Chapter 136

 

“Annex?”

 

Iona furrowed her brow reflexively.

 

The annex? Wasn’t that the building where Yvonne was staying?

 

She couldn’t understand what had happened there that made them seek her out in such a rush.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

Iona looked at the servant, demanding an explanation.

 

However, perhaps feeling that it wasn’t appropriate to discuss it in front of Leroy, the servant hesitated, his face troubled.

 

Noticing the servant glancing towards Leroy, Iona stepped outside herself.

 

“Let’s talk as we go.”

 

The servant’s face brightened.

 

As she followed him, Iona suddenly remembered Leroy and turned to him.

 

“I’ll be back shortly, please wait.”

 

“Don’t worry about me; go ahead and take your time,” Leroy said, giving his permission as he casually clasped his hands behind his back.

 

Though she was reluctant to leave a guest, the fact that she had been summoned even though they knew she was with Leroy suggested a significant reason.

 

Sure enough, once they were in the corridor, the seriousness of the situation became clear.

 

The servant whispered in a voice so low as if he feared being overheard.

 

“Miss Yvonne is currently holding a maid hostage.”

 

***

 

How had things come to this?

 

That was the recurring thought as Yvonne stared at the firmly closed door.

 

A single question had branched out in many directions.

 

Some days, it seemed the mistake had been going to see Florence; other days, it felt like a blunder not to have kept a closer eye on the maids.

 

Sometimes, she even found herself reflecting on the very distant past, the day she first met Iona.

 

While there were many moments that could be pinpointed as the cause, all the regrets pointed in one direction.

 

‘I should have killed that bitch a long time ago.’

 

Had she done so, things would never have spiraled into this mess.

 

Her brother, who had secretly cared for her while he was under detention, still had not returned home, and her father had died, smeared with numerous charges.

 

Taking advantage of the chaos, it was an illegitimate child of dubious origin who seized the family headship.

 

The least deserving now brazenly occupied her father’s vacant seat, masquerading as the master of the family.

 

Yvonne could not accept this cruel reality.

 

“There’s no one around today... Is anyone coming?”

 

“Haven’t you heard? ...Lord is visiting.”

 

Yvonne flinched at the voice that came from outside.

 

She was trapped alone in a spacious room, perpetually shrouded in silence, though the guards’ chatter at the door was loud enough to reach her ears.

 

‘Could it be that my brother has been released?’

 

A sudden surge of hope made Yvonne lift her head.

 

The conversation between the knights was a rare opportunity for Yvonne, isolated from the outside, to catch any news.

 

She crept silently towards the door and began to eavesdrop quietly on their conversation.

 

“With the Modrov family in this state, it looks like the wedding is still on schedule.”

 

“Well, it was the former Count and his son who messed things up, not Dame Iona. Plus, the Crown Prince is backing her strongly.”

 

“But doesn’t the picture seem a bit off?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

The knight on the left lowered his voice, prompting his companion to do the same.

 

After a cautious glance around, the knight hesitantly whispered, “Was there anyone who didn’t know the former Count was corrupt? The royal family summoning him now to reprimand seems like there might be another motive. Maybe a change of generations?”

 

“So they replaced the old, useless former Count with someone more obedient for the new generation?”

 

“That’s what I think. Honestly, Nils was never the reliable sort.”

 

“If the former Count was a crafty old snake, Nils is... well, at best a weasel.”

 

“Yeah, vicious but hardly up to much?”

 

The knights laughed together, amused.

 

Yvonne wanted to burst out and confront them but barely managed to suppress her anger.

 

Instead, she returned to her bed and began to fiercely bite her nails under the covers.

 

‘Yeah, father’s death couldn’t have been so meaningless. She must have manipulated from behind to become the head of the family!’

 

If not, she could not comprehend the situation.

 

Instead of contesting her father’s sudden death, Iona had quickly buried him, seemingly eager to cover up the suspicions surrounding his demise.

 

It was merely a strong suspicion, but Yvonne needed someone to blame, even if just to persuade herself.

 

‘Destroy our family and live comfortably by herself? Think I’ll let that happen?’

 

Yvonne had the urge to storm into the main building and lash out at Iona with a knife if she could.

