The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 41
Today had been exhausting, but thanks to this exhibition, she could regain some energy, even if only a little. Especially 《Lovers Dragged to the Afterlife,》 the impression left by this sculpture, she wished it would linger for a long time.
So Johanna subtly hinted that she wanted to leave this place soon. Fortunately, this time, Leonid was more cooperative with her. He looked down at Johanna, raised an eyebrow, then turned to James Kestner and spoke.
“Unfortunately, we must leave now. My fiancée seems eager to be alone with me. Isn’t that right, Johanna?”
Johanna.
The moment he called her name so tenderly, a name allowed only in close company, Johanna’s world shook as if struck by an earthquake. She tried to calm her mind, but her heart’s tremors wouldn’t stop. She stared up at him blankly, and he prodded her with a sweet, poisonous smile.
Johanna knew that what was offered to her was a poisoned apple. If she took even a bite unknowingly, it would lead to death… But the temptation was so fatal.
“Yes… Leonid.”
Johanna called out his name as if spitting out her heart. Was that right, or should she have called him “Marquis”? A million thoughts raced through her mind. As she looked up at him, her eyelids quivering, Leonid twisted the corner of his lips slightly before adding a natural smile.
“Yes, let’s go.”
He gave Kestner a final glance, then gently wrapped his arm around Johanna’s shoulders and slowly led her away.
Her back burned from the glares following them. Johanna was certain that James Kestner would soon investigate her personal details.
It wasn’t just Kestner. Others who had been watching them from a distance would also be curious about Johanna. Gossip was inevitable.
As soon as they left the opera house, Leonid quickly placed Johanna in his carriage. Although many eyes were watching, only Johanna could feel the uncomfortable and fierce tension flowing between them.
Once the door closed and they were alone, Leonid, as if he had never escorted her kindly, threw Johanna aside and sat opposite her, crossing his legs and popping a new candy into his mouth.
Johanna could only stare blankly at the yellow lollipop still in her hand. The carriage soon started moving, and silence filled the enclosed space.
It felt like a very thick, towering wall stood between them. The earlier pretense of familiarity seemed like a dream. However, more than bitterness, she felt a profound sense of emptiness.
It was just as she unconsciously brought the candy to her mouth that Leonid’s cold voice shot through the silence like a sharp arrow.
“Miss Lucerne, you need to improve your acting skills. If you act so stiffly like earlier, who would believe we’re about to be married? If you don’t do it right, we will be found out quickly.”
The emotions that could be read in his scolding eyes were irritation, contempt, and annoyance. There was not a hint of anything positive.
She already knew he wasn’t friendly towards her. So, it wasn’t something that should hurt now, but her heart still stung as if pricked by thorns. Johanna unconsciously rubbed her chest and responded to his earlier words.
“It’s still awkward for me. I’ll try harder to get better at it…”
“Your tone is too stiff. Fix that first.”
“…Yes. I’ll try to be more conscious of it and change… it.”
“And the names, call me by my name in front of others. It’s more natural that way.”
As she silently nodded, Leonid looked at her disapprovingly before turning his gaze to the window. Johanna kept fidgeting, constantly checking his reactions. It felt like sitting on pins and needles.
“Your father boarded a cruise ship, I heard.”
“…That’s,”
She reflexively wanted to ask how he knew, but closed her mouth. It was the Marquis of Neubitz, after all. It would be strange if someone with his resources didn’t know. She bit her lips nervously as a sharp question followed.
“Did you know? Did you hear from your father?”
“No, not from my father… I heard it from someone I know.”
“Someone you know?”
With the hyper-dominant alpha’s imposing pressure, his persistent questioning made her nerves tighten. Johanna rubbed her sweaty palms against her skirt and opened her mouth to speak.
“It’s a… friend of my father.”
It was a lie that slipped out, as she didn’t want to reveal anything about Ilian Rediess. …Would it have been better to tell the truth? She lifted her bowed head and glanced at him, only to meet his sunset-colored eyes directly. Johanna quickly averted her gaze.
“Is that friend a man?”
“Why are you asking…?”
“Because it’s suspicious.”
Uncrossing his legs, he straightened up and folded his arms. His gaze held not an ounce of affection.
