“Marry me.”

I stared blankly at the man standing before me.

Silvery hair that shimmered like silk, a cool forehead revealed beneath his neatly swept-back bangs, and crimson eyes beneath it.

Was it because of the sunlight streaming down over the garden?

His face looked particularly unrealistically handsome today, and it naturally caught my attention. But this was hardly the time to be worrying about that.

What had I just heard?

“Pardon?”

At my involuntary response, Kain narrowed his eyes.

His expression was generally devoid of emotion, but for some reason, it was especially difficult to read his thoughts today.

“I don’t understand why you’re surprised. Didn’t you say it yourself? That you wanted a contract marriage.”

…Well, it was true that I had said that.

This was the world of a childcare novel.

In order to keep both my daughter, Melody, and myself safe, I was currently in a situation where I had no choice but to get married somehow.

But that didn’t mean I was asking the Duke to marry me!

“W-Wait a moment, Your Grace. It’s true that I need a contract marriage, but even so, this is…!”

Kain was the head of the Ashurn Ducal Family, whose wealth and power rivaled even that of the Imperial Family.

As befitted the father figure in a childcare novel, he also possessed a beauty that hardly seemed human.

They said he had certain personality defects because he had inherited the blood of a dragon…

Even so, he was undeniably the most eligible bachelor in the entire Empire.

And me?

In high society, I was nothing more than a single mother who had been abandoned by a man and was raising a child alone.

Granted, I was only pretending to be one because of my circumstances, but that was how I was seen publicly.

If we entered into a contract marriage, we’d eventually have to divorce…

Even if I was prepared for that, I didn’t want to leave a stain on Kain’s life for no reason.

I was already indebted to him enough as it was. I couldn’t do that to him.

My conscience pricking at me, I hurriedly exclaimed,

“You don’t have to sacrifice yourself for my sake, Your Grace…! This is my problem, so I’ll find someone else somehow—!”

But at that moment, complicated emotions flashed across Kain’s normally impassive face.

Was he angry? Or was he hurt?

His brows furrowed as he stared at me with subdued eyes.

“Rather, I should be the one asking.”

“……”

“The man who made a contract to protect you and Melody is standing right in front of you, and you’re saying you’ll marry someone else?”

No one told me marriage was included in that contract.

The words rose all the way to my throat, but under his piercing gaze, I firmly shut my mouth.

Kain took a step closer and asked,

“I don’t understand. Am I not enough as your contract husband? Or perhaps I’m not to your liking?”

No. Of course not. How could you possibly be lacking? If anything, you’re far too much…

I reflexively shook my head.

The corners of his lips relaxed ever so slightly.

“Then have I failed to earn your trust all this time?”

You’ve earned more than enough…

I was just about to nod in agreement again when I suddenly realized my mistake.

“That’s not it, but marriage is still a different matter…!”

“I’ll cherish both you and the child. So, Viola.”

He persistently held my gaze as he clasped my hand tightly and whispered,

“Marry me.”

The sweetness of his deep, low voice somehow made my throat feel dry.

“You mean… a contract marriage, right?”

Instead of answering, Kain merely curled the corner of his smooth lips into a deep smile.

How had things ended up like this?

I recalled what had happened several months ago.

“Miss Viola, are you there?”

“Oh, yes! Just a moment!”

Hearing someone call from outside, I hurriedly opened the door of the apothecary.

Phew. I really haven’t had a moment to catch my breath today.

Grinding medicine, making ointments, tidying up… Busy, busy, busy.

The only apothecary and clinic in the rural village had surprisingly plenty of work to do.

Of course, I also couldn’t forget to buy the things I needed from the herbalist.

“You’re early today. Thank you for coming all the way here every time! It must be a bother.”

“Ahaha. I’m only stopping by since I was passing through.”

James scratched the bridge of his nose sheepishly as he smiled.

Passing through, my foot. That’s obviously a lie.

He really is such an innocent man.

And it wasn’t just James. The people of Heyron Village were generally like that.

I guess that’s why Melody and I were able to settle in so well.

Come to think of it, it had already been a year since I settled here.

I’d honestly had plenty of worries.

It was my first time living in the countryside, and publicly, I was a single mother.

To be honest, I was worried from the very beginning about whether I could properly raise a three-year-old child…

But rather than shunning us as outsiders, the villagers had gone out of their way to take care of us.

Thanks to them, I had even managed to open this little apothecary and was living quite comfortably.

As I smiled contentedly, James placed a bundle of herbs on the table.

“Are the herbs we talked about yesterday enough?”

“Yes, yes! That’ll do!”

I began taking the herbs James handed me one by one and organizing them, when a sigh suddenly escaped me.

“Oh, right! Do you happen to have any Spikeleaf? I’m almost out of the stock I bought.”

“You probably won’t be able to get any for a while…”

“What? Spikeleaf? Why?”

“Apparently some important person has been buying up huge quantities of it by paying above market price. The herbalists from the neighboring villages came and bought up everything, too.”

Goodness.

