A Contract Marriage with My Child’s Father Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The heavy pressure of dragon blood bore down on me, and I instinctively sucked in a sharp breath.

They said ordinary people could barely meet his eyes.

The original novel hadn’t exaggerated at all.

To think I’d meet Kain like this…

While my mind froze from tension, my body executed the greeting I had rehearsed countless times.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Grace…!”

“You know me?”

His voice was deep—low and smooth like honey—but it pierced straight through me.

I lifted my head just enough to meet his gaze.

And—

He really was impossibly handsome.

Even without dragon blood, who could hold eye contact with a face like that?

Come to think of it, I felt like I had seen a handsome man recently too…

No. Not now.

“I—I think there are fewer people who don’t know you…!”

I blurted nonsense out of sheer nervousness, but fortunately, he didn’t take offense.

“Sit.”

“Y-yes!”

Kain nodded slightly and took the seat across from me. I sat as well, stiff as a board.

This still didn’t feel real.

I came here to meet him… but why is he personally conducting this interview?

This wasn’t good luck. It was strange. It was like a company chairman showing up to interview an entry-level applicant.

Trying not to stare, I glanced up at him.

Kain crossed one leg over the other and began scanning my documents.

The interview started.

“Your résumé is rather plain. No record of studying at an academy. Did you have a mentor?”

Ouch. Straight to the bone.

“I—I studied on my own!”

“On your own?”

His eyes narrowed slightly. Suspicion was obvious.

I understood. But there was nothing to hide—it was the truth.

“Yes… I didn’t have the opportunity to receive formal training.”

Pharmacology wasn’t easily accessible. Most people apprenticed under a master or attended an academy before taking the national certification exam.

I had skipped the apprenticeship stage entirely.

More accurately… the marquis household never gave me the chance to learn.

“Hm.”

Fortunately, he didn’t press further.

Instead, he asked several questions about healing techniques and herbal properties.

They weren’t difficult.

After a short while—

Tap.

He placed the documents back on the table.

“We’ll end the interview here.”

My eyes squeezed shut.

I failed.

There was no way a ducal estate interview would be this short unless I’d been dismissed.

Well. It couldn’t be helped.

The job wasn’t my real goal anyway.

Right. The interview’s over. Say what you came here to say.

I inhaled deeply.

“Start work tomorrow.”

“…Excuse me?”

“You passed.”

“Me…?”

Why?

Before I could process it, Kain pulled out a pen and wrote something on the document.

“This salary should suffice.”

The number made my eyes nearly pop out.

“Um… is this monthly?”

“Weekly. Would you prefer monthly pay?”

I almost choked.

I had heard House Ashellen treated their staff well—but this was absurd.

So this is why everyone wants to work for nobles…

With this much money, I could buy Melody new clothes every day. Build towers out of macarons—

Unfortunately, my imagination didn’t stretch far enough.

Still.

It was tempting.

Very tempting.

But—

“The salary is fine. More importantly…”

You can do this, Viola.

Think of Melody waiting for you like a little rabbit.

My heart pounded violently.

“Before I speak… I humbly request that the others be dismissed.”

Kain tilted his head slightly.

“If you’re trying to pique my interest, you’ve succeeded.”

With a small gesture, he dismissed the attendants.

Soon, we were alone.

He motioned for me to continue.

My mouth went dry.

Once I said this, there was no going back.

This involved ducal secrets. I might be risking my life.

But if I didn’t say it, I couldn’t secure protection.

I clenched my fists.

“I’d like to renegotiate the conditions.”

“…”

“I will cure Young Master Jaden’s Tamutar Disease. In return, please protect a young saint candidate.”

A cold, quiet laugh broke the silence.

The faint curiosity in his eyes turned to ice.

“Are you a spy?”

No?!

* * *

Kain Ashellen had two nephews.

Noah.

And Jaden.

Their parents had died in an accident, leaving the boys behind.

Until a few years ago, Kain had never imagined this life.

He had inherited dragon blood more strongly than most of House Ashellen’s direct line.

His mere presence frightened people.

So from a young age, he wandered the empire subjugating monsters rather than staying within the estate.

But then his elder brother—the heir—died.

Not long after, his father followed.

Overnight, the ducal title fell to him.

Along with two young nephews who had no one else.

None of it had been what he wanted.

But he fulfilled his duty without complaint.

He dealt with monster waves across the empire daily.

People feared him.

They respected him.

But his nephews were different.

To be honest, Kain was not comfortable around Noah or Jaden.

Children who cried and flinched at his presence were difficult for him to approach.

Still, he had tried.

Even if he was not suited to be their guardian, he did his best.

Even while constantly leaving to fight monsters.

The boys had grown.

They still feared him.

It doesn’t matter.

He was used to fear.

Perhaps that was why—

The woman before him unsettled him.

“Stay still.”

The way she had scolded him like a reckless child had been absurd.

Bringing her to the estate under the pretext of ointment…

Perhaps that had been an excuse from the start.

He had been curious.

A skilled apothecary is rare.

And her fluffy pink hair had lingered in his thoughts.

But he had never imagined she would dare to speak Jaden’s illness aloud.

“Spies these days are bold. To propose such a thing directly before me.”

“So. Where did you hear it?”

“W-what?”

“Who sent you?”

Her eyes widened.

She had been bold enough to negotiate earlier—yet now she trembled visibly under his aura.

Her pink lips had drained of color.

“I—I’m not a spy—”

“Not?”

“Y-yes…”

Even while suppressed by his presence, she forced the words out.

Kain smiled faintly.

A careless lie.

Jaden’s Tamutar Disease was strictly confidential.

No ordinary person could know.

The Temple? The Imperial Palace?

And yet—

“I’m really not!”

“That’s insufficient.”

He stepped closer.

“Why not claim you deduced it yourself?”

She lowered her head.

Was she about to cry?

But then—

“Yes! That’s right! That’s it!”

“…What?”

“I deduced it!”

She lifted her head.

Her body still trembled under the weight of his aura—

But her sprout-green eyes did not waver.

As if she were telling the truth.