Chapter 115

 

“......No, come in.”

 

Richard spoke, his voice devoid of emotion.

 

There were certain things he needed to be mindful of when facing Iona.

 

The common demand among these considerations was restraint.

 

He must never allow himself to gaze at Iona as much as he wished, reach out his hand, or reveal his innermost feelings.

 

Iona wasn’t particularly quick to catch on in human relationships, but she had a rather deep understanding when it came to Richard, at least.

 

Had Richard acted even slightly more carelessly, Iona might have easily perceived his feelings.

 

‘It can’t be.’

 

He neither wanted to hear a word of refusal nor did he wish for an affirmative answer to return to him.

 

He had no lowly hobbies of mixing blood and flesh, at least not while there was still someone in the world aware of their blood relation.

 

Soon, a woman in neat attire slowly walked in.

 

Until her leave of absence, it had been rare to see her in casual clothes, but lately, he found himself more often seeing her dressed like her peers.

 

The change in attire gave the impression they were meeting not as knight and lord but as man and woman.

 

Richard thought it wasn’t a bad diversion.

 

“You are as beautiful as a snowflake on a summer day.”

 

Richard greeted her teasingly, like a man of light manners.

 

Iona, having first bowed her knees in greeting, responded calmly.

 

“Does that mean, by any chance, that beauty does not exist?”

 

“Surely you don’t think I would utter such discourteous words to you.”

 

Richard laughed as if in self-mockery.

 

Iona, seeming to take Richard’s compliment as mere politeness, did not pursue the topic further and instead looked around the room, as if by habit.

 

Iona checked to ensure no maids were waiting and then observed Richard’s complexion.

 

Soon after, she opened her mouth with a look of embarrassment.

 

“I didn’t realize you had sent everyone away. It seems you wanted some quiet. Should I leave for now and come back later?”

 

Indeed, she was exceptionally perceptive when it came to matters involving him.

 

Watching her act as if she were specifically prepared just for him, Richard felt his irritation slightly subside.

 

“It was just someone being foolish that annoyed me. It’s nothing you need to worry about, so come and sit down.”

 

Above all, he was curious about the reason Iona had sought a meeting with him out of the blue.

 

Instead of adding more words to her superior’s directive, Iona silently moved to a chair diagonally opposite him.

 

They were not facing each other, but the distance between them was considerably closer.

 

“So, what’s the reason you wanted to see me like this?”

 

Iona didn’t waste much time before getting to the point.

 

“Nils has caused trouble.”

 

The name popped up unexpectedly, causing Richard to furrow his brows slightly.

 

Considering the eldest son of the Count Modrov family had proven his incompetence not just once or twice, why would she come to him?

 

Was the severity of the incident so great that she had to seek his help?

 

As he reached for the cigar case on the table, Richard urged her on.

 

“Explain in a way I can understand.”

 

“Do His Highness, by any chance, know about the land contract that was made between the Count Modrov family and the royal family in the past?”

 

Upon broaching the subject, Iona immediately began to detail the trouble Nils had caused.

 

In summary, Nils had recklessly sold land that turned out to be extremely valuable, putting the Count Modrov family on the brink of bankruptcy.

 

Furthermore, this rash action had led to a dispute involving even the royal family.

 

“That fool has finally...”

 

Richard muttered in an angry tone.

 

The land, forgotten until now, harbored a mine whose silver extraction involved some royal stakes.

 

The thought of Nils squandering what could have been substantial support through his foolish gambling ignited Richard’s fury.

 

He felt an intense desire to dismember and sell off the family estate as compensation for the damages, if possible.

 

“Have you come to ask me to solve this problem?”

 

Iona nodded gravely in response to Richard’s question.

 

Richard, who had been holding a cigar throughout the conversation, finally turned his attention to it.

 

Pretending to concentrate on cutting and lighting the cigar, he took a moment to reflect.

 

‘Does the future of the Count Modrov family hinge on how the royal family responds?’

 

Richard took a moment to objectively review the situation.

