The Survival Strategy of the Contract Duchess - Chapter 77

It was not only Sasha who reacted when she said “Kyler.” Midienna frowned at how easily his name came out of Sasha’s mouth. Just a moment ago, she had been calling him “Your Grace.”

When Midienna used that title, he had never once looked at her. But this woman said his name so naturally. Did that mean he allowed it? If she called him “Kyler” again, would he turn toward her? What kind of expression would he show?

Midienna had briefly forgotten her intention to ask about the monsters, a topic she had planned to approach using what she heard from Yehara. She had hidden her interest behind a mask of curiosity, but now her emotions were too strong to control.

“I understand you have been busy lately because of that. I hardly see you myself,” Sasha said, as if nothing had happened.

Her calm words brought Midienna back to herself. For a moment, jealousy had clouded her thoughts.

Sasha did not look well, and she had not been eating properly. Still, she was nothing like the woman Midienna had imagined. She had expected someone frail and timid, someone who would be easy to get close to with a little kindness.

She had thought that being left alone together would make Sasha open up. Maybe even lean on her a little.

But now she was starting to wonder. Was Sasha keeping her guard up because she knew about Midienna’s feelings for Kyler? Was that love real? Were they truly close?

Yehara noticed that Midienna was quiet and looked concerned. She stepped in gently.

“Your Majesty, shall we bring out the next dessert?”

Her soft voice helped Midienna regain her focus. She cleared her throat and looked back at Sasha, who was sitting across from her.

“Now that I think about it, I believe you mentioned that you are no longer ill. Would you like to see a doctor while you are here at the Imperial Palace? As the Duchess, it is important to take care of your health. You do not look very well right now.”

Sasha had been slowly cutting the last bit of meat on her plate. She paused at the mention of her health and raised her eyes to meet Midienna’s.

Neither the House of Ibern nor the House of Ignote was very active in the capital’s social circles, so people rarely spoke about them openly. Even so, there were still quiet rumors about what had happened between them.

If someone looked closely, there were odd details on both sides. Ibern’s actions were unusual, but Sasha and Kyler were not without fault either.

From Midienna’s point of view, she wanted to believe the problem had been with Sasha alone. That made it easier to agree with what Elina had said.

Still, it had been difficult to see Sasha in person. Even with invitations, she had not come to the Imperial Palace often. The fact that Marquis Ibern had not been seen there recently also left her uneasy.

“Thank you for your concern. It is not that I am seriously unwell. If there is nothing more you would like to discuss after the meal, may I return to the Duke’s residence? I think I will feel better after some proper rest.”

If another noblewoman had received such concern from the Empress, she might have expressed gratitude or even made a small fuss. But Sasha showed no such reaction. She only set her fork down with a quiet sound, her face calm but clearly weary of being here.

“I invited you because I had questions about the monsters, but there is a limit to what I can learn. Still, I believe it was helpful in some way.”

Midienna smiled softly, like a proper Empress should.

Sasha gave a small nod without looking directly at her. There was a quiet frustration in her eyes. The way she responded, treating the people in front of her like they held no importance, reminded Midienna of Kyler.

“You do not look well, so please return and get some rest after the meal.”

“Yes.”

Something about Sasha’s movements felt slightly off. Her manners were proper, but there was a strange sense of distance that made Midienna feel unsettled.

When dessert and the final course were finished, Midienna rose from her seat with slow, graceful movements. Sasha, in contrast, stood up right away, as if she had been waiting for the moment to leave.

“Then, I will take my leave now.”

“Oh dear. I made you come all this way while you are not feeling well. Allow me to see you off.”

Without waiting for a reply, Midienna walked ahead. Sasha followed her quietly. She did not have the energy to question the direction or pace. She simply walked behind Midienna, matching her steps.

They exited the glass greenhouse, but instead of taking the usual back gate or the main path that led to the Emperor’s palace, they followed a side path.

Sasha did not mind. The road would lead somewhere, and as long as she was not thrown into a ditch, it would be fine. That was all she cared about.

