Chapter 143

 

Marsha remained silent for a moment.

 

There were many stories she held inside, but whether she could convey them to Leroy was another matter entirely.

 

Most of Marsha’s resentment toward Hayden stemmed from the persecution Iona had suffered.

 

Talking about what kind of person Hayden was meant inevitably talking about how Iona had lived.

 

And naturally, Marsha had no intention of revealing someone’s past without their permission.

 

“It won’t be much different from what you’ve seen and felt, Your Grace.”

 

Marsha answered in a roundabout way.

 

Leroy stared intently at her and asked.

 

“The former count I know is trash who locked up his own daughter. Is that accurate?”

 

Marsha flinched at his blunt statement.

 

How did he find out that Iona was Hayden’s biological daughter?

 

Had Yvonne revealed the secret during the commotion last night?

 

Marsha felt she was starting to understand why Leroy was so angry.

 

She, too, felt her blood boil whenever she saw how the people of the Modrov family treated Iona.

 

“...Did Lady Yvonne say that?”

 

“I both heard it and experienced it firsthand.”

 

Leroy responded cynically.

 

In fact, he had once been locked up with Iona by Hayden for several days.

 

He couldn’t understand why they wanted to take Iona away despite offering money back then, but now he felt he was starting to get it.

 

Their goal had always been to reclaim Iona from the start.

 

The hostage situation with Leroy was merely a ploy to deceive him and his family; they never intended to actually receive the ransom.

 

‘No wonder they dragged out the negotiations unnecessarily.’

 

Even so, Leroy had never thought the kidnapping was a crime specifically targeting Iona until now.

 

After all, when they first met, Iona was just a little girl who didn’t even know how to write her own name.

 

At that time, she was rummaging through the trash because she couldn’t endure her hunger, and her appearance was a mess.

 

Her body was so thin you could see her bones, her hair was unkempt, her clothes were torn in places, and she was covered in various scratches.

 

No one would have thought she had a proper guardian.

 

In reality, she seemed unaware of who her parents even were.

 

‘They must have kept it a secret from her to completely hide the existence of the illegitimate child.’

 

Feeling a heat at the back of his head, Leroy clenched his teeth quietly.

 

Iona had asked him not to imagine her past life without permission, but Leroy couldn’t stop the scenes from replaying in his mind every time he thought about that time. It was irresistible.

 

Thinking of the girl who had been confined for so long without understanding why, Leroy slowly clenched his fist.

 

Veins stood out starkly on his pale knuckles.

 

He felt an impulse to strangle Hayden, but that was impossible.

 

The man was already a cold corpse buried beneath the earth.

 

“So, is that why her siblings treated Lady Iona like they wanted to kill her? Blaming her for ruining their family?”

 

“That is...”

 

“I knew about the sibling discord before I got close to her. It was notorious enough to reach my ears soon after I arrived in the capital. The incident where Nils broke his half-sister’s leg.”

 

Marsha realized there was no point in denying it any longer.

 

Leroy already knew so much, and this conversation was merely a confirmation.

 

Marsha swallowed a sigh and responded.

 

“...There are even more stories that didn’t become rumors.”

 

“Did the Modrov family abuse her?”

 

“Except for the late Countess, yes. The late Countess treated her as if she didn’t exist.”

 

“The former Count didn’t protect her from them, I suppose.”

 

“He always sided with Nils and Lady Yvonne, no matter what.”

 

Marsha spoke with a voice heavy with emotion.

 

Leroy fell silent, lost in thought.

 

After a moment, he began tapping rhythmically on the armrest, then suddenly spoke up.

 

“Should I let that trash’s children live and return to their territory?”

 

It was a chilling question, starkly contrasting with his monotone voice.

 

Marsha’s eyes widened momentarily.

 

She calmed her startled heart and tried to maintain her usual demeanor as she replied.

 

“The Countess plans to quietly deal with them after the situation calms down.”

 

“So, she means to keep them alive a little longer.”

 

“...”

 

“I don’t want to.”

 

Leroy added with regret.

 

Marsha now understood the real reason he had sought her out for this conversation.

 

Marsha was one of the few people Iona trusted.

 

If there was anyone in this mansion who Leroy could enlist to help with his plans for Iona, it would be Marsha.

 

Leroy looked at her as if silently urging her.

 

His eyes were filled with many emotions, but the most prominent was anger.

 

Beneath his well-groomed, noble facade lay a fierce and deadly intent.

 

Marsha swallowed dryly.

 

“Do you have an order for me?”

 

The words of agreement came without much thought.

 

Just as Leroy was furious upon learning Iona’s circumstances, Marsha had long harbored deep resentment towards Nils and Yvonne.

 

***

 

Iona waking up in the afternoon was a rare occurrence.

 

When she finally opened her eyes close to lunchtime, she immediately noticed Leroy sitting beside her bed.

 

He was reading a book, seemingly heeding her dawn request not to leave.

 

Noticing Iona was awake, Leroy, who had been playing with her hair, looked up and smiled warmly.

 

Seeing she was awake, Leroy said he would leave, and Iona, feeling embarrassed, told him he could go.

 

She felt quite self-conscious for having made a busy guest stay just to watch her sleep.

 

After having a brief lunch with Leroy, which they had postponed, she saw him off.

 

With her guest gone, Iona wanted nothing more than to return to bed and rest. Despite having slept deeply, she still felt unwell. Unfortunately, she had matters to attend to.

 

Heading to her office, Iona pushed aside the pile of documents on her desk and called someone in.

 

It was the maid who had nearly suffered at Yvonne’s hands the previous day.

 

“Countess, I heard you called for me.”

 

Reni walked in with a tense expression.

 

Noticing Iona’s discomfort as she constantly shifted in her seat, she finally stood up to greet her.

 

“Yes, are you feeling better?”

 

“Thanks to your concern, yes. I was quite scared, but I’m fine now.”

 

Reni answered sincerely.

 

Her injuries didn’t seem severe, as she had no bandages on her exposed wounds.

 

Iona, who had been staring at the red marks on Reni’s neck, soon looked away and spoke with a troubled expression.

 

“Yvonne lost control and did something unforgivable. I apologize on her behalf.”

 

“C-Countess, please don’t say that. You have nothing to apologize for.”

 

Reni waved her hands in shock.

 

Receiving an apology from Iona for such an incident seemed overwhelmingly gracious.

 

Iona shook her head firmly.

 

“No, this incident has made me realize my responsibility as the head of the family. I’ve tolerated Yvonne’s behavior because I considered her family... but I can’t overlook it any longer.”

 

‘Family,’ she thought.

 

Hearing Hayden’s old habit of speech coming from her own mouth still felt like nonsense.

 

Iona had to try hard to maintain a serious expression.

 

“I’ve decided to report this incident to the Imperial Court and expel Nils and Yvonne from the capital as soon as possible. It feels awkward to ask this of you, the victim... but when the investigation begins, can you testify about what happened yesterday?”

 

“Of course, Countess!”

 

Before Iona could finish speaking, Reni answered with a clenched fist.

 

Even though she was about to testify against nobles, there wasn’t a hint of hesitation in her.

 

Surprised by her resolute response, Iona paused briefly before speaking again.

 

“...I’m glad to see your spirit.”

 

“That’s my strength!”

 

“Yes... When the investigators arrive, just tell them the truth about how Yvonne overpowered you, took the knife, and threatened you. As for the things Yvonne said... it’s best to avoid mentioning them.”

 

Iona added the real request at the end, calming the overly enthusiastic maid.

--- End Of The Chapter ----

 

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