The Survival Strategy of the Contract Duchess - Chapter 58

While Sasha was distracted, the conversation among the young women came to an end. The topic of monsters faded away. Even when she tried to listen again, all she could hear was typical gossip, like which noble lady had fallen in love with whom or who was considered the most handsome among the young noblemen.

Of course, why would young ladies be interested in monsters? They probably did not know much about them anyway.

If Sasha wanted to know more, she realized she would have to investigate it herself.

The only people she knew to be connected to monsters were Kyler, sitting across from her, and her current body’s father, the Marquis of Ibern.

She had just told herself that the past did not matter, but now this strange mix of words and connections was stuck in her mind. As she frowned slightly, Kyler’s face twitched a little, and Sasha let out a quiet laugh.

So Kyler does not like asparagus.

“You should eat that too. It tastes fine if you eat it with the meat.”

She spoke like a mother gently scolding a child who was being picky with side dishes. Kyler stared at his plate for a moment, then stabbed both asparagus and meat with his fork and put them into his mouth.

The way he usually handled his fork and knife with such grace made his irritated stab at the asparagus look somewhat endearing.

Sasha decided she should focus on him for now. If she was truly curious later, the questions would return. She could think about them again when the time came.

She did not want to stir up anything unnecessarily or create a problem that would put him in a difficult position.

“Thank you for the meal.”

“You’re finished already?”

“What do you mean already? I cleared the entire plate you ordered for me.”

When she answered, Kyler looked down at the empty dish in front of him and quietly let out a sound of surprise. Sasha giggled softly and glanced at the vegetables still left on his fork.

“You still look a bit hungry. Should we order more?”

But Kyler shook his head. He finished chewing his last bite, swallowed it, and gently placed his fork down. As he quietly chewed, his eyes stayed fixed on Sasha. His steady gaze made her look away first.

That was when her eyes fell on the folded piece of paper on the table. It was the date plan the maids had put together with much care.

“Where are we going next? I think it’s written here. The food was so good that I’m looking forward to the next stop.”

Although it seemed like he was just going along with the plan, Kyler was surprisingly engaged. His eyes were already looking at the paper. They had not promised to follow the entire schedule, but the places were chosen based on the maids’ ideal romantic settings, so they were probably well-known date spots.

Wanting to meet his expectations, Sasha unfolded the paper. What she found was unexpected.

“Uhalin Forest?”

“A forest?”

Kyler repeated her words when Sasha read them aloud. She started to wonder if it was a place they were not supposed to visit.

When she looked at him with curiosity, he sat still for a moment before gently shaking his head.

“Uhalin Forest is located beneath the mountain range to the northwest. If we step out of the restaurant and look straight ahead, you’ll see the mountains. If you follow the lower part of the ridgeline with your eyes, that is where the forest lies.”

Sasha remembered seeing it on the map before. There was a mountain range that separated the Ibern and Ignote territories, and below that was the forest. Beyond the forest was the capital.

“I heard there is a beautiful stream flowing through the area and a small pavilion nearby where people can rest.”

It was exactly the kind of place young women would love. To Kyler, it might just be trees and dirt, but to her it sounded peaceful.

She looked at him carefully, unsure how he felt about it, but he only stared back at her without any particular expression. She wondered if it was all right to suggest going.

Sasha had been looking forward to it just a little, so she felt nervous.

“Shall we go, then?”

“What?”

“That paper has today’s date plan, right? Let’s go. To Uhalin Forest.”

He smiled brightly as he looked at her. That smile alone made Sasha feel like the entire trip into the city had already been worth it.

“Did you just see that? Wow, he is so handsome.”

“What is it? What happened?”

“I saw it too. He looks amazing. If someone looks like that, he must really be a duke, right? But then again, would a duke really smile like that?”

Sasha was not the only one taken by Kyler’s smile. The girls who had been chatting earlier began squealing in hushed voices again.

Honestly, it was understandable. If someone happened to see a face like his at a restaurant, this kind of reaction was only natural.

“Let’s go, then.”

Sasha answered him with a bright smile and stood up. When Kyler moved, she could feel the stir of excitement from the girls at the other table.