 

Although concerned about future losses, objectively, the royal family was not in significant trouble due to this incident.

 

It wasn’t as if a regular income had been cut off; the royal finances would remain unaffected even if the customary tribute was not received.

 

However, that didn’t mean there would be no losses at all in the future.

 

Considering the loyalty the Count Modrov family and Iona had shown to the royal family, it might be best to settle this matter amicably, within reason. Yet, that would essentially be doing a favor solely for the ducal house.

 

To be honest, Richard was indifferent to whether the Count Modrov family went bankrupt and was buried in debt.

 

The Count Modrov knew too many of the royal family’s secrets.

 

If this incident could be used to sever their messy ties, it might actually be more beneficial for him in the long run.

 

The benefits that had been given so far to appease Count Modrov were by no means small.

 

‘Above all, if I could completely subjugate Iona using enormous debt… …This isn’t a bad harvest?’

 

With that thought settled, Richard murmured as if troubled by the complexity of the situation.

 

“This isn’t an easy decision to make.”

 

Anxiety flitted across Iona’s face.

 

Richard leisurely observed her demeanor.

 

The thought of her begging for his mercy, possibly even humiliating herself, already caused a certain tension below his waist.

 

However, instead of kneeling or begging for help in front of him, Iona brought up something Richard had not anticipated.

 

“Given the gravity of the matter, I understand it might be difficult for you to readily offer help. If the issue cannot be resolved at your discretion... I plan to seek assistance from the Duke.”

 

The mention of Leroy effectively provoked Richard.

 

The slight smile that had been playing on Richard’s lips vanished in an instant.

 

He tried to keep his voice free of the coldness that sought to creep in as he asked,

 

“Is the Duke planning to pay the compensation himself?”

 

“The Duke is the one who bought the disputed land.”

 

“…That man?”

 

It was unlikely that such a complexly entangled piece of land was purchased by mere coincidence.

 

Probably, the Duke had orchestrated this move to capture a weakness in the Count Modrov family.

 

Maybe he was even in the midst of devising a new refining method and didn’t want to miss the opportunity to acquire a silver mine at a bargain price.

 

Regardless, the Duke’s family stood to gain significantly from this affair, whereas the royal family faced a relatively substantial loss.

 

With the land’s ownership transferred to another, the royal family’s stake became unclear.

 

Asserting rights amidst the dispute wasn’t entirely futile, but any misstep could douse the carefully cultivated atmosphere of harmony with cold water.

 

It was exactly like playing into the Duke’s hands as he had planned.

 

‘His actions are consistently irritating.’

 

Demanding compensation from the Count Modrov family was the safest way to mitigate losses.

 

As a Duke, he couldn’t completely ignore the plight of the Count Modrov family out of decency and was likely to bear some of the restitution costs.

 

However, Iona’s following words obliterated Richard’s calculations.

 

“After learning that the Duke was the new owner of the land, I approached him first for adjustment, hoping he might consider our circumstances given that we are about to be married. But... in exchange for resolving the issue, the Duke demanded a child.”

 

“What?”

 

Richard asked sharply.

 

Iona, as if embarrassed, avoided Richard’s gaze and bit her lip.

 

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I understand that bearing heirs is a natural duty within a marriage, but I just couldn’t bring myself to accept it so readily. The marriage itself was so sudden, and the thought of having to consider childbirth immediately made me feel conflicted...”

 

Richard had a strong feeling he knew why Leroy made such a proposal.

 

It was a provocation aimed at him.

 

By attempting to place his own woman in the position of Duchess, Leroy was declaring he wouldn’t leave her as Richard’s lover any longer.

 

Logically, Richard should have soothed Iona and persuaded her to accept Leroy’s proposal.

 

Considering the social status he had to uphold and the future benefits, it was clear which choice would be more advantageous.

 

Yet, Richard ultimately failed to heed his own rational advice.

 

The thought of Iona in the arms of another man, carrying that man’s seed, was something he could never accept.

--- End Of The Chapter ----

 

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