Chapter 154

“Excuse me, this is Yulia Becker. May I come in?”

Iona, who had just lowered her head, straightened up.

She glanced back and forth between the door and Leroy, who then withdrew his hand from her waist first.

Usually, she would have felt a pang of disappointment at his nonchalant demeanor, but today, oddly enough, a sense of relief washed over her.

Their kiss had been interrupted, and the confession she had planned to follow it with had also been thwarted.

Iona found herself secretly glad that she didn’t have to reveal her true feelings just yet.

‘This isn’t good.’

Iona furrowed her brows slightly.

She had a nagging feeling that she would keep repeating this frustrating behavior for a while.

Or maybe, she should be grateful if it only lasted for a while.

For Iona, it was rare not to voice what she wanted to say.

Especially if it was because she lacked the courage to do so.

Iona, feeling strange, just stared at Leroy without inviting the guest in.

The one who always made her act unlike herself.

Did he read a different meaning from her intense gaze?

Leroy, locking eyes with her for a moment, tilted his chin and asked.

“……Kiss first?”

After a deep internal struggle, Iona shook her head.

“No.”

“Too bad.”

Leroy chuckled regretfully, then moved back.

He naturally took her hand and pulled her to sit next to him.

He raised his voice towards the door.

“Come in.”

Caught off guard, Iona looked down at the space between them.

Their hands were still firmly entwined on the sofa.

Even after sitting her down beside him, he hadn’t let go.

As she was debating whether to pull her arm back since others were present, the door opened.

The person who stepped in had a familiar face, just as familiar as the name she had heard earlier.

Yulia, carefully closing the door behind her, bowed deeply towards Iona and Leroy.

“It’s an honor to meet you again. I’m delighted to see you.”

Smiling brightly, Yulia approached them.

She was Jonas’ sister, whom Iona had previously helped adapt to society to make a good impression.

When Iona first heard her name, she was too preoccupied with Leroy to think much about it, but now that they were face-to-face, she felt a wave of fondness.

“Please, have a seat.”

Iona offered Yulia a seat.

She had been wondering who the young lady to be introduced was, but she never expected it to be Yulia.

It was a relief to see a familiar face, but at the same time, a bit puzzling.

As far as Iona knew, Yulia had come to the capital to find a marriage partner.

Did she fail to get satisfactory results in the marriage market despite Iona’s previous help?

Thinking it was not a suitable topic to discuss in front of Leroy, Iona hesitated, and he stood up first.

“I’ll step out so you two can talk comfortably.”

Iona instinctively grabbed his hand as he tried to pull away.

Leroy paused, mid-rise, and looked back at her.

His eyes held a faint confusion.

He gave her a questioning look, but Iona couldn’t say anything.

It was a reflexive action with no real reason behind it.

A brief silence fell between them.

Yulia, who had been watching them quietly, broke the awkward atmosphere.

“Should I step out?”

Although it wasn’t a formal interview yet, one thing was certain.

It seemed Iona was about to get a rather perceptive maid.

***

“It’s not so easy to find someone you’ll spend your life with,” Yulia said, swallowing a sigh.

After the minor commotion had settled and Leroy had stepped out, Yulia began to explain why she was applying to be Iona’s waiting maid.

There had been many meetings and events, but the conclusion was simple.

She hadn’t found anyone who gave her certainty.

“It’s not that there was no one I was interested in. There were times I felt quite thrilled. I even received a proposal...”

Iona listened intently to Yulia’s story, her expression serious.

She never thought she had a knack for giving relationship advice, but now that the pressure to provide an opinion was gone, she found such stories quite interesting.

“He has a small lump behind his ear. It’s not very noticeable, just one of those things you notice up close, but you can see it. When I thought about marrying him, I realized I would have to see and touch that for the rest of my life, and it made me feel... well, uncomfortable.”

“……”

“As he was proposing, I found myself thinking about that. Do you understand?”

Iona couldn’t quite relate. After all, it wasn’t an issue with Leroy.

Even though Iona didn’t respond, Yulia came to her own conclusion.

“I don’t understand it either. Instead of thinking about whether we would be a good match or if we could live well together, I kept getting hung up on such trivial things.”

“You didn’t feel like he was ‘the one’,” Iona gently added.

“I don’t think there’s any need to rush. Taking your time to find someone who gives you certainty isn’t a bad idea. After all, choosing a spouse to spend your life with is a significant decision.”

Yulia paused for a moment at Iona’s soft reassurance, then smiled brightly.

“Yes, I think so too.”

Iona secretly felt relieved that she wouldn’t have to find a suitable candidate herself since Yulia hadn’t found a good spouse here.

Unaware of Iona’s inner thoughts, Yulia seemed quite pleased that Iona had comforted her, her cheeks flushing red.

“Anyway, around that time, I heard from my brother that you were looking for a maid. I know I have many shortcomings, but it would be an honor to assist you.”

Just as Iona was about to say she looked forward to working together, feeling the conversation was wrapping up, Yulia looked at her with determined eyes, as if feeling the need to highlight her strengths.

“I may have shown some shortcomings in the capital, but in the duchy where I’ve lived all my life, I’m quite well-connected. If you take me in, I’ll do my best to help you adjust!”

Yulia nodded vigorously as if asking Iona to trust her.

Considering that her employment was practically decided the moment Iona heard her name, Yulia’s fervent dedication was rather endearing.

Like Leroy and Jonas at first, people in the duchy were wary of Iona.

Although she had cleared up misunderstandings and redefined her relationship with Leroy, those unaware of the situation might still mistake her for a spy for the Crown Prince.

Iona needed to prove to them, as she had done before, that she meant no harm to Leroy.

And Yulia’s presence would serve as a proper mediator between Iona and those who were hostile towards her.

Yulia was from a noble retainer family and was Jonas’ sister, the Duke’s confidant.

Just the fact that Yulia volunteered to be a maid would give people a new perspective on Iona.

Iona warmly welcomed Yulia.

“Then I look forward to working with you.”

“Oh, please feel free to speak informally from now on.”

Yulia cheerfully suggested, having dissuaded Iona.

“You might be worried about moving to a new place, but our estate is very lovely. The scenery is beautiful, and the people are kind.”

“I hope I can adapt well.”

Iona replied with a slightly worried voice.

She realized she had reverted to using formal language again but figured it was understandable as it was not yet a habit.

Yulia, instead of pushing Iona, let her adjust gradually.

Yulia spoke encouragingly, as if to boost Iona’s confidence.

“I think the people in the duchy will be very happy to have such a wonderful person as their duchess. They love the lord very much. When they see how much the Duke cares for you, they’ll quickly understand. You two get along so well!”

--- End Of The Chapter ----

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