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Chapter 113
Naturally, this was a backstory Iona had been completely unaware of.
She didn’t think Leroy was the kind of person who would believe such baseless rumors, but she couldn’t believe that Richard had planned to deceive him.
Considering the claim had come from the mouth of the crown prince himself, it wasn’t strange that Leroy hadn’t bothered to verify it further. After all, he would never have suspected someone of Richard’s stature to fabricate a romantic relationship.
Had Richard called Leroy in her past life to tell him the same thing?
And so, had he always harbored this incorrect understanding about her?
To think that she had lived nearly a decade as his spouse without ever realizing this truth made the entire duration seem laughable.
The reason Richard’s flimsy lie had remained undiscovered till the end was simple.
‘I suppose it’s because I remained loyal to the emperor till the end, and I only ever had a distant relationship with the duke.’
Though Iona and Leroy were undoubtedly married, they hardly ever engaged in meaningful conversation.
Their lives were so different that their relationship was worse than that of strangers.
Iona had thought his overly formal demeanor after their marriage was a snub intended for the emperor’s minions.
Was it merely his way of drawing a line with the emperor’s lover?
‘If I had known this then, could we have had a better relationship? Not like a real couple, but at least something more...’
Feeling her thoughts delve too deep, Iona shook her head vigorously.
Regretting the past like this wouldn’t change anything. What mattered was how she would resolve this misunderstanding moving forward.
Iona made an effort to calm her voice as she spoke.
“I’m not sure what else His Highness the Crown Prince has said, but most of it is probably not true. I never imagined such absurd conversations were happening behind my back.”
At Iona’s firm response, Leroy visibly deflated, slowly leaning back in his chair.
It seemed his mind had finally cleared, as he let out a brief, hollow laugh. Then, as if embarrassed by his past misconceptions, he raised his hand to cover his eyes.
After a long silence, leaning his head back, he finally murmured in a defeated tone, “I was harboring a completely baseless misunderstanding.”
Iona, just now grasping the truth, was at a loss, but how much more so must Leroy feel, having believed Richard’s words as the absolute truth all this time?
Iona quietly waited for him to recover from the shock.
Leroy needed time to come to terms with the ludicrous situation, she figured.
Noticing Iona sitting across from him seemed to bring him back to his usual composed self quicker than expected.
With his arms crossed, he gazed at Iona intently, lost in thought.
Then, somewhat abruptly, he posed a question.
“I feel like you might get angry if I ask this, but may I ask just one more thing?”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Have you really never harbored any feelings for the Crown Prince? Not even a little, not even for a moment?”
It was indeed a question that could spark anger, but Iona made an effort not to snap.
Instead, she met Leroy’s gaze and answered clearly.
“Never. Not even a little, not even for a moment.”
She wondered if her blunt tone might have been uncomfortable, but Leroy, upon hearing her answer, immediately smiled, his lips curling up.
It seemed he had completely forgotten the annoyance he felt at Richard’s lies just moments ago; he now appeared genuinely pleased.
Perhaps this conversation had dispelled even the faintest doubt he had harbored about her.
If Leroy had until now believed the falsehood that Richard and she were lovers, there must have always been a nagging unease in his heart.
After all, it’s often said that love quarrels are as futile as trying to cut water with a knife, and estranged lovers can quickly revert to their old ways, driven by shared memories.
The elimination of a potential variable in their relationship was undoubtedly a positive development.
With a faint smile on his lips, Leroy slightly furrowed one brow and said, “It seems you’ve had the misfortune of serving under a rather perverse man.”
“I agree,” Iona replied with a sigh.
The thought that Richard had been manipulating her life even from the shadows, and the possibility that there were more of his deeds she was unaware of, sent a shiver down her spine.
One thing, however, had become clear from this incident.
Florence’s suspicions were real.
As she had suggested, Richard harbored feelings for Iona that went beyond the loyalty of a subject to his sovereign. If he had no feelings for her, there would have been no need for him to fabricate such lies to Leroy.
For a person of power, a woman of lower status is nothing but a scandal.
Richard was so desperate that he was willing to risk scandal just to make it clear who she belonged to.
Regardless of how this sentiment had manifested previously, Richard seemed quite sincere in his feelings for Iona.
Iona, looking at Leroy with renewed admiration, said, “Your Grace is remarkable too. To decide to marry me after hearing such stories, how could you have such faith in me?”
“Because you promised to be faithful to me after our marriage. I believed you wouldn’t stray, remembering the words you said to me when we were younger.”
Pausing as if choosing his words carefully, he then added playfully, “You had threatened me that one would be unhappy if they didn’t marry the person they loved.”
“That was...” Iona started, then closed her mouth, looking embarrassed.
Now that she thought about it, there had been a time when she naively blurted out such words while they were confined together.
That he had brought up a similar topic at the ball had its context in that conversation.
As she pondered over what her response had been at the time, Leroy continued with a subtle tone, “Of course, I assumed neither of us desired an unhappy marriage... But perhaps I was presumptuous in my expectations?”
“No,” Iona quickly shook her head.
Iona felt a surge of regret as Leroy dwelled on the naive comments she had made in her youth.
To say that a loveless marriage would lead to unhappiness was almost like she had foretold a dismal future for their marriage.
She felt a renewed surge of anger towards Heuser, who had pessimistically spouted such notions to a young girl, though harboring resentment towards someone long passed had no means of resolution.
Worried that Leroy might entertain negative thoughts, Iona hurriedly added, “Of course, I too wish for us to live as an enviable couple.”
“Then...”
“Don’t worry, Your Grace. I now understand that even those married without love can lead fulfilling lives through mutual care and respect. I believe we can manage just fine.”
Iona asserted with a determined look.
Her intense desire for Leroy not to harbor any negative feelings about their future drove her to display a stronger stance than she had intended.
Taken aback, Leroy widened his eyes slightly, and after a moment, he let out an indiscernible exclamation.
“Ah.”
“...”
“...Hmm?”
Leroy then narrowed his eyes, showing a puzzled expression.
At his incomprehensible reaction, Iona too felt a sense of bewilderment.
After exchanging glances as if sizing each other up, Leroy finally responded to her.
“Ah, yes... That’s right. The idea that a marriage can function well on just consideration and trust alone... That’s a very good point. I’m quite impressed.”
Only then did a sense of relief wash over Iona’s face.
Fortunately, it seemed Leroy had also managed to discard any unsuitable notions of marriage from his mind.
It would be troublesome if he harbored such sentimental beliefs only to encounter a woman who truly stirred his heart later in life, leading to a late-life crisis.
Of course, she knew Leroy wasn’t the type to do such a thing, but one can never be too sure with people.
After all, misfortunes often come from where they’re least expected.
As Iona wore a quietly proud expression, Leroy let out a small chuckle upon seeing it.
Though there was a slight trace of the emptiness left from the revelation of Richard’s lies, his smile still carried a pleasant and cheerful vibe.
Leroy looked at Iona with a gentle gaze and said, “Yes, you and I can make quite a fine couple. I wish for your future to always be peaceful and happy.”
“Yes. Let’s live splendidly so that no one can speak lightly of us. Make a good name for ourselves, choose a birthday we want, and, just like you said, marry someone we love.”
At that moment, the image of a young boy who once wished her a bright future on her behalf overlapped in her mind.
Hiding the surge of emotion welling up to the tip of her tongue, Iona replied with sincerity, “I wish the same.”
--- End Of The Chapter ----
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