The Survival Strategy of the Contract Duchess - Chapter 20

“Bring me another dress. How can this be all I have?”

Elina’s sharp voice rang out from her room, having been raised for quite some time. Two maids rushed in and out, doing their best to meet her demands.

Elina, her golden hair in complete disarray, kept tearing through the pile of dresses that had taken over her bed.

“Elina, what on earth is going on? You haven’t even eaten lunch today.”

The Marchioness of Ivern peeked through the door, concern showing on her face.

“Mother, can’t you see? I’m choosing a dress.”

Elina snapped back, even more irritated after realizing the dresses brought to her were not what she wanted. The Marchioness stepped inside and began lifting each dress from the bed, examining them carefully.

“This one was just bought last month. And this one hasn’t even been worn yet.”

Even the ones tossed aside were all fairly new, some of them never worn at all.

“That doesn’t matter. I need something for this event that will stand out but not look like I am trying too hard.”

Elina looked tense, biting down on her thumb as she waited for the maids to return with more dresses.

“Why are you tearing through everything like this? Elina, you’re so beautiful. You have a lovely face and gorgeous hair. Everything looks good on you.”

The Marchioness gently stroked her daughter’s golden hair, trying to soothe her. Elina, overwhelmed by her nerves and frustration, finally paused. She took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror.

“Mother, I’m picking something to wear to the social gathering hosted by Her Majesty the Empress. All the daughters of dukes, marquises, and counts will be there. I can’t just show up in anything.”

She leaned into her mother’s shoulder and rubbed her head against her affectionately, trying to calm herself while also asking for comfort.

This event was nothing like the casual meetups of teenage noble girls. It was a formal gathering regularly attended by the Empress, where not only young noble ladies but also high-ranking noblewomen were present.

The Marchioness pressed her lips together as she watched Elina rush to the maids, who had returned with more dresses.

Because noblewomen would also be there, it was almost certain that she would be there too. The girl the Duke of Ignote had taken as his wife after stopping by to request supplies during a monster hunting expedition.

That was the real reason Elina had been so on edge. She knew that girl would be attending.

Elina had never lost to her before. She had always taken pride in being the daughter of a marquis and held great confidence in her own beauty.

When the Duke visited the Ivern estate, Elina had been quietly hopeful. Rumors had been going around that the Emperor himself was urging the Duke to marry.

Since the Duke had no fiancée, speculation ran wild about who would become his bride.

Every young noble lady wished it would be her. Some went to great lengths just to pass by him or be noticed.

“Mother, it’s him. The Duke. He came to our house.”

When she learned that the man who had arrived to request urgent support for supplies was none other than the Duke of Ignote, Elina had nearly burst with excitement.

She quickly called her maid Salette, changed into a beautiful dress, let down her hair, and applied soft makeup. She followed the Duke throughout the estate, practically acting like she was already the lady of the house.

At the time, she had been thrilled. She believed her beauty, combined with her gracious behavior toward the Duke and his knights, had surely made an impression.

“People don’t say it, but everyone is desperate for this chance. I must be the lucky one. No, it must be fate. I’m meant to be the Duchess.”

After showing the Duke to his guest room, Elina had taken her mother’s hands and said those words with shining eyes full of excitement.

The desire and confidence in her gaze had been unmistakable.

But everything changed overnight.

“No, not this one either. What about this? Still not right.”

As she tried on dress after dress with the help of the maids, the Marchioness watched silently and shook her head. Her heart felt heavy.

It might have been easier if the Duke had chosen someone from a completely unrelated family. If the Duchess had come from a house with no connection to theirs, it would not have hurt this much.

“I will take the young lady of House Ivern as my wife.”

When the Duke of Ignote spoke those words, Elina could not hide her excitement. The Marchioness had known how much her daughter had longed to hear them.

The Marquis, standing beside them, had nudged her subtly and maintained a dignified posture while listening to the Duke.

