Chapter 7
“I’ll often have to leave without warning because of work. While you’re here in the mansion, you may do anything you wish.”
Even though he had just woken up, his movements were graceful and smooth. He seemed like someone who used his body regularly. There wasn’t the slightest sign of stiffness or sluggishness.
Sasha had been watching him in a daze but quickly got to her feet. She stretched her shoulders slightly while following his movements with her eyes.
Should she stay? Should she leave? Was she supposed to wait until he told her to go?
Her eyes darted and her thoughts spun as she tried to figure out what to do. Meanwhile, Kyler finished changing clothes and walked out of the room without saying another word.
“…What?”
Did he really just leave like that without a single word?
Sasha sat there, stunned, staring at the closed door. She couldn’t move for a while. After all that overthinking, he had just walked off as if it didn’t matter. She sighed and slowly got up.
The day had just begun, and the Duke was still in the mansion.
Kyler didn’t go far.
After breakfast, he entered his office on the first floor and stayed inside for nearly two hours.
Sasha spent the first hour reading in her room, but she kept getting distracted. She wasn’t sure if she was curious about Kyler himself or the terms of their contract.
Eventually, she stepped outside for a walk. She came out through the back door and, instead of having tea by the fountain, decided to take a longer route toward the main gate of the mansion.
Soon, the large front gates came into view. Several carriages were parked nearby, and the area looked quite busy.
There were also a lot of people gathered.
This made her uncomfortable.
She didn’t know who these people were or how she should act around them. If she said the wrong thing, it could cause trouble. She considered turning back, but others noticed her first.
They looked directly at her but didn’t approach. Instead, they stayed where they were, quietly whispering among themselves while watching her closely.
It was too late to walk away, and heading straight for the gate would have been awkward too.
Just then, one woman seemed to gather her courage and stepped forward.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duchess Ignote. I’m Miliya from Lennon.”
Her voice was cheerful and elegant. Sasha remembered that unmarried noblewomen were called “young ladies.” Since she didn’t know anyone’s name anyway, she slowly walked over and returned the gesture with a polite nod.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
The moment Sasha responded, a wave of curious stares followed.
What was going on? Why was everyone suddenly staring at her like that?
She couldn’t tell whether the looks were full of curiosity, friendliness, or judgment. But one thing was clear—everyone was watching her now.
“I’m Lily from Domina.”
“I’m Aaron from Seovis!”
As Sasha greeted them quietly and politely, even those who had only been watching from a distance started to gather around her.
Soon, everyone began speaking at once. The voices overlapped so much that she had to focus hard just to understand what anyone was saying.
“I didn’t realize you were so beautiful!”
“I’d heard you were ill for a long time, but I had no idea you were this stunning.”
“Exactly. When Lady Sasha—oh, I mean, the Duchess—suddenly appeared, we were all talking about it!”
Once one person spoke up, the conversation began to flow freely.
People who had looked shy moments ago were now eagerly crowding around her, trying to talk over one another.
“That reserved Marquess of Ivern must have had a reason for keeping his eldest daughter out of the spotlight.”
“Still, I visited the marquess’s estate a few times at Lady Elina’s invitation. I feel like I missed something special by not meeting you sooner, Duchess.”
“You’re truly beautiful. I thought it was just because it was your wedding day, but no—you’re just naturally gorgeous.”
Her ears perked up when she heard the name Marquess Ivern, her supposed family. But the excited chatter of the young women quickly buried anything useful.
Since most of their comments were compliments, Sasha just offered a calm smile and let her eyes move across the crowd. Still, she couldn’t help feeling disappointed that the conversation had veered off course.
But something else was bothering her.
Why were so many young noblewomen visiting the mansion? It made sense that male nobles were here for official matters. But what about the women?
Suddenly, she remembered the stack of colorful, ornate envelopes she had seen on Kyler’s office desk. Was that a coincidence, or was there a connection?
Her eyes grew cold for a moment.
Whether their marriage was bound by contract or not, the fact that these women were trying to get close to a man who already had a wife didn’t sit well with her. The fact that this man was her husband made it even more uncomfortable.
“Why are you all gathered in front of the mansion like this?”
You came to see someone else’s husband, but I hope you’re not pretending to be friendly with me, his wife, just to win points.
She had meant it as a simple question, but her tone must have carried some discomfort. Everyone flinched at her words. So they really were feeling guilty. But why did the men look surprised too?
When you lack proper information, your guesses often lead you in the wrong direction. Sasha narrowed her eyes and stopped thinking too deeply, choosing instead to observe the group in front of her. Just then, the tightly closed mansion doors behind her opened quietly without a sound.
She noticed the hopeful spark in everyone’s eyes suddenly fade. Whoever had come out was not who they were hoping to see.
“Lady Sasha, were you out for a walk?”
It was Pavon, the butler, who stepped outside. He greeted Sasha first, not even glancing at the crowd behind her.
“Ah… yes. I was just about to head back in. What brings you out here, Pavon?”
She still found it more comfortable to speak politely with noblemen. Pavon finally turned his eyes slightly and glanced at the group of nobles standing behind her.
“I heard there were guests gathered outside who were not invited.”
His calm and composed tone cut sharply. A few people let out awkward laughs. Maybe they didn’t think they had to mind Sasha, but Pavon was the Duke’s butler. That meant something.
As the tension in the air thickened behind her, Pavon stepped aside and faced the group directly.
“I bring a message from Duke Ignote. Tell me, in which empire is it polite to show up without notice? If you wish to see him, make an appointment.”
The murmuring among the group quickly grew louder.
“We came because there was no reply to our letter!”
“The invitation we sent from the Domina family wasn’t answered either!”
What were they all expecting by coming here like this? They didn’t even wait for a reply. It was like they had sensed Kyler was in the mansion.
Pavon stood tall, listening to their excuses, then spoke again in the same calm voice.
“Receiving an invitation does not mean a meeting was scheduled. Unless your business involves the survival of the empire, arriving without a proper appointment is unacceptable. If it isn’t urgent enough to justify this, the Duke said he will personally lead your entire household to the battlefield during the next campaign.”
The words were polite, but their meaning was sharp. Even Sasha felt a chill run down her spine. Campaign? Did he mean war? She didn’t understand the full meaning of Kyler’s threat, but judging by the shocked expressions on the nobles’ faces, she could make a pretty good guess.
Some of the women looked toward Sasha with pleading eyes, but she quietly turned away. What could she do? The Duke had already made himself clear.
“Lady Sasha, I will escort the uninvited guests out now.”
“Alright. Thank you for handling this.”
Even though he was just a butler, Pavon spoke firmly, leaving no room for argument. The nobles, their faces full of regret, reluctantly turned back toward their carriages.
Actually, it was more accurate to say they were being thrown out.
It felt harsh, but it made her wonder. Why were they so desperate to meet Kyler?
This world was hard to understand. If she had really fallen into a romantic fantasy novel like the ones she read in orientation, it might have made more sense.
“Since the marriage, they’ve started coming more often. I think they assumed he’d be more open to them now. Before that, they were too scared to even come near.”
Pavon spoke casually as he watched the nobles leave in their carriages.
Did they think something would change just because he got married?
“The main gates are never locked. As long as the Duke is here, no one dares to threaten this house.”
She didn’t fully understand what that meant, but at least now she knew why so many people could gather right outside the mansion without issue.
Sasha stepped back inside through the door Pavon had opened.
She watched him disappear down a hallway with his usual composed manner. Just as she turned to walk away, her steps faltered and came to a sudden stop.
She moved slowly to the drawing room and sat down heavily on the sofa.
She had expected the conversations outside to be uncomfortable, but she had actually learned quite a bit.
Some of it touched on things she had been secretly curious about, especially details about Sasha’s family. But what she learned didn’t leave her with a good feeling.
“The calm Marquess of Ivern and his sickly eldest daughter…”
It wasn’t just that they had never seen her. The way they spoke, it sounded like they hadn’t even known she existed. Just how sick had she been that her father never even acknowledged her to society?
Sasha’s current body seemed a little physically weak, but only slightly. She had all her limbs, a beautiful face, a graceful figure, and no trouble moving. During the ten or so days she had lived in this body, she had felt no pain or illness.
Did my soul entering this body cure it?
Or was there never anything wrong with it to begin with?
“Family… a family…”
The first word that came to mind was that one. Something she had never truly had before.
As she whispered the word to herself, it echoed deeply inside her chest.
