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Chapter 119
Observing Iona with her impassive, death-like demeanor, Nils felt a sudden chill run down his spine.
He can’t believe she was successful.
It was as if she had already attempted to kill him once.
If not, it seemed like a declaration of her resolve to make it happen no matter what.
Nils tried to dismiss it as an absurd thought, but he couldn’t completely shake off the ominous premonition that had settled in his mind.
With a wavering voice, he barely managed to ask.
“You, you... Did you plan this from the very beginning? So you could... me...”
“I’ve always been disappointed that you couldn’t see my true intentions, Nils.”
Iona interrupted without hesitation.
If Nils had realized the seriousness of the situation and called for Hayden sooner, Iona might have found herself in a bit of a predicament. She would have had to devise other secondary plans to tie Hayden’s hands.
But Nils was too preoccupied with covering up his own mistakes, leading to this very outcome.
The situation had now festered beyond repair.
The royal family’s response was the most crucial issue in this matter.
Depending on whether the royal family chose to overlook this or not, the fate of the Modrov family would be drastically different.
In this regard, it was nearly impossible for Nils and Hayden to escape their predicament, especially since Iona had recruited the crown prince himself, a key figure in the royal family.
Although Hayden had once been closely associated with the Empress, that was now a thing of the past.
After the Empress began avoiding public appearances and secluded herself in the inner palace, she no longer interacted with Hayden as frequently as before.
It was natural for Hayden to lose his former glory.
Instead, Hayden had tried to make a comeback by placing Iona under the prince’s wing, but even his own daughter turned her back on him, unable to withstand the persecution, making it difficult to seek help.
‘Rather than receiving help, you will face retaliation.’
Iona thought to herself, letting out an involuntary snicker.
Was that taken as a mockery?
Nils glared at Iona fiercely as he raised his head.
His eyes glinted with murderous intent.
“You think you can play me and get away with it! I’ll kill you. Once I’m free, you’ll be the first one I kill!”
Nils thrashed about as if he intended to put his words into action right then and there.
It was a foolish endeavor. If Iona were to face any danger in the future, everyone present would suspect Nils first and foremost.
Above all, Nils was not the kind of strongman who could easily shake off the two stalwarts binding him.
His final struggle was in vain. He couldn’t lay a finger on Iona.
Saskia, looking at Nils who was howling like an animal with a disgusted expression, soon pretended to cover her ears.
With an annoyed tone, she ordered her subordinates.
“There’s no point in any more talk. If he’s been secured, load him onto the carriage for transport.”
Following Saskia’s command, the knights moved more swiftly.
The knights who had firmly bound Hayden’s wrists forced him to his feet.
As his son was dragged outside, Hayden, looking back and forth between his bound hands and his son, cried out desperately to Iona.
“Iona, calm down. This is no time to be emotional! Don’t you see that the Modrov name offers you protection as well?”
Had he observed the situation, he would have realized that Iona had played a significant role in their capture, but his plea to Iona sounded merely heartrending.
He spoke as if he genuinely regretted Iona’s wrong choice.
Iona was inwardly impressed.
‘He hasn’t been the head of the family for nothing.’
Indeed, the father had a quicker grasp of the situation than the son.
At least he had the decency to conceal his hostility in his gaze.
Hayden seemed to be trying to appease Iona, hoping to defuse the situation.
It wasn’t a bad calculation. The problem was that such calculations were meaningless in this situation.
‘If only he had shown such insight a bit sooner.’
In the past, when her threshold for happiness was low, she might have been grateful for even such small kindnesses, just as she had been easily swayed by the crown prince’s insincere smiles.
But the current Iona had already given up all expectations of them.
Her family was nothing more than pitiful trash, and any affection from them was sure to stink of their corruption.
Iona had no interest in picking up garbage.
“I’m afraid you still haven’t grasped the situation, Count.”
Iona said with a hint of pity.
“Iona, wait, just listen to me for a moment.”
Hayden interjected hurriedly, perhaps worried she would dismiss him outright.
