The Survival Strategy of the Contract Duchess - Chapter 73

First, Lydian silently looked at Kyler. Kyler, having just spoken, took a quiet breath before raising his eyes to meet Lydian’s.

“When I’m touching her, the sounds that torment my ears completely disappear. That’s why I decided to marry her.”

Lydian let out a thoughtful sound.

Kyler’s explanation was brief, but it said enough to send Lydian’s mind spinning.

Out of all the young women he could have chosen, Kyler had selected a marchioness who had lived in hiding under the Marquis’s care, instead of the well-known and celebrated heiress of Ibern. He had brought her into the public eye.

Lydian had once wanted to ask him, just out of curiosity, if she had been truly worth that choice. Whether she had something so remarkable that Kyler had insisted on protecting and marrying her despite everything.

He had been curious about it up until the wedding. But at some point afterward, he noticed that Kyler’s behavior toward his wife had changed. It was clear. There was real affection.

When you love someone, you don’t need any other reason. That alone was enough for Lydian to be impressed. It was rare to find a bond like that, especially for someone like Kyler.

But to think that there was something else behind it, something so deeply personal had never occurred to him.

“To have someone who brings peace even to your ears… she must be the perfect match.”

Still, something didn’t quite add up. According to what Kyler had just said, this should have been a good thing. To meet someone who could silence that pain and also become someone you love, what better blessing could there be?

So then, why was Kyler’s face filled with worry?

Kyler, who had been biting his lip, let go. The skin split where he had bitten yesterday, and a bitter taste filled his mouth.

“When I went into the forest with her… I wore a sword I hadn’t been wearing for a while. And I was holding her hand.”

He recalled that day again, suppressing the anger burning hot in his chest. His eyes twitched with tension as he looked directly at Lydian, who was watching him closely.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Kyler’s voice was sharp and cold. Lydian didn’t say anything unnecessary. He waited, then answered in a steady tone.

“You’re saying you entered the forest expecting danger, but because you were holding her hand, you let your guard down. Your ears, which should have been alert, were silent.”

Kyler nodded slightly.

His ears had always warned him of danger of uprisings, of disasters, of monsters. They had served as his instinct. But that day, he had allowed them to fall silent. All because holding her hand made him feel at peace. Because he had wanted that comfort.

“If I hadn’t been holding that hand… I would have sensed the monster nearby. If that had happened, she wouldn’t have been hurt.”

A heavy sigh escaped him.

The more he remembered the moment she had faced the monster alone, the more his insides felt like they were burning.

Lydian watched him closely, seeing him unravel before his eyes. It was sad to see, but also strangely fascinating. Just what kind of woman had she become to shake someone like Kyler so deeply?

“If it had been a mountain range, you might be right. Then maybe you could be blamed for being careless. But wasn’t it the Uhalin Forest? That’s known as a dating spot. Couples go there all the time.”

Lydian offered a small smile. It wasn’t meant to mock him but to bring perspective. Still, it did nothing to ease the weight on Kyler’s face.

“I made a promise to protect people with this strength. I told myself I would use it to honor my parents. But I got too comfortable. I sank into the peace she gave me and became soft. Even when I needed to protect her the most, I failed.”

It was worse than Lydian had thought.

Kyler wasn’t someone who blamed himself easily. For him to fall into this kind of guilt meant that day had been unbearable.

Lydian’s smile faded. He leaned forward slightly and spoke with a firm voice.

“You are protecting her. You couldn’t hear anything that time, but you still saved her. It doesn’t matter how sharp your senses are if you freeze in fear. But you acted. You protected your wife.”

Kyler continued to breathe heavily.

“So now I’m punishing myself. I’m enduring the worst pain I’ve ever known, but I won’t touch her.”

Lydian finally understood why he had looked so drained. Kyler had only said he wouldn’t touch her, but they were husband and wife. They had shared more than a few words or glances.

This had not been a mutual decision. Kyler was deciding this on his own, convinced it was right.

“You fool. While you’re trying to protect her, aren’t you hurting her even more?”

