The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 146
Johanna smiled brightly at Leonid without even realizing it. For a fleeting moment, his gaze seemed to waver, but it was so brief she couldn’t be sure.
“…Sure. Let’s go together.”
“Together…?”
“Why, do you not want to?”
“Oh, no, not at all.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to; rather, she found it uncomfortable. Being around him constantly made her self-conscious.
She couldn’t let those feelings show, so Johanna simply forced an awkward smile. Leonid quietly watched her, his gaze unreadable.
After breakfast, they walked out to the garden. The closer they got to the six osmanthus trees in full bloom with orange flowers, the stronger the sweet fragrance became.
It was an indescribably delicate scent, like a blend of peaches and oranges, sprinkled with sugar, and topped off with a strong rose tea. It was complex and fresh, yet carried a subtle fragility.
It felt strange to think that her own pheromones shared this scent.
“…They were planted well,” Leonid murmured beside her. She tried to sneak a glance at him, but once again, their eyes met. Johanna flinched, quickly looking away, pretending to admire the osmanthus trees instead. Even when she heard his faint scoff, she acted as if she hadn’t.
Under the blue sky, the green leaves and orange blossoms swayed with the wind. The fragrance seemed to fill the entire space, as if the world was enveloped in it.
Johanna found herself wondering suddenly—*After I’m gone, will these six osmanthus trees still remain here?*
And would he… *think of me sometimes when he sees these trees or catches a whiff of their scent?*
“…”
The thought was so foolish that she let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. An osmanthus tree was just an osmanthus tree. The fact that its flowers smelled like her pheromones didn’t imbue it with any special meaning.
Before long, he would forget her entirely.
The pale sky above was empty, without a single cloud. The faint, ephemeral fragrance mingled with the autumn breeze, dissolving into the vast blue.
The next morning, Daniel arrived at the Weimar estate unexpectedly.
“Daniel? What brings you here?”
“What do you mean? Today’s your birthday!”
Oh?
Johanna paused, counting the dates in her head. September 27th… Right, it was her birthday.
“I completely forgot.”
“How can you forget your own birthday…? Are you sure you’re doing okay?”
“Of course, I’m fine.”
It seemed that he had come all this way just to wish his sister a happy birthday. Johanna found her younger brother endearing, and a smile spread across her face. How sweet of him.
“Did the Marquis congratulate you? Did you get a present?”
“Oh? Well, sort of…”
“What do you mean ‘sort of’?”
“You know those osmanthus trees in the garden? He planted them as a birthday gift.”
Of course, that was a lie.
“Oh, now that you mention it, they have a really nice fragrance. It smells just like your pheromones.”
Daniel, ever trusting, believed her without question. Johanna hid her bitterness behind a brighter smile.
“Let’s go out today, sis. I’ll treat you to lunch and give you your present.”
“Go out? Hmm, just a moment…”
Leaving Daniel in the drawing room, Johanna went upstairs to Leonid’s study. When the footman announced her presence, Leonid’s permission to enter came swiftly from inside.
As she entered the study, she caught the faint scent of his pheromones. Leonid was seated at his desk near the large window, reviewing some documents. Johanna approached carefully, trying not to disrupt his work.
Without lifting his eyes from the paperwork, he spoke first.
“State your business.”
“Daniel is here. He wants to go out with me… Would it be alright if I go out for a bit?”
Leonid paused, then looked up at her. Their eyes met for a moment before Johanna quickly looked away, focusing on her fidgeting hands. His even, unemotional voice broke the silence.
“There’s no need to ask for permission for things like that.”
“Oh…”
“Just make sure to take the bodyguard I assigned and Nella with you. I get reports on your activities anyway.”
“Yes… I will.”
That was the end of their conversation. He seemed busy, already shifting his attention back to the documents, and he gestured for her to leave. Johanna quietly mumbled a thank you and left the study.
She returned to her room to prepare for the outing. Since she had been wearing an indoor dress, she changed into something more suitable for going out and styled her hair neatly.
As she pinned a brooch onto her scarf, Nella hesitantly spoke up.
“Um, Marchioness… Is it your birthday today?”
She seemed apologetic, likely feeling uncomfortable about not having known. Johanna gave a gentle smile and replied in a casual tone.
“It’s alright. It’s not such a big deal, after all.”