Eventually, the trees that had formed a thick wall opened up, and a road appeared ahead. Midienna stopped walking, and Sasha, watching her carefully, came to a stop as well.

“If you go out this way, your carriage should be waiting. Please go home and get some rest.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Then, I will be leaving now.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Sasha bowed slightly and began walking forward. Her carriage was just starting to appear from the side of the road.

She wanted nothing more than to go home and rest. Now that the tension had eased a little, she thought she might even be able to sleep during the ride back.

She walked forward, lost in thought, her carriage just steps away.

“Sasha?”

The voice came from the opposite side of the road. It was a voice she knew too well. Her head turned immediately in that direction.

It was Kyler.

He was walking from the other side of the road, directly toward her. She had not expected to see him here, not after he had left early the previous morning and had not returned.

But of course, it made more sense for him to be here than it did for her.

Walking beside him was Emperor Lydian. As soon as he noticed Sasha, he turned his head in her direction and followed her movement with his eyes.

And when he looked ahead, he easily spotted Midienna. She was standing at the end of the road, staring at Sasha and Kyler as they looked at each other.

No matter how long you stare, Kyler will not turn his eyes toward you.

Sasha could sense Lydian’s quiet amusement. His lips curved slightly, and there was something sharp and pitying in his expression as he noticed Midienna’s silent anger.

Kyler had called her name, and when their eyes met, he said nothing more. He simply passed by her and walked straight toward the carriage.

She lost sight of him for a moment and instead met eyes with Lydian, who was following behind. He was not looking at her, but at something behind her. His gaze held a strange kind of sadness, not the energy or wild sharpness she had seen in him before.

“Your Majesty.”

She called to him softly, but he did not respond right away. She already knew where his thoughts were. She knew exactly what he was looking at.

Without thinking, Sasha reached out and touched the back of his hand.

Startled, Lydian turned toward her.

Her face looked pale and tired, but her eyes still had that familiar light. There was something gentle and lovely about them. Her eyes were a plain brown, but right now, they looked warm and soft.

“Ah, it’s Sasha.”

Even though Kyler had originally brought this woman into his life because of what he heard, he had now given her much more than attention. He had given her his heart. He had once tried to shut her out, but now he seemed to regret ever doing so.

Lydian had sensed something different about her from the very beginning, even at the wedding. Still, he had not expected her to change things this much, or to move others so deeply. She was doing more than he had ever imagined.

“Yes, it’s still you.”

Lydian gave her a gentle smile, one that held quiet understanding. It was as if he knew exactly why she looked so exhausted. After saying those strange words, he reached out and placed his hand softly on her head. Her head barely reached his shoulder.

“Your Majesty?”

She looked up in surprise. His hand had come down over her hair, and he was now slowly brushing it as if to comfort her. She did not know why, but she did not move away. Her neck felt tired and weak, but she managed to hold it steady and glanced to the side.

Midienna was still standing there, watching. Sasha could not see her expression, but she looked anyway, not knowing exactly what to think or feel.

Lydian’s hand continued to move gently through her hair, and he still had not said anything more. She could not tell the Emperor to stop. Instead, she slowly lifted her head again and looked up at him.

He was still smiling. But his eyes were filled with the same quiet sadness as before.

“Do you really need to keep holding on to a heart that will never return to you?”

It surprised her that Lydian had noticed who was behind her the moment he saw her. She wondered if that kind of attention had always been directed at her.

And from his eyes, even in that short glance, she felt something. A kind of longing. A quiet affection for someone who had never returned his feelings.

Even in her own difficult situation, she had spoken without thinking. The words had come naturally, as if they had been waiting for a moment like this. She wondered if it was painful to keep looking at someone who had once loved you but no longer did. Maybe that was why she felt a sense of regret.

And that was why she had asked. Not as someone worried about manners or status. But as one person speaking to another, when both hearts had once reached for something, they could never quite hold.

Support