The Survival Strategy of the Contract Duchess - Chapter 45

What bothered Sasha most about Elina’s smug comments was the mention of a contract. And maybe one more thing. The fact that the Empress was standing at her side.

Three days had passed since the visit to the palace. The days weren’t exactly dull, but they weren’t entirely comfortable either. Sasha still felt like a guest drifting through the Ignote estate. There were people who threatened her peace, and most of all, Kyler wasn’t there.

She had gone to the gathering prepared to stand strong, but things had ended in such a vague, unsatisfying way. She didn’t know what kind of person Elina truly was, but she knew one thing clearly—the Empress was dangerous. The fact that she still hadn’t let go of Kyler made that even more unsettling.

“Rose, tell me more about how the estate is managed. I want to help with the household work.”

“Lady Sasha…”

It had been three days since Kyler left, and now Sasha finally spoke with renewed energy. Rose, seated at a small desk doing paperwork, smiled faintly when she heard her voice.

“Do you think you’ll be able to handle it?”

“No.”

Sasha answered immediately and clearly. Rose had been unsure whether to say something at first, uncertain about how serious Sasha was. But hearing that blunt honesty made her pause and smile again.

“Not right away. If it were something I could do in a day, you would have handed it over already, wouldn’t you?”

Sasha’s words echoed exactly what Rose had been thinking, and Rose lifted one corner of her lips.

Sasha could seem effortlessly cool, sometimes even aloof. But that relaxed energy didn’t make her seem irresponsible. In fact, it made Rose think Sasha just might be capable of handling things properly.

“Rose, I finished reading this. It says we don’t even know how much funding the territory has. But doesn’t it make sense to move forward with the plaza renovation?”

The document Sasha held outlined the need to renovate the central plaza. But instead of focusing on the importance of the project or the estimated cost, the report mostly expressed concern about whether the budget could cover it.

A town plaza was one of the most important public spaces. It was not only a gathering place for locals but also the first thing visitors would see.

If it was truly necessary, then it had to be done. Rose had classified the request for Kyler’s final approval.

“You’re doing well, but do you plan to keep going?”

Rose asked gently. She didn’t want to discourage Sasha’s newfound enthusiasm, but she knew starting a new job always came with a burst of energy that needed to be paced.

“I want to continue as long as I’m not getting in the way. It’s not like I’m taking up space, right?”

“This estate has more than enough space. And you’re looking into things thoroughly. You’re doing very well.”

At Rose’s praise, Sasha’s shoulders lifted slightly. She just wanted to be useful. Kyler had given her his name, shared his food, looked at her with strong eyes, and warmed her with his hands. She wanted to return even a small part of that.

“Alright, then next—”

“Lady Sasha! The Duke is arriving!”

Just as she reached for the next document, Pavon’s voice rang out. She jumped in surprise, almost getting a paper cut in the process. She scrambled to the wardrobe. It wasn’t the time to worry about clothes, but it had been a while since she had seen him.

Her hands hesitated over the clothes. She suddenly felt shy. In the end, she gave up picking and went out as she was.

At the front gates, Kyler had just dismounted and was checking his men and their equipment one last time.

“Sasha, I’m back.”

Sasha felt her eyes sting unexpectedly. He looked perfectly fine on the outside, but she knew the mission must not have been easy.

She walked toward him slowly. Kyler, who had been waiting for her to come within reach, pulled her tightly into his arms like a hunter catching prey.

“Did everything go well? Are you hurt?”

She had wanted to ask so many things, but in the end, only those two questions came out.

Kyler looked down at her expressionlessly, but his answer came clearly.

“I’m back safely. I’m not hurt at all, so don’t worry.”

His firm voice and reassuring words made everything inside her feel lighter. The cloud that had been hanging over her lifted in an instant.

They stood side by side, and then Kyler began to walk. They didn’t hold hands, nor did she cling to his arm, but Sasha naturally matched his pace as if they had walked together like this for a long time.

“Was everything alright?”

“Of course. Nothing happened at all.”

“Nothing happened to me either.”

