The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 189
“What are you doing, so dangerously.”
Leonid embraced Johanna from behind, her fragile form seemingly ready to collapse at any moment. Although there was no chance the window would vanish like magic, causing her to plunge down, he felt an inexplicable unease.
If their bodies could merge completely as one, would this anxiety disappear? Once again, he felt the urge to hold her. The only way to draw close to union was to press a part of himself inside her. Even that incomplete union provided him with a sense of wholeness and calm.
However, the sight of Johanna’s tear-filled eyes as she looked back at him dispelled that impulse.
“I feel trapped… I want to go outside.”
Johanna pleaded, her voice breaking. Now that he thought about it, how many days had it been since she last went out? While Leonid was immensely satisfied with their secluded world as if they were the only two left, he knew Johanna felt differently.
Though this fact was unbearably frustrating, he hugged her tighter instead of lashing out. She whimpered, shifting uncomfortably against his constricting arms. Pressing his lips firmly to her temple, he spoke as if granting a favor.
“Alright. I’ll let you go out.”
“…!”
“Nowhere else. Only to the garden.”
Johanna’s face lit up, and she quickly nodded. Throughout her preparations, she kept glancing at him, anxious that he might change his mind.
She wrapped a cream-colored scarf around her neck, concealing the bite marks covering her nape, and donned a thick coat against the chill autumn breeze that might cause a cold.
With everything ready, they stepped into the corridor. Standing in the hallway lined with guards, Johanna paused for a moment, dazed.
Leonid took her hand and led her forward, never letting go, wary of any sudden actions she might take.
As they reached the entrance, Johanna looked around as if she had arrived in a completely new place. The servants opened the door, and for the first time in days, the two stepped outside and felt the earth beneath their feet.
The garden, now embracing autumn, was breathtaking. Johanna found herself drifting aimlessly into the scenery, which looked as if colorful paint had been scattered across it.
“Feeling a bit better?”
“Yes…”
The fresh air after so long cleared her foggy mind, sharpening her focus. Her stalled thoughts began to turn again. Johanna reviewed her plan step by step.
What she should do moving forward, whether she could really continue living like this…
What she needed to do to escape.
What she needed now was the help of someone who wouldn’t mind going against Leonid’s will. Only a few people fit that description, like Hermia and the Duke of Elderique.
She recalled that Hermia had mentioned placing someone within this estate. If she could make contact with that person without Leonid noticing…
But how could she shake him off? Even if she managed to separate from him for a while, Nella and Griselda would still keep watch, leaving her with no visible way out.
…What should I do?
The future before her felt bleak and dark. Wrapped in a sense of despair, she looked up at the sky. It was a deep, hollow blue.
Throughout their walk, Leonid never once let go of her hand, gripping it tightly. He didn’t even glance at the autumn-colored landscape around them. As if it didn’t interest him in the slightest, his gaze was solely fixed on Johanna.
That persistent gaze felt like chains wrapping around her, binding her in place.
“…Going forward,”
Johanna suggested to him softly.
“I’d like it if we… could take walks like this every day.”
It was a small attempt at a plan. If they peacefully strolled each day, acting as if she had no thoughts of escape, perhaps he would let his guard down, even if just a little.
The moment she found an opening, Johanna intended to act on her plan, though she wasn’t sure if it would work.
“Alright. Let’s do that.”
Surprisingly, Leonid agreed readily. Naturally, it went without saying that he would accompany her on every walk.
Murmuring her thanks, Johanna gazed listlessly at the trees shedding their leaves, which had lost their vibrant green.
The wind was cold.
Winter was coming.
* * *
The next evening, her heat finally broke out.
Of all times, it happened when Leonid was away. Unable to ignore his piled-up work completely, he had gone to the office for a while.
Johanna lay curled up on the bed, still shackled with handcuffs and ankle restraints, groaning in pain. Though Nella and Griselda were beside her, being Betas, they were of no help.
What Johanna needed now was either a suppressant or an Alpha’s pheromones. However, Leonid didn’t allow her to take suppressants, leaving her no choice but to endure the full brunt of it, endlessly waiting for his return.
“Hngh…”
A suppressed moan escaped her tightly pressed lips. Her breathing grew heavier, and it felt as if the heat would melt her mind. Uncontrolled pheromones spilled out endlessly, and arousal began to erode her reason.
