Chapter 137

 

“Shut up!”

 

Yvonne, her pride wounded by the dismissive attitude, suddenly shouted.

 

She was not someone whom Iona could afford to treat so disdainfully.

 

However, Iona looked down at Yvonne with cold eyes, showing no sign of perturbation.

 

“What else did you expect by calling me out here? Did you want me to see with my own eyes just how low you have sunk?”

 

“Watch your words. Have you forgotten why you were summoned here?”

 

Yvonne growled through gritted teeth, pressing the blade closer to the maid’s neck.

 

Frightened, the maid shed tears endlessly.

 

The maid tried to breathe as shallowly as possible, but could not prevent the blade from cutting into her flesh on this tense day.

 

Seeing the blood visibly marking the maid’s skin, Iona slowly closed her eyes and then reopened them.

 

“Send Lennie here.”

 

Iona’s voice was calm as she spoke.

 

Yvonne scoffed openly.

 

“Am I insane? That’s exactly why you’re just standing there right now.”

 

“Doing this will gain you nothing. If you don’t want to spend your life locked up, put the knife down.”

 

“What’s so precious about a maid’s life anyway?”

 

Yvonne sneered at Iona’s warning and then her expression turned icy.

 

“You killed my father, too.”

 

Did Yvonne think there was some basis to her confident assertion? The knights standing behind exchanged glances of confusion.

 

But Iona was not visibly disturbed by Yvonne’s provocative start.

 

Refuting Yvonne’s mere suspicions was not a difficult task; it was a stage she had already gone through when she had visited her brother before.

 

“Is there any evidence?”

 

“You’re the only one who benefited from father’s death. What more proof is needed?”

 

“Of course, if you’re going to accuse an innocent person of murder, you’d need solid evidence.”

 

With that rebuttal, Iona laid out the harsh reality for Yvonne.

 

“Come to your senses, Yvonne. I understand that you’re shocked by our father’s death, but this isn’t something I can just overlook. You should think about the consequences when you cause trouble. Aren’t you old enough for that now?”

 

“Consequences? What more do I have to worry about? My brother has been taken away, and my father is dead! And there you are, preaching to me as if you’re so righteous!”

 

“The late count raised you to be quite the spoiled child. To think this is the extent of misfortune you can handle.”

 

Iona looked down at Yvonne with an impassive face.

 

Perhaps, for the delicately raised Yvonne, this was indeed an unbearable reality.

 

Yvonne groaned, “Turn everything back to the way it was.”

 

“Even the gods couldn’t grant such a ridiculous request.”

 

Iona retorted, smirking inwardly.

 

Well, if Yvonne had a chance to go back to the past like this, things might have turned out differently.

 

But even now, as in the past, she had always been the ultimate victor.

 

Would a third chance for Yvonne really change the outcome?

 

Iona said with a skeptical tone.

 

“And if you harm that poor maid, things will become irreversible.”

 

“Stop flapping your lips and give up a position that doesn’t suit you.”

 

“Yvonne, it’s because you and your brothers think like that, that I was able to inherit the title.”

 

“Shut up!”

 

Yvonne couldn’t hold her anger and burst out shouting.

 

Then she trembled and muttered something indiscernible.

 

“Yeah, I knew you’d react like that. I knew it all along. You’re ignorant, lowly, and ungrateful.”

 

Yvonne, her eyes unfocused, looked down at the floor and clenched her teeth quietly.

 

She lifted her head and aimed her knife threateningly at Iona.

 

Her arms were noticeably trembling, but her gaze was unwavering.

 

“I won’t die alone. You will pay for what you’ve done.”

 

Though Yvonne tried to intimidate Iona and take control, it was a foolish move.

 

Judging the distance between Yvonne and the maid, Iona suddenly dashed towards them.

 

Before the startled Yvonne could retract her arm, Iona had already kicked out at the hand reaching towards her.

 

Yvonne shrieked as if it was her death cry and crumpled to the ground.

 

The knife skidded across the floor and stopped with a dull thud against the wall.

 

Iona stepped forward, grabbed Yvonne by the collar ruthlessly, and pulled her away from the maid.

 

The knights waiting in the background cleverly joined in.

 

What followed was swift.

 

Yvonne was quickly subdued and collapsed onto the floor.

 

“Let go! Let me go!”

 

“Don’t expect that today’s events won’t reach the ears of the royal court. More guards will be stationed soon.”

 

“You damn thing, die, just die!”

 

Yvonne’s face was grotesquely contorted, pressed against the carpet.

 

Iona met Yvonne’s tear-glistened eyes indifferently, as if to say, ‘Is that all you have to say?’

 

“Now I am the head of the Modrov family. That means your future depends on me too. If you think I’ll indulge your tantrums like your father did, you’re mistaken.”

 

“...”

 

“So, Yvonne, do you understand your position now?”

 

Yvonne’s eyes slowly widened.

 

Staring into the void, she stuttered like someone possessed.

 

“You... you shouldn’t have pushed me this far. Have you forgotten? I know your secret.”

 

Yvonne was clearly not in her right mind.

 

Listening to her shaky voice, an ominous premonition surged up.

 

Iona briefly considered whether to replace the royal knights with her own people.

 

Suddenly, Yvonne raised her voice, veins bulging on her neck.

 

“Duke!”

 

At the familiar title, Iona stiffened.

 

Turning quickly towards where Yvonne was looking, indeed, Leroy was approaching them.

 

Why was he here? She had asked him to wait, promising to return soon.

 

As Iona froze in panic, Yvonne desperately cried out, lifting her head.

 

“Please look this way, Duke. Hear my side of the story!”

 

“What is all this about?”

 

Surprised by the chaos, Leroy approached Iona with a stern face.

 

He closed the distance and reached out to pull Iona to her feet.

 

Unable to decide whether to silence Yvonne or follow Leroy, Iona stood still.

 

Her brief hesitation proved pointless as Yvonne immediately cried out, waiting for Leroy’s arrival.

 

“My sister is a bastard!”

 

After her loud declaration, a chilling silence fell over the room.

 

For the first time, Iona truly understood what it meant to be mind-blank.

 

To silence Yvonne now would be to admit that her words were true.

 

Iona reluctantly turned to Yvonne, who smirked mockingly.

 

In that moment, only one thought crossed her mind: Yvonne, you’ve done it again in this life...

 

“She’s the child of a distant relative, that was all a lie. My sister has been deceiving the Duke with her disgusting pretense. Do you understand what I’m saying? She is the daughter of a woman who sells her body, a woman who has ruined families!”

 

Yvonne continued furiously, unable to contain her anger.

 

Iona didn’t dare turn to look at Leroy beside her.

 

She felt her limbs grow cold.

 

Iona knew that Leroy wouldn’t look down on her just because he learned of her birth.

 

But Iona hadn’t been deceiving him out of fear of his change of heart.

 

She knew she was profoundly insignificant, well aware that she didn’t need to reveal her dirty origins to diminish herself further.

 

Iona simply wanted to be someone not ashamed before him.

 

It was her last vestige of dignity.

 

“I can’t listen anymore.”

 

Leroy spoke in a firm voice, then tightened his grip on Iona’s arm, helping her stand completely.

 

Iona stood beside him as if being drawn.

 

Leroy looked at Iona and said, “I thought you had suffered under a worthless father and brother, but it turns out you had an even more despicable person as a sister.”

--- End Of The Chapter ----

 

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