The Survival Strategy of the Contract Duchess - Chapter 34

Uh… Rose? You really don’t have to take it that seriously…

“Hmm, I don’t think we should go all out just yet.”

Rose, who had been burning with energy, widened her eyes and looked at Sasha. She stared at her as if she couldn’t believe Sasha wasn’t planning to go all-in for a party hosted by the Duchess herself.

“I haven’t even decided who I should keep close or stay away from. If we make it too grand, won’t people start bragging that they were invited to the Duchess Ignote’s first party?”

This name wasn’t truly mine. I couldn’t use it recklessly. If I was going to use the Ignote name, it had to be for something that would help him.

At Sasha’s cautious tone, Rose pursed her lips slightly, almost without realizing it.

“I understand what you mean. But I don’t think we’ll be able to stop rumors from spreading.”

“Yes, I know. That’s why I’m only inviting a few young ladies I spoke with briefly during the last gathering. Since it hasn’t been long since that event, I’ll frame it as a simple get-together.”

“Shall I prepare to start writing the invitations now?”

Rose was more aggressive than Sasha had expected. Maybe, like the younger maids, she also simply wanted to host a party.

Do women in this world really love parties this much, whether they are hosting or helping? It always seemed like such a tiring thing. Still, Sasha was relieved they were willing to help without complaint.

“We’re not preparing for a huge celebration. I want to get this done quickly while the Duke is away.”

It wasn’t about enjoying a party. It didn’t need to be grand.

“So, you plan to use it as an opportunity to meet each guest one at a time and observe carefully. I understand.”

“Exactly. If we prepare everything too lavishly, it might feel like I’m offering them some kind of favor. It’ll be tricky, but I want to keep it modest.”

Rose watched Sasha slowly close her eyes and nod as she processed her thoughts. Honestly, Rose was impressed.

Before the gathering, Sasha had only received a brief summary of which noble families might be useful or friendly, and which women might be worth approaching. But those had been vague outlines based on family reputations. There was still much to learn about the individuals themselves.

Just as Duke Kyler had said, Sasha was a noblewoman who didn’t even know proper etiquette, high-ranking noble names, or even the Emperor’s full name. At first, Rose had found this exhausting. It had felt like she was being asked to raise a child from scratch.

But over time, Sasha had shown far more intelligence than expected.

Was it sharp intuition?

Just watching her calmly eat a scone with her eyes closed gave the impression of peacefulness, but Rose couldn’t help but wonder if there was a fierce calculation going on behind those closed eyes.

She wasn’t someone who lived carefreely or without thought. Rose and Kyler were probably the only ones who had noticed that.

“Then I will go prepare the materials for the invitations right away.”

“Ah, wait. I’ll go with you.”

Sasha stood up, brushing off her skirt as she did. Rose, assuming they would just leave together, was surprised when Sasha began gathering the empty teacups, teapot, and scone plate from the table.

“Ah, you don’t need to do that. I’ll take care of those.”

“Bring what’s still left on the table. These aren’t heavy.”

“No, please, let me…”

Rose flustered, glancing between Sasha’s hands and the table. But Sasha had already turned and started walking back toward the estate. She moved lightly in her simple clothing, and Rose had missed the moment to stop her.

It was surprising how little she seemed to care about status at times. She wasn’t from a lowborn family, nor was she a working noblewoman. She was the daughter of the Marquis of Ivern, and yet sometimes it really felt like she had grown up isolated in the mountains.

“Please wait, Lady Sasha!”

Rose finally checked that nothing had been left behind on the table, then hurried after her.

The party was set for exactly one week later. Sasha had chosen the earliest possible date because she wanted to hold it while Kyler was away from the estate.

“I only invited four people. Lady Lada, Lady Rosehill, Lady Aisy, and Lady Picolla.”

Rose didn’t recognize the names immediately since they were just mentioned without titles, but after a moment she realized it was actually quite a good combination of families.

She didn’t know what had happened during the last social gathering that led Sasha to choose this particular mix of guests. But if this first group of well-chosen women could serve as a foundation, maybe the gatherings could continue successfully in the future.

“The Duke… once he leaves, there’s really no way to know how long he’ll be gone, right?”

