The Survival Strategy of the Contract Duchess - Chapter 96

“You must have been quite desperate. To come all the way to a place like this…”

Ivern, Marquis of Ivern, pulled out a chair at the far end of the long dining table in a mansion, looking at the woman sitting at the head of the table.

This was the Marquis of Ivern’s house, the dining room, beyond the mountains. Outside, a secret meeting was taking place under the strict surveillance of powerful servants.

The woman, her face veiled, sat quietly, unmoved by his appearance.

Ivern, who had been talking to himself, took a seat across from her. He knew who had come to see him, but he didn’t bother to ask.

“Thank you for making time. Let’s begin.”

She spoke to him with a stiff posture, her voice armed with elegance disguised as arrogance. Anyone would think it was the Empress’s palace. Ivern frowned slightly, so that she wouldn’t see, and clasped his hands on the table.

“When I received the letter, you already knew who I was. So I had no choice.”

Ivern watched without interfering. It was her turn to speak now. He had spent about 10 minutes before she spoke again, but Ivern didn’t add anything and remained calm under her gaze.

The woman, frowning behind her veil, barely managed to speak, suppressing her annoyance.

“So you have no intention of helping at all? Surely there must be something that would be helpful to the imperial family?”

Geranel was also a group. So there was nothing to do after all. Securing the imperial family and such back channels was very important for their continued rise.

If it weren’t for the woman in front of him, he could have made Elina the Empress.

Ivern, who had been thinking useless thoughts, cleared his throat and looked at her again.

“You need to tell us what you want so we can see if we can help or not.”

Ivern spoke softly and reached for the teacup prepared next to him. If he didn’t dig into her with such a relaxed attitude, he would only be dragged along.

The woman bit her lip tightly. Seeing her fair, red lips being crushed, Ivern felt a little more nervous.

What on earth did she have to say?

“There’s someone in Geranel that I think they might be coveting.”

Ivern heard a story that was completely different from any of his expectations. It wasn’t a story she would bring up, nor was it a request that anyone would make to him.

Someone they were coveting? If they needed someone, it would be related to the demons, but they were already finding, training, and using those people well.

“Geranel is being kind right now, but who can we trust? Especially not some errand boy from the imperial palace.”

Her words didn’t really register in Ivern’s mind.

She seemed flustered by his indifferent reaction, but soon she put on the relaxed smile she had been wearing.

He had heard that a demon had recently gone out of control and descended into the forest. They must be experiencing some confusion in that regard.

“Aren’t you having trouble controlling the demons these days?”

Ivern frowned and looked across at her. Where did such rumors come from?

Ivern cleared his throat and sat up straight, looking at her.

“If it’s true that something that has never happened in Geranel’s history is happening… it’s a really big deal. If that’s really the case… will you show me? Who is it?”

When he responded seriously, she grinned.

“You’ll be surprised when you hear who it is. It’s Sasha, the Duchess of Ignote.”

Ivern inhaled sharply, struggling to accept what she had said.

“Sasha, Sasha.”

“Yes, Sasha. She must be a young lady from this family.”

Recalling the atmosphere of the forest he had seen at the entrance, the peace was turning her stomach. She was quite pleased to see Ivern so agitated.

“This is unreleased information. I’m telling you the story that His Majesty the Emperor, Duke Kyler, and the magician are quietly sharing.”

“So, what do you want to ask of me?”

“Oh, you know everything, do I have to explain everything to you now?”

She found herself smiling from ear to ear.

“Guide her to the mountains… so she can get in.”

Ivern looked at her in disbelief at this terrifying proposal. He couldn’t help but doubt his ears.

If she knew that he was the Marquis of Ivern, and the Duchess of Ignote was trying to make such a request to him.

“Do you know what you’re saying?”

Ivern’s voice was noticeably lower than before. She had anticipated such a reaction and simply raised her lips.

“She has the ability to communicate with demons. I’ve heard that’s all she needs to endure. If you think about her going in and making full use of that ability, how much power will that be for Geranel?”

She was starting to get excited and was busy explaining.

Without realizing that Ivern was frowning.

“Ah… that’s right. She had that ability, did you perhaps know Marquis Ivern?”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

Ivern looked up sharply at her sudden words. Ability? Did I know?

“Amidst the subtle exchange with the demons… you, as the head of Geranel, couldn’t leave her alone.”

For the sake of the family, for the sake of Geranel, and further for the sake of the empire…

“So you locked her in the attic to hide her, didn’t you?”

Her red lips had never looked so evil. Ivern was a little dizzy at how she could make such an expression and say such things.

It was something that even the Marquis of Ivern and his wife, the people involved, were keeping quiet about. Even if she hadn’t thought about such details, Elina had always rushed in and taken everything from her sister.

But even the Marchioness and her sister couldn’t avoid it. That was why they didn’t touch her, who had become alone, but things were flowing dangerously.

“Then, what’s in it for me?”

Ivern was holding on to an expression that was about to collapse and was looking at one spot on the table.

“Who am I? As you know, I’m the Empress. I’m loved by the Emperor, even though there are rumors that he has someone else in his heart.”

Ibern felt his heart grow cold at Midienna’s confident words.

The Empress that Lydian loved so much, the Empress who was forgetting her position and flirting with Duke Kyler, and the woman that Kyler had chosen, Sasha Ivern.

Her patronage wasn’t the only important thing. Now, the story about Sasha was starting to get tangled up. Anyone would listen to the words of a child who had survived in a hell that she couldn’t easily start. Moreover, she now had the name of Ignote on her back.

Midienna, who was enjoying Ivern’s change in expression, leaned forward slightly.

“Sasha’s matter shouldn’t be leaked, should it? How long has Marquis Ivern been building his image to escape the image of the head of Geranel? Soft charisma, was it?”

A clear laugh swept through the dining room. The laughter proved how young she was, and Ivern fell into even deeper thought.

“That’s true. I have a duty to protect Ivern from the world.”

The smile didn’t leave Midienna’s lips. She continued to move her red lips. To Ivern, her lips looked more like a witch’s.

Ivern didn’t want to waste any time. It wasn’t that she had a terminal illness or was running out of time, but he decided that it wouldn’t be good to delay now if she had a constitution that attracted demons.

“Seeing how tightly you’ve locked her up you couldn’t just get rid of her, could you? If you’re okay with it, let’s go out together. I’ll help you.”

Midienna’s offer was too tempting. Just as there are things that can’t be hidden no matter how hard you try, Sasha’s existence was one of them.

He had only known that she repelled demons, but she also attracted them, and the demons that chased her into the mansion were bound to pose a threat.

He couldn’t even kill her right away or send her far away.

When she was young and could be controlled, she could live in the attic, but the thought of her growing up somewhere out of his sight day by day sent shivers down his spine.

Honestly, he cheered when Ignote said he would take her. He thought, “This is how it’s going to be resolved.”

But…

“You’re saying to send her to the mountains?”

“Yes. It would be good if she came back alive but what are the chances of that?”

Ivern could only frown as he looked at her genuinely happy smile. He had a strong feeling that he wouldn’t be able to reject this proposal in the end.

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