The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 201
* * *
Hermia was determined to remove Johanna from Leonid’s side, no matter the means. However, for now, it was impossible—Leonid had Johanna confined, closely monitoring her every move.
One day, if Leonid’s vigilance eased, that would be her opportunity, and Hermia was patiently waiting for that moment to arrive. Yet…
“Josephine…”
Sitting on her living room sofa, she was reading a newly arrived letter. Shocked by its contents, that name escaped her lips like a sigh.
“To think she would do something like this. It’s nothing short of insulting the Elderique family. I thought she was a child who knew how to maintain her dignity.”
Hermia tossed the letter onto the table, shaking her head in disappointment. She picked up her teacup, savoring a sip of the warm tea, the delicate aroma spreading through her mouth.
‘So, Johanna isn’t infertile after all.’
Coincidentally, Leonid’s rut cycle had recently passed. Hermia considered the possibility that Johanna, having been with him during that period, might be pregnant. If so, it would be more practical to postpone discarding her and secure Leonid’s heir first.
Hermia planned to keep Josephine’s actions a secret from Duke Elderique and the rest of the family. The bond between the Babenhausen and Elderique families shouldn’t be strained by the actions of a single wayward individual.
‘I’ll need to search for another dominant omega to be Leonid’s mate.’
This time, it would have to be someone flawless, pure, and of noble lineage, worthy of the position of Duchess of Elderique.
Although she had once cared for Josephine, Hermia now saw this incident as a fortunate outcome. Josephine’s actions had shown her unfit to be the mistress of the Elderique household, and Hermia was relieved that impurities could be filtered out so effectively.
* * *
Despite sending more than ten letters to Hermia pleading for help, every single one was ignored. Inside the carriage heading to the countryside, Josephine clenched her skirt tightly, fighting back tears.
‘How could she do this to me? After all the years I dedicated to her…’
Hermia had completely abandoned her. Josephine was overwhelmed with frustration and resentment; the thought of being locked in a convent for the rest of her life drove her to the edge.
‘Did I do it solely for my own gain? It was Hermia who incited me first! And now she just…’
Oblivious to Josephine’s despair, the carriage rattled on until it reached its destination. Josephine stepped down, rubbing her sore back, seething with hatred for her father’s petty cruelty in sending her on such an uncomfortable, low-grade carriage instead of arranging a train ticket.
Glancing around, she found herself surrounded by endless fields of wheat. There wasn’t even a modest town square or bustling street—just farmland stretching in all directions.
…She loathed it. The very thought of being here made her want to die. But the worst part wasn’t just that she was in the countryside.
“You must be Lady Josephine of the House of Babenhausen? Pleasure to meet you.”
A priest in his mid-thirties greeted her with a handshake, his hands still smudged with soil, as though he had just come from tending a vegetable patch. Josephine grimaced, shook his hand perfunctorily, and quickly withdrew.
“The facilities here are well-maintained, so you should find your stay reasonably comfortable.”
Josephine followed the priest through the monastery’s main gate, and as expected, instead of a garden, there was a sprawling vegetable field, emitting a foul stench that made her wince. Flies buzzed incessantly around the area.
“Lady Josephine of Babenhausen… or rather, Sister Josephine from now on. Your room will be on the third floor of the west annex.”
The monastery had three buildings: the main hall with the chapel, prayer rooms, and dining area; the west annex used as dormitories; and the east annex, which served as a shelter for local children and orphans.
All the buildings were worn and cracked in places, raising doubts about their safety. As she entered the west annex, a musty odor filled the air. Josephine gritted her teeth, enduring the torment without complaint.
“This is the room where Sister Josephine will stay.”
Her room was at the very end of the third-floor hallway, the only one left available, they said. With a heavy sigh, she opened the door to find a cramped space that barely accommodated a small bed, a desk, and a chair.
“……”
“The furniture is a bit worn, but still usable. The bedding has been freshly washed by the sisters, though you’ll need to handle the laundry yourself from now on.”
“I have to… do it myself?”
“Yes, all bedding and clothing must be washed by hand. There’s a well in the backyard of the west annex. Or, if you walk about ten minutes, you’ll find a river…”
Josephine’s head buzzed, and the priest’s voice became faint. She was reeling in shock. Was she really expected to live in this shabby room for the rest of her life, without anyone to attend to her?
