Chapter 173

 

Iona was at a loss for words for a moment.

 

Unlike Fin, who accepted the earlier proposal without a second thought, she couldn’t bring herself to easily say that it was a good idea.

 

Feeling uneasy, Iona rubbed her lips.

 

‘As if I didn’t see this coming…’

 

Fin had never once asked how he would be used here. That meant he was willing to follow whatever order Iona gave, without question.

 

Even knowing that, there was a reason she hesitated now—it was because she knew it was an excessive kindness towards her.

 

As if sensing Iona’s inner turmoil, a faint smile played on Fin’s lips.

 

“Are you going to say I’m being emotional again? That I’m showing you excessive loyalty for no real reason?”

 

They had already had a similar spat in the past.

 

Fin’s question seemed to suggest this:

 

Are you still agonizing over such meaningless worries? When will you finally accept that I’ve made up my mind to follow you?

 

Iona thought his gaze looked very much like someone else’s kind face she had just seen.

 

‘I just wish you’d finally acknowledge that you’re someone deserving of such loyalty.’

 

As she recalled Leroy’s calm voice, her throat felt strangely itchy. Iona swallowed hard for no reason.

 

Leroy had told her not to overthink things, but to simply accept the truth as it was.

 

He probably said that because he didn’t want her to misunderstand others’ kindness due to her lack of confidence.

 

Iona was well aware that she had a somewhat tiresome personality.

 

Maybe it was because she had been abandoned by her mother, her father, and the lord she had once served.

 

Because of that past, whenever someone showed her undeserved kindness, she always felt uncomfortable.

 

‘Thinking that way might have been how I managed to live an honest life. Even with Fin, in the past, I only took him in to use him; I never truly cared for him.’

 

She even led him to a meaningless death in the end.

 

Remembering what she had done to him in the past, Iona felt she had no right to be so shameless as to try and command him now.

 

Even if that was what he wanted.

 

But…

 

‘If I’m going to continue living in the past like that, what’s the point of everything I’m doing now?’

 

She had come this far because she wanted to form a different kind of relationship with Leroy.

 

Because of that, many things had changed.

 

No, she had been the one to change them.

 

If there was a difference between her past life and her current one, it was only herself.

 

So, perhaps she could see herself as a different person from before.

 

Although she wasn’t entirely convinced by Leroy’s words, his comfort had given her a glimmer of hope.

 

The changed self, the self living this new life, might truly be, as he said, someone ‘worthy.’

 

“Do I need to explain in detail just how much the help you’ve given me has meant in my life for you to believe me?”

 

Fin pressed Iona for an answer.

 

Staring at him for a moment, Iona finally let out a weary laugh.

 

She shook her head slowly, her voice much lighter now.

 

“No, I’ve grown used to it.”

 

Suddenly, it didn’t seem to matter whether they were kind to her because they were overly naive or because they genuinely misunderstood her nature.

 

As long as she grew closer to their ideals, they would never have to wake from that illusion.

 

Striving to become a good person wouldn’t be a bad goal for Iona herself.

 

***

 

Time passed without incident, and the day to visit the Ida estate finally arrived.

 

True to his word, Leroy boarded the carriage alongside Iona, ready to accompany her to the barony.

 

Their party was small, with only five attendants besides the coachman—Yulia, Jonas, two knights, and Fin.

 

Among them, it was the Becker siblings who rode in the same carriage as the hosts.

 

Assigned as maid and attendant respectively, Yulia and Jonas were tasked with staying close to Iona and Leroy, though for some reason, they seemed particularly on edge.

 

“Jonas, your shirt collar is crooked.”

 

“Yulia, you’ve got a loose strand of hair.”

 

The two exchanged sharp criticisms, quickly adjusting their appearances.

 

However, as the carriage traveled, the natural jostling made it impossible to maintain perfect posture.

 

Their nitpicking continued without pause throughout the entire journey.

 

Each time Jonas and Yulia noticed a flaw in one another, they pointed it out and corrected it repeatedly.

 

Finally, Iona, unable to watch any longer, intervened.

 

“I think checking once before we arrive should be enough. These are hardly noticeable issues to begin with.”