It was the day after she had sent the invitations. As expected, there was still no word from Kyler. The staff at the Duke’s estate were used to this, but Sasha still found it difficult to get used to.

“When you first arrived, Lady Sasha, the Duke used to return more often. Normally, when he leaves, he is gone for about two or three weeks. Sometimes it can even be a full month.”

That was what they called returning often?

Now that she thought about it, each time he came back, he would hold her close for a night and disappear the next morning. It had made her feel like she had been sold off for nothing more than that kind of relationship. On the day of their wedding, she had heard the word “contract” and the only time they ever truly faced each other was in the dark, on the bed. Given her confusion at the time, it was no surprise she had misunderstood everything.

“I thought it would be best to handle this while the Duke is away, but still… it must be incredibly hard to do his kind of work while traveling.”

What kind of job required him to be away for so long? Did he really travel across the entire continent? And if so, how had he once managed to come back every three days?

As she began to worry about him, she was surprised to realize that she missed him. He had always been quiet and distant, but in her memory, he was someone gentle. That contradiction made her thoughts feel even stranger. Lost in those feelings, Sasha rose from the sofa.

Rose had been sitting with her, chatting while slicing fruit. When Sasha stood, Rose stood as well.

“Rose, is there a library in the estate? or maybe a study, somewhere with lots of books to read?”

“There is a library. The study is the Duke’s private space, so I can take you to the library instead if you like.”

Sasha nodded, and Rose immediately stepped forward to lead her. Connie followed behind them, carrying the fruit they had been eating earlier.

Meeting the young ladies was one way to gather information, but without a solid foundation, it was easy to be led astray. Sasha knew she needed to understand the basics.

Rose had given her some information before the social event, and it had been helpful. But Sasha couldn’t rely on her forever. She had often thought she should begin studying on her own.

As expected from a family as old as House Ignote, the library was massive. When the large double doors opened, a two-story space appeared before them.

It was even bigger than the Duke’s bedroom and far larger than the office where meetings were held.

“Wow…”

Sasha’s warm brown eyes sparkled as she looked around the room. Rose and Connie exchanged glances. Sasha looked completely overwhelmed in the best way, as if the library had genuinely moved her.

“Ahem. I can look around on my own from here. You two can go back to your tasks.”

Still staring up at the tall shelves, Sasha spoke without taking her eyes off the rows of books.

“Very well, Lady Sasha. Please enjoy your time. We will wait outside.”

“I didn’t know you liked books so much. I should have told you about this place earlier. If you look over there, there’s a literature section with novels and—”

“Connie, let’s give Lady Sasha some space. We’ll be outside if you need us.”

“Alright.”

Sasha didn’t turn around, but the two women gave her a respectful farewell and quietly left the library.

“She must really love that place. I don’t get it though. What’s so great about books?”

Connie spoke softly, still puzzled. Rose felt her eyes sting slightly. It felt like she could sense the heart of a child who had been thirsting for knowledge for a long time.

Just as Rose had guessed, Sasha was holding back tears. She didn’t completely understand it herself. She had never realized that she might have such a deep passion for learning. She had just been a girl who happened to enjoy reading a little.

There had been a time when she went to school and read Macbeth over and over again. The school had a public library that anyone could use. That had been the one thing that made her happy.

She had always wanted to study. But what got in the way was never things like celebrities or video games. It had always been money. Especially in high school, when it mattered most, she had been old enough to legally work.

So during the very time she should have been studying, she had to go out and earn money. If she couldn’t afford basic meals or a place to sleep, then studying and after-school lessons were useless.

In her life, survival had always come first. She had worked hard just to afford a pack of noodles or to keep a roof over her head.

And once she became an adult, even those small comforts became harder to maintain. That was why she had to fight for them early on.

After going through all of that, she had suddenly ended up in a completely unknown world with nothing but her own body. And now, standing in front of these books, all those old thoughts came rushing back.

“It’s a shame, but this isn’t the time to read for fun. Let’s see… maybe something on history.”

The library felt like a treasure vault of knowledge, carefully organized by genre. She had come here to learn about the Empire’s history. Whether the information was recent or not didn’t matter. What she needed now was something accurate and reliable, and the only way to get that was by reading what had already been written.

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