“As you could see, our Elina is not only beautiful, but also contributes meaningfully to the household. She would make a perfect duchess.”

The proud expression on the Marchioness of Ivern’s face was something she still remembered vividly. But in the next moment, the Duke said something no one had expected.

“This house must have more than one young lady. The one who guided me to my room cannot be the only daughter here.”

“I beg your pardon?”

That was when a strange tension began to settle in the room. They should have realized then that something was going wrong.

Of course, even if they had noticed it at that moment, it would not have changed the outcome.

“Sasha. The eldest daughter who lives on the top floor of this estate. The one I have chosen as my wife is Sasha Ivern. When I return, I will send a formal proposal. Please understand this.”

The moment her name was spoken, the Marquis and Marchioness froze. Before they could even respond or deny her presence, the Duke had already made his decision clear.

The Marquis regained his senses first and moved to speak, giving a glance to his wife. The Marchioness understood immediately. They had to be careful. There were still ears listening outside, like the maids and Elina herself. Only after ensuring the maids were dismissed and that Elina had been taken away by Charlotte did they return to the room.

The Duke stood still, his expression calm. The Marquis sat opposite him with a nervous look. As the Marchioness sat down beside him, the Marquis began to speak.

They brought up every possible reason why Sasha should not be a suitable bride. They had raised her as someone hidden, someone meant to be invisible. To acknowledge her now was impossible in their eyes.

Despite their emotional arguments, the Duke remained unmoved. The Marchioness joined her husband in trying to persuade him, thinking their combined words might make a difference.

When they finished speaking, the Duke stayed silent for a long time. Since he didn’t firmly reject their claims, the Marquis and Marchioness believed they had a chance. They thought he might be reconsidering. Encouraged by that hope, they started promoting Elina more confidently.

Elina was the daughter they had prepared for greatness. If she could not marry the Emperor, then she would marry the Duke. If not the Duke, there were still eligible men from royal families in neighboring kingdoms. They would not allow her to marry beneath their rank.

This was the best match they could have hoped for. They could not afford to lose this opportunity.

“Good. What you have said has made things very clear for me.”

The Duke of Ignote was tall, with broad shoulders and a strong, striking face. He was the kind of man people admired and desired. That made him even harder to let go.

When he spoke as if he had reconsidered, the Marquis and Marchioness became filled with hope. Their hearts raced as they waited for his next words.

“Sasha will leave with us when we depart. I had intended to ask her parents for permission, thinking it was proper. But since you do not consider her your daughter, then from the moment she steps out of this house, she will bear the name of Ignote.”

Their hopes collapsed instantly.

They had not only lost the chance to call him son-in-law, but also lost the daughter they had treated as if she did not exist.

“What is going on? This dress doesn’t fit. Charlotte, have I gained weight?”

A frustrated shout rang out from behind the partition. Charlotte bit her lip and walked toward Elina as the Marchioness let out a deep sigh.

“Sweetheart, why don’t we just buy a new dress, alright?”

The Marchioness tried to calm her down, but Elina was already too upset to listen.

“That’s not the problem, Mother. Have I gotten uglier? Why is there not a single dress that feels right?”

With a pout on her face, Elina pulled off the dress she was wearing and threw it aside.

The Marchioness stood from her seat and began picking through the mess of discarded dresses.

In the end, there was no one who could stop him.

Sasha had not asked for new clothes. She had not requested anything. She prepared to leave without help from anyone.

The night before the Duke was scheduled to depart, the Marchioness, feeling unsettled, stepped outside for some air. That was when she saw Sasha in the small clearing behind the house, burning something.

She realized then that Sasha was getting ready to leave everything behind completely. Watching her in that moment made the Marchioness feel as if her heart was freezing.

Sasha was burning everything she could not take with her. There were clothes, even shoes. Judging from the simple outfit she wore the next day, it was clear she had burned everything except what she would wear when she left.

She erased all signs of her presence.

The Duke of Ignote helped Sasha into his carriage and quietly left the estate without once looking back.

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