Chapter 175

 

The rough words that contrasted with her composed demeanor left Dieter and his companions momentarily doubting their ears.

 

What exactly had just come out of that upright knight’s mouth?

 

No, had they even heard correctly?

 

The silence grew longer.

 

Looking at Iona’s expressionless face, they dismissed it as a trick of their hearing and allowed the tension to slip from their shoulders.

 

Seeing their carefree behavior, Iona’s neck tensed again.

 

Iona roared like thunder.

 

“Why are you all just sitting there with your heavy butts glued to the ground?!”

 

There was one fact they had overlooked— Iona was also a soldier.

 

A soldier who had spent a lifetime in a world where orders were absolute, where “do it if you’re told” and “jump when you’re told” were just everyday truths.

 

“Y-Yes, sir!”

 

“We, we’re going, right now!”

 

At the sharp rebuke, the idiots in the storage finally shot to their feet.

 

Scrambling outside in a rush, they couldn’t help but feel an unfamiliar curiosity fill their minds.

 

Questions like why Ralph’s second son had called Iona a demon, and how he felt after repeating the same movement for four hours straight...

 

And just two hours later, every single one of their questions was thoroughly, and utterly, resolved.

 

***

 

“Hic... M-Mother…”

 

“I... I’m done... It’s too hot…”

 

“I’m sorry...”

 

Watching the young men panting helplessly, Iona clicked her tongue in pity.

 

‘Crying over just a bit of running, how utterly weak.’

 

Of course, to be fair, what Iona had them do wasn’t ‘just a bit of running.’

 

Jogging around the training yard before practice was a basic warm-up, but when it lasted two hours straight, it became a different story.

 

Especially when they couldn’t pace themselves because of the sharp glares following their every step.

 

The young men who had been running on the dirt for two hours without rest were already half-dead.

 

The only reason they had managed to push themselves to such limits was because they had witnessed firsthand what happened to those who fell behind.

 

The ones who collapsed, saying they couldn’t run anymore, were all dragged outside, meeting a rather pitiful end.

 

As they watched the stragglers groaning with their faces planted in the dirt, the others gulped nervously.

 

Better to keep running on your two feet than to end up lying facedown on the ground.

 

“Too slow!”

 

“Eek!”

 

At Iona’s reprimand, those still on the track gritted their teeth again.

 

Iona narrowed her eyes slightly, watching their retreating backs when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching from behind.

 

Just as she turned around, thinking someone had finally come to stop her, an unexpected figure came into view.

 

Iona’s eyes gleamed with surprise.

 

“It’s been a while, Viscountess Ida.”

 

Iona spoke, as though she hadn’t anticipated this meeting.

 

Though she knew the viscountess would visit eventually, her appearance had been delayed longer than expected.

 

‘Had she been watching the viscount and the duke’s meeting first?’

 

After all, whether the viscountess was an assassin planted by the Empress or simply an ordinary noblewoman, Dieter’s training wouldn’t have been of much interest to her.

 

Dieter wasn’t someone particularly important in this territory, to begin with.

 

Accepting this, Iona waited for the viscountess to return a suitable greeting.

 

But instead, viscountess Ida’s face was pale as she looked around, unable to form a single word.

 

Her gaze lingered, especially on the knights—or rather, the knight trainees—around Dieter’s age who were lying on the ground, exhausted.

 

She seemed unsure of what to do, whispering something to her maid.

 

The maid promptly interpreted for her mistress.

 

“My lady asks, what exactly is happening here?”

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

“She just saw Dieter walk by, pale as a ghost! His entire body drenched in sweat, and his steps... he looked like he was about to collapse!”

 

It seemed she had just witnessed her proud foster son running across the training grounds with all his might.

 

Iona glanced toward the young men who had distanced themselves and calmly replied.

 

“We were in the middle of measuring their stamina with a run before moving on to more serious training.”

 

“The Duchess arrived over two hours ago... Does that mean Dieter has been running this entire time?”

 

“Fortunately, your son has been holding up quite well. It seems his condition isn’t as bad as I feared. If he keeps running, it should improve. The toxins will flush out as well.”

 

Before the maid even had a chance to relay the answer, Iona had already responded, causing the viscountess to visibly flinch.

 

Perhaps it was because of the last words Iona uttered.

 

“I understand your expression reflects concern for your son’s health, but I believe there are bigger matters you should be worrying about.”

 

Iona turned to the viscountess with a faint smile.

 

The viscountess blinked in uncertainty, unsure if Iona had truly understood her or if she was simply continuing with what she wanted to say.

 

Luckily for the viscountess, she was given ample time to gather her thoughts.

 

The ever-present maid acted as their translator, as usual, standing between them.

 

Iona found it amusing.

 

She could clearly understand the viscountess, and it seemed likely the viscountess understood her just as well.

 

“What... do you mean by that?”

 

“It seems your son has picked up some questionable hobbies while mingling with his peers. Or perhaps... he’s the one leading them astray?”

 

The next question wasn’t directed at the viscountess but at the young men who were still lying face down on the ground.

 

As Iona slowly approached the closest one, he panicked and immediately flopped onto the ground, face first.

 

Clicking her tongue, Iona knelt in front of him.

 

“When did this start?”

 

“I-I don’t know anything at all…”

 

“More importantly, why are you still pretending to be ignorant?”

 

“……”

 

“Lies and tricks together only make me more irritated.”

 

Before Iona could even finish speaking, the young man hurriedly lifted himself up and slammed his forehead onto the ground in a bow.

 

Iona, satisfied, nodded approvingly.

 

“Now, solve the one remaining problem.”

 

Though none dared to say it aloud, the three young men lying on the ground all shared the same thought at that moment.

 

‘This woman is a demon.’

 

“If you’re honest, I’ll let you rest. It’s already all out in the open. Keeping quiet won’t change a thing.”

 

‘Or… is she an angel?’

 

There was a slight difference in opinion among the group, but at least two of them thought alike. Desperate for rest, two of the young men quickly began to speak, rushing to be the first.

 

“It wasn’t Lord Dieter!”

 

“That bastard—no, that guy—brought it here first! It started about two years ago!”

 

Having finished their task of selling out their friend, the two collapsed onto the dirt ground, completely spent. Their faces, turning pale, showed that they truly were at their limits.

 

Iona slowly turned her gaze toward the one they had pointed out—“that guy.”

 

He was the same one she had questioned first. No wonder he had hesitated