The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 205
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Jacques Fischer was dismissed from the Weimar estate. Though he claimed Josephine had threatened him, it was an inevitable outcome after he tampered with the health report.
Upon her return, Victoria immediately took care of her piled-up tasks and then went to examine Johanna that afternoon. Only then did she discover that Johanna was being confined, a realization that left her utterly stunned.
“I’m sorry, Johanna… I don’t think I can be of any help. I really don’t understand why Marquis is going to such lengths. Alphas do have a strong instinct to monopolize omegas, but still…”
“It’s fine. It’s not your fault, so don’t worry.”
It was the first time in over two weeks that Leonid, who had kept himself secluded within the mansion, had ventured out. Still deeply distrustful of Johanna, he left her shackled in handcuffs and leg irons. Victoria looked at Johanna’s resigned expression with a gaze full of silent dismay.
“…So, you’ve been marked by Marquis? During the rut…?”
Victoria asked in a troubled voice, and Johanna silently nodded. Had she met Victoria at the time, she might have broken down, clinging to her and pleading for help. But now, her emotions had calmed significantly. The despair from the forced marking lingered within her like a quiet, persistent melancholy.
“That marking… You didn’t want it, did you? Marquis Neubitz forced it on you…”
“Yes.”
“…I’m sorry. I feel like it’s my fault. I never should have dragged you into this. My unnecessary meddling…”
“No need to apologize. I don’t see it that way.”
“Even so…”
Victoria lowered her head, unable to meet Johanna’s eyes, repeating her apologies over and over. Johanna, too weary to summon the strength to reassure her friend, simply patted Victoria’s shoulder in silent acceptance.
Victoria then checked if Johanna might be pregnant. While waiting for the results, she asked if Johanna had noticed any unusual signs in her body. Johanna quietly shook her head. There was nothing. Not a single thing.
Not long after, the test results came in.
“…There’s no signs of pregnancy.”
“……”
She had somehow anticipated this outcome, so it didn’t stir any emotion within her. Victoria, assuming Johanna might be disappointed, poured out unnecessary words of consolation.
“It might just be too early for the test to show anything… Let’s try again later. Don’t think about it too urgently.”
“Yes…”
Somehow, she felt destined to be forever apart from him. No matter how many tests she took, wouldn’t the result always be the same? Johanna no longer held any expectations about pregnancy.
“For the next four weeks at least, let’s be cautious and keep observing. I’ll speak to the marquis on your behalf as well.”
“Thank you.”
“Make sure you’re eating well, resting properly… If there’s anything you need me to help with, just let me know.”
Help…
Johanna mulled over that word, watching Victoria as she packed up her things.
What she truly desired was freedom—the freedom to leave this place. To do that, she needed to meet Hermia, but right now, there was no way to make it happen. On top of that, being marked by Leonid posed another issue. She pondered how she could break the bond. She had once heard about it, though her memory was hazy.
As she deliberated, she subtly asked Victoria, who was packing up her medical bag.
“By any chance, do you know how one could break a mark?”
Victoria froze, her gaze turning to Johanna with a startled look, as though flustered by the question. After a hesitant pause, she carefully responded.
“There…is a way, but… it’s not something I’d recommend.”
“What is it?”
“…It involves forming a new bond with another alpha. Essentially, you overwrite one mark with another. If you become bonded with a new alpha, the previous mark becomes nullified.”
Hearing this, Johanna’s expression went blank.
Being with another alpha…?
The image popped into her mind, and a wave of nausea hit her. It was an instinctive rejection. As an omega already marked by Leonid, it meant that her body naturally rejected any other alpha.
“Ugh…”
“A-Are you alright?”
Victoria gently rubbed Johanna’s back as she gagged and covered her mouth, attempting to stifle the waves of nausea. Only after a moment did Johanna feel stable enough to take a sip of water that Nella had brought to her. Though she sensed Nella’s worried gaze, she averted her eyes, refusing to acknowledge the offered sympathy. After all, neither Nella nor Griselda were truly on her side.
The conversation she had just shared with Victoria would surely reach Leonid’s ears as well. The mere thought of his potential reaction already made her feel exhausted.
“Trying to be with another alpha while already marked… it’s supposed to feel unbelievably horrid. I’ve even heard that, in the worst cases, it can drive someone to madness. So don’t ever attempt anything like that.”
Johanna could feel the genuine concern in Victoria’s voice. She nodded to convey that it would never come to that.
“I have no desire to, and it’s impossible anyway. Just imagining it makes me want to throw up…”
“…That’s completely normal when you’re marked. Trying to break it forcefully would only cause severe stress.”
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. Her entire life, her very existence, felt as if it was wholly mortgaged to Leonid Neuvitz.
If she couldn’t find a way to escape, she would live like this forever. And then, at some inevitable point, when she had outlived her usefulness…
That’s when she would be discarded. Like an old, broken object.
