The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 44
Leonid’s personal secretary had reserved seats in the balcony, offering a perfect view of the stage directly below. It was the best spot for watching the performance, while also providing some privacy.
Johanna settled gently onto the plush sofa, which was so comfortable she felt she might fall asleep. Behind her, thick velvet curtains hung, and the walls on either side enclosed the space. The only open view was straight ahead.
Some people seemed shamelessly interested in others, glancing back at them repeatedly from their seats. They whispered among themselves, and it was all too clear what they were probably talking about.
After a while, the entire auditorium darkened like night, with a single beam of light illuminating the stage.
The overture began, starting with a gentle violin that gradually grew into a majestic symphony as other instruments joined in harmony.
The actor on stage opened their mouth to sing. Johanna raised the opera glasses to her eyes, focusing intently on the performance.
* * *
Pathetically, she ended up crying.
Even after the play ended, Johanna was still busy wiping away her tears with a handkerchief. She worried that her makeup might be ruined. Taking a small mirror out of her handbag to check her reflection, she was relieved to see that she looked fine.
“What on earth made you cry?”
Leonid, sitting beside her with his legs crossed, looked at Johanna as if he had seen something truly bizarre. Johanna met his gaze with an expression of disbelief. What do you mean, why was it sad…? The protagonist suffered and died in the end. Isn’t it natural to feel sad?
“It was a tragedy…”
“That’s an outdated story that was popular 150 years ago.”
“W-Well, it’s what we call a classic.”
When Johanna retorted without thinking, one of Leonid’s eyebrows arched upward. Realizing her slip, Johanna quickly adjusted her demeanor.
“I thought you were just a coward, but you can talk back?”
“I’m not a coward…”
“Then why do you always shrink away like that? You’re always like that in front of me.”
Johanna could only open her mouth without being able to respond immediately. The reason she was weak in front of him was because she liked him. As long as she didn’t let go of this feeling, she would always be at a disadvantage.
But knowing that revealing even a hint of her feelings would lead to disaster, she crafted a plausible lie.
“I’m… the subordinate in this contract. It’s only natural to be mindful of my employer.”
Leonid nodded absentmindedly, without any particular thought crossing his mind. It was an easy agreement, as if he had never bothered to think deeply about Johanna from the start.
“If you’re ready, let’s get going. I don’t want to waste more than ten minutes here.”
He stood up first, casting a cold, unfeeling gaze down at Johanna.
They had just stepped out from the balcony seating when they noticed someone leaning against the hallway wall. It was a handsome man with a striking appearance. As he saw them, he approached with a blooming smile, radiating warmth.
“Marquis Neubitz!”
At the same time, a dizzyingly strong pheromone wafted over them. The man was an Omega, and judging by the intensity of the pheromone, he was clearly a dominant one.
“It’s been such a long time! I thought you’d lost interest in the opera… And you’re not here alone today, I see…”
“Get rid of those pheromones. What do you think you’re doing, being so vulgar?”
Leonid’s icy voice cut through to the handsome man who had been eyeing Johanna. Even though he was directly hit by the dominant Omega’s pheromones, Leonid’s expression was one of sheer disgust rather than excitement.
“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s almost my heat… I’ve been having trouble controlling it lately.”
“If you’re having trouble controlling it, you shouldn’t be wandering around.”
“J-Just now, it was because of you… That’s the only reason…”
Those words were a roundabout way of expressing affection, and even Johanna, who was seeing this handsome man for the first time, could pick up on it. There was no way Leonid, the one directly involved, wouldn’t notice. However, his attitude toward someone expressing interest in him was utterly cold and heartless.
“Viscount Bantwood, do you think I’m a joke?”
“What? No, I…”
“I thought I told you not to approach me with filthy intentions.”
“That’s not it, not filthy intentions…”
“Even if I need a rut partner, it won’t be you. If I’ve told you more than ten times, you should get it by now.”
Leonid spoke with an air of intimidation, causing Viscount Bantwood to recoil and step back. His complexion turned pale, and the wounded emotions welled up in his eyes like tears. The Omega, who had just been mercilessly humiliated by the Alpha he liked, had reddened eyes.
