The Survival Strategy of the Contract Duchess - Chapter 43

The argument between the two finally settled down. When Elina stopped shouting, Sasha also fell quiet and turned her attention to the cookies in front of her, quietly sampling each one.

An awkward silence followed. The young ladies around the table didn’t dare speak freely in front of the Marchioness or the Empress. With a subtle tension still lingering between them and the Duchess, they simply sipped their tea and watched carefully.

“I should go now. With the Duke away, the estate is unattended. Take care, ladies. I hope we meet again soon.”

Sasha broke the silence. She had been worrying about the duchy, where Kyler was no longer present. Though the staff were likely used to managing without a master, and though she did not yet fully see herself as the mistress of the house, she still felt responsible for returning.

As Sasha smiled, the Empress returned a painted, composed smile. The tension never fully lifted, and the count’s daughters cautiously offered Sasha their farewells.

“Elina, take care on your way back.”

Sasha also left a polite word for Elina. With an air of something unspoken still hanging between them, Sasha was the first to leave.

The soft click of the door closing left behind a silence that seemed to echo.

“They looked so close before, didn’t they?”

Picolla leaned in and whispered to Aisy. Her words, clearly in reference to Elina’s earlier accusations, made Aisy widen her eyes. She glanced at Lada and Rosehill.

There was no way Elina had missed that comment in such a quiet room. She let out a long sigh.

“Lady Elina?”

The Empress, unsure of Elina’s reaction, addressed her gently with concern in her voice. The other young ladies, seated together nearby, began to glance their way.

“It’s alright, Your Majesty. Thank you. After everything she put me through, she seems to have recovered well. Her face is glowing, and she looks much better now.”

The Empress lightly patted Elina on the shoulder. Even if she didn’t fully understand the meaning behind Elina’s words, she sensed a shift in the mood. The young ladies’ attention began to turn more in their direction.

“Back when she stayed at our home, she was so ill she was barely recognizable. And her temper was just unbearable.”

Elina, who only minutes earlier had shouted at the Duchess, now wore a pitiful expression as she gently clutched her chest and spoke in a soft voice.

The sudden change in tone and demeanor left the young ladies confused. If she was talking about someone being sick, she must have meant Sasha. But Sasha had seemed so gentle and calm. Could she really have behaved that way because of illness?

“I wondered why the Marquess of Ivern, who is known for being so kind, acted the way he did. That explains it.”

The Empress added her thoughts with a nod. The girls exchanged glances, quietly processing what they had just heard.

When rumors had spread that the future Duchess of Ignote was the hidden first daughter of the Marquess of Ivern, many had already been curious.

The Marquess had a reputation for being warm and compassionate. Although his serious face might appear cold, he was known for listening well and treating others with patience.

His daughter, Lady Elina, was also known for her beauty and gentle nature. Her behavior toward Sasha earlier had been surprising, but if Sasha had truly been unwell and difficult at the time, the pieces seemed to fit together.

As Elina sat nearby with her head lowered and her expression sorrowful, the Empress studied her quietly.

She had been disappointed earlier when Elina came across too forcefully. She had begun to wonder if Elina was even the right person to challenge someone like Sasha, who remained so composed. For a moment, she had regretted backing her.

But after Sasha left, and one casual comment from one of the young ladies cast doubt, the mood changed completely.

The reputation of the Marquess and his daughter had already laid the foundation. All Elina had to do was lean into it. Midienna looked around at them with a slightly conflicted expression.

“I think it’s time for the rest of you to return as well. Lady Elina, I will speak with you a little longer before you go.”

The four young ladies looked at one another, then began to rise from their seats. Even as they stepped out, they glanced back at the Empress with warmth in their eyes, watching her stand protectively behind Elina.

They walked quietly down the long corridor, and none of them spoke. Only their footsteps echoed softly. Finally, Picolla murmured in a daze.

“I did hear she had been sick. And people do change when they’re unwell.”

At that, Aisy turned to her in alarm.

