Chapter 70
Despite everything going well, the amount of work that Iona had to handle did not decrease.
Until the morning of the day she was supposed to depart for the capital, Iona had to review numerous matters in her office with her aides.
While she might not have had a say in other matters, Iona's influence was absolutely necessary in deciding how to handle Baron Franz's family.
Even if the final decision would be made by the count, it was necessary to prepare some contingency measures beforehand.
The good thing was that all of the aides were clearly aware of the situation within the baron family because Robert had privately managed the manpower of the manor house.
They all devotedly helped Iona, bearing in mind the desire not to be implicated as accomplices.
Within the office, the only sounds heard were the scratching of pens on paper and voices requesting reviews.
Viscount Klaus, who had been appointed as the deputy lord, was also present from the morning, although he sat there like a discarded pipe, not providing any substantial assistance.
And around noon...
Just when everyone was feeling hungry but hesitated to suggest going for a meal, a villain appeared as if to save the day.
"You should not enter without permission!"
"First, go through the proper procedures and request a visit...!"
"We can't let everything go to waste!"
-Thud
With a loud noise, the office door swung open.
A middle-aged man strode in and surveyed the room with fierce eyes.
The man who spotted Iona from the dais confidently demanded.
"Dame Iona, let's have a talk!"
Iona asked her aide who was right beside her.
"Who is he?"
“He is Baron Haas.”
"Oh...”
Iona made a sound, whether it was a groan or an expression of admiration, and put down the documents she had been looking at.
Seemingly feeling ignored, Baron Haas' face flushed red with anger.
The man shouted in an enraged manner.
"Dame Iona, what kind of disrespect is that?”
After exposing the crimes committed by Baron Franz, Iona had not stepped outside the Lordship. She only instructed her subordinates to investigate and punish.
However, it didn't mean she accepted external visits either.
She canceled the luncheon that was originally planned with the departing vassals and had been refusing all forms of communication with a formal apology as the only remaining gesture.
At first, the vassals showed concern, but as the disregard continued, their anxiety gradually turned into anger.
Even though she was the daughter of the owner's family, she couldn't look down on them this much.
'I wonder if there's something fishy going on.'
Of course, Baron Haas was well aware that Robert had indeed committed embezzlement.
But it was also true that everything had happened too abruptly. It felt contrived, to the point where it was difficult to catch up with the flow.
What was especially suspicious was Robert's sudden disappearance, which had become mysterious.
Robert had vanished without a trace, leaving behind the objects he had been using without telling anyone, as if he had evaporated into thin air.
He definitely didn't seem like someone who had disappeared voluntarily.
“Doesn’t the baron know what a visitation request is?”
Iona asked aggressively, seemingly uninterested in cooperating. Baron Haas, who was taken aback, raised his voice even louder.
"I did. However, since there has been no response until the day of your departure, isn't it natural for me to come find you myself?"
"If that's the case, then you must not know what refusal means. If I didn't want to meet, wouldn't it be obvious that I wouldn't give any answer?"
In response to Iona's comment, Baron Haas clenched his fists.
His patience had already reached its limit while waiting for her reply. He had no more tolerance left.
Baron Haas spread his arms wide and shouted in an exaggerated tone.
“Dame Iona! What are you so afraid of that you refuse to meet with your vassals and go into seclusion? Is there any reason why you shouldn't meet us? Please let us know what the hell the problem is!”
"What's the problem?"
Iona's voice, as she retorted, was chilling.
Iona slowly stood up from her seat and pressed her throbbing temples.
After a brief silence, she revealed her first expression with a gloomy face.
"I am busy. I have been incredibly busy. I can barely stay in the territory for more than a few days. Look at everything I have dealt with until now. Can one person handle this workload? If you were the baron, could you skip the meeting time here?"
Since coming down to the Modrov territory, Iona had been living breathlessly day by day.
Even on the first day of the dinner she had with Robert, didn't she return to her bedroom without reviewing the account books?
She pretended to be drunk, but she was only slightly tipsy. Still, she was tired.
After enduring sleepless nights like this for nearly a week, as the last day approached, Iona couldn't help but feel her limits.
Just when she had been enduring with the hope that it would soon be over, the insensitive visitor had come to her workplace and started shouting. Iona was genuinely angry.
"Or should I have thrown away my work and listened to you all barking?"
"W-What are you saying? Your words right now are too..."
"Fin, go and call the guards. We need to arrest this guy."
Interrupting Baron Haas's words, Iona ordered Fin.
Fin hesitated for a moment before getting up from his seat.
Baron Haas, who was staring blankly as Fin left the office, immediately shouted at Iona.
“Dame Iona!”
"Shut up, Baron. My head is throbbing."
While doing so, Iona looked back at the people sitting around her.
Everyone was frozen at the sudden fight, not knowing what to do.
There was no way it would work properly in this atmosphere.
Iona lightly gestured towards the door and said, "Everyone, go out and bring back some food."
Everyone got up from their seats without hesitation.
Even Viscount Klaus discreetly slipped out among the aides. Even if Baron Haas had seen his face openly, he probably wouldn't have recognized Daniel.
The baron was so angry with Iona that he had already lost half of his reason.
With a distorted expression, he pointed his finger at Iona roughly.
"So now that everyone is gone, does that mean your audacious words have disappeared? I will remember my humiliation today and let everyone know. No matter how much of a grand lady you are..."
"Baron Haas, do you think I kept my mouth shut because I didn't know anything?"
Iona asked in a meaningful tone.
At that, Baron Haas hesitated involuntarily and stepped back. It was as if he knew exactly what he had done.
Baron Haas tried to hold back his emotions, telling himself that she was just showing off, but his body betrayed him.
The sound of his heartbeat raced in his ears.
And as always in moments of crisis, his instincts were right.
“If you had an idea, you shouldn’t have dared to show your face in front of me. I don't know who the people who contributed to Baron Franz's corruption were.”
Baron Haas's chest sank at Iona's mocking laughter.
Reflexively, he avoided her gaze and hardened his expression.
He could only stand confidently in front of Iona under the assumption that his faults hadn't been exposed.
It was an optimistic assumption, but including Baron Haas, they believed that they had survived this humiliation unscathed.
Amidst the departure of those associated with Robert, only they were not issued any warrants.
“I was so busy that I even delayed punishment, and yet you were eagerly waiting for prison life to the point where you came looking for it in person. I can't help but accept it."
However, Iona claimed that all of this was simply the result of neglected tasks and priorities. It was a story that Baron Haas couldn't accept.
"It could be manipulated news."
Baron Haas repeated to himself, trying to reassure himself. If Iona had intentionally provoked his reaction to frame him, she would have left her subordinates as witnesses, but he had forgotten the natural logic in his anger.
Baron Haas argued with his face turning red.
"E-Even if you try to betray me, it won't work. I may have made a slightly aggressive visit due to concerns about managing the territory, but to accuse me of such things!"
--- End Of The Chapter ----
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