Chapter 229
“...You’ve gone mad.”
The irreverent words, ones she had never dared to utter in front of him before, slipped out unconsciously.
Richard let out a small scoff, not even attempting to deny it.
It almost looked like agreement.
Iona narrowed her eyes at him, as if warning him not to misunderstand.
“You were the one who ordered me to marry.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“Then you shouldn’t have come to see me again like this.”
Iona couldn’t shake the impression that Richard always acted according to what suited him best.
He hadn’t hidden his feelings all this time for her sake.
No—he had chosen silence to protect himself.
Because he wanted his love to remain in a place where it would always be safe.
Iona pointed out the difference to him.
“Don’t be mistaken, Your Highness. Even if I were to return to your side now, nothing would change. Her Majesty the Empress wouldn’t just leave me be, and you—like always—would remain a coward. You’re not willing to give up anything for me.”
With those rapid-fire words, Iona roughly shook off his hand.
Richard didn’t try to force her to stay. Instead, he let her go without resistance.
It seemed he had decided that letting her go was the wiser choice if he wanted the conversation to continue.
That was how well he knew Iona.
There was no one else who had watched her from so close for so long.
The only reason Iona had been able to fool Richard all this time was because she had lived over ten years of her life without him knowing who she truly was.
Because he had still been young, and she—older—had already come to know far too much.
With bloodshot eyes, Iona asked,
“Since when?”
“……”
“Since when have you looked at me like that?”
Only after a moment of silence did Richard speak.
“There’s no point in counting. I was already following you with my eyes before I even realized it.”
His vague response made one thing clear—it hadn’t been a recent development.
And the realization sent a shiver down Iona’s spine.
If he had truly harbored those feelings for so many years, shouldn’t they have had a matching depth?
Even if not at the level of giving his life, shouldn’t he have cherished them just a little?
‘But he didn’t.’
In her past life, when Iona had awakened wounded amid ruins, she had found it only natural that Richard hadn’t come to save her.
By reaching that conclusion, her life had lost all meaning—reduced to something pitifully worthless.
If even the person to whom she had devoted her entire life didn’t find her worth grieving for, then what value could her life possibly hold?
But Iona had endured even that.
She hadn’t expected any compensation for her loyalty. She had never blamed Richard for the choices he made.
The real issue lay with herself—for entrusting her life to someone like that in the first place.
That’s why she had been able to let go of his hand and choose someone else, to finally sever everything between them.
Because she had believed he saw her as nothing more than a useful chess piece.
But to hear him confess his love?
That repulsive act—that she could not tolerate.
That, to Iona, was the most unforgivable betrayal Richard had ever committed.
Her lips twisted with cold disdain as she stared into the face of a man in love.
“You’re deluded.”
“So now you not only belittle my feelings, you dismiss them entirely?”
“All you ever did was take my existence for granted. The anger you feel now is no different from what someone would feel if a prized possession was stolen from them.”
“I can at least tell that you’re truly furious.”
Despite Iona’s provocation, Richard no longer lost his temper the way he used to.
In fact, he appeared to be regaining his composure more and more with every word.
A stark contrast to Iona, who felt like punching him in the face right then and there.
The only reason she was still sitting here listening to him was singular and simple—
To reject his absurd confession.
“If you see me as a cowardly man, I understand. I decided not to see you as a woman, and so I also chose not to protect you in that way. If my true feelings had shown through my actions, it would’ve made things difficult for everyone.”
As Richard’s explanation continued, Iona clenched her teeth.
He dared to say he understood her—when he couldn’t even begin to fathom the betrayal she had suffered.
Even Iona didn’t know what to call the emotion she was feeling now.
It felt like an anger that had sedimented over years, or perhaps a deep sorrow and pity directed at herself.
She realized—more clearly than ever—that not even in her past life had she been granted the dignity of being a discarded dog.
She had never been her lord’s sword.
Because her lord had never seen her as a knight.
And the moment he spoke that truth aloud, every year she had devoted to him lost all meaning.
“But it’s different now. From this day forward, I will become your sword and protect you. Will that vow not suffice?”
Richard’s gaze as he said those words was painfully earnest.
Iona opened her mouth to reply, but her throat caught. The words wouldn’t come out.
A single tear traced a long path down her cheek.
Richard froze for a moment when he saw it.
Did he think her tears signaled wavering?
Slowly, Richard lowered himself onto one knee before her.
He reached out toward her cheek, as if to wipe away the tear.
But before his hand could touch her, Iona’s teeth clenched sharply, and she glared at him with eyes full of hostility.
“No.”
“……”
“I do not want that.”
Her icy voice stopped Richard in his tracks.
Iona seized the pause and continued without hesitation.
“Would you like to hear something amusing?”
“……”
“I knew about your feelings even before I married Duke Leroy.”
Richard’s eyes widened.
These were words Iona had long wanted to throw in his face, yet until now, hadn’t been able to bring herself to speak.
It might not have been a pleasant thing for him to hear, but it was certainly interesting—something that would spark his curiosity.
And wasn’t that proof enough? He wasn’t chastising her for her insolence, nor stopping her. He just sat there, frozen in place.
Iona slowly leaned in, bringing her lips close to his ear.
And then, she revealed the secret she had kept hidden for so long.
“I left the capital on purpose because I knew you’d try to interfere with my marriage. When Her Majesty the Empress summoned me and commanded me to leave, I was thrilled. I had been worrying you might try to stop me, but to think you’d hand me such a perfect excuse—I was so grateful.”
“……”
“Thanks to that, everything went smoothly after I moved to the duchy. Life with my beloved husband was peaceful and happy, and deep down, I even felt thankful to you. After all, you were the one who introduced us.”
“……”
“And yet, in the end, you chased me all the way here.”
Iona raised her bowed head.
The man staring at her was trembling—his gaze shaken and fragile.
With a detached expression, Iona lifted her hand and swept the dampness from her cheek.
That single tear had been the only one she shed for him.
To Iona, Richard was worth no more than that.
There was one reason she could stand tall before him now.
She owed him nothing.
As Richard looked up at her unfeeling face, he managed to speak at last.
“You deceived me?”
“And you think you’re in any position to accuse me of that?”
Iona let out a quiet, bitter laugh as she rose to her feet.
For the first time, she stood above Richard—looking down at him.
But it wasn’t because he had knelt to her in a fleeting attempt at consolation.
It was because, now, Iona stood as the victor.
With the generosity of a winner, she extended her hand to him and said,
“Come now, get up. Then go back to where everyone else is and smile like nothing happened. You’ve done it all this time, haven’t you? It shouldn’t be so hard for you.”
-- End Of The Chapter --
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