The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 174
* * *
A black carriage, emblazoned with the unique crest of the Marquis Neubitz, passed through the main gates of the palace.
The moment it stopped in the garden of Etienne Palace, where tonight’s ball was being held, it drew the attention of the nearby crowd. Most were intensely curious about the two occupants inside—the Marquis and Marchioness Neubitz.
When the servant stepped down from the driver’s seat and opened the door, a foot in polished black men’s shoes stepped onto the carriage ladder. Lightly descending was Leonid Neubitz Rinke Elderique, the Marquis Neubitz.
With his jet-black hair sleekly swept back, he looked more polished than usual, though his piercing gaze was as sharp as ever. His strikingly perfect features and the sleek yet powerful build reminiscent of a large feline predator made him almost surreal.
Then he turned back towards the carriage and extended his hand to someone. The white hand that gently settled onto his belonged, without a doubt, to the Marchioness Neubitz.
All eyes followed her as she carefully descended from the carriage. She wore a silk dress with a subtle pearl sheen and adorned her platinum blonde hair with red roses.
Her slightly flushed cheeks contrasted with her pale face, and her lips were the color of roses. The Marchioness looked around with a hint of nervousness. She carried an air that seemed faintly precarious.
Skillfully escorting her toward the ballroom, Marquis Neubitz wore a rare, gentle smile.
The gaze with which he attentively observed the Marchioness was so sweet, it seemed as though honey might spill from it.
Many witnessing this scene couldn’t help but be convinced—the rumors circulating in society were, indeed, baseless nonsense.
The Marquis Neubitz wore the unmistakable expression of a man deeply in love.
* * *
Today, Josephine wasn’t in a bad mood. At least, until just a moment ago.
Arriving at the ballroom earlier than expected, she held a glass of champagne and chatted with acquaintances. It was the usual, trivial gossip, but if she wanted to maintain her reputation in society, she had to wear an angelic mask and join the conversation.
Just as she was growing tired of it, they entered the ballroom.
Leonid, always perfectly polished on the outside, and his fake wife.
Being a couple that was always the center of attention, they instantly drew all eyes. Even those talking to Josephine paused, glancing their way—some with curiosity, others with admiration, or perhaps jealousy.
Knowing the truth about the Marquis and Marchioness Neubitz, Josephine merely swallowed a quiet smirk.
One day, when the truth finally came out, how viciously these people would tear apart Johanna Lucerne with their harsh words… Honestly, it was almost pitiable.
As she took another sip of champagne with that thought, Josephine’s mood was still relatively good. In fact, she was in quite high spirits.
But in an instant, her mood plummeted, dragged down by the sight she witnessed next.
“I’ve never seen the Marquis Neubitz look so tender. Wow, that gaze….”
“Maybe those rumors about them falling in love at first sight are true….”
“Yes, honestly, I didn’t believe it at first.”
The murmured voices beside her sounded distant, like waves slowly crashing from afar, muffling in her ears.
…Even seeing it with her own eyes, she couldn’t believe it. The atmosphere was entirely different from what she had seen at previous social gatherings.
Something had changed. Especially the emotion reflected in Leonid’s eyes.
…Could that really be an act? Such a tender gaze… and at times, a gaze so intensely fixated it sent chills down her spine.
Even as she told herself it couldn’t be true, a cold sensation settled in her chest, and her lips twisted involuntarily. She almost let out a bitter laugh before quickly covering her mouth.
Impossible.
Though her inner voice screamed in horrified denial, her razor-sharp intuition pointed her toward an undeniable truth.
Leonid Neubitz… that selfish, arrogant man who cared for nothing but himself…
‘…This is ridiculous. How could you? It’s laughable.’
Her hand clenched tightly, twisting her lips into a strange shape. An unexplainable fury bubbled up from within, a feeling burning through her chest. It took Josephine a long time to name the emotion that flared up, simmering and scorching her heart.
It was a sense of deprivation.
* * *
The slight discomfort in her ankle had subsided to the point where it felt completely fine. She thought she could dance without any issues, but…
“Marchioness Neubitz, you look exceptionally beautiful tonight. If you would do me the honor, may I have the second dance with you…?”
“No, Count Parocel. My wife injured her ankle. It would be a disaster if it got worse, wouldn’t it?”
In this manner, Leonid was dismissing every courteous gesture directed toward Johanna, entirely on his own accord.
