The Survival Strategy of the Contract Duchess - Chapter 63

Until the sky turned orange with the setting sun, Sasha remained seated on the terrace, sipping tea and gazing at the wooded garden of the ducal estate.

Kyler probably didn’t know how much she regretted everything. It had been her idea to go into the forest in the first place. She was the one who led him beyond the edge of the woods, closer toward the mountains.

She already felt sorry for putting him in danger, but realizing that she may have triggered one of his deepest wounds made her bite her lower lip until it was raw.

“It stings…”

She had bitten her lip again while thinking of him, and the sharp pain snapped her back to reality.

The sun was setting. Soon, another day would come to an end.

Rose had told her about Kyler’s past because she truly hoped they would make peace. Knowing that, Sasha couldn’t let another day slip by.

She stepped away from the terrace. With only one working arm, it was difficult to carry the tea set back inside, so she simply moved the tray into the room and opened the door.

Without hesitation, she left her room. She walked straight over and knocked firmly on the door next to hers.

There was no response from inside. But Sasha hadn’t expected one. She grabbed the doorknob and turned it.

She thought he would be sitting in the dark again, deep in thought like before. But as she stepped in, the fading light still shone through the windows. He wasn’t in the shadows. He was sitting quietly on the sofa, his eyes closed.

“Rose, I won’t be eating dinner. Leave me.”

He had sensed someone’s presence and spoke in a quiet voice, still with his eyes closed. But he made no effort to look at her. Sasha stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then, slowly and carefully, she walked over and sat beside him on the sofa.

Startled by the presence so close to him, Kyler’s eyes opened. The sudden light made him squint, and in that moment, he realized Sasha was sitting next to him, looking up at him.

“Sa…”

He opened his mouth to say her name but stopped. Kyler pressed his lips together and looked at her, his expression hard and unreadable. The look on his face seemed to say, why are you here?

“I’m alright. That’s what I came to tell you.”

Sasha spoke first. Her voice was firm, but her face showed how annoyed she really was. She looked anything but alright, but still, she forced the words out. Maybe she just needed to say them.

“I’m glad to hear that you’re doing better. So now, instead of staying up and wandering around at this hour, you should go get some rest…”

“Seriously? Look at me when you say that. I’m completely fine. I don’t even go outside the mansion normally, but being stuck inside my room all day? Do you know how that felt?”

She was being as honest and open as she could, yet he gave no response. Sasha frowned, clearly upset.

“I’m sorry. That day… I shouldn’t have asked you to go on a date.”

Finally, Kyler reacted. He turned to face her, his brow slightly furrowed, his expression blank.

“What do you mean? We went together. I was the one who said I wanted to spend more time with you since my duties kept getting in the way. If I could just attend fewer meetings, I thought maybe…”

His words became jumbled. It was as if he didn’t know what he was saying anymore.

“Kyler. I’m sorry. Up to the gazebo in the woods, it might have still been okay. But I’m the one who led us too close to the mountains. That’s why this happened. Isn’t this my punishment? I didn’t realize it then, but I do now. I’m really sorry.”

Punishment wasn’t the right word. Kyler wasn’t punishing her. He was keeping his distance because he felt like he deserved punishment himself.

Sasha kept talking. What made her the most anxious was the way he still avoided looking at her. But eventually, he finally opened his eyes and looked her way.

As their eyes met, she stared quietly at him. When she spoke bluntly, he responded. Now he just sat there, focused on her in silence.

“Why do you keep thinking that way? I just, I can’t forgive myself. And…”

Even with their eyes locked, what haunted him most was that he had been too slow to reach her. He regretted shouting at her to hide between the rocks. It had seemed safe, but that made it all the more terrifying.

Even in that short moment, he had seen the fear in her eyes. She had looked at him, trusted him, waited for him. And yet, before he could even reach her, the monster had already come between them. The more he thought about it, the more it made him sick.

“There was nothing you could have done. I saw everything. You did everything you could to protect me. You were coming for me. If I hadn’t seen you trying to reach me, I don’t think I could’ve handled it.”

Even so, Kyler bit his lip and avoided her gaze again.

“If you were so worried about me, then how could you not come see me? Not even once until today? And on top of that, I wasn’t allowed to leave my room. Do you know how trapped I felt in there?”

“Well… that’s because your arm was injured.”

“My left arm and I’m right-handed, so it doesn’t matter much. If I wanted to go outside, I could do everything on my own and be back before anyone even noticed I was gone.”

He opened his mouth slightly as if he had something to say, but no words came out. She already knew it was probably something filled with worry. She understood now why he had become someone who worried so much. For today, she decided not to get angry.

“I am sorry. I just couldn’t stand to see you like that. I thought if I waited a little longer, things would calm down. Until then…”

“They weren’t even going to come this far. So why? How long were you planning to keep me locked in that room? If you were going to do that, couldn’t you at least have come to see me sometimes? Why wouldn’t you even look at me? Tell me.”

Sasha pressed him, determined not to let it slide. She could have let it go, but she didn’t want to.

Kyler felt just as overwhelmed. He still felt such guilt whenever he looked at her, and now here she was, saying it was her fault. What could he possibly say to that? He couldn’t even lie to himself anymore.

Sasha stared at him for a moment, then slowly stood up and sat on his lap, leaning into him. Kyler looked at her in surprise, stunned by the sudden touch.

“Sasha, are you alright…”

“I told you, it was my left arm that was injured.”

She leaned against his right side.

Sasha placed her right hand on his chest, raised herself slightly, and softly kissed him. That evening, she thought if he had just held her, if he had stayed close and comforted her, maybe things would have been a little easier. But he hadn’t.

She wanted to hold him now, not just to comfort him, but because she needed it too. When she felt uncertain, it was always his arms she longed for most.

He stayed perfectly still, focusing only on the feeling of her lips against his. He didn’t move. Instead, Sasha kissed him gently and moved her right hand slowly.

She touched his shoulder and collarbone, occasionally brushing her lips to his again. Her hands were clumsy, but she wanted to show him that she felt the same way he did.

His skin was just as warm as his lips. She could feel the heat rising under her hand, and it reassured her.

Kyler didn’t respond with intensity. He didn’t lead the kiss. He simply followed her, allowing her to take the lead. It was as if her feelings were reaching him. Even if this wasn’t the first time, it felt more precious than ever.

“Let me have this moment to thank you. I didn’t tell you then, but I was grateful. I didn’t cheer you on enough. But I liked you. And I was so thankful you stayed with me. I really was trying to say thank you for saving me.”

She kept her hand on his chest, brushing it gently as she continued to kiss him softly. She had only meant to show that she could still do this even with one arm. But somewhere along the way, she found herself lost in the feeling instead.

Kyler let out a breath.

“Sasha. Are you forgiving me?”

He finally turned his eyes toward her. She looked down at him with hazy, unfocused eyes. But slowly, her gaze cleared, and her beautiful, light brown eyes sparkled as they looked back at him.

“There’s nothing to forgive. That was never even a question. Kyler, thank you for being by my side. Truly, thank you.”

Hearing her words, Kyler finally felt a small weight lift from his heart. It felt as though something he had been holding back for over ten years was beginning to melt away.

She didn’t even realize what she was doing for him, but Kyler felt like he was experiencing something rare and precious. Like the edge of a glacier finally starting to thaw.

Because of her, the tightly sealed pain he had buried so deep inside slowly began to unravel. And it felt like only Sasha could ever do that.

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