If Kyler had chosen to suffer alone, to retreat and endure until he could face things again, that would be his responsibility to bear. Lydian wouldn’t interfere with that kind of struggle.

But this wasn’t only about Kyler. From the way he spoke, it was clear. Sasha was suffering too.

Was treating her like this truly a good thing for her?

The question pressed between them, heavy and undeniable. Both Kyler and Lydian went quiet, their thoughts frozen in place. It was not an easy question to answer, because deep down, they both knew the truth.

“Another wound…”

Kyler could not erase the image of her turning away from him in that room. Her silence had spoken more clearly than any words.

“Knowing your personality, I assume this is the first time you have shared this with anyone. But if someone who once held your hand so tightly in the forest is now avoiding you completely… what do you think that means?”

Kyler began to calm his breathing. Lydian, with his usual calm presence, knew how to guide him through emotions without pushing too hard. He knew Kyler’s quiet strength and the storm that often stirred beneath it.

Kyler pressed his lips together, the familiar sting returning as he bit the skin that had already torn. Lydian recognized the gesture. That was how Kyler accepted words that clashed with his own deeply held beliefs. He was listening. He was thinking.

“The subjugation won’t change. We will continue as planned.”

Just as it seemed like something inside him was beginning to thaw, the weight of guilt remained unmoved. The heaviest parts of his heart could not be softened so easily.

“If the Magic Tower replies, let me know first. No matter what the message is.”

It looked like Kyler had begun to release some of the self-blame that had been eating at him. But the anger he held against himself was not gone. Lydian knew that much. Some parts could only fade with time.

“I know what you’re worried about. I’m also doing my best not to trap myself inside my own head. I’m trying. I really am trying.”

That was where it always began. How could a man become the strongest in the empire and still carry such fragile weakness at the same time?

Perhaps the gods had made him too perfect in appearance, and to keep balance, gave him a flaw that would be invisible to most but unbearable to carry.

“If this keeps up, you’ll probably dig a hole for yourself and spend the night there worrying again.”

“There’s still no room for excuses.”

For now, this was enough. This much conversation showed that Kyler was facing it, even if slowly. He was more sensitive than he appeared. He would not bounce back quickly, not after what had happened.

“Good. At least you’re starting to see it.”

Lydian looked straight into his tired blue eyes and gave a small nod. Kyler met his gaze and thought again of Sasha, waiting for him.

“First of all, I need to go.”

He did not know if he could face her yet. Even though she was the one he needed to protect the most, he still felt afraid. Afraid of hurting her again. Afraid of what he might say.

He had told her about the noise in his ears. But he had never told her that the pain disappeared completely when he touched her.

If he told her that now, she would understand it all. She would know that he had not let go of her hand in the forest, even while they were in danger, because he had selfishly clung to that peace.

She would understand, and he did not know if he could face her knowing that.

“It looks like you still don’t have the courage.”

Lydian chuckled softly as Kyler, who had said he was about to leave, remained frozen in place, staring into the distance.

Kyler blinked and returned his eyes to the present moment.

“Do you know what that feeling is, Kyler? That feeling you have when you look at your wife. That instinct to protect Sasha.”

Lydian asked because he needed to hear the answer spoken aloud. He already knew, but he needed confirmation from Kyler’s own mouth.

“That feeling? It’s just… the desire to protect my wife.”

Lydian clicked his tongue.

He had heard of the deep affection Duke Sun had for his wife in his younger years. He had wanted to witness that kind of love himself, and now he had the answer standing right in front of him.

“That feeling, Kyler. The world calls it love. It’s when you are willing to put yourself second, maybe even give up everything, just to protect one person. I’m not saying you have to throw your life away. But now you understand what it is.”

Lydian smiled with real warmth. He watched Kyler form the word silently with his lips.

Love.

Maybe now, even the gods felt a little sorry for him. Maybe they were trying to make amends.

They had made him flawless in appearance, but given him a heart that carried more than most could bear. And now, slowly, he was starting to understand it.

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