing unfamiliar faces, clung tightly to Melissa’s neck.

“This is…”

“Her name is Adella.”

“Aahh…”

Though they had met before, it was the first time they truly locked eyes. Ian couldn’t take his eyes off Adella’s golden eyes, slowly taking in every detail of the child. Her soft green hair, which resembled Melissa’s, was something he had always longed for, and he couldn’t stop looking at it.

“Who is it?”

Diers asked curiously as he watched Adella. She, too, glanced back at him.

“Wow, you’re pretty!”

“Diers, this is Adella.”

“Adella!”

“Yes, she’s Dia’s little sister.”

“Wow! Really? She’s my little sister?”

Diers, eager to get closer to Adella, clung to Melissa’s leg. Ian lifted him up, bringing him to the same height as Adella.

“Hi! I’m Dia!”

Adella, slowly relaxing in response to Diers’s enthusiastic greeting, couldn’t help but be curious. She shyly glanced at him before turning her head to stare at him directly.

“Abu!”

“Abubu!”

“Kyaa!”

“Hihi.”

Melissa, who had been worrying about how the two children would get along, was relieved to see they didn’t seem to have any trouble. Ian, who had been watching them, gently suggested.

“Let’s go to Diers’s room.”

“Yes, let’s go.”

Tears have a strange way of clearing the heart. After crying so much that day, Melissa felt unexpectedly light. While she couldn’t treat him the same as before, she could still have an ordinary conversation with him.

“She looks so much like you.”

“Her eyes are just like yours.”

“No, it’s her lovely eyes and her cute little lips. It makes me think she must have looked just like you when you were young.”

The two of them entered Diers’s room, setting the children down. Adella, momentarily hesitant in the unfamiliar room, clung to Melissa’s skirt. But soon, her attention was caught by the toys and books Diers had brought, and she slowly moved away from Melissa.

“Adella, this is a carriage. And there’s a horse here, too.”

“Abu!”

“That’s right. And there’s a coachman here, too, right?”

Any worries about the children being awkward with each other were quickly dispelled as they grew more comfortable. Watching the two of them playing on the sofa made Melissa’s heart swell with emotion.

Melissa thought she had cried out all the tears she had left, but she was still surprised to find there were more to shed.

“Mel…”

Though she couldn’t feel his pheromones anymore, Ian understood her heart just by her expression. He took her hand, and his feelings mirrored hers. However, he felt even more sorry for her, who had endured the hardship of giving birth alone, compared to Adella.

“I’m sorry, Mel.”

“…Is there still something left for you to apologize for?”

“You must have suffered a lot, giving birth to Adella alone.”

“…”

The birth had been difficult. Hearing his words, she vividly recalled the process from when she first became pregnant with Adella to the delivery.

“I brought Adella here because I wanted to introduce her to you and Diers, but more importantly, there’s something I need to ask of you.”

“Anything, just tell me.”

She glanced at Adella for a moment before looking at Ian. His gaze was warm, without a trace of coldness, and he was looking at her with such sincerity.

“I want you to give Adella your pheromones.”

“…Mel.”

“Right now, Adella is receiving pheromones from Lucia and Pedro. I can’t give her any pheromones, and since she needs them, I had no choice but to accept this…”

Melissa bit her lip as she spoke. She felt terrible for Adella. The idea that she had been relieved when her pheromone gland was ruined and her sense of smell lost now felt pathetic.

Ian reached out his finger to gently lift her lower lip from between her teeth. After a brief cough, he turned his gaze away with a flushed face.

“Your lips will hurt. Please don’t bite them like that.”

“…I want to give Adella the pheromones of her real parents.”

“Yes, I want to give my daughter more than you could ever wish for.”

The moment Ian saw Adella in Melissa’s arms, he wanted to rush over and hug both of them. Adella looked so angelic that he couldn’t help but want to hold them close, but he stopped himself.

His current appearance was not something to show her. His skin was red and twisted, and he limped on one leg. He feared Adella might get scared, so he couldn’t bring himself to approach them.

As he released his pheromones with love for them, hoping to send it to the children, they both turned their gaze to him, laughing happily. Diers was familiar with the pheromones, but Adella responded to the change in the scent.

Melissa watched the two of them with mixed emotions as Ian looked at the children with a gentle expression. This was the moment when she realized once again that she couldn’t smell the pheromones.

She revisited the thoughts she had been putting off. She knew that fixing her pheromone gland would bring more stability to Adella, but her uncertainty arose because she couldn’t fully trust the love Ian was offering to her.