 

At that, both Jonas and Yulia turned their gazes towards Iona.

 

Yulia placed a splayed hand over her chest, speaking with fervor.

 

“Madam, this is not something we can take lightly. We are about to visit the Ida Viscounty. We must not give them any reason to look down on us. If we were to make such a mistake and cause any disgrace, how could we ever face the Duke and you again?”

 

“I agree. Maybe elsewhere, but not in Ida. No amount of preparation is too much for this.”

 

It was the first time Iona had seen Jonas express such a serious opinion.

 

‘No, was he like this when he questioned me about Yulia?’

 

If there was one commonality between the two situations, it was that the conflict with the imperial family was the root cause of the problem.

 

This realization suddenly made Iona keenly aware of how much the clash seven years ago had affected their lives.

 

As she listened to the Becker siblings’ heated arguments, Iona unconsciously turned her gaze to Leroy.

 

Normally, Leroy would have gently intervened to calm them down, but today, he simply stared out the window, saying nothing.

 

After a long period of deep thought, Leroy suddenly asked Iona,

 

“When teaching martial arts, isn’t it common to use rough methods?”

 

Iona responded a beat late.

 

“Depending on the situation, yes.”

 

“If the desire to learn is too intense, they could end up getting hurt.”

 

She had a general idea of what he was getting at.

 

Leroy seemed to hope that Iona’s teaching would be more of a nightmare than a help to the Viscount Ida’s son.

 

To reassure him, Iona spoke calmly.

 

“It’s certain that today will be a day the Viscount’s son won’t want to remember.”

 

“That’s good. Unless he has a particularly masochistic streak, he’s not likely to feel any affection for someone who beats him to a pulp.”

 

Leroy replied with satisfaction.

 

Though spoken as a joke, it was hard to scold him for making such a remark.

 

Iona, keeping her thoughts to herself, glanced around at those seated nearby.

 

Seeing them so well-prepared should have put her at ease, yet she couldn’t shake her unease.

 

The carriage traveled for quite some time before finally arriving at their destination.

 

They had set out early in the morning, but by the time they reached the barony, it was already past midday.

 

Jonas and Yulia, who had spent the entire journey fussing over their appearances, were now looking quite pale.

 

Even so, they disembarked from the carriage with impeccable posture, so at least they had achieved their initial goal.

 

As they confirmed the other members of their party were disembarking from the following carriages, Viscount Ida himself quickly came out to greet them warmly.

 

“Oh my, I didn’t expect both of you to visit together!”

 

The Viscount seemed slightly surprised to see Leroy appear alongside Iona.

 

It seemed he had taken Leroy’s earlier promise to visit as nothing more than a polite formality.

 

Stepping forward in Leroy’s stead, Iona took the Viscount’s hand and responded,

 

“We’ve brought a larger party today because I have a proposal to discuss with you.”

 

As she spoke, Iona glanced over at Fin, who was standing amidst the knights.

 

Fin bowed slightly to Iona and the Viscount.

 

The Viscount acknowledged his greeting with a vague nod and asked with a curious tone,

 

“A proposal, you say…?”

 

“With the two estates resuming contact, it’s best to quickly resolve any lingering grievances that arose from our past lack of communication, wouldn’t you agree?”

 

For a moment, a flicker of understanding passed through the Viscount’s eyes.

 

Lingering grievances from past misunderstandings, she said.

 

This wasn’t some empty talk about forgetting past feelings and starting fresh.

 

Especially not when it involved someone who seemed to specialize in managing money, judging by his appearance.

 

Sensing the scent of money, the Viscount licked his dry lips and spoke.

 

“Instead of standing out here, why don’t we go inside?”

 

“Please, go ahead and start the discussion. As promised, I’ll go and meet your son.”

 

“Oh, my son is probably at the training grounds right now. But no, let me just call him—”

 

“There’s no need. Since I’ll be using a sword, I’ll have to move to the training grounds anyway. I can go to him directly.”

 

Iona politely declined the Viscount’s offer.

 

If Leroy and Fin were going to focus on the Viscount today, then she had her own tasks to handle.

 

Namely, the Viscount’s wife and son.

--- End Of The Chapter ----

 

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