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Chapter 171
"...Isn't it still meaningful to contribute your strength to the domain, even if it's for a lord who is far away?"
"Of course, that was also an honorable task. However, the once chaotic state of the domain has stabilized significantly. I judged that it would be fine for me to leave my post. Besides, I’ve received so much help from the lord that I felt a strong desire to repay that debt."
"Help, you say?"
Leroy asked, maintaining his smiling face.
Unable to watch any longer, Iona stepped in between them.
She wasn’t particularly concerned about Leroy’s meaningful reaction; rather, she wanted to stop Fin from mentioning past events.
Given how he thought of her as his benefactor, it was obvious he would only say good things about her.
She wasn’t thick-skinned enough to sit quietly and listen to exaggerated praise about herself.
"Please don’t pay attention to him. He has a peculiar sense of loyalty, so he tends to exaggerate trivial matters."
Respecting Iona’s intentions, Fin silently stepped back.
Leroy’s suspicion grew even more at his obedient attitude.
From what Leroy knew, neither Iona nor the rest of the count's family visited the Modrov estate often.
It was true that Iona had visited recently, but even then, she had only been gone for about two weeks.
Excluding travel time, her actual stay would have been even shorter.
Leroy was curious about what could have happened during that brief period for this man to talk about 'great help' or a 'debt.'
"...I hope I'll have the chance to hear about it later."
As Leroy subtly hinted at a future conversation while narrowing his eyes at Fin, there was a knock at the door from outside.
"Pardon the interruption, Your Grace. May I come in for a moment?"
It was one of Leroy’s aides.
When Leroy granted entry, the aide immediately entered and bowed deeply.
"I apologize for the disturbance. There’s an urgent document that requires your attention."
Judging by the troubled expression, it seemed to be a genuinely pressing matter.
Leroy suddenly realized that this wasn’t the time for him to be leisurely lingering around.
He should have returned to his office immediately after meeting Schneider, but he had used his meeting with Iona as an excuse to delay. On impulse, he had followed along to this reunion.
It was time to return to his duties.
Yet, Leroy hesitated, unable to bring himself to stand up.
As his hesitation dragged on, not only his aide but also Fin and Iona turned their gazes toward him.
They seemed ready to bid him farewell, waiting for him to say his goodbyes.
There was no reason for him to stay here any longer, and the urgency in his aide’s expression made it clear that his presence was needed elsewhere.
Leroy had no choice but to acknowledge how odd it would be to insist on staying here any longer.
With a quiet sigh, he rose from his seat.
“You said you’ll be helping my wife from now on, so I suppose we’ll be seeing each other often. I hope we’ll have the chance to sit down for a proper chat over tea next time.”
“It would be an honor. Please call on me anytime, and I will come to you immediately.”
Fin bowed deeply, a gesture of respect.
Leroy turned his attention to Iona, thinking that under different circumstances, he might have regarded Fin quite favorably.
Instead of bidding him farewell with words, Iona simply looked up at him in silence.
Leroy leaned down and kissed her cheek naturally.
It had become a common greeting between them as their relationship grew closer.
But why did he occasionally feel a sense of unease even as their skin touched so familiarly?
‘Even after getting married, I still can’t seem to put my mind at ease. I must be quite a narrow-minded man,’ he mused bitterly to himself, hiding his thoughts as he straightened up.
They had promised to be faithful to each other, and Leroy never doubted that Iona would keep that promise.
Yet, as he looked into her inscrutable face, he couldn’t help but feel uncertain about their relationship.
Several times, when he had subtly hinted at his true feelings, Iona had responded with reactions that were neither clearly negative nor positive.
‘Or rather, closer to rejection,’ he thought.
He recalled the answer she gave when he expressed different expectations for their marriage.
When he tried to talk about affection, Iona had emphasized the importance of a community spirit based on consideration and trust, with a resolute expression.
Her words were far removed from any talk of romance, so Leroy adjusted his plans, deciding to gradually win her over instead of harboring misplaced hopes.
He intended to surround her entirely with himself, ensuring that when she eventually realized her feelings, she would find no other options but him.
And yet, up until now, he had believed everything was going smoothly...
'Perhaps the only one who's grown deeper feelings is me.'
With a sense of defeat, Leroy let out a small chuckle.
Oddly enough, despite the bitter conclusion, he didn't feel entirely displeased.
Noticing his inexplicable smile, Iona asked with a hint of curiosity.
"Is there something you'd like to say?"
"No, nothing at all. I'll see you at dinner."
He couldn't possibly let her catch a glimpse of the unseemly thoughts lurking inside him.
Waving her off lightly, Leroy turned away from her.
His final shred of pride was not checking Fin's expression as he walked out with his aide.
***
“...It seems like you two are a good couple. I’m relieved to see that things are going well between you two.”
These were Fin’s first words after breaking the silence once Leroy had left the room.
Iona, who had been staring at the door through which Leroy had exited, now turned her gaze to Fin.
She didn’t hide the pleased expression that spread across her face as she asked, “Does it really look that way?”
“Yes, to be honest, I was a bit surprised. I had thought it was merely a political marriage. But the atmosphere between you seemed as if you had naturally grown close and then decided to marry.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Officially, it was known that Leroy had married Iona at the Imperial family's suggestion, but the truth was that they had shared countless unofficial meetings before their marriage.
Because of this, Leroy and Iona knew much more about each other than most nobles who marry with only a vague awareness of each other's family size, wealth, and appearance.
Given that their relationship had originally begun as a contract, this was a rather interesting contrast.
“You’ve grown quite adept at flattery since I last saw you. But since it’s pleasant to hear, I won’t bother correcting you,” Iona replied jokingly.
The comment about her and Leroy appearing to have a good marriage was perhaps the most gratifying compliment Iona could receive.
After all, it was one of her firm resolutions when she had returned to the past.
However, since romantic relationships weren't exactly a topic one flaunted, Iona naturally shifted the conversation.
“In any case, you've done well coming all this way. I’m sorry to have made you leave your home for my sake.”
Yulia had returned to the place where she was born and raised, but for Fin, this was a strange land he had never set foot in before, where he had arrived alone on a new assignment.
That’s why Iona had met with Yulia briefly and then immediately moved to greet Fin.
Unlike Yulia, who seemed excited at the thought of reuniting with her family, Fin had no one he knew within the duchy except Iona.
“I was the one who asked to be of service first. In fact, I was delighted that you allowed it,” Fin replied with a humble tone.
After Iona became the Countess of Modrov, Fin had quickly sent a letter expressing his desire to serve her closely.
Unlike Erich, who had stubbornly insisted on becoming her knight, this was a welcome offer for Iona.
There were several tasks Iona had planned to handle within the duchy, and Fin was the perfect candidate for those.
While she could have used the existing personnel from the duchy, it seemed more fitting to bring in someone new for matters related to the Ida estate.
Most of the people within the duchy harbored resentment toward Viscount Ida, and the Viscount was not unaware of this sentiment.
From the Viscount's perspective, it would be more comfortable to interact with someone entirely unfamiliar.
“How is the estate running?” Iona asked.
“Just as I mentioned to the Duke earlier. It’s all thanks to the excellent proxy you appointed. Viscount Klaus has quite the knack for managing the estate.” Fin responded.
“You mean he’s been listening to your advice, right?”
“Ever since you inherited the title, he practically worships you as if you were a deity.”
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