We’re in a Contract Marriage, But I’ve Imprinted - Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Translator: Effe

Editor: Yonnee

—

Ian’s mother simply responded to my question with a soft smile. It was like a huge bomb had suddenly fallen on my quiet life.

However, it was a very welcome bomb for me.

Rather than being happy because she was Ian’s mother, the fact that she was an omega was more of a good news for me. It was the first time I was meeting another omega. Even my heart started pounding.

I couldn’t hide my happy expression.

“What brings you here?”

“You’re the one who will give birth to my son’s successor, so of course I have to come see you. But Ian is not the kind of person who would tell me such a thing. So I was a little late.”

“I see.”

“Now, why don’t you eat?”

“…Thank you.”

I ate the steaming soup first. I couldn’t eat properly since yesterday, so my hands were shaking without me knowing. Seeing this, Ian’s mother clicked her tongue.

“I knew this would happen.”

“Pardon?”

As I wondered what she was going to say, the same gold eyes like Ian’s looked at me.

She muttered in a low voice as she crossed her arms. She had a very unpleasant tone, which seemed to contradict the softer appearance she had just a moment ago.

“This is obviously the chief handmaid’s work. She used to do that. They often sent me stone-like bread, too.”

I could understand what she said next. It was just as expected.

“She wasn’t even the chief handmaid at the time, but she was so condescending. If I died giving birth to a child, I would have definitely taken her with me.”

“…Yes.”

I got intimidated by the fact that her words were becoming more and more rough. It was a stark difference to the first impression I had of her.

Still, I wanted to get close because she was Ian’s mother and a fellow omega, and I desperately thought of my mother.

So I wanted to look good to her, but the more I listened to her story, the more strange I felt.

She began pouring out her words incessantly, like I was just an invisible person eating.

“Well, do you want to hear? Do you know what the chief handmaid said to me? She said omegas are vulgar and that we can’t even sleep soundly without a man around. When I say anything in retaliation, she’d just say that I’m trying hard to impress men, or that I might be setting my eyes on betas, not just alphas. Why would I even look at betas? I’m definitely an omega with my own alpha? Isn’t it obvious? I don’t know about the other omegas, but I am the omega he loves. I am also Ian’s mother and he was so obedient to me. When he was young, he was little and so lovely. I really wondered if he was an alpha?”

I couldn’t lift a spoon as she rambled on and on.

I felt like I was going to choke while eating.

The conversation that started with negative emotions did not end even when the sun went down. At first, I thought the reason she came to see me was because of the successor, but it wasn’t.

She just needed someone to listen to her own story.

Of course, I was willing to listen to her. We were like being in the same house, so I wanted to get along well.

Being alone in the annex was so lonely.

So even though I could understand her long chatter, I was too afraid of the negative emotions.

Negative emotions had power—enough to gnaw away at people’s minds.

This was often the case with Mother’s behavior. She, who was normally kind, but did not shy away from anything to do with Father.

Her expression was sad and full of disgust, but her behavior was different.

Her attitude, like Mother’s, was subtly erratic. Her expression looked happy, but her actions and the contents of her story were all full of negativity.

“It’s useless to have an alpha as the heir. Alphas are people who think of only themselves. So don’t give your heart before you see them at their worst. Or, are you going to live like me? I think I’d have died in the guest house if I just followed the traces of my Alpha who hasn’t given me his heart. Don’t you think so? If you can’t be treated properly as a human being, and you can’t even receive Alpha’s love, is that more terrible than just getting kicked out? If you don’t want to be like that, save money from now on. As long as you don’t imprint, you can live well enough.”

My lips trembled whenever she mentioned the word ‘imprint’, even though she said it as if it was not her business.

The more she spoke, the more bizarre her expression became.

I thought she felt sad but she was angry, and happy at the same time.

Afterwards, she broke out in a cold sweat so much that I was worried.

Normally it would be time to go to bed, but she still sat in front of me and continued her story.

The soup and bread that had already cooled down, as well as the salad and various fruits were left unattended.

I couldn’t get up and had to listen to her while sweating. It was the first time I had ever encountered something like this, so I didn’t know how to react.

Except for my own mother, she was the first person of the same sex and omega to visit me, so I couldn’t say anything back and could only listen to her words full of negative emotions in silence.

I didn’t have the courage to ruthlessly cut off the kindness of someone who had approached me. She asked me, who was listening to her story in a stiff state.

“You’re listening to me, are you?”

It had been several hours since she had been here and it was completely dark outside. I nodded my head with an effortless smile as I endured my drowsiness. Then she said with a satisfied face.

“Call me Lady Nicola.”

“…Yes. My name is Melissa.”

“Yes. Melissa. But why is the annex so shabby? Doesn’t Ian take care of things here?”

“No. He doesn’t.”

“I guess so. Because when it comes to the relationship, alphas and omegas can’t budge. But the place that should have been overflowing with presents is strangely empty.”

With her questioning words, I asked what I had been curious about.

It was something no one had ever asked.

“Lady Nicola.”

“What?”

“The reason why alphas are temporarily kind to omegas is for the sake of the child, right?”

Lady Nicola, who laughed at my question, giggled for a while before giving an answer belatedly.

“Everything an alpha does to an omega is to create the successor. It’s just instinct. Not love.”

“…I see.”

I felt relieved when what I read in the book was confirmed by an Omega. The book Alpha wrote was excellent for gathering information, but I couldn’t easily trust them.

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