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Chapter 77
“You arrived quickly.”
“I had told you from the start that I had a stomachache.”
Thanks to Viscountess Schiller’s densely planted shrubs, there were many places in the garden where one could hide.
Iona sat side by side with Viviana on a bench.
They didn’t have much time, so Iona got straight to the point.
“Can I assume that your presence here means you’ve made up your mind?”
“...Honestly, I’m not sure. I’ve been contemplating. As you said, I thought of leaving the capital, but imagining my life after that, I felt I couldn’t continue living like that.”
Saying so, Viviana covered her mouth and nose with both hands. There was a deep anxiety in her trembling voice.
With a desperate gaze, Viviana looked at Iona and said,
“What exactly are you planning? If you’re going to help in revenge, does that mean you’re going to betray the royal family? What can I do to help with that?”
Since Count Schmidt’s family had been convicted of treason, Viviana could not be free to go anywhere.
To avoid being hunted, one had to eliminate the pursuer or the reason for the pursuit.
Both were difficult to act upon immediately, so Iona decided to use an alternative method.
Iona said in a calm voice,
“Firstly, I’m thinking of killing you.”
As soon as Iona finished her sentence, Viviana took a deep breath.
Iona quickly corrected her earlier statement, realizing it may have been too abrupt for the frightened woman.
“I mean I’m planning to fake your death for appearances.”
Only then did Viviana close her eyes in relief.
For some reason, Iona felt awkward and continued to explain.
“Right now, someone is watching you. I can’t pinpoint who, but it’s likely one of your colleagues. It might even be more than one.”
“So, I need to hide from their gaze?”
“They can’t chase someone who doesn’t exist in this world.”
Once the report of Viviana’s death reaches Richard, he won’t be able to use her to pressure Leroy anymore. That alone would be a significant gain.
In the future that Iona had seen, Leroy was destined to struggle against the royal family.
His motivation was undoubtedly revenge for the loss of his loved ones.
Leroy wanted to uncover the truth behind those deaths, and since it was directly connected to the royal family’s wrongdoing, a clash between the two powers was inevitable.
If the battle was already foreseen, it was necessary to reduce our risks in advance.
“Do you have your own room right now? Or do you live with a colleague?”
“I share a room. The maid who takes care of Miss Erna with me is my roommate.”
“Have you noticed anything suspicious?”
“Not at all. I didn’t even know I was being watched until now.”
Viviana nodded with a fluttering heart.
Iona immediately followed up with another question.
“Do you keep a diary?”
“No, writing things down might reveal my handwriting.”
“That’s good since there’s no need for consistency. From now on, whenever you’re alone, leave a memo. Complaints about your work environment, longing for the past... even criticizing Miss Erna. Any content that reveals dissatisfaction with your current life will suffice.”
“Wait, am I supposed to pretend I’m going to drown myself?”
“Wouldn’t it be funny to suddenly get stabbed to death on the road? Moreover, unless it’s a drowned body, your face would be recognizable.”
Viviana looked unconvinced, but she didn’t voice any objection.
Iona lightly shrugged and said, “You are doing hard physical work and your old fiancé has appeared in the capital. He’s discussing marriage with another woman. It’s understandable if you become pessimistic about your situation.”
“I was doing just fine.”
“To others, it seems like a plausible story, so don’t worry.”
Iona reassured her.
Fortunately, Viviana didn’t throw any childish tantrums, allowing Iona to continue outlining the plan.
“In the cover of night or early morning, we’ll stage a scenario as if you’ve thrown yourself into the river. There might be watchers who’ll try to follow and stop you, but we’ll have someone prepared to play the role of a drunkard to distract them.”
“I... first of all, need to safely get out of the water. I can’t swim at all.”
“We’ll arrange for someone to assist you. There are experts for such tasks.”
In her previous life, while carrying out tasks for Richard, Iona came to know a lot of useful messengers.
The one she had taken to the Modrov estate to accompany Robert was one of them.
People who are worth the high price they command.
Whether then or now, Iona favored them. As long as the money was properly prepared, there was no other concern.
“I’ll inform you of the details once they’re ready. Someone else might contact you unexpectedly this time. Be careful not to be caught by others.”
Iona, who had succinctly conveyed the mission, stood up from her seat.
There was no benefit in her and Viviana staying together for too long.
Although Richard was currently at ease, letting his guard down, there was no knowing when or where this connection might be exposed.
Until Viviana was safely extracted, no amount of caution would be excessive.
“You should head in first. I’ll wander around here a bit more before leaving.”
However, rather than following Iona’s lead, Viviana hesitated, looking as if she had more to say.
After a brief pause, Viviana spoke up.
“Dame Iona, I’ve felt the need to clarify something since our last encounter.”
“Yes?”
“I... Leroy and I were not very close. I swear on the heavens.”
Iona was taken aback, unsure of why Viviana would bring this up out of the blue.
Despite hearing Viviana’s clarification that she and Leroy were not close, the fact that he was her former fiancé inevitably gave her an odd feeling.
Perhaps noticing this, Viviana hastily added, “I mean, you warned me against falling for him and mentioned that I was special to him... It seems like you believe there was something between Leroy and me. But absolutely, absolutely, there wasn’t.”
It seemed Viviana had come with a firm resolution to address this matter.
Her voice, which began softly, grew increasingly emotional.
“I mean, it’s true that I care for him and he cares for me. But if someone you know is in trouble, it’s natural to be concerned, right? Especially if you’ve known them since childhood. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s... true.”
Caught in Viviana’s earnest plea, Iona could only nod in agreement.
She had suspected a romantic relationship between Leroy and Viviana due to their past engagement, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.
And Viviana seemed far too sincere for this to be a mere placation.
“Do you know what Leroy would say every time he met me? ‘Let’s break off our engagement.’ He was surprisingly romantic and insisted from a young age that he’d marry someone he loved.”
“The Duke?”
Iona asked in surprise.
The idea that he had been declaring he would marry for love was news to her.
Suddenly, a conversation they had at the Count’s Ritzer residence came to mind.
Back then, he had talked as if he had never thought about it. Perhaps it was a form of self-defense.
Iona felt oddly dumbfounded.
“Yes, and so, for a while, I took advantage of that. Whenever I wanted something and he wouldn’t comply, I’d threaten with breaking off the engagement. Then, startled, he’d agree. This continued for a while until he finally pinned me down and even made me sign a pledge. By the age of twenty, I would take the initiative to request the termination of our engagement.”
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