TCDSS 08

Chapter 08

Sasha sat blankly in the drawing room, her gaze fixed outside the window. Her mind seemed complicated—not because information was actively processing, but because everything felt slowly tangled together.

The idea of family always brought her a vague sense of longing.

Since she had rushed into the drawing room, she wondered if she should head back to her room. Just as she got up and started walking out, she ran into Roze, who was pushing a tea tray from the end of the hallway.

“Oh, Roze. If you’re taking that to the duke, could I do it instead?”

Roze, who had just noticed her and bowed her head, looked up in surprise at the sudden suggestion.

“But…”

She hesitated. Understandably so—Sasha wasn’t exactly someone you could fully trust yet. Sasha gave a slightly awkward smile, and though still hesitant, Roze handed over the tray.

Sasha pushed it forward a few steps and knocked on the door of the study where he was.

There was no response, but after waiting long enough, she opened the door.

Inside, he sat at a large desk with a map spread out, organizing something.

“Um… I brought some tea.”

She spoke cautiously while pushing the tray toward the sofa, but he didn’t react at all. It didn’t even seem like he cared who had entered. So she placed the items from the tray onto the table and, following what she had learned by watching, began brewing the tea.

Even after some time passed, he remained completely focused on the map. Watching him, she eventually sat on the sofa and began sipping her own tea.

Ah, this smells nice.

The fragrance, pleasant even while brewing, spread more gently as it filled her mouth. Hoping the chamomile-like scent would calm her thoughts, Sasha looked over at Kyler.

There was something about a man focused on his work being attractive. Watching him now, his face barely moving as he concentrated on the map, he did indeed look somewhat impressive.

With his head lowered, his smooth forehead and the sharp bridge of his nose drew attention. Below that, his tightly closed lips had a surprisingly nice color, and their firm line subtly gave off a sense of restrained sensuality.

‘Of course, he’s not doing that consciously.’

His sharp gaze scanning the map made Sasha, who had been watching him, flinch slightly.

“He’s so rigid.”

“We sent several invitations, but didn’t even receive a reply.”

“We thought he might have changed since he’s getting married. But is he planning to lock his wife in the estate too?”

They had praised Marquis Ivern to his face, yet spoke ill of Kyler behind his back.

They hadn’t even bothered lowering their voices, even though she was clearly close enough to hear. Was it because they looked down on her? It left a bad taste in her mouth.

And hearing nothing but negative remarks about Kyler—whether they feared him or disliked him—made Sasha’s lips pout slightly.

As she watched his handsome face so absorbed in concentration, Kyler suddenly frowned deeply and shut his eyes tight.

Hm? What’s wrong?

She couldn’t bring herself to approach him and simply watched. He stayed completely still like that, only relaxing his expression after several minutes.

“…Suspicious.”

Even his quiet, brief muttering sounded incredibly cool, making Sasha momentarily forget her concern.

“Are you going to keep waiting there?”

Gasp! So he knew she was there.

Hearing him exhale deeply, Sasha picked up his cup and saucer and walked toward him.

“This tea seems to calm the mind. You should try it.”

She didn’t know its name, but it tasted similar to chamomile. Back at the orphanage, the director had been fond of tea, so she had picked up bits and pieces about it.

He merely glanced at it coldly and didn’t reach out. With a slight frown, he returned his attention to the marked-up map.

His refusal made her feel oddly deflated.

What… am I sulking just because he didn’t drink it?

“…Hmm.”

After placing the cup on the desk, Sasha stood awkwardly for a moment before trying to distract herself by looking at the map he had been studying.

At the top, she saw the name of the empire—it must be a map of the Derma Empire.

Near the center was the capital, Planada, and in the upper-left corner, she spotted the name “Ivern.”

So that’s where the marquis’s territory is. That’s where Sasha came from.

“…Could they come here?”

“Is this your first time seeing a map of the empire?”

As if he had been watching her, Kyler spoke casually—still not touching the tea.

“Yes, it is.”

The name Ignott was written just above the capital. Though mountainous, it seemed larger than the capital itself.

And somewhat distant from Ivern.

Would they be able to come…?

