The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 37
Chapter 2
Leaving Ilian Rediess’ building, Johanna walked aimlessly down the street.
‘My father on a cruise ship… Where did he get the money for that?’
Her father was the type to squander any money he got at the gambling den. She had assumed that he would have foolishly spent all the money he borrowed too.
Did he still have money left?
Or… did he borrow more from somewhere else?
“…Ha.”
A sigh escaped her lips. Johanna stopped walking and pressed her fingertips against her throbbing temples.
After standing there with her eyes closed for a few seconds… she looked around and found herself in the middle of a bustling street.
When did she get here? She must have been completely lost in thought.
‘Get a grip.’
Johanna slapped her cheeks lightly with both hands and tried to determine the direction back home. It was too dangerous for an omega to hail a carriage alone, so walking was the best option. It would take about 40 minutes.
‘How great would it be if there was something like teleportation…’
Magical engineering had seen explosive advancements over the past fifty years, but a spell for instant long-distance travel had yet to be invented. Such things only existed in theories.
Johanna dragged her heavy legs slowly. She stopped in front of the opera house, where a large banner promoting an exhibition caught her eye.
‘The ill-fated kingdom of Thracia, artifacts of the last royal family, the Deles dynasty…’
It was an exhibition that piqued her interest. Even better, the entrance fee was not too expensive. Forgetting her fatigue, Johanna stared at the banner before finally taking out her wallet to count her spare money. …It seemed affordable. Spending this much should be fine…
However, as she bought the ticket, she was plagued by an inexplicable sense of unease. Was it because it had been so long since she indulged in such spending? She felt like she was doing something wrong and like someone who was recklessly spending money.
But exhibitions like this were hard to come by. It would be several years before she’d have another chance. Convincing herself it was a reasonable choice, she entered the exhibition hall.
The entry line was shorter than expected, likely because it was a weekday afternoon. Johanna began her visit by carefully reviewing the history of the Deles dynasty.
“The decline of the kingdom of Thracia was precipitated by a massive volcanic eruption, but the decisive factor in the kingdom’s fall was the invasion by a pirate coalition that appeared intermittently from around 1430 to 1511…”
A curator was providing clear and detailed explanations nearby. Listening to the pleasant voice, Johanna wandered through the exhibition until she suddenly stopped in front of a large marble sculpture.
‘Wow…’
Though it was an inanimate sculpture, it felt incredibly lifelike. The expression on the face, the subtle image of the muscles, the fine strands of hair, and every fold in the clothing were meticulously carved, making it a masterpiece.
Johanna was so absorbed in the sculpture that she didn’t notice someone bumping into her shoulder. She only snapped out of her fantasy when a dull pain shot through her shoulder blade.
“Ah…!”
“Ouch! My shoulder!”
The man who had bumped into her exaggeratedly cried out in pain. Startled, Johanna blinked rapidly and looked at him. Her shoulder throbbed as if it were bruised.
“Hey, you should watch where you’re going! Ugh, my shoulder. It just healed from an injury!”
‘What kind of person is this…?’
Was this what people called a self-injury scam? It was clear that this man had bumped into her while she was just standing there. Yet he had the audacity to be angry, leaving her utterly bewildered.
“I was just standing here, and you were the one who bumped into me, sir.”
When Johanna pointed this out, the man became even more irate.
“No! Why were you standing in a place where you could be bumped into?”
Judging by his luxurious tailored suit, the man seemed to be of the upper class or at least of a comparable status.
For someone of his status to deliberately bump into a young woman and cause a scene, there could only be one reason.
He must have thought she was an easy target because of her looks.
“Enough. I demand compensation. What’s your name?”
His eyes roved over her in a thoroughly unpleasant manner. She realized she had been sensing faint alpha pheromones from him for a while now. He was definitely doing it on purpose.
Sure enough, the man stepped closer with a sly grin and asked,
“You’re an omega, aren’t you?”
