The Survival Strategy of the Contract Duchess - Chapter 24

“Yes. I do enjoy looking at dresses.”

Even Rose, who always seemed so practical and reserved, had a personal interest. In modern terms, she might be called a “dress enthusiast.”

Sasha held back a laugh at the thought. She stood up and walked over to the dress rack. Without much thought, she picked one and slipped into the changing room.

One of the staff members quickly followed her inside. The dress was not something Sasha could easily wear on her own, unlike the simple clothes she was used to. With the staff member’s help, she managed to put it on properly.

“Lady Sasha?”

Seeing that Sasha had already begun trying on dresses, it seemed she was ready to indulge Rose and the Madam’s excitement.

“My goodness, how bold. What do we do if every dress ends up suiting you, Rose?”

The Madam raised her voice in delight and kept her eyes fixed on the fitting room door, clearly impressed.

Rose couldn’t take her eyes off it either. She was surprised that Sasha had accepted her interest so easily, and even more surprised that Sasha was willing to play along with it.

“I’m coming out.”

And with that, Sasha’s journey to find the dress that suited her best had begun.

Kyler returned late from his outing. He felt slightly rushed but still took the time to wash up first, change into his nightwear, and then head straight to her room.

“Your Grace.”

Rose was standing in front of Sasha’s door. Although she looked tired, it was clear she had been waiting for him.

Kyler’s face turned serious immediately.

“What happened?”

Something was clearly wrong. Otherwise, Rose wouldn’t be waiting like this.

But why was she standing outside Sasha’s room and not his own?

Her hesitation made him uneasy. Rose bit her lower lip once and then gave a small bow.

“Lady Sasha has decided to attend the social gathering.”

Ah, that. He had hidden all the invitation letters related to it, but it seemed Rose had mentioned it anyway. Perhaps she felt this one couldn’t be left out. In truth, Rose was more knowledgeable about that world than he was, so he had left the decision in her hands.

And Sasha had made the choice herself.

There was nothing to object to. He had promised to respect her decisions, and his role now was to support her.

“Today, I went with Lady Sasha to the boutique.”

He let out a soft hum. So far, there was nothing unusual. Dresses were important for women at events and gatherings. There was nothing to worry about in that.

“We left after lunch and returned just before dinner. She tried on a very large number of dresses.”

For some reason, Rose was speaking unusually slowly. The way she avoided getting to the point made him suspicious. As he continued watching her, she gave an awkward smile and finally spoke again.

“Lady Sasha is probably very tired today. I feel bad bringing this up, but… if possible, I suggest that both of you sleep in your own rooms tonight.”

Kyler didn’t respond right away. He just stared at her in silence, not fully understanding what she meant.

He furrowed his brow slightly, trying to make sense of her request. Then suddenly, it clicked.

“I see.”

He finally understood what Rose was trying to say.

Was this the reason Rose thought Sasha was losing weight?

He had been worried that something serious might have happened, but now he realized it was more about concern for Sasha’s well-being. Rose wouldn’t have said this if it were just ordinary fatigue.

“There’s nothing to worry about. I won’t push her.”

Only then did Rose glance up to study his expression. Kyler gave her a small smile.

“You were brave to stop me. I can see that your relationship with the duchess has improved if you’re willing to speak to me like this.”

Just as Rose and Sasha had grown closer, Kyler and Sasha had also spent time together. If Sasha had shown even the slightest hesitation, he would have noticed.

“Whatever impression you had of me before… it’s fine. I’ll respect her condition.”

Kyler smiled slightly and stepped past Rose, reaching for Sasha’s door handle.

Once he had made up his mind to enter, there was nothing Rose could do to stop him. She could only hope that he would take Sasha’s condition into consideration.

Rose gave a quiet bow behind him, then turned to head down the stairs. She, too, was exhausted. She needed to rest so she could face the next day with enough strength.

Kyler opened the door and stepped into the bedroom, where only a few candle flames flickered softly in the darkness.