He rushed to continue, fearing he might be dismissed without a chance to persuade her.
“I don’t know what Nils has done this time, but there must be a reason for your actions. I understand you’ve had many grievances. If you have any complaints, tell me frankly. I’ll do my best to resolve them in your favor.”
Laughter began to break out among the knights who were watching.
They were comrades who had spent a long time with Iona and knew better than anyone the treatment she had received from her family.
Although Iona had never spoken ill of her family out loud, her domestic situation was evident from other circumstances.
It was foolish not to realize why her body, which was fine during duels, would return from home bruised and battered.
The widespread rumors about Nils in the capital were largely due to Iona’s comrades speaking ill of him.
To think they would attempt to gloss over the past with mere ‘grievances’ was absurd.
They knew the family was rotten, but the reality was even worse than they thought.
The knights looked at Hayden with almost contemptuous eyes.
The hostile atmosphere and Iona’s silence made Hayden unbearably anxious.
Hayden raised his voice as if to admonish Iona.
“When there’s a problem within the family, shouldn’t we talk it out and clear up any misunderstandings first?”
“......”
“Iona Modrov, just think about how long you’ve lived with us. Those years shouldn’t be so easily discarded. Yes, indeed. You might be led by your emotions now, but you should also consider what you’ve gained under the protection of our family! And about the marriage, what about your marriage to the Duke? Do you think the Duke would wish to continue his alliance with a family at odds with the royal family?”
Hayden spoke as if Iona would naturally regret the loss of her family’s status.
It was a laughably mistaken belief.
Especially since there was likely no one more eager than Iona to erase the Modrov surname from her name.
Iona responded to his patronizing attitude as if dousing it with cold water.
“Count, do not assume that the Modrov name was ever an object of my desire. Indeed, there was a time when I sought your approval, but that was only because I was too young back then, and I’d like to excuse those embarrassing actions as such.”
Hayden’s eyes wavered.
He could sense it wasn’t hard to predict.
No matter how he tried to persuade her, Iona would not reverse her previous decision, because she had been planning and hoping for all this for a very long time.
“Let me put it more simply for you to understand, Count. I am confident that there is no one who desires the decline and downfall of Modrov more than I do. So, you cannot persuade me with talk of this family’s history or glory. Please don’t feel wronged. All of this is...”
Iona paused momentarily, savoring the moment as she looked at the defeated figure before her.
After fully observing Hayden’s face filled with fear and astonishment, she whispered softly.
“It’s because you raised me not as a daughter, but as an enemy.”
***
He couldn’t pinpoint where it had all gone wrong.
‘Wasn’t I supposed to leave the capital?’
Yes, if he hadn’t stayed in the capital, perhaps there might have been a chance for resolution.
‘It shouldn’t have been Nils to be set as the heir.’
From the start, the position of heir was too significant a responsibility to be entrusted to Nils.
He should have taken more time to consider, instead of being pushed by circumstances into a hasty decision.
‘Yes, that too was because of that girl’s persuasion. Was it from that moment?’
He should have secured a weakness to prevent any possibility of betrayal.
Hayden repeated the same thoughts over and over, finally covering his face with his hands in despair.
From what he had gathered through some investigation, the current situation was not just unfavorable to him but was moving in a malicious direction.
The royal family seemed intent on picking him apart to the bone, eagerly finding fault with him at every turn.
Just today, he was forced to revisit his dishonorable past actions.
‘I can’t just die like this.’
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the chill in the locked room made it easy to cool his overheated brain.
After spending some time with his head against the wall and his eyes closed, Hayden stood up.
It was clear whom he needed to seek out at a time like this.
Approaching the door, Hayden grasped the bars and glanced beyond them.
Hayden said with a hint of sarcasm.
“Seems like all the faces guarding me are too familiar.”
Even within the ranks of the royal knights, factions formed depending on whom they served.
Having observed the knights rotating on guard duty for several days, Hayden was certain that the Empress was monitoring him.
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