 

But it was clear she would be caught if she tried to escape, and besides, Iona’s martial skills were far too superior for Yvonne to stand a chance against her in a blind rage.

 

It was a bitter realization for Yvonne, who had always lived with the desire to ruin Iona’s life as much as her own had been ruined.

 

“Miss, I’ve brought your lunch.”

 

It seemed it was already mealtime, as a maid entered the room and placed the food on the table.

 

Yvonne saw the maid’s face daily but still couldn’t get used to it.

 

Since moving to the annex, the maids who had previously served directly under Yvonne had been excluded from caring for her, likely fearing she might incite them to cause trouble.

 

“Miss?”

 

When the maid’s repeated calls elicited no response, she cleared her throat softly.

 

“Then I’ll come back to clean up in two hours.”

 

Just as the maid was about to turn and leave, Yvonne suddenly sat up.

 

With eyes red and swollen, she scrutinized the meal the maid had brought.

 

Boiled vegetables and roasted pork were finely chopped, ready to eat.

 

The only utensil was a spoon with a rounded end.

 

Yvonne shifted her gaze from the plate to the maid’s bulging apron pocket.

 

Sensing something was off, the maid involuntarily stepped back.

 

Yvonne asked sharply, “Has the Duke arrived?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“It’s unusually quiet in the annex today, isn’t it because we have a guest?”

 

The maid’s eyes darted around in panic, uncertain if she should divulge the truth.

 

However, Yvonne didn’t need more than a moment of silence to extract her answer.

 

Although she hadn’t heard clearly who the visitor the knights mentioned was, the mention of Iona’s wedding shortly thereafter was enough to guess their identity.

 

Yvonne leapt from the bed and charged at the maid.

 

Caught off guard, the maid flailed and fell backward.

 

“Ahhhhh!”

 

Yvonne mounted the maid and frantically searched through her apron pocket.

 

Among the clasps, handkerchief, spare buttons, and a wooden comb, she finally grasped what she had been searching for.

 

It was a small pocketknife used by the maids for odd jobs.

 

Crude though it was, it was sharp enough to slice through thin skin if enough force was applied.

 

Upon hearing the scream, the knights rushed in through the door.

 

Yvonne quickly wrapped her arms around the maid’s neck and thrust the knife over the prominent vein, standing out sharply.

 

The knights, seeing the scene, placed their hands on their sheaths with faces clearly showing dismay.

 

Yvonne’s eyes flickered wildly as she yelled.

 

“Don’t come any closer!”

 

“Miss Yvonne! Calm down. Creating such a disturbance won’t benefit you at all!”

 

A knight tried to suppress his irritation as he restrained Yvonne.

 

But if intimidation was enough to deter her, she wouldn’t have started this in the first place.

 

Yvonne, catching her breath with a deep inhale, demanded.

 

“Bring me Iona.”

 

“Have you forgotten that you’re under house arrest? Causing more trouble won’t end with just confinement!”

 

“Just shut up and bring Iona!”

 

Yvonne screamed fiercely.

 

Realizing persuasion was futile, the knights exchanged tense glances.

 

They were confident they could subdue Yvonne, but ensuring the hostage’s safety was another matter.

 

While an ordinary person might hesitate to wield a weapon against another, Yvonne had already been punished for attempting to harm her half-sister and was notorious for frequently mistreating the maids.

 

In the midst of the knights’ confusion over how to manage the situation, one of the servants, sensing the emergency and unable to stand by while a colleague was threatened, rushed out to summon the Countess.

 

Having achieved her goal, Yvonne tightened her grip on the maid, preparing herself defensively.

 

The captive maid trembled with fear, but Yvonne’s focus was solely on the door and the person who would soon appear through it.

 

Soon, heavy footsteps approached and a disturbance brewed in the hallway.

 

“Let the butler stay; everyone else return to your duties.”

 

It was a voice Yvonne despised.

 

Feeling her heart pounding, Yvonne gripped the knife tightly.

 

Iona, who had calmly sent the servants back to their tasks, soon walked into the room.

 

Upon seeing Yvonne and the maid she held captive, Iona sighed deeply.

 

With a furrowed brow, Iona asked.

 

“Is everyday life so dull that you crave a taste of hellish fire?”

--- End Of The Chapter ----

 

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