The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 55
* * *
It was around mid-April. Daniel easily passed the transfer exam for Bamberg Boarding Academy. Although the result was expected, his joy soared to the heavens. Johanna helped Daniel pack his things in preparation for enrollment.
“What’s this? A diary?”
“Oh, that’s—!”
Johanna had absentmindedly tried to open what looked like a journal, but Daniel quickly snatched it from her hands, clutching it tightly to his chest as he glared at her. It felt strange to Johanna that the brother she had practically raised had secrets from her.
“You… you can’t just go around reading other people’s things, sis.”
“Oh, right… Sorry.”
She scratched her cheek awkwardly with a sheepish smile. Come to think of it, Daniel was at that age… the age when adolescence sets in.
…Could he have a crush on someone? Who could it be? A Beta, perhaps, or an Omega? It was rare, but it could even be an Alpha. Whoever it was, Johanna would support her brother’s love, no matter what.
The packing was done in less than an hour. Daniel’s enrollment was scheduled for the very next day. Johanna bought him a fountain pen as a gift for the occasion. It was a mid-range model, perfect for students to use freely.
“Wow! I’ve wanted one of these! Thanks, sis!”
“I actually wanted to get you something nicer… but I thought it might make you uncomfortable.”
“No, this is great! I really like it.”
Daniel, holding his new fountain pen, jumped up and hugged his sister tightly around the waist. Johanna smiled as she gently patted his head. He had grown quite a bit taller.
“At this rate, your uniform is going to be too short in no time. If you need a new one, just let me know. Don’t feel like you have to keep it to yourself.”
“Okay, I will.”
The average height for an Alpha was around 186 cm. The thought of Daniel growing that tall felt strange. A young man Daniel… she couldn’t quite picture it.
Still, Daniel was growing up well, both in body and spirit.
Despite their challenging circumstances, she was proud and grateful that her brother had grown up so well without straying from the right path.
The next morning, Daniel, fully prepared, climbed into the carriage. As she saw him off, Johanna couldn’t hide her worry and earnestly reminded him,
“If anything happens, you must tell me. If someone bothers you or treats you badly…”
“I know, sis. Don’t worry.”
“And… if you happen to like someone, you can always come to me for advice.”
Feeling a bit awkward about bringing it up, she stumbled over her words. Daniel’s eyes widened before he burst into a hearty laugh.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Unless they’re as pretty as you, I doubt I’ll even notice.”
“Well… I just thought I’d mention it since you’re at that age when adolescence starts to kick in.”
“Adolescence? I don’t think that’s something I have to worry about.”
Even as he was about to leave, Daniel couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of him going through adolescence. Johanna felt slightly embarrassed, wondering if she had been meddling unnecessarily. She only wanted to be there for him, to support him if he ever faced any struggles—both as his family and as the closest adult in his life.
After seeing Daniel off, Johanna returned to her room. The room Leonid had given her was, to her surprise, the spacious master bedroom, complete with a small sitting room and a study.
Johanna approached the sofa in the sitting room and sat down. An unfinished book lay on the table. She reached out to pick it up, but suddenly a wave of emptiness washed over her, causing her to pause.
…Daniel was no longer close by. Now, she could only see him once or twice a month. The realization that she was alone in this unfamiliar mansion, with no one to turn to, hit her all at once.
She hadn’t felt anything when she bid him farewell, but now that he was out of sight, she missed Daniel terribly.
* * *
The wedding day was swiftly approaching. Johanna spent relatively peaceful days at the Weimar estate.
No one in the mansion treated her rudely or subtly looked down on her. She had expected that some of the staff might secretly ignore her as an outsider, but it turned out to be a baseless concern.
Perhaps because the master of the house himself was so notoriously prickly and sensitive, the staff were extremely careful in their behavior and always conducted themselves with the utmost courtesy.
“Lady Johanna? It’s time to wake up. I’m here to assist you in preparing for the dinner party.”
Annette’s polite call roused Johanna from her slumber. It was late afternoon, the sky painted with the hues of the setting sun.
