Chapter 31
In Kain’s arms, who carefully lifted her with both arms, they quickly stepped out into the hallway.
She was unbelievably light, as if she barely ate properly at all.
With such a fragile body, what on earth was she trying to do? Her limbs he held were soft, without a trace of muscle.
Kain held her firmly so she wouldn’t be shaken and headed straight to her room.
He soon laid her down on the soft bed.
“Umm……”
As soon as she touched the bed, Viola stirred slightly, then soon began breathing evenly with soft, steady sounds.
Her chest rose and fell regularly, and her faint breathing spread gently through the room.
It seemed the antidote had finally taken effect, as her unstable breathing had begun to settle.
Completely unaware of what was happening, she was sleeping deeply.
How carefree she looked.
Leaving the observer in such a complicated state of mind.
Kain couldn’t easily leave his spot. All he could do was wait endlessly for the medicine to take full effect. Since the person involved said she was fine, calling another healer felt unnecessary.
The fact that there was nothing he could do felt strangely unfamiliar. An unaccustomed sense of helplessness washed over him.
Haah. This woman really…
He couldn’t understand at all how she could be so reckless. The moment you take your eyes off her for even a second, she would—
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
Judging by the presence outside, it seemed to be the maids and Viola’s child.
“Lady Viola? Are you there? We’re coming in!”
The commotion from earlier had apparently not yet reached the detached annex, so the maids announced themselves as usual and immediately entered.
“Lady Viola, you were sle… h-huh!”
The maids who opened the door flinched in shock when they saw Kain, covering their mouths.
“Greetings to Your Grace the Duke!”
“G-greetings to Your Grace the Duke!”
Their voices were full of panic, as they had never expected to find Kain in Viola’s bedroom.
Between them, a small child with pink hair stepped forward and quickly toddled toward the bed after spotting Viola lying there.
“Mommy?”
A questioning voice. The maids hurriedly panicked and grabbed the child.
“M-Melody! You must greet His Grace…! Quickly!”
“Huh?”
The child tilted her head, not understanding, but Kain was not the type to care much about such formalities.
“No, it’s fine.”
“Pardon?”
“Take her and leave.”
“Ah, y-yes! We’ll take our leave now!”
The two maids bowed and quickly left.
After Mary and Becky hurried out, Melody, left alone, blinked in confusion.
What’s going on? Why is everyone running away?
She didn’t really understand, but that wasn’t what mattered right now.
There was a man next to her mother…!
Melody looked up at the enormous man, as big as the old tree in Heyron village.
She knew who he was.
“The Duke cookie uncle!”
She remembered her mother calling him that.
Her mother said he was a kind and grateful person…
‘But why cookie? Did he give Mommy cookies?’
Still confused, but that wasn’t important right now.
Melody narrowed her brows and looked at Kain suspiciously.
Her mother was pretty, so men kept coming around her.
Every time that happened, Melody bravely chased them all away.
From James the herb seller to the old man at the fruit shop in the neighboring village.
She had been so busy driving away wolves around her mother! Phew!
But after coming here, that had become less frequent, so she had let her guard down…
‘What if even the Duke cookie uncle is one of them?’
If that’s the case, I have to protect her! Mommy is mine.
With a determined expression, Melody walked toward the bed.
She had to stay right next to her mom!
But her short legs stopped in front of the bed that felt as tall as the sky. She couldn’t climb up.
After thinking for a moment, she turned her head sharply toward Kain.
Suspicious is suspicious. But she needed to get to her mom first.
“Uh!”
Melody shouted firmly and tapped her chest.
At that, the crimson eyes that had been looking down at her narrowed slightly.
“…Do you want to be lifted?”
Oh?
Melody’s eyes widened in surprise, then she nodded vigorously.
‘Huh. This Duke cookie uncle actually understands me?’
No one had ever understood her words in one go except her mother. That was surprising.
Kain lifted the child effortlessly and placed her on the bed. Landing on the soft blanket, Melody immediately crawled toward Viola.
Even if he helped her up, she wasn’t giving her mom away.
“Uh? Uh uh? Mommy?”
Melody shook Viola’s shoulder with her tiny hands.
Normally she would have woken up quickly, but Viola didn’t move at all, her eyes still closed. Something felt suspicious.
Could she be sick again? That must never happen!
Melody hurriedly placed her ear against Viola’s chest.
But instead of her warm mother’s body, something hard pressed against her ear.
‘Ah, it’s hard.’
The culprit was Viola’s necklace.
Melody pushed the hidden object under her mother’s clothes aside and listened again.
Thump. Thump. A steady heartbeat.
Hmm, this sound… maybe!
‘…I have no idea!’
She had tried copying it because her mother sometimes did, but she still didn’t understand anything.
Melody looked back at Kain with teary eyes.
“Uh. Uh?”
Is my mom sick?
She didn’t really expect an answer.
But Kain replied calmly.
“No. She’s not sick.”
“Uh?”
Melody’s eyes widened.
Then she asked again urgently.
“Uh uh…!”
Then why won’t she wake up? She must be sick!
Kain shook his head slightly.
“That’s not it.”
At that moment, Viola, who had been tossing slightly in her sleep, reached out and pulled Melody into her arms.
“Umm……”
Huh? Not yet! The conversation wasn’t over!
Ugh. Ugh.
As Melody struggled to free herself, a low voice fell from above.
“Your mom is sleeping.”
“Uh?”
“She’s just tired.”
Melody tilted her head and looked up at Kain.
As if he had finished saying everything he wanted to say, he still didn’t leave.
Instead, he stood there quietly, looking down at the sleeping Viola.
‘Duke cookie uncle?’
Kain’s gaze stayed on Viola’s face for a long time.
His expression was unreadable, but for some reason he didn’t move.
‘…He looks kind of sad.’
Like Mom’s face when I fall down.
After a long silence, Kain slowly reached out and turned off the lamp by the bedside.
“Go to sleep too, kid.”
With that short remark, he turned away and left the room without hesitation.
Click. The door closed.
‘…Weird uncle.’
Melody blinked in the darkness.
After being dragged away by the servants, Celia finally realized the seriousness of the situation.
Dragon.
People called the Asherne Ducal House the bloodline of dragons.
Beings who inherited the blood of dragons.
Perhaps closer to dragons than humans—transcendent beings.
Only after facing Kain’s overwhelming presence, which made it hard even to breathe, did Celia realize.
She might have just touched the dragon’s reverse scale.
Kain’s reaction was not something that should appear just because a mere pharmacist had collapsed.
Nor was it the look given to an honored guest, as Conrad had said.
It was more like… a gaze filled with something deeper.
As someone skilled in matters of love, she knew it well. A man would never look at a pharmacist or a guest like that.
‘What on earth is that woman supposed to be!’