Kyler kept asking if she was truly alright, and reassured her again and again that he was too. He probably didn’t know how to explain things gently, so this was his way of showing care.

Soon, they stopped by his room to change into something more comfortable. Then they headed together to his office. Kyler seemed ready to catch up on everything Pavon and Rose had managed while he was away.

Sitting across from each other at the desk, Sasha joined him. She felt a little guilty making him dive right into work after returning, so she decided to stay and help. She might fall asleep while doing it or take a break when needed, but for now, she wanted to be beside him.

As Sasha sat with lingering worries in her mind, she happened to look up. And there he was.

His broad shoulders were firm and strong, his body built with solid muscle. Yet sitting there at the desk, he didn’t look like a soldier. With his composed posture and neat appearance, he looked more like a scholar.

“Are you sure you don’t need rest? I can handle things for a while if you want.”

Her words came from genuine concern. Even if he showed no signs of exhaustion, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was truly alright. It hadn’t been long since he had confessed how hard things had been. He had not yet fully recovered, and now he had already been sent out again. She worried deeply about the burden on his heart.

Kyler looked up from the documents he had been reviewing and met Sasha’s eyes.

“I’m truly fine.”

It was strange, but his words weren’t a lie.

Usually, after returning from a monster subjugation, he would be quiet and heavy-hearted for a while. That kind of work always left a weight on him.

There had been times when he had to kill people, although not often. He had told her that war was the most dreadful and terrifying thing, and he had already experienced it firsthand.

Even when a war ends with a victor, it never truly ends peacefully for the winner. Taking lives, one after another, only made it feel like he was crossing a river he could never return from. It was like walking into hell.

And even though monsters were not people, it still felt the same.

They were living beings. They moved and reacted, and killing them carried the same kind of weight. Even if he tried to think of them as livestock, it didn’t change the feeling. No one slaughters that many living creatures until the ground is soaked with blood and comes away unaffected.

“I see. I’m glad to hear that.”

Still, the moment he returned home and saw Sasha, something in him truly felt better. That part was real.

The duchy had not changed, yet something about it felt different.

She had seen him off with that face when he left, and now she had come running out to welcome him home. A quiet smile spread across his lips.

Beautiful. That was the word that came to mind. Looking at her made that word feel right. He had never felt that way looking at the Empress or Lady Elina. In truth, he had never felt that way about any woman. But this one woman felt like she held light inside her, quietly shining.

“I feel lucky to have you here. I think the reason I’m alright right now is because of you.”

“Duke…”

He spoke his feelings honestly.

It took courage to say those things directly while looking at her face. He ended up speaking more slowly than usual, one word at a time.

Even though it sounded like a clumsy confession, when he saw her cheeks turn red and her eyes shift shyly, he couldn’t help but smile too.

“And how about you, Sasha? Was everything alright while I was away? I know this place is usually quiet, but still.”

Kyler asked again, this time from a place of genuine interest.

It was different from how he had asked the staff about the estate. This wasn’t about the building or the grounds. He wanted to know how she had spent her days, what her daily life had been like.

But now, Sasha hesitated. Just moments ago she had said everything was fine, but now the words didn’t come easily. Kyler noticed the change and furrowed his brow. Before he could ask again, she smiled gently and reached for his hand.

“Nothing serious happened. The Empress invited me to the palace, so I went.”

Sasha had planned to stay quiet and forget the whole thing, but she changed her mind.

“The Empress.”

Just saying the title was enough to reveal how angry he already was.

Whether there had been a reason or not, Kyler’s anger was clearly aimed at her. Sasha considered whether she should explain more and then decided to continue.

“Lady Elina was there. So were the four young ladies I invited here before. Lada, Rosehill, Aisy, and Picolla. And Lady Elina brought up the topic of a contract.”

“A contract.”

His voice turned sharp. Even so, since she had chosen to talk about it, she couldn’t lie now. She held his hand more firmly and gave him a reassuring smile.

“Come on, who am I? I’m the Duchess of Ignote. I made things clear. I told them exactly who I am. I told them there’s no contract, that there never was anything like that between us. They all saw what you did for me that day. I’m sure they understand now.”

Support