My Mom Entered a Contract Marriage - Chapter 46

Altheos patted her on the back gently.

His gestures were much more natural compared to the first time he touched her.

He’d heard from Lat and Tan several times that a child was fragile.

She was much heavier than the first time he lifted her, and that weight felt good.

She wriggled in his arms before raising her head lightly to look at him.

Altheos looked at her without avoiding her gaze.

He could see her cheeks reddening again.

She faltered and tried to get down from his lap, so Altheos released Lilica.

“Erm, well.”

Lilica gripped her skirt tightly.

Altheos said.

“Your outfit looks good on you.”

Sparkle.

She raised her head.

It seems like she’d relaxed, as her face brightened.

“It’s newly made by Mother. If I twirl around like this, it’ll spread out.”

She turned in a circle, and looked as cute as always.

It was also soft when hugging her earlier, so it seemed like various things were added underneath that voluminous skirt.

Lilica looked at Altheos and took a step closer.

“Are you okay? Have you been too tired these days?”

For him to sleep in a place like this, as expected, was it because he had a lot of work to do?

When Lilica asked anxiously, Altheos got up from his seat and hugged Lilica.

“?!”

Now, Lilica wouldn’t scream, but she was still startled.

After weighing her weight, Altheos had a satisfied expression.

“You’ve gotten really heavy.”

“I’ve been growing well.”

Lilica spoke proudly and he laughed.

He leaned back on his seat and sat Lilica on the chair.

Lilica looked at Altheos, who was partially leaning on the armrest, she said again.

“You’ll catch a cold if you sleep here.”

“In this sort of weather?”

“Even so, Brynn said that you should keep your stomach warm.”

“I see.”

Without denying it, Altheos combed through Lilica’s hair.

Her brown hair was no longer dishevelled, but glistened like old furniture.

“Is there anything you want?”

Lilica was a little bewildered by Altheos’s sudden question.

“Something that I want?”

“Yes, anything.”

“Uh, well.”

Lilica thought hard, but there wasn’t anything that she wanted.

When she shook her head, Altheos looked disappointed.

Lilica spoke quickly.

“But Your Majesty gives me everything that I need. You take the time to teach me magic at night. And you promised me that you’d protect Mother, and assigned Brynn to me…”

If she had to list them out one by one, it would overflow, so what else would she want for?

Altheos took her hand.

“You too.”

“What?”

“You’re also on my list of people to protect.”

Lilica’s eyes widened.

Altheos frowned.

“You thought you weren’t?”

“But, you know, erm……”

Her mother was the person he was contracted with and his wife, while she was just a lump that tagged along with her mother.

Wasn’t it enough for him to protect Atil and her mother?

She just subconsciously thought that she should protect herself.

Because it has always been like that.

No one will protect her, so she had to protect herself.

Although her mother said that she would protect her, wouldn’t it be too burdensome?

She was quite worried.

Altheos looked at the hand he was holding.

Her hands were too small when compared to his.

When he thought that this small hand would stand in front of him regardless, he found it quite incredible.

‘Why don’t you enjoy the benefits of becoming a human?’

Ludia’s words came to mind once again.

As he was swallowing sand in the desert, all he kept thinking and pondering about was the feeling of betrayal and hatred.

Now, look at the rainbow of a human’s life—when he heard those words, he didn’t know what it meant.

Altheos pinched Lilica’s cheeks and stared.

“Hee, hiiack?”

She was so surprised that she didn’t realise that a strange sound came out from her mouth.

Altheos burst into laughter.

“Hiiack?”

When he repeated them back to her, Lilica’s cheeks burned again.

“As expected, you’re exactly the same as Atil!”

Lilica shouted inwardly while trying to move around, but both of her cheeks were being pinched, so she couldn’t move.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Only then did Altheos hold back his laughter.

‘I see.’

It’s possible for him to laugh like this.

“I’ll protect you.”

As he spoke like he’d made up his mind, Lilica looked at him dazedly and said.

“I—I’ll also protect you, Your Majesty.”

Lilica explained earnestly when Altheos raised an eyebrow.

“Of course I’m weak, and my magic wouldn’t be of much help, and Your Majesty is strong. But I still want to do all that I can to protect you. You might find it ridiculous, but…”

Altheos chuckled.

“Well, but.”

He released the cheeks that he was holding.

“I think you’re already protecting me.”

She was using a method that he couldn’t.

Even Ludia, even Atil.

And him too.