He now understood why Rose had tried to stop him. From the bed, he could already hear the soft, steady rhythm of breathing.

He moved carefully across the floor and walked toward the bed. Sasha was sound asleep, completely unaware. The gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed made her look peaceful and beautiful.

“If you sleep this deeply, there’s really nothing I can do.”

Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. He just stood there, quietly watching her.

Eventually, Kyler climbed into the bed and lay down beside her. Her face was right in front of his, her breath brushing gently against his skin.

Just looking at her didn’t feel like enough. Slowly, he reached out and traced the line of her face with his fingers. He moved carefully, not wanting to disturb her sleep. As his hand moved along her features, she smiled faintly, even though her eyes remained closed.

Maybe she could feel the warmth near her. Her small body shifted slightly and moved closer to him.

Seeing that made something stir in his chest. It was a strange, quiet ache.

Kyler hesitated for a moment but then pulled her gently into his arms.

As he embraced her carefully, Sasha moved again. It seemed like she was half-awake. She nestled against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Sasha?”

There was no answer, but she didn’t need to be fully awake to seek warmth.

They hadn’t argued that day, and she had been exhausted. Compared to how tense he had felt earlier, holding her now made all of that tension disappear.

As he stroked her hair, Kyler closed his eyes. With her in his arms, sharing warmth and silence, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Sasha opened her eyes and immediately sensed something unusual.

She remembered that Kyler had come home late, and she had fallen asleep early because she was so tired. She had things to take care of today, so she had gone to bed feeling slightly rushed.

But this feeling now was familiar. It was the sensation of waking up in Kyler’s arms.

Her whole body felt trapped in place, wrapped tightly in his arms and legs. She couldn’t move at all. There was only one person who could hold her like this, so she knew exactly who it was. That part wasn’t the problem.

What surprised her more was that nothing hurt. Her body didn’t feel sore at all.

She tried to shift gently to get out of his arms, but the moment she moved, his arm tightened around her.

Was there really no way to escape this man’s embrace without waking him?

A strange sense of challenge began to rise in her.

It did seem impossible. With how closely they were tangled together, she probably couldn’t even move without waking him.

“Are you awake?”

She spoke quietly, but her voice was rough and low. The first part of her sentence barely came out as a whisper. Kyler laughed softly.

Was he laughing at how ridiculous her voice sounded? Embarrassed, Sasha tried to push him away, but Kyler suddenly pulled her closer and lowered his head.

He kissed her lightly.

“Oh.”

“Good morning. Your voice is just like mine.”

His voice was also low and rough, and his lips were still close to hers.

When Sasha let out a soft laugh as if to get back at him, Kyler smiled again and kissed her once more. This time, the kiss was deeper and lasted longer.

“Mmm… hey, why are you doing this so early in the morning?”

Flustered, Sasha barely managed to escape his lips to ask her question. Kyler responded by gently pulling her head against his chest.

She could hear the sound of his heartbeat clearly through his chest. It was loud and steady.

“Do you know what this means? I read that this sound… is something people call love. But I don’t know yet if that’s true.”

The heart is supposed to beat nonstop if you’re alive. It can’t be too fast or too slow. But when it starts pounding like this, you can’t help but wonder if something is wrong.

She remembered reading in a book that love could be recognized through the heart. That your heartbeat would change when you were near someone you loved.

“Well, I’ve heard that too. They say your heart beats faster when you’re near the person you love. So does this mean… you really like me? My heart isn’t racing. I’m not even startled. So is this sound really for me?”

She had never thought about it that way before. But Kyler’s heartbeat was strong and intense.

She also knew there were times when her own heart raced because of him. That was how she could recognize what this was. This wasn’t ordinary.

The sound of his heart, beating so clearly while he held her, made her feel something warm. If that sound really was for her, then it made her incredibly happy. It made her wish, even if just for a moment, that he could truly be hers.

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