The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 130
“Haa…”
As his breathtakingly beautiful face, almost divine like the stained glass windows of a church, was revealed, Johanna instinctively held her breath.
It was an odd thing to think, but his face was so stunning, it felt as if one should pay to look at it. His beauty was so overwhelming that the atmosphere around them fell into a momentary silence.
Johanna, momentarily entranced, quickly came back to her senses and asked in a flustered voice,
“I-is it alright? To take off your mask…?”
Jeremih Baselitz—no, Karl Babenhausen—responded nonchalantly,
“It doesn’t matter. I was planning to reveal myself soon anyway.”
“Oh…”
In truth, for anyone who knew him, his striking features and beautiful voice were too distinct not to recognize.
It seemed that the reason he had been able to keep his identity hidden for so long was due to his infrequent public appearances. And those who had figured out or already knew his identity had kept quiet.
Johanna’s thoughts drifted to Kiara, and she glanced over at her. When their eyes met, Kiara gave her a playful grin, confirming that she had known all along.
“I wore the mask because I wanted people to focus on my work rather than my face,” Karl explained in a calm tone. Johanna nodded in full agreement as she took in his face again.
“…But now that my name has become well-known, I figured it was time to take the mask off.”
His lips, reminiscent of pink petals, curved into a faint smile. With that smile added to his sculpted features, it was as if the sound of celestial trumpets could be heard.
“And you are…”
Karl started to say something but then closed his mouth, letting out a soft chuckle instead. After a moment, he added,
“It’s nothing.”
What had he intended to say? For the rest of the exhibition, Johanna couldn’t shake that thought from her mind.
They returned to the Weimar estate before sunset. Johanna had not only received Karl’s autograph—under the pseudonym “Jeremih Baselitz”—but had also been shocked when he expressed a desire to gift her one of his paintings.
A gift of a painting… While it was a great honor, she wondered if she should refuse. After all, she wasn’t truly the Marchioness, and the thought of accepting such a valuable gift made her uneasy. There was also the fact that she would eventually have to leave this estate.
While living here, it wouldn’t be difficult to take care of the painting, but once she moved into a smaller rented house, it would be hard to maintain it properly. That would risk damaging the painting, and such a situation would be disrespectful to Karl.
‘I should probably refuse the painting…’
“Huh? What’s this? Were you waiting for us?”
Kiara’s cheerful voice broke into Johanna’s serious contemplation. When Johanna looked up, she saw Kiara, who had stepped out of the carriage first, chatting animatedly with Leonid.
Quietly, Johanna approached the two of them. The excitement she had felt earlier vanished as soon as she saw Leonid, making her more self-conscious and cautious in her actions.
Over Kiara’s shoulder, her eyes met his. Despite his youngest sister’s chatter, Leonid’s gaze was relentlessly fixed on Johanna with an intensity that made her uneasy.
Johanna pretended to look at the garden, avoiding his eyes, but all her senses were attuned to his presence.
Moments later, someone approached her side. Recognizing the familiar pheromones, Johanna glanced over to see Leonid standing there. Startled, she flinched and instinctively stepped back before quickly correcting her posture. His unreadable gaze lingered on her intently, taking her in from head to toe.
“You had fun, I hear.”
“Sorry?”
“The exhibition.”
“Oh, yes…”
Kiara must have told him how much Johanna enjoyed it. There was no reason to deny it, so she nodded in agreement, though an inexplicable sense of unease gnawed at her.
It was a vague, unidentified feeling of anxiety.
“Well, I’ll be off now. I hope you’ll greet me more warmly next time!”
As Kiara cheerfully called out her farewell while leaving the Weimar estate, Leonid merely raised an eyebrow with a detached expression. Kiara shot him a sharp glare in return, then turned to Johanna with her usual lively voice.
“See you again, Johanna! I had a great time today!”
“Yes, have a safe trip home, Kiara.”
Johanna waved as Kiara’s carriage passed through the gate, continuing until it completely disappeared from sight. She felt a surge of gratitude toward Kiara, realizing how much her presence had lightened her day. She thought she should write her a heartfelt letter of thanks.
