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Chapter 206
This was practically a petty act of defiance.
It was a deliberate attempt to provoke him, irritated by the high-handed manner that suggested he held the power of life and death over her.
She assumed that, since he was hiding his true identity, he wouldn’t dare openly express anger over matters involving her.
‘No, even if he could reveal his identity, I’d probably still do the same.’
Iona glanced up discreetly to observe Richard’s reaction.
He was silently reading over the sentences she had written.
Was this not enough to discourage him?
Iona began to add more detailed explanations beneath her notes.
[When visiting the estate, she always brought her husband along, so the rumors that the imperial family and the duke’s house are reconciling must be true—]
Suddenly, Richard’s hand shot out, snatching the paper from her grasp.
The sheer force of his grip nearly caused Iona to let out an involuntary gasp.
His movement had also caught her hand, which was still poised on the notebook.
Despite the leather gloves he wore, the heat of his skin was palpable against hers.
Caught off guard, Iona pulled her arm back, freeing her hand from his grasp.
Although Richard released her without resistance, his gaze remained fixed on the crumpled piece of paper.
A fraction of a second later, he spoke.
“Your unnecessary commentary is getting lengthy.”
“......”
“In other words, there’s nothing that requires extra attention.”
His voice, which had carried a trace of emotion at first, grew steadier as he continued.
However, only Iona, who had just touched hands with him, could discern that this composure was nothing more than a well-crafted mask.
The Richard she knew was not the type to display his anger in such a manner.
He wasn’t the kind of man to obsess over a woman who had left, inquire about her whereabouts, or lose his temper over news that she was doing well with someone else.
He had concealed his feelings for her for so long, aware of the scrutiny of the outside world.
Iona had been confident that his patience would work in her favor this time, or at least she had hoped so.
She hoped that in the process of denying his true feelings, he had forgotten how to express them altogether.
That the day Richard would confess his feelings to her would never come.
But perhaps she had been wrong in her assumptions.
Was the scenario she had secretly dismissed the one closest to the truth?
“Do you have plans to meet with the Duchess in the near future?” Richard asked in a businesslike tone.
Iona silently shook her head.
Then, without a word, she questioned him.
What had brought him here?
What exactly did he hope to gain by coming here?
But, in truth, even such questions were unnecessary.
As if she could already foresee his next words, Iona knew the answer.
“If not, could you contact her and arrange a meeting?”
She understood.
This man had come all the way here solely to see her.
****
“What do you plan to do?”
At Amaia’s question, Iona paused in the middle of unwrapping the bandage.
The ointment on her fingertips gave off a foul odor, but there was no suitable place to wipe it off.
Frustrated, Iona tugged off the cumbersome veil perched on her head without care.
Using her damp fingertips, she wiped them off on her wig, feeling somewhat better afterward.
If Marsha, who had repeatedly emphasized the item’s value and begged her to handle it with care, saw this, she would have screamed.
But Masha wasn’t here.
Pushing away the mental image of Masha’s exaggerated reactions, Iona belatedly responded.
“About what?”
“Today, you got away with it, but I doubt the same will happen next time.”
“That man,” Amaia added in a low, uneasy tone.
Her nervous glance toward the curtained window betrayed the lingering shock from their earlier encounter.
Iona wasn’t feeling all that differently.
Forcing a habitual smile, Iona replied as casually as she could.
“It’s a simple matter of telling him the Duchess keeps refusing to meet.”
Iona had deflected Richard demand to create an excuse for a meeting by pretending compliance: “I’ll contact the Duchess and let you know.”
He had been satisfied with her seemingly obedient response. Yet, unbeknownst to him, any planned meeting with Lady Ida was destined to fail due to inexplicable circumstances.
Fortunately, Iona had a convincing excuse: she needed to learn estate management as the Duchess.
‘After all, he’s not going to stay here forever. I just need to endure until he returns to the palace.’
Amaia, unaware of Richard true identity, seemed annoyed by Iona’s laid-back attitude.
Unlike Iona, who had managed to keep her face hidden beneath a veil, Amaia’s presence was well-known, which understandably felt unfair to her.
“What if he shows up at the viscount’s estate unannounced?”
“He’s too well-known to pull something that risky. At most, he’d send a representative,” Iona replied in a reassuring tone.
But Amaia’s concern was focused elsewhere.
“You know who he is?”
“He’s my former superior,” Iona said plainly, pausing for a moment before pointing her index finger upward. “The highest-ranking one, to be exact.”
Amaia, piecing together the hierarchy in her mind, suddenly gaped. It was an unusually exaggerated reaction for her.
Recovering from her shock, she summarized the situation with cautious precision.
“So… we’ve been dragged into a power struggle.”
“Exactly.”
“Why would the Crown Prince go to such lengths?”
“Well, I’ve observed him for over a decade, and even I can’t figure that out…” Iona said with a hollow laugh.
Although she had her suspicions, saying them aloud felt ridiculous.
‘If it’s because the Empress cast me out and he’s doing this out of resentment… that feels way too self-centered.’
The thought left Iona uneasy.
If he had truly turned against the Empress just to meet her, the idea was enough to haunt her dreams.
Eager to change the subject, she continued, “Anyway, his plan to trouble the Empress works in my favor. All I have to do is follow orders, and I benefit.”
Amaia, watching her closely, suddenly spoke.
“You betrayed the Imperial family for the Duke, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“If I were to tell the Crown Prince about this, I might be able to secure my and Carmen’s lives. What do you think?”
It was impossible to tell if she was serious or joking. Or perhaps it depended entirely on Iona’s response.
For Amaia, both Richard and Iona were threats; siding with the one who offered the best guarantee of safety was the logical choice.
Fortunately, Iona was more confident in this area than Richard.
Richard was skilled at using and discarding people, whereas Iona understood what it meant to be used.
With a faint smile, she replied, “An interesting idea, but don’t. It won’t end well.”
“Why not?”
“He’s not the kind of man who keeps people around for long.”
Amaia didn’t press for details. She simply nodded as if she understood.
Iona, surprised that Amaia seemed to believe her, raised an eyebrow and asked, “So, your decision?”
“I’m staying here.”
“A bold choice. The opponent is the Crown Prince, after all.”
“Well, I dealt with the Empress before. Besides, betrayal doesn’t end well if it becomes a habit. And…”
“And?”
“My stomach still aches from when you hit me. I’d rather not deal with you again.”
Amaia patted her abdomen as she spoke, earning a scrunched nose and a quip from Iona.
“Same here.”
For a brief moment, the tension between the blackmailer and the coerced assassin dissipated, replaced by an oddly warm camaraderie.
Of course, it didn’t last long.
Iona quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, about that ammunition they showed earlier. Have similar weapons passed through the Ida estate before?”
“Yes, rarely, but it’s happened.”
“So, they weren’t prepared just for this occasion.”
Iona had long known that the Empress had been sending illegal support to Bardem.
She also knew that the Empress had dealt with Count Schmidt to facilitate this process.
This alone would create a significant scandal if exposed.
But if there were an even more insidious plan hidden within?
If uncovering it could win her unexpected allies?
“It looks like I’ll be going on a honeymoon soon,” Iona murmured with a hint of excitement.
Naturally, Amaia had no idea what she was talking about. Still, she chose to let it slide rather than question the bizarre statement.
After all, she was becoming accustomed to this unpredictable woman consistently producing remarkable results.
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