“Picolla, what are you saying?”

Aisy’s wide eyes reflected her concern. Agreeing with Elina’s words meant accepting that Sasha had mistreated her, and that she had somehow manipulated Duke Kyler into taking a position that was meant for Elina. Even implying such things cast suspicion on everything Sasha had done.

The girls walking ahead turned their heads slightly, clearly listening in. Aisy nudged Picolla gently on the shoulder, trying to signal her.

“Think about it. Why would Duke Kyler choose her unless he had to? Lady Elina is so beautiful.”

But unaware of how the mood had shifted, Picolla spoke in a voice filled with certainty.

Lada, still walking ahead, suddenly turned around sharply and spoke as if confronting her.

“Didn’t you see Lady Sasha at the duchy? We all saw how kind and graceful she was that day.”

As both Lada and Rosehill looked at her, Picolla immediately felt attacked and straightened her shoulders with defiance.

“What do we really know about her? Lady Elina has always been well known in high society. Her beauty and character are praised everywhere. If we have to trust one of them, wouldn’t it make more sense to trust Elina?”

“That might be true, but still…”

Aisy hesitated, her brows furrowing. She looked conflicted, caught between both sides.

“I believe in what I saw. If you had seen how confidently she stood before the Empress, you wouldn’t be doubting her now.”

Rosehill stepped in to support Lada. But Picolla pressed her lips together, unwilling to back down.

“She said it herself. That she didn’t have anything to offer, so why would there be a contract? But that just raises the question. Why would Duke Kyler choose someone so weak, someone who couldn’t help him in any way, over someone like Lady Elina?”

“Are you saying the Duke would marry someone just because she begged him to?”

The three of them had stopped in the middle of the hallway inside the Empress’s palace, caught in a tense exchange. Aisy stood awkwardly in the middle, unsure where to stand or what to say.

“So, what now? Are you both getting mad at me just because I’m not siding with her?”

Picolla suddenly sounded hurt. To her, it felt like the others had picked a side, choosing someone they barely knew over her.

“We’re not angry. But the truth matters. If the wrong story spreads, what do you think will happen to Duchess Sasha?”

“I just don’t get why you’re defending her so strongly. How well do you even know her? It feels like you’ve been coached or something.”

“Picolla…”

Aisy tried to calm her, but the words were already out. Rosehill and Lada frowned at the accusation.

“Then how well do you know Lady Elina? Do you have proof that she’s as good as everyone says she is?”

They hadn’t meant for it to turn into sides, but that’s how it ended up. Somehow, their conversation had shifted into sharp tension they couldn’t undo.

“The way she acted toward Duchess Sasha earlier… don’t you think that showed her true nature?”

“Lada, you too? I felt the same. A lady known for being gentle wouldn’t shout like that at someone who supposedly mistreated her.”

With Rosehill joining in, Picolla began to feel like her argument was collapsing. Her confidence wavered as her words lost strength.

“And the Empress was sitting right beside her. That’s what bothers me the most.”

Rosehill added this last line with care, lowering her voice and making sure no one else was nearby. But even then, the others looked startled at the boldness of her words.

“Well, if you think about it, this is all centered around Duke Kyler. Between Lady Elina and Duchess Sasha, we can’t be sure who’s telling the truth. But compared to the Empress, isn’t Duchess Sasha the more trustworthy one?”

Even Picolla had to nod at that. She couldn’t argue when it came to the Empress.

Their argument faded into silence. The wide hallway became quiet again, and the four young ladies started walking once more.

The sound of their footsteps echoed softly, each one filled with a shared desire to get away from the palace as quickly as possible.

Outside, the carriages were lined up, each one waiting patiently for its passenger. The sound of horses snorting and hooves tapping against stone filled the air. The young ladies gave each other quiet farewells and climbed into their carriages without another word.

As the horses trotted off, the sound of hooves filled the space in front of the Empress’s residence, calm and steady, as if nothing had happened at all.

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