As they walked past, Sasha quietly reached out and took his hand. His large hand completely wrapped around hers, giving her a sense of comfort and stability.

More surprised reactions came from behind them. Sasha, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, tilted her head slightly to hide her face beneath it, but she could still feel the attention on them. She silently hoped he would not pull his hand away.

At that very moment, Kyler suddenly stopped walking.

Sasha’s heart began to race. Had he really decided to let go?

But instead, he turned back to face her. He looked down at their hands, then gave a slight smile and gently pulled her hand toward him.

She took one step, then another, following his lead. After that, he let go.

She thought maybe he felt it was inappropriate to hold hands in public. That idea passed through her mind just as she heard soft giggles behind her.

“Ah.”

“Oh my.”

This time, the surprised voices from the young women were not mocking but filled with genuine shock. Kyler had wrapped his arm around Sasha’s shoulder with the hand that had just let go of hers. His strong arm held her close as they began walking again at a calm pace.

“Did you see that just now? That was Duke Ignote.”

“I thought I was imagining it. But it’s really him, isn’t it?”

Excited murmurs and gasps came from behind. Sasha felt a bit embarrassed that something so small could make her feel happy, but she couldn’t help it. Something good is simply good, after all.

“Having you hold my hand first felt really nice.”

And then he added such a sweet comment that even she thought he didn’t seem like the Duke Ignote everyone knew.

“We’re on a date, after all. Right?”

When she looked up at him shyly, he smiled at her with warmth.

The two of them walked closely side by side through the busy street. There were people who recognized him, but no one approached them carelessly. Most just bowed slightly when their eyes met and then continued on their way.

It was probably because they saw him walking so gently beside a woman.

Still, neither Sasha nor Kyler seemed to care about the attention. They simply continued their walk. Sasha, however, had been worrying about it before they left the restaurant.

She had been anxious about how others would view her. As the lady of Ignote, someone known for her position, dignity, and swordsmanship, she wondered if people would accept her. She had feared they might see her as unworthy.

If she had still been just a lady of the Marquis’ estate, she would not have been this nervous. If someone greeted her, she could have returned the greeting with confidence and grace.

“Get in the carriage. Walking all the way to the forest would be a bit too much.”

She had been lost in thought and hadn’t noticed that they had already returned to the carriage. Kyler offered his hand, and she stepped in with his escort. Soon, she heard the horses start moving. The large carriage shook only a little at first, then settled into a smooth ride.

“Uhalin Forest… is this dress alright for the forest?”

She had never been to a forest before. While the dress she wore wasn’t so extravagant as to be uncomfortable, its full skirt still worried her. What if the fabric caught on a branch and tore?

“I haven’t been there myself. But the entrance to the forest has a well-maintained path. The stream is farther in, but you won’t need to worry about your dress.”

That was a relief. The maids who cared so much about appearance would not have overlooked something like that. Feeling reassured, Sasha turned her gaze out the window.

She enjoyed the sight of the busy town, filled with people moving about. Being so close to the capital, the city felt very active and alive.

It seemed like the kind of place where one could live an ordinary life without any connection to magic or monsters. If she let her thoughts drift, it almost felt like she had time-traveled to a forgotten kingdom in a history book.

But once the topic of monsters came up, the illusion faded. It reminded her that this was a different world, one she had only read about in books.

Even when she learned that Kyler dealt with monsters, it hadn’t fully sunk in. But hearing others talk about it, and realizing that the rumors had even reached her family, made it all feel more real.

Maybe that was why it had shocked her so much. A matter she thought only related to Kyler was now brushing up against her own story.

“Are you sure you’re not overworking yourself just to make time for this? You must have a lot to take care of.”

Sasha expressed her concern gently, but Kyler showed no sign of hesitation.

“I’m not so busy that I can’t spare a single day. You don’t need to worry.”

She wasn’t fully convinced but gave a small nod. After all, she knew he usually led a life so full of duties that he rarely had time for anything else.

“If I want to spend more time with you like this, I’ll just have to work even harder.”

His words ended with a soft smile that seemed so natural now. Watching that handsome smile, Sasha smiled back without even thinking.

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