The Contract Wife Tries to Leave - Chapter 84
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The man was accustomed to blood and murder.
His life was steeped in the stench of death. From a childhood he could hardly remember, he had never feared violence—neither the kind inflicted upon him by others nor the kind he himself wielded against others.
There was anger there, perhaps, but never fear.
He was that kind of monster.
“Philipp Lucerne… what’s he up to now?”
He asked, giving a nudge with the tip of his shoe to the corpse at his feet. It was a man who had tried to embezzle money after betraying the organization. There were many like him. No matter how many he killed, more always seemed to crawl out from somewhere, like cockroaches.
So the man learned early on that humans are creatures of betrayal.
“He’s been drinking himself silly at a tavern on Neuendorf Street, right after a visit to the cemetery. Not sure where he got the money, but the guy’s nuts.”
His subordinate’s caustic comment made Ilian chuckle softly. He kicked the corpse sprawled on the ground, flipping it over to see its face. The eyes were still wide open, not yet closed in death.
“Close its eyes.”
“Yes, sir.”
At his command, the subordinate reached out with a gloved hand and gently shut the dead man’s eyelids. The dead gave no thanks.
“You seemed to like this one quite a bit…”
“Yeah… I suppose I did.”
With a dispassionate gaze fixed on the corpse, Ilian pulled out a cigar and placed it between his lips. His subordinate quickly stepped forward to light it for him. As Ilian took a deep drag and exhaled, thick smoke billowed from his mouth.
He had never formed an attachment to another person. Nor had he ever been obsessed. At most, he might take a passing interest, but never more than that.
But lately…
A faint smile appeared on his lips as he recalled those emerald-green eyes, blazing with anger.
That toy amused him. It also annoyed him. Perhaps he should have dragged her in from the start, sinking his teeth into her nape and pulling her close.
If he had, by now, he would have seen that pretty face twisted in utter despair.
“…Hah…”
A dull ache was building in his loins. He had been plagued with inexplicable frustration for days. No matter how many perfect Omegas he embraced, it didn’t satisfy him.
“Should’ve brought her in after all.”
“Pardon?”
“Even if I get bored after a few times, she still seems like a delicacy.”
He wasn’t talking about food, obviously. Ilian’s subordinate could only nod awkwardly.
“Send Nastasha to Philipp Lucerne.”
“Sorry? Nastasha?”
“Yes. But have her come to me first. I’ll explain to her personally what needs to be done.”
“Ah… understood.”
Nastasha was a female spy within their organization, a dominant Omega. She was also a magical responder, able to use a power called “Allure,” which mixed pheromones with magic.
Sending someone like Nastasha to someone like Philipp Lucerne… What exactly was he planning?
The subordinate scratched his neck and gave Ilian a quick bow before leaving. Whatever it was, his job was to follow orders.
* * *
“Hey, you got money to pay for all this booze?”
The tavern owner, who had been watching Philipp closely for the past hour, approached him with a sneer.
Philipp, already drunk and struggling to keep his eyes open, gave a sloppy grin as he looked at the man.
“Oh, of course, I’ve got it. My daughter’s coming to pay.”
“And who might your daughter be?”
“My daughter, she married into the nobility… to the Marquis of… hick, Noivitz!”
“He’s lost his mind, hasn’t he…”
The owner clicked his tongue as he eyed Philipp with disdain. It was obvious—this guy was broke and putting on airs. If he passed out, the owner planned to toss him into a corner of the kitchen. He’d have to sober up before working off his tab.
Shaking his head in frustration, the owner was just about to walk away from the drunk when suddenly—
Ding-a-ling. The door to the tavern opened with a chime.
“Welcome!” he called out instinctively, turning around. But the words caught in his throat as he froze with wide eyes.
A stunning beauty had walked in—someone who seemed to have no reason to visit a shabby tavern like this.
She glided towards them, moving as gracefully as a cat. Every pair of eyes in the tavern was drawn to her. When her gaze met the owner’s, her red lips curved into a smooth, alluring smile. He stared at her, utterly entranced.
To his surprise, the beauty sat down right next to Philipp and flashed him a sweet smile. Philipp, not understanding the situation, blinked in confusion. The woman leaned closer, whispering in a honeyed voice.
“I’m feeling lonely today. Let’s drink together, shall we?”
“Huh? Uh… Umm…”
“Is that okay with you?”
As the thick scent of a dominant Omega wafted over him, Philipp flinched and stiffened. What the…? Is she hitting on me? Why?
Even as he thought something was suspicious, he strangely couldn’t take his eyes off the woman. Under the soft lighting, her sparkling eyes seemed to enchant him.
“Well, uh…”
“I’ll buy the drinks. My name is Tasha. And you, sir?”
“Philipp…”
“Great, Philipp. Let’s drink until we lose our senses tonight.”
Tasha winked charmingly. Philipp stared at her blankly, then nodded like a man under a spell.
The more he met her gaze, talked with her, and inhaled her pheromones, the more the pain of his wife’s death and the worries of life that had tormented him gradually faded away.
Before he knew it, Philipp had forgotten even why he had come to this tavern. He just listened to the woman’s smooth, flowing words and grinned foolishly.
