The Survival Strategy of the Contract Duchess - Chapter 54

“Lady Sasha, the sun is really strong right now. If you stay out here much longer, your skin might get burned and start to hurt.”

Connie stepped past the boxwood hedge and gently spoke to Sasha.

Sasha, who had been lying down with her arm over her eyes, shifted slightly at Connie’s voice. She had clearly been awake, but she didn’t respond right away.

“If you want to stay out here a bit longer, I can at least set up some shade for you. Just give me a moment.”

Sasha still said nothing. Connie was about to go and bring something when she heard a voice.

“Let’s go inside, Connie.”

Sasha sat up and spoke in a calm, clear tone. It was obvious she hadn’t been sleeping at all. Surprised by her sudden movement, Connie quickly gathered the teaware from the table and hurried after her.

“The sun’s going down soon anyway. Did something happen today?”

Connie asked softly as she followed behind.

Sasha paused for a moment and looked up at the mansion. Even from the back, the four-story building looked magnificent.

“I learned something today. I realized that sometimes, worrying about someone might not actually help them. I guess I was trying to accept that, just sitting there thinking.”

Her voice was softer than expected, and she let out a quiet sigh.

Connie nodded but didn’t completely understand.

“Caring about someone is a good thing, but I guess it can feel confusing sometimes.”

Sasha felt a bit dizzy, like her head was spinning. She tried to sort through her thoughts.

“The Duke is away from the mansion a lot. So when he returns, he has a lot of work piled up. Maybe he feels like others are doing his job for him. That might be part of it.”

Connie’s explanation made sense. Sasha had thought she was helping, but she realized now she hadn’t really seen things from his side.

“I thought I was giving him a chance to rest, something good for him. But I never considered how he would actually feel about that. I just assumed he would be glad to take a break.”

Sasha walked slowly as she spoke, thinking aloud. Connie felt proud, thinking maybe her words had helped Sasha reach a new understanding.

As Sasha picked up her pace, Connie bit her lip, smiled shyly, and walked faster to keep up.

Just moments ago, Sasha had seemed so still and tired. Now she moved with energy, stepping quickly back into the mansion.

Sasha headed straight for the office, where she expected Kyler to be. She knocked on the door.

There was no answer. But since he usually didn’t respond, she waited a few seconds before opening it.

“Oh.”

He wasn’t there.

After the banquet, he had seemed busy with documents, so she had assumed he had a lot to do. Maybe she had been wrong.

It was just an empty office, but for some reason, the space felt deeply empty. He had to be somewhere nearby, yet the moment felt strangely hollow.

“Sasha.”

That voice came from behind her. It was the one she had been searching for.

She turned quickly. She had rushed ahead because she was afraid of that emptiness becoming something more. She moved fast, hoping to fill the gap before it could grow deeper.

“Kyler.”

Saying his name still felt a little unfamiliar. But calling his name while looking at him brought a warm, soft feeling she really liked.

“I have something to tell you.”

“Me too.”

After a day apart, they stood face to face and looked into each other’s eyes. Just seeing him again made her smile. She realized how much time they had wasted being apart.

Kyler took her hand and led her to the top of the mansion.

He said he wanted to show her something. They walked up the stairs, step by step. At first, his stride was long and steady, but when he noticed her walking behind him, he slowed down and shortened his steps. It made the climb easier.

On the fourth floor, there was a long, open space. It looked like it had once been used as storage, built along the roofline.

“Wow, I had no idea this place existed. It feels so open and refreshing.”

It was just a storage space, but the surprising part was how high the ceiling was. Even Kyler could stand comfortably. The slanted ceiling followed the roofline, and the far wall was lined with windows.

The windows weren’t very large, but they were wide and let in a cool, open breeze.

“What do you think?”

Kyler had come into the room first to check the view. Then, stepping aside as if to present it, he gestured for her to come in. Standing beside him, Sasha looked around the space, her eyes naturally drawn to the long horizontal windows and the clear blue sky stretching endlessly beyond them. She couldn’t help but admire it.

He took her hand and led her further inside. In the center of the long room, a large window opened out to the sky, and in front of it was a long, comfortable-looking sofa.

“This place… I didn’t expect it to be so open. It’s kind of amazing. Even though the room isn’t decorated, it still feels clean and peaceful. It’s not fancy, but it feels cozy. And the view is beautiful too.”

As Sasha expressed her happiness in so many ways, Kyler felt a sense of relief settle in his chest. Her reaction brought a quiet peace to his heart.

He sat down on the sofa and looked up at her. Even with just a small gesture, she could tell what he wanted.

“I talked to Rose about what happened between us. It made me think again about how you might have felt.”

Sasha listened closely. This, to her, was the most important part of their relationship—being able to talk honestly with one another.

“You told Rose everything?” she asked in a gentle voice.

Kyler opened his mouth to answer, but then paused and hesitated.

“Was that wrong? If it was, I won’t say anything to her again.”

Sasha immediately understood the misunderstanding and gave him a soft smile to ease his tension.

“No, it’s not like that. You don’t seem like someone who would open up easily. But talking about something and asking for advice takes courage too.”

Her voice was kind, and her words made Kyler nod thoughtfully.

“I knew you were aware I had work to do. But I kept telling you to rest because I wanted to see it with my own eyes. I knew there were things you had to take care of, and things you’d do afterward. Still, I just wanted you to stop working quickly, rest right away, and do what I asked.”

Now that he had shown courage in opening up, it was Sasha’s turn to do the same. It didn’t even feel like a difficult step anymore. What mattered now was admitting what she had misunderstood, apologizing for it, and moving forward together.

What mattered most to her was keeping their relationship strong and honest.

“I have something to say about that too.”

When she said that, Kyler turned his attention back to her and continued.

“I’ve never explained my situation to anyone. I always thought it was enough just to do my job. It was something already decided, so I didn’t feel the need to explain it. I talk to the knights during missions, but I never speak to them about things like this. So, this kind of conversation felt completely unfamiliar.”

Sasha paused. She realized she had felt the same way. When you have no one to share things with, you forget how important it is to live a life where things are shared.

Her heart beat faster at the thought. She didn’t want to waste time regretting what hadn’t been done before. Even the time they were spending right now, working through things together, felt valuable.

“When I’m home, I always feel like I should be working. So when I’m not out, I try to go through all the paperwork myself. I thought you wanted me to rest, so I worked quickly, just focusing on what needed to be done right away, so I could rest with you after.”

He spoke slowly, taking his time. Each word felt sincere, and Sasha took in every syllable, letting them sink into her heart.

“I rushed too much. I really wanted you to rest right away…”

She trailed off, but Kyler reached out and gently took her hand. He often touched her, held her, ran his hands across her skin, but this time felt different. There was a quiet tenderness in the way he held her now.

“I thought resting immediately was the best thing for you. So I pushed for it, not realizing that I was putting pressure on you. I didn’t even see it as pressure at the time.”

Sitting in front of him, trying to express herself clearly, her voice trembled slightly. But as always, Kyler listened with calm, steady attention. The tension in his lips slowly eased into a soft curve.

“When you return from a packed schedule, I want to make sure you don’t get pulled into meaningless events. I want to help you finish everything you need to do at home, so you can actually rest.”

Kyler listened quietly and nodded, accepting her words with the same calm and care he always gave her.

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