Lilica looked puzzled and exclaimed, “Ah!”

“I intended to make new protective talismans. If it turns out prettily, I’ll also give it to you, Your Majesty.”

“I’ll provide you with the jewels.”

“Yes!”

Lilica nodded with a bright smile. “Oh right,” she said to Altheos.

“Come to think of it, I also made an artifact for Lauv. I heard that the monster’s blood is too strong—”

Altheos spoke after hearing her explanation.

“I won’t take it away, so inform Lauv to never reveal where he got it from.”

“What?”

When she asked back in surprise, Altheos said lowly.

“Do you think that such Ineligibles only appear in the Wolfe family? Do you think Lauv is the only one that’s like that? Lauv can walk around in human form. In severe cases, there are some that can’t even do that.”

“!!”

Lilica gulped in surprise.

“In that case, in that case—”

“Are you planning on making countless artifacts to share with everyone? That’s impossible. If they thought that Takar had such an item and didn’t release it to the public, things would become troublesome.”

Altheos tapped her bonnet.

“In order to do that, your existence must be revealed. But that’s too dangerous. They’ll want you to do things that are impossible.”

“……”

Lilica nodded her head firmly.

She spoke quietly.

“I’ll be sure to let Lauv know.”

“Yes.”

“By the way, Your Majesty.”

“Go ahead.”

“Can’t Your Majesty fix it with your power?”

Since the monsters were turned into humans by the dragon, wouldn’t it be possible with His Majesty’s enormous power?

“It’s impossible.”

“I see…”

Lilica wracked her brain for ideas.

“Then can we make about 10?”

When he gave her a look saying, “Which part of my words had you misheard,” Lilica shook her head and said.

“Oh, that’s not it. It’ll be safeguarded by the imperial family, sent to those with such symptoms and retrieved when the person dies.”

Wouldn’t that be enough to increase their loyalty to the imperial family?

“No, it’s impossible.”

“Why?”

“If you manage to keep those people alive and allow them to continue the generation, it might worsen in the next generation.”

It’s right for them to be culled.

It was a cruel and cold remark.

When Lilica’s expression darkened, Altheos sighed and said.

“Then let’s try to make something that will relieve the symptoms. Around ten, as you mentioned.”

No matter what, it’s better to have weapons.

Whether it’s being used or not.

And this would be much better if it would relieve Lilica’s mental burden.

Lilica’s face brightened instantly.

“Yes, we’ll give it to them secretly.”

Lilica whispered and smiled faintly.

He nodded and said.

“Off you go now.”

“Isn’t Your Majesty returning back?”

Although he felt regret at the term of address, Altheos did not force it.

It would be foolish to force her when he hadn’t done anything fatherly for her.

“I’ll do so later.”

“Then I’ll bring you a blanket!”

“What?”

While he was bewildered, Lilica jumped up and disappeared through the garden shrubs with pattering steps.

She returned with a summer blanket while he was dazed.

It must have been brought along by Brynn, and it goes to show that the Sol family was competent wherever they went.

“Here. Make sure to keep your stomach warm while sleeping.”

He nodded at that novel remark, thinking that it was his first time hearing such a thing.

“Then I’ll be on my way.”

“Twirl around again.”

At Altheos’s words, Lilica twirled twice with a grin before spreading out her skirt, giving him a curtsy, and then retreating.

Altheos held up the blanket and laughed.

‘Truly.’

He decided to acknowledge Ludia’s words.

‘The cutest in the world.’

* * *

Ludia drank tea comfortably while dressed in her nightgown.

The cooling summer night air flowed in from the open balcony.

From the way there was an increasing difference in day and night, it seems to signal the end of summer.

It was already well past midnight.

And yet Altheos has yet to return.

Normally, she would have retired without caring about that, but she took to heart the words that Lilica said while greeting her after dinner.

The smiling Lilica, who was showing off her new clothes to her heart’s content, furrowed her brows as she said.

“But Mother. His Majesty might be lonely.”

Ludia wondered what she was saying while hugging a teddy bear that was half her size.

“His Majesty? Why?”

What’s lonely about that person—no, dragon?

“I saw him sleeping in the garden today, and it seems like he has a lot of work… At this rate, wouldn’t he catch a cold?”

“No one will catch a cold if they sleep outside in this weather.”

Ludia was bewildered when Lilica drooped, as though she’d said something heartless.

“Mother, even if it’s a contract marriage, His Majesty is still your husband.”

Plus, she was criticised unexpectedly!

While she was even more flustered, Lilica spoke anxiously.

“And no one is able to understand His Majesty, right?”

Ludia gulped, because it was as though she knew about Altheos’s true identity as a dragon-man.

“Someone that can understand?”

“His Majesty isn’t a dragon. Ah, I mean, he’s a Takar. It doesn’t seem like they like to express themselves all that much.”

Lilica quickly corrected herself and leaned her cheek on the teddy bear’s head.

“He possesses a mysterious and strong power, but because of his origins, he has lived in the desert by himself. So I thought that he’d be lonely.”

‘Mom hasn’t thought about this before?’

She couldn’t bear to say something like that .

Besides, Lilica had a point.

‘It’s also possible.’

Even though he was a dragon, he’s still a human being.

The arrogant notion that humans can live by themselves has already burned out completely.

Moreover, Lilica was right.

Even if they signed a contract, she was the empress, and she should take care of the emperor.

When she thought about it like that, she realised that she’d never waited for Altheos.

Thanks to this, she was keeping her eyes open and endured by drinking tea until midnight.

The maids were told to leave first.

It also felt good, as it was more quiet to make the tea herself.

“I didn’t expect you to be awake.”

Altheos entered through the balcony.

Ludia said.

“Why aren’t you coming in through the door?”

“Didn’t you leave this open so that I can come in?”

He smirked.

“I left it open for the air to circulate.”

At Ludia’s words, Altheos approached and touched the empty teacup.

Aside from Ludia’s teacup, another teacup was prepared.

“Then you were at least going to drink tea with me, right? Unless, aside from me, there’s someone that can enter the bedroom in the middle of the night.”

“You’re the only one that can untie me during the contracted period.”

Upon hearing Ludia’s words, Altheos murmured, “The contract, you say.”

Ludia observed him carefully.

The hand that had been fiddling with the teacup moved to wrap around her cheek.

The large hand touched her cheek and neck at the same time.

It was a hot hand.

“Hot.”

Ludia sprang up from her seat.

When Altheos leaned down towards her, Ludia reached out towards his forehead.

Altheos, who stopped ambiguously, spoke disgruntledly.

“If you want to stop, just tell me. You don’t have to push like this.”

“That’s not it, you have a fever.”

Altheos didn’t seem to understand Ludia’s words, and blinked.

Ludia spoke clearly again.

“You have a fever.”

“Fever?”

Altheos tilted his head and chuckled.

“It’s because you’re next to me—”

“Don’t spout nonsense. I know your temperature better than you do.”

Altheos was rendered speechless.

No, that’s, that should be the case. Hm.

Ludia pulled him.

Altheos followed her carelessly. He was pushed to the front of the bed, where he flopped down.

‘I’ve never been seduced like this before.’

Those words rose to the tip of his tongue, but he held it in.

It was because Ludia had a serious expression on her face.

“I’ll get better after some rest.”

Ludia nodded at his words.

“Of course you will. I don’t intend to call for the imperial doctor and make a fuss.”

Altheos’s inhuman appearance strengthened his position as emperor.

Having a fever, such a human appearance would only give the enemy leeway.

Ludia came back with a wet towel.

“Lie down.”

Altheos’s upper half leaned on the pillow.

Ludia added a wet towel over his eyes and forehead.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t really know how to nurse either. Lily nursed me before, but…”

“Your daughter is rather cute.”

“That’s right. Lily is the cutest in the world.”

Wait, what?

Ludia murmured disbelievingly.

Altheos raised the wet towel slightly and said.

“Water is dripping down. Was it supposed to be like that?”

“I don’t know. I think it was like that when Lily nursed me.”

“Could it be because she lacked strength as she was just a child?”

“……Maybe.”

When she groaned, Altheos laughed and squeezed the towel.

The water that dripped down could be seen evaporating into the air.

As Ludia watched Altheos lying down with a properly wrung towel on his forehead again, she fell into a strange mood.

In the past, she’d seen Altheos use power.

It was without any limitations or boundaries.

It was too much power for him to be called a human.

The ground cracked, the earth jutted, and the air trembled.

Because she’d witnessed such an appearance, coupled with the fact that she knew his true self was a dragon, she’d never thought of him as a human being this time.

‘But he is a human.’

He wasn’t an impregnable fortress.

He was a human being that’ll feel pain when cut and will die if he has a severe wound.

He would even have a fever like this.

It was a whole new perception.