“Could I invite my family here?”

The words slipped out before she even realized it.

She had never invited anyone before—so why suggest it so suddenly? And if she invited people she didn’t even know by face or name… what exactly did she want to learn?

“…Are you serious?”

His response was strange.

Sasha, who had been lost in thought, looked up.

“…What?”

“You truly intend to invite the Marquis and Marchioness of Ivern here?”

“…Yes. Is there a problem?”

Kyler, who hadn’t even glanced at the tea before, lifted his eyes and looked directly at her.

His gaze carried a strong question, but Sasha didn’t understand what it meant.

Inviting family home was normal anywhere, wasn’t it? Even if it was a contractual relationship, it would help avoid outside scrutiny.

She tried to think quickly, refusing to shrink back.

“I overheard earlier that my father contributed a lot to this marriage.”

In truth, she also thought maintaining good relations would benefit Ignott. If she could see her family and strengthen ties, it might help Kyler as well.

“Wouldn’t it be beneficial to stay close with a marquis family?”

But he still looked at her coldly, as if something about her was strange.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

Silence suited him, but waiting for an answer was frustrating.

And only now did she realize—his steady gaze made her swallow nervously.

No wonder the noble ladies of the empire fall for him.

Enduring his deep, cold blue eyes staring at her, Kyler finally let out a shallow sigh.

“…If that is what you want, then do it.”

His voice was low. The answer was positive, but the mood didn’t make it easy to simply be happy.

It didn’t seem like he disliked it… but something felt off. His lack of expression made it impossible to tell.

“You’re not against it, right?”

She asked carefully. No matter what, she didn’t want to do something he disliked in his own home.

“Yes. Whatever you want, you may do.”

His strong arm moved as he began organizing the map. Then he pulled a stack of papers toward him and started reading.

“Thank you.”

After thanking him, Sasha left the study. Between the anticipation of meeting her family, the tension of inviting them, and Kyler’s reaction, everything felt more complicated than before.

Click.

After she quietly closed the door and her presence disappeared, Kyler lifted his gaze from the paper.

On the table before the sofa sat the neatly arranged tea set—and beside his left arm, the tea that had gone cold.

His eyes lingered on the pale green liquid before he picked up the cup and took a large sip. Though the warmth was gone, the lingering aroma seemed to ease his stiff muscles.

What is this all of a sudden?

Inviting them to the ducal estate…

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand her intentions.

In the end, he had allowed it because she said she wanted it—but it didn’t sit well with him.

Are you really going to be petty over something like this? he criticized himself.

Don’t anticipate getting hurt.

Before the marriage, the Sasha he had met at the Ivern estate probably wouldn’t have even dared to suggest such a thing.

She had definitely changed. He could tell from her eyes alone.

Back then, she seemed like someone who believed that once she was taken away, her role would be finished. She hadn’t come to him for the future—but simply to escape the present.

His thoughts stopped there as the noise in his ears grew louder again.

He had only recently found a way to suppress the sound that had tormented him his entire life… but even that had now been rejected. He simply frowned.

After sending Pavan to call Dylan, Kyler soon looked up at the large, muscular knight who entered.

“You called for me, Your Grace?”

“I was under the impression there was no one in the south capable of rebellion. But now I hear something from there.”

As Kyler tapped his temple with his long fingers, Dylan’s face twisted in anger.

“What?! Those bastards! I was wondering where the western ones went—so they ran off there?!”

His thunderous voice shook the study. Kyler, however, leaned back in his chair, unfazed.

“It will take time to confirm the south. Assemble those with endurance and speed.”

“Yes, Your Grace! Ah, but…”

Dylan hesitated, glancing at him.

“…Will you be returning every three days again this time?”

I mean, going all the way south and keeping that schedule is a bit…! Dylan looked almost on the verge of tears.

Last time, even when heading west, Kyler had insisted on returning every three days, and it had nearly worn him down.

“I will not return. Not until things quiet down.”

Hearing the resolve in his voice, Dylan said no more and withdrew.

“Until both my ears… and my chest… grow quiet.”

Watching the door where two people had already exited, Kyler lowered his gaze back to the papers on his desk.