The Survival Strategy of the Contract Duchess - Chapter 44

The carriage carrying Sasha returned quietly to the Ignote estate. Pavon, who accompanied her only as an escort, didn’t ask any questions. He simply watched, noticing the subtle trace of worry in her otherwise calm eyes.

“Did everything go well inside?”

He had joined her in the carriage for the ride back. Before they reached the estate, he had wanted to observe her up close. No matter how well someone pretended, it was difficult to hide things completely when you were this close.

At the sound of his voice, Sasha blinked and came back to herself. Her thoughts had been drifting. She lifted her head slightly and saw Pavon, with his silver-gray hair, sitting properly across from her, still composed even inside the moving carriage.

“Yes, everything was fine. Well… yes. Nothing serious happened.”

But Pavon frowned slightly as he watched her. She said nothing was wrong, but there was something about her tone and expression that didn’t match those words.

He watched her quietly, as if trying to read her face.

“Would you mind telling me what really happened?”

His voice was calm, but gentle. Known for his formality and strength as the butler of the estate, Pavon was more than just a dignified figure. With a deep understanding of people and an ability to read the room, he supported the Duke in many ways.

Sasha hadn’t had much interaction with him until now, so he felt unfamiliar. But he didn’t come across as distant or difficult either. Maybe they had just never had the right moment to talk.

“I… it’s not that I don’t want to say anything…”

The estate was run by the elderly housekeeper and head maid. If Kyler was the name that kept the house standing, Pavon was the one who managed everything outside its walls.

Though he was older now, Pavon had once trained in combat and was even capable of sparring evenly with Kyler. He was not just a figure of discipline but also someone experienced in managing real-world affairs.

Sasha stared at him for a moment, then slowly nodded. She didn’t know exactly who he was, had never asked, and had never seen his skills herself.

But as she met his eyes, something told her she could speak honestly.

Kyler’s habit of personally checking the estate schedule, no matter how busy he was, had apparently been learned from Pavon. It made sense. Pavon was thorough, almost to a fault, and he had the kind of meticulous mindset you would expect from someone who once held political power.

“I went to see who doesn’t like me. It was more hostile than I expected, and I think that threw me off a little.”

As Sasha finally began to speak, Pavon shifted slightly, focusing completely on her.

“People around me started to get shaken up by what they heard. But it’s not like we’ve known each other for years, and when someone starts stirring things up, others get pulled in.”

Pavon’s expression hardened. While he couldn’t know exactly what happened, he could easily imagine the kind of tension she had faced.

“It would be easier just to let one thing go. I considered it… but in the end, nothing actually happened.”

Sasha’s voice grew firmer. And it was true. She hadn’t been harmed. Elina might have thrown out accusations about contracts and secrets, but none of it had turned into anything solid. Still, it wasn’t something she could completely ignore either.

“It felt like I was the main dish at a dinner, picked at and talked about. But nothing really stuck. Elina tried to come at me, but I don’t think it matters.”

Pavon didn’t know the full details, either. He seemed to want to ask more, but he held back and simply studied her face again.

“You don’t need to keep everything bottled up. The Duke has instructed me to support you however I can. That means emotionally, practically, whatever you need. So, when things feel too heavy, please talk to me.”

Pavon looked at her directly, almost as if he could see through her. Sasha wondered how the staff in this estate seemed to know her so well, as if they could read her mind.

Inside the gently rocking carriage, she felt like he was examining her carefully, trying to determine the truth of what had happened just by watching her speak.

“How do the butler and the head maid know people this well? It’s like they can read thoughts.”

Sasha felt confused, even impressed. In the middle of this strange journey, she had somehow encountered someone wise and reliable. They might not light up her entire path, but it felt certain that they could be the kind of people who offered light in the darkest corners.

“If that’s how you see it, then I’m relieved. We’ve watched and learned over many years. Inside the palace… did something happen?”

Sasha pursed her lips for a moment, then shook her head lightly.

“It wasn’t just the Empress I met in there. Elina was there too, and so were the four young ladies I had invited to the duchy not long ago. All of them sitting there together, like it had been planned. It was ridiculous.”

Sasha spoke in a low, annoyed voice, recalling what had happened. Pavon, who had expected her to be more shaken, simply listened calmly. After all, it wasn’t something directly involving him, and from that point on, it was something she had to face herself.

Still, for some reason, he felt like he wanted to help her now.

“They said I only married by contract, that I wasn’t in love, and that the Duke definitely didn’t care for me either. Elina went on and on about it.”

“That was clearly intentional. As if inviting the count’s daughters was part of a larger plan.”

“It was suspicious from the start. She just kept repeating the same things. I couldn’t sit there quietly.”

Frustration began to show clearly on Sasha’s face.

The way Elina pushed the conversation with such force, just to leave a single stain on her, was disturbing. Fortunately, Elina didn’t seem clever enough to be calculating. She had spoken out of pure emotion, not strategy.

“This probably isn’t the end of it. For someone who stays so close to the Empress, Elina handled it very clumsily. I’m sure the Empress has her own plans too. Don’t you think?”

Sasha had been rambling, but now her question was directed at Pavon.

From what she had told him, it seemed the Empress had set the stage, Elina stirred the drama, and doubts had been planted where they needed to be.

“Elina… I’m not sure she fully understands her role in all of this. I think she only realized too late how unprepared she really was. She didn’t have solid ground to stand on.”

Pavon could piece together what had happened. Elina’s overly confident behavior left him unsettled. He had a creeping feeling that something more was coming.

“The Empress… she must be watched carefully. People say she hides poison behind that delicate appearance.”

Pavon’s voice held a quiet seriousness, and the weight of his warning sank deeply into Sasha’s chest. The Empress had stood back and allowed Elina to speak freely, all while staying just far enough away to remain untouched.

She had not openly taken Elina’s side. That meant she was capable of keeping people in categories, choosing how and when to act based on what served her best.

“I think I understand now. She probably doesn’t believe in having anyone permanently on her side. She’s terrifying in her own way.”

With Elina’s emotions added to the mix, who knew what kind of chaos might unfold. This is why, Sasha thought, people feared groups of women. When they gathered, there was always a leader. And once there was a leader, the rest would often follow.

Today, Elina had clearly taken that role. And with the Empress quietly observing, the other girls were more likely to fall in line with her.

“I think we’ve arrived.”

The carriage had reached the Ignote estate. Sasha leaned slightly toward the window and took in the familiar sight of the large mansion, once again struck by its commanding presence.

The carriage slowed to a stop. Pavon stepped out first and reached up to offer his hand to Sasha.

“Thank you.”

Sasha placed her hand in his and stepped down gracefully. Pavon’s steady presence reminded her again that he truly did have the charisma to guide the duchy in Kyler’s absence, even as a butler.

The two of them walked together toward the main entrance, still holding hands from the carriage.

“You’re back, Lady Sasha.”

Waiting by the front doors was Rose, her voice calm and warm. It felt as though she had been standing there the whole time, just waiting for Sasha to return.

That image stayed with Sasha. The feeling of coming home after a long day, of someone waiting at the door just for her. In that moment, she felt again that she had been given time in this body, a physical life, a place to return to.

She would have to manage that balance carefully. All the way to the end. Whatever that end might be. What even was the end of this contract? Would there be an end for the two of them?

She licked her lips quietly and furrowed her brows.

“You haven’t eaten properly, have you? At those gatherings, young ladies often leave without even touching the desserts.”

Rose had already guessed everything. She even knew how the day must have gone.

Sasha relaxed her expression as she looked at her and allowed herself a small smile.

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