The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 56
The staff had settled on addressing Johanna as ‘Lady,’ a title that never failed to make her feel slightly embarrassed, knowing well how grand it was.
Being called ‘Miss Lucerne’ seemed more fitting to her. But considering her impending position as the Marquise, the staff had elevated her title accordingly.
“As mentioned before, the dinner party will be attended by His Grace the Duke of Elderique, the head of the household, as well as Marquis Neubitz’s mother, Lady Hermia, his father, Count Rinke, and his sisters, Lady Anora and Lady Kiara.”
Johanna nodded silently. These were all direct members of the Elderique family—Leonid’s family—but it would be her first time meeting them.
Among them, only his parents and two sisters were aware of the contract. In other words, this dinner party was a grand charade, a performance designed to deceive the elderly head of the family.
“Lady Veronica, His Grace’s second daughter, and her husband, Count Descentis, will not be attending this dinner, but I would recommend that you prepare a letter of regards to send to them. Lady Veronica is also a direct descendant of the head of the household.”
“Yes, I will do that.”
“For the head of the household, you should address him as ‘Your Grace, Duke Elderique’ unless he instructs you otherwise. If he asks you to call him ‘Grandfather,’ then you may change your address accordingly.”
“Yes.”
“Lady Hermia allows the use of her name only among close acquaintances, so you must address her as ‘Countess Rinke.’ She will likely be the most difficult to please.”
“…Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Was it just her imagination, or did Annette’s usually steady voice carry a hint of concern? Even without fully understanding, Johanna could sense that Annette’s advice was sincere.
“And as for the second daughter, Lady Anora, she married Marquis Schiller two years ago and is now known as the Marchioness Schiller. Her nature is as sharp as Lady Hermia’s, so be cautious around her.”
As Johanna nodded once more, a lady’s maid approached to adjust her attire. The high-collared blouse and the minimally adorned skirt had been chosen with the conservative Duke Elderique’s preferences in mind.
“Lastly, Lady Kiara is still unmarried… Though she can be unpredictable, she has a more agreeable temperament, so she should be easier to get along with than the others. But don’t let your guard down too much.”
As Annette finished her advice, Johanna’s preparations were also complete. She gazed into the mirror, noting how unusually vivid her teal eyes appeared today.
Though anxiety gnawed at her, she steeled herself to do her best. Answer questions well, make no mistakes… and always maintain decorum.
Thinking of Daniel, who was likely doing his best to adjust to his new school, Johanna resolved to do the same. She would give her all to fulfill her role in this contract successfully. It was the only way to ensure Daniel’s happiness.
* * *
There were seven people in attendance at the Elderique family’s regular dinner that evening.
Heinrich Buren Elderique, the Duke; his eldest daughter, Hermia—Countess Rinke; and her husband, Count Rinke.
Their two daughters, Anora and Kiara. Kiara was unmarried, and though Anora was married to Marquis Schiller, he was unable to attend tonight.
Lastly, the two individuals who could be considered the main guests of the evening—Leonid and Johanna—were the last to arrive in the dining room.
“You’re here early, Grandfather. You look well, still as strong as ever,”
Leonid remarked as he took his seat. In formal settings, he addressed Duke Elderique as ‘Grandfather’ and spoke respectfully, but when it was just family, his tone invariably became more casual.
The Duke cast a glance at his only grandson and clicked his tongue, wearing an expression that seemed to say, When will that boy ever grow up?
“And how have you been, Father, Mother?”
Leonid asked, offering a perfunctory greeting to his parents, but he completely ignored his two younger sisters. Well, he at least exchanged a glance with Kiara, but he treated Anora as if she didn’t exist. It was a familiar scene, nothing out of the ordinary.
“So, when will you introduce her?”
Hermia nodded toward Johanna, seated diagonally across from her. The young Omega, looking pale, sat uneasily as if the very seat beneath her were covered in thorns. Her delicate and graceful appearance was exactly the kind that Duke Elderique would favor.
He managed to find a granddaughter-in-law that perfectly fits Grandfather’s exacting standards. Even if she’s just a temporary, fake fiancée, Hermia thought cynically, tilting her wine glass.
“Ah, it seems I’m late with introductions,” Leonid said, gesturing toward Johanna. “This is my fiancée, Johanna Lucerne. As I mentioned in my letter, she’s a dominant Omega, and we’re a perfect match.”
When Duke Elderique raised an eyebrow, Leonid quickly added,
“I fell in love with her at first sight. I’m so in love, in fact, that I can’t wait to marry her and keep her by my side.”
He looked at Johanna with eyes full of affection, convincingly portraying a man deeply in love. His acting was impeccable.
Johanna almost found herself staring at him in disbelief, but she quickly lowered her gaze, pretending to be shy. Shame tightened her chest, and guilt pricked at her heart like needles.