My eyes widened involuntarily.

“That’s certainly strange.”

I could understand if it were something else, but why that particular herb?

It was mild enough that even children could use it, but its effects were equally weak.

James merely shrugged as though it were nothing worth worrying about, but my intuition began tingling.

Something’s suspicious.

It was hardly known at all, but I knew one hidden property of Spikeleaf.

…Could it be?

For a moment, a certain noble family came to mind, but I quickly shook my head.

No. What’s the point in thinking about it? I’m not a noble lady anymore, anyway.

I had been cast out of my family long ago.

There was no reason for me to get involved with nobles anymore, so there was no need to worry about it.

“More importantly, Miss Viola.”

“Yes?”

“Did you hear there’s going to be a festival in the lower village?”

A festival.

The pleasant topic instantly drove away my thoughts.

“Of course! I heard about it. I was actually thinking of going with Melody.”

“Ahem, ahem. Would you perhaps like to go with just the two of us—”

“Waaaa!”

At that moment, Melody, who had been quietly waiting for us to finish trading herbs, suddenly began zooming around us.

Oh, dear. She must have gotten bored.

“Melody~ No running!”

“Uu.”

“Now, now. Running around in an apothecary is dangerous. We can go outside and play together later.”

“Uu.”

I deliberately put on a stern voice, and Melody drooped her shoulders dejectedly.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

She always acts like she’s all grown-up, but she’s still just a child.

Just as I pulled the pouting Melody into a tight hug, I belatedly remembered that James had been saying something.

“Oh, right! I’m sorry! I didn’t hear you. Could you say that again?”

“Ah, well, you see!”

James, who had been standing there dumbfounded, suddenly startled and opened his mouth again, but once more, I didn’t get to hear him finish.

“I was saying, just the two of us at the festival—”

“Mooommy!”

Melody threw herself into my arms and rubbed her face against me.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“Uu, Mommy…”

With a sorrowful expression, the child pointed toward the kitchen.

Don’t tell me…

“Are you hungry already?”

“Uu!”

I could have sworn I’d fed her a hearty lunch.

Children really do have incredible digestion.

“I’m sorry, Mr. James. We keep getting interrupted.”

“Ah, well—”

“Mommy.”

As soon as it looked like the conversation was about to resume, Melody began whining again.

“What should I do? Melody seems especially fussy today. Let’s finish our conversation another time! Thank you again for today!”

I hurriedly paid him, and James turned away with a dejected expression.

The way he trudged off looked strangely deflated.

“Heeheehee.”

“What’s with that suspicious laugh?”

“Uu!”

Melody shrugged as if she had no idea what we were talking about.

Then, with an energetic little oof!, she jumped out of my arms.

Following the child into the kitchen, I began slicing the bread I had bought that morning.

“What kind of snack should I make for you? Bread with grape jam? Or should I put some cheese on it and cut the ham into flower shapes?”

I might not look it, but I was quite confident in my ability to make food look pretty.

It was a skill I had naturally picked up for Melody, who ate as adorably as a hamster.

“U!”

But Melody, who had claimed to be hungry only moments ago, suddenly shrugged and shook her head.

“Huh? Weren’t you just hungry?”

“Uu.”

The child patted her belly as though she were completely full.

Why is she acting like this today? She was strange even when Mr. James was here.

I was puzzled by her sudden change of heart when—

“Ah!”

A stinging sensation spread through my finger.

I must have cut my hand with the knife.

Ugh. Today really is such a strange day.

I’m old enough to know better than to make mistakes like this.

“Mommy?”

“I just nicked myself a little. It’s okay. It’ll get better as soon as I put some medicine on it!”

I gave an awkward smile and glanced at Melody.

Oh, no. As expected.

Melody looked absolutely devastated, as though the world had come crashing down around her.

I’m really fine!

For one thing, my wounds had always healed unusually well.

Strangely enough, even when I had been badly injured as a child, I had never been left with a single scar.

But Melody seemed to think differently.

Her eyes filled with tears as she tightly grabbed my finger.

Then she gently blew on my wound.

And then—

Whoosh—

A golden aura spread from Melody and soon enveloped my hand.

The scar disappeared in an instant.

I froze at the unbelievable sight.

“Wha…? Divine power?”

And it wasn’t even an ordinary amount.

To heal an injury in an instant, she had to possess an extraordinary level of divine power.

But why does our Melody have it?

I stared at Melody in shock, but she looked even more startled than I was, her eyes wide as a rabbit’s.

She looked like someone who had just been caught hiding something that absolutely must not be discovered.

And then—

“Ugh!”

A sudden, excruciating headache struck me, and at the same time, memories of my previous life began flooding into my mind.

“Mommy?”

Melody called out to me, but I was in no state to answer.

An overwhelming truth had taken over my mind.

Rule No. 1 of Childcare Novels: The heroine’s mother always dies early in the story.

This was the world of the childcare novel I had read in my previous life.

The protagonist was Melody.

Which meant…

I was the heroine’s mother.

What?! Someone save me!