Chapter 116

 

“No, it’s naturally something one would hesitate to do.”

 

With a tenseness in his voice as if cutting through unpleasant thoughts, Richard spoke.

 

Eager to prevent the silence from stretching too long and allowing Iona to harbor any other thoughts, he promptly continued.

 

“Although I’ve commanded you to marry the Duke due to my limited trust in others to delegate tasks, I have no intention of forcing you into such personal matters. I will handle this issue myself, so feel free to disregard the Duke’s proposal.”

 

Iona, who had been looking down, lifted her surprised eyes to Richard. Her reaction seemed to say she hadn’t expected him to offer help so readily.

 

Suppressing her overwhelming emotions, she expressed her gratitude in a choked voice.

 

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

 

Richard, declaring himself her steadfast ally, displayed a concerned expression befitting his role.

 

Fortunately, accustomed to patience, he was adept at concealing his surging emotions beneath the surface.

 

Richard acted as if his decision stemmed purely from sympathy, doing his best to perform.

 

Otherwise, there would be no explaining his sudden proactive stance the moment she mentioned the child.

 

It was imperative she didn’t realize his actions were motivated by such a petty reason as jealousy.

 

“Given that it’s an old contract, there might be some wiggle room to get out of it. I’ll see to it that this matter can be settled with a suitable amount of compensation.”

 

Words were always subject to fitting them together just right.

 

He would need to look into the specifics after she left, but he didn’t expect the solution to deviate much from what he’d just stated.

 

Richard looked at Iona, as if asking if this was satisfactory.

 

Expecting her to agree contentedly, he was surprised when she instead shook her head.

 

“No, Your Highness. What I would like to ask you for is something else.”

 

“And that would be?”

 

“Please hold Count Modrov and his eldest son accountable, ensuring they completely withdraw from the front lines.”

 

Hayden and Nils leave the Modrov family.

 

The implications of that statement were clear.

 

Richard stared intently at Iona and said,

 

“If so, the Modrov family will be left with only the previous lord’s adopted daughter and the confined biological daughter who sought to harm her.”

 

“...”

 

“Are you asking me to hand over the family to you?”

 

Iona did not deny it.

 

Her silence was as good as an affirmation to his question.

 

To think she saw an opportunity to seize control of the family amidst its crisis, not just looking after her own safety.

 

Richard had never considered her to be such a bold person. His eyes narrowed.

 

“I had no idea you harbored such ambitions.”

 

“It’s not about ambition.”

 

“Then what is it?”

 

Iona remained silent again.

 

The reason she wished for her family’s downfall was quite obvious.

 

Richard was well aware of how the Modrov family had treated Iona all this time.

 

He asked with a scoff, “Revenge?”

 

“Nils cannot become the head of the family. He’s not fit for such a position.”

 

“And you believe you are.”

 

“I may be lacking, but I think I meet the minimum requirements.”

 

Iona answered humbly.

 

Richard was lost in thought.

 

He had never considered making Iona the head of the family, but upon reflection, it wasn’t entirely out of the question.

 

Expanding Iona’s scope of activity would also be beneficial for him.

 

Currently, Hayden, who controlled the Modrov family, was technically aligned with the Empress, not Richard.

 

A change in leadership in his favor might not be a bad idea at this point.

 

‘The problem is whether it’s wise to entrust such a significant role to Iona and empower her...’

 

Richard did not want Iona to become a difficult entity to manage.

 

He always wanted to keep her within his grasp, manipulating her life as he saw fit.

 

And like most who enjoy control, he was not fond of variables.

 

The flow of negative thoughts abruptly stopped.

 

Richard stiffened and slowly looked down at his arm.

 

Iona’s hand had somehow reached out and was gently clasping the back of his hand.

 

It was the first time she had initiated physical contact with him.

 

“Your Highness.”

 

There was no hint of provocation in her subdued voice.

 

She simply continued, speaking as if confiding her true feelings.

 

“Who else could I trust and rely on if not Your Highness?”

 

“...”

 

“I always thought it was enough just to endure, always trying to cover for my family’s faults, but the wounds only piled up, and they never changed. I once believed that was right, that it was natural, and kept silent. I thought that was what family was.”

 

“...”

 

“But in retrospect, it was Your Highness who gave me a place to belong, who treated me as someone of true significance. So how could I not be utterly loyal to you?”

 

Iona, seemingly embarrassed to reveal her thoughts, kept her gaze fixed on the ground.

 

This allowed Richard to freely observe her face for once.

 

Her long lashes drooping down, her delicate cheeks, and her slightly quivering red lips scattered his thoughts.

 

“It was thanks to Your Highness that I could make up my mind to leave them. So what’s left for me now...”

 

Finally, Iona lifted her moist eyes to meet Richard’s gaze.

 

It was the first time he had seen such a sorrowful expression on her face. In that moment, Richard felt an urge to pull her hand towards him and hold her close.

 

And perhaps, someday, he might actually act on that fantasy.

 

As he tried to calm his racing heart, Richard suddenly thought.

 

‘Father, mother, Nils Modrov... Maybe there’s a chance if at least three of them are gone.’

 

He wondered if he had somehow gained the opportunity to realize at least some of the thoughts he had once casually entertained.

 

***

 

After finishing her private meeting, Iona stood in the corridor, catching her breath.

 

When she touched the corners of her eyes, she felt the remaining dampness, though it quickly evaporated with a few blinks.

 

Iona exchanged a brief nod with a maid approaching from the opposite direction before hurrying on her way.

 

‘As expected, He is clearly sensitive to the mention of a child.’

 

There were two topics Iona knew would elicit a definite reaction from Richard: her chastity and Leroy.

 

The former was deduced from his response to Florence’s recent actions, and the latter from hearing about Richard reprimanding Leroy for making a sudden unwelcome marriage proposal.

 

‘Florence has been up to no good for a while, but Richard only ever reacted strongly when it involved bringing a man into the picture.’

 

Of course, the severity of the wrongdoing was on a different scale.

 

While Florence had spread rumors and physically harassed Iona, such incidents, though not frequent, were not unheard of within the palace.

 

Florence had indeed crossed a line this time, but Iona perceived an ulterior motive in Richard’s behavior towards her.

 

When reprimanding Florence, Richard never mentioned Iona.

 

Had he truly been concerned for Iona, he would have at least once brought up the hurt the actual victim might have felt in front of Florence, who behaved shamelessly.

 

However, his anger was solely his own, signifying that the emotion stemmed from the indignation of someone tampering with what he considered his possession.

 

‘It’s amusing to harbor a sense of ownership over something one hasn’t even claimed.’

 

Nonetheless, Iona had once devoted absolute loyalty to Richard, enough for him to harbor such a delusion.

 

In return, it would only be fair for her to benefit from the ‘family-like relationship’ he so emphasized.

 

Iona, with light steps, moved past the usual path and headed towards the knights’ quarters.

 

Some knights were out in the training field, swinging their swords, presumably in their morning practice.

 

Before her comrades could spot her, Iona quickly slipped through the back door.

 

Had Saskia heard in advance that Iona had entered the palace?

 

Saskia, lounging on a sofa with her body sprawled out, didn’t seem surprised to see Iona suddenly appear through the office door.

 

She rolled her eyes towards Iona and then, as if lamenting, said, “Iona, I think... our Highness truly loves you.”

 

“I know.”

 

Iona answered calmly and approached Saskia.

--- End Of The Chapter ----

 

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