We're in a Contract Marriage, But I've Imprinted - Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Translator: Effe
Editor: Yonnee
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Finally seeing Ian after a long time, Monica shed tears of resentment. In fact, she did not reflect on her mistakes. Melissa was an illegitimate child who deserved such lowly treatment in the first place.
That woman was a beta as far as she knew, but was actually an omega. Nevertheless, the truth to Monica would not change. In fact, there was nothing wrong in blaming Melissa even more.
But Monica, who didn’t want to be hated by Ian anymore, rushed at him, squeezing out tears from her eyes. Held in his firm arms, she let out a sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry. I just… really did it for Aunt. I was really shocked by what Aunt said that day.”
“…….”
Ian stared down at Monica who had an artificial scent.
It’s not uncommon for a Beta woman to spray perfume, but strangely, he couldn’t stand the smell of Monica’s perfume this time. As he pushed Monica out of his arms, he answered.
“But it was done without my consent. Whether Melissa liked it or not, it is of no concern to me. This is not the Rosewood County, Monica.”
“…S-Sorry.”
Monica looked up at Ian, who pushed her away, with a bewildered look. Of course, she knew full well that he wasn’t a nice man, but he was still overcome with anxiety at the subtle change in his demeanor.
“I’m really sorry… hiic.”
So Monica cried out loud like she did when she was a child. When she burst into tears like this when she was young, Ian would watch over her for a while and then pat her on the back as if it couldn’t be helped.
Monica cried louder, begging he would.
“Hah…”
Ian let out a sigh, but Monica, who properly recognized the nuances in it, raised her voice in relief.
“Huaahh—”
“…Huu, stop crying, Monica.”
Ian said as he patted her hunched shoulders. Then, like she had been waiting for it, she fell into the man’s arms again. Monica murmured, wiping her tears down his jacket.
“I’m sorry, hiic.”
“…Never do that again”
“Yes, yes. I will never do that.”
Ian hated women’s tears. His mother was the kind of person who’d weaponize her tears at any given time.
A prejudice developed in his mind after witnessing the scene where his mother, who had been laughing in front of him, changed her expression completely and squeezed out tears once his father appeared.
That’s why he wasn’t appeasing Monica just because he wanted to. It was only because he didn’t want to see it.
But when Melissa, who burst into tears beneath him, it wasn’t as disgusting. In some cases, he deliberately bullied her more violently to make her weep.
Ian shuddered at himself, feeling his own duplicitous nature.
“Are you two still standing? Hey, your best friend came to see me after a long time, won’t you give me a cup of tea?”
With Alex’s urging, Ian ordered the chief butler standing outside the parlor to bring tea. As the three of them were sitting drinking tea, Nicola, who was standing near the drawing room, tiptoed away.
Watching the situation the whole time, she felt the chief butler’s gaze and smiled. She waved her hand slightly at him, ignoring his reddened face, and hurried away.
* * *
Ian hasn’t come to see me lately. Back then, even if it was only for a short time, he would come to drink tea with me every day. But now that he wasn’t coming, I kept thinking about everything.
Was he disappointed in me after failing to uphold my duty four times?
If so, what was going to happen in the future? If I get kicked out of the Duchy, how would I live?
The unprepared future became so frightening. The moment I opened the door thinking that I should take a walk because my stomach was throbbing with light anxiety, I saw Nicola running towards me.
“Lady Nicola?”
“Haa, haa. Honey. Big deal, big deal!”
“What? Is something wrong?”
Nicola took my bewildered hand and came inside.
“Ah, I’m going to die. Give me some water”
“Ah, yes.”
I hurriedly poured water into a glass and handed it to Nicola, who gulped it all down without breathing before sitting down on the sofa. I asked, after carefully sitting across from her.
“What’s the matter that you come running like that? You have to be careful.”
“Huu, you’re the only one who cares about me.”
“Of course.”
“Oh no, that’s not what matters. Do you know who I just saw?”
“…What?”
Even though it was just those words, my heart was beating strangely. Maybe it was because I was anticipating what would happen next.
“That vixen Monica came with her brother. Ugh, I really don’t like her.”
“Ah…”
When the expected name came out of Nicola’s mouth, I couldn’t say anything. Nicola, who didn’t see my hardened expression, kept talking.
“That truly vixen-like thing clung to my son and cried in his arms. Ian may not have noticed it, but I saw it all. She smiled while crying. Ugh, it gives me goosebumps. Really.”
Nicola said and ran a hand over her arm.
“I see.”
Knowing Monica’s dual personality, I calmly replied. I already knew the relationship between the two, so there was no reason to be shocked. Still, why does my heart hurt so much?
Was it because there are traces of me being greedy even though I know that he was a man I shouldn’t dare look at?
Because neither him nor I were in the correct place?
I just opened my mouth for no reason, but then closed it. My heart ached, but oddly enough, my heart couldn’t give up. So instead of asking what the two of them were doing, I asked another question.
“…Lady Nicola, can you tell me how to put on makeup?”
“What?”
I brushed my bare face shyly.
“Because I don’t know anything about it.”
She smiled brightly at my question.
“Right, we must do anything to protect our alpha. Yes, that’s how you become an omega.”
Satisfied, Nicola took my hand with a smile.
“Let’s go to my annex. There’s not much to do here, so I can’t do anything.”
At that moment, Nicola’s words felt like salvation to me.
I was grateful that I had at least one person I could rely on.
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