The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 18
She couldn’t give an immediate answer, so she responded that way. She didn’t forget to thank Victoria for listening to her story and offering help.
They parted ways in front of Johanna’s house after a walk in the park. Victoria insisted on walking her home, concerned about Johanna’s safety now that she had manifested as an omega.
Johanna lived with her family in an old apartment on the top floor. It was a cheap place with a deposit of 500 rubles and a monthly rent of only 100 rubles. Because of this, things often broke, or pests appeared frequently.
But for Johanna, no place was as comfortable as home. Despite being small and old, it was her only sanctuary.
As she unlocked the door and stepped inside, she heard rustling sounds from within. For a moment, she thought it might be her father. However, the person who suddenly emerged from the small room was none other than Daniel.
“Sis!”
“Daniel, are your exams over?”
“Yes. They ended early.”
“Really? How did you do?”
“Well enough, I suppose.”
Daniel ran to her and hugged her tightly. Johanna hugged her brother back with all her strength, but then suddenly realized her mistake. Daniel, being an alpha, would sense her omega pheromones.
“Wait a moment…”
“Sis? What’s wrong?”
Daniel, who was usually satisfied with her hugs, looked up in confusion as she gently pushed him away.
Now that he thought about it, she smelled really nice. It was the same scent as the orange flowers he had seen in the school garden.
“Sis, did you put on perfume?”
“No, it’s not perfume…”
In direct blood relations, individuals can sense each other’s pheromones but are not attracted to them. It was said to be nature’s way of avoiding the problems of inbreeding.
“…It’s pheromones.”
“…What?”
Daniel, a beat behind, repeated her words and then his mouth fell open. He stood frozen for a while before grabbing Johanna’s arm and stammering.
“P-P-Pheromones? Huh? Really? You manifested? As what?”
Without s****l attraction, family members cannot tell if someone is an alpha or omega. Johanna patted Daniel’s shoulder, signaling him to calm down, and replied evenly.
“Omega. A dominant one.”
“…”
Daniel’s mouth opened and closed as he took a step back, then collapsed onto the floor. He blinked in a daze before burying his face in his hands. Then he looked up at Johanna with teary eyes.
“Sis…”
“It’s okay, Daniel.”
“How is it okay? That… that loan shark… he was a dominant alpha! I knew something was off about the way he looked at you!”
Seeing Daniel on the verge of breaking down with anxiety and concern, Johanna felt a sense of urgency. She started talking, trying to reassure him with whatever came to mind.
“Don’t worry. Victoria said she’d help.”
“What? How can she help?”
“That… I’ll explain later. Anyway, you really don’t need to worry. I’m not going to be taken by that loan shark. Don’t worry.”
Daniel looked up at his sister, still skeptical, as she hugged and patted his back. Johanna wanted him to remain oblivious to the burden she was shouldering. She smiled and fabricated a lie to put his mind at ease.
“Victoria works as a resident physician for the Elderique family, right? She said there might be something I can do there. If I get paid a year in advance, I could probably… pay off the debt.”
“Something you can do? What kind of work?”
“Well, I’m not sure yet. But it’s a wealthy noble family. Giving me an advance on my salary would be nothing to them.”
“Still… I’m worried. I feel uneasy. Are you really sure nothing’s wrong? How’s your body after manifesting as an omega? Did you get the suppressants?”
Seeing her brother’s relentless worrying, Johanna gave him a tender smile. She didn’t want to cause him any distress.
“Really, nothing’s wrong. My body is fine, and as a dominant omega, controlling my pheromones isn’t difficult. Of course, I got the suppressants.”
Daniel stared at Johanna in silence for a moment before lowering his head and mumbling.
“I’m sorry, sis…”
“What are you talking about? Why are you apologizing?”
“I’m a kid, and I can’t help at all… Should I drop out of school? Then we wouldn’t have to worry about tuition, and I could do something like a newspaper route—”
“Daniel!”
Johanna grabbed Daniel’s shoulders firmly as he rambled on frantically. Her turquoise eyes blazed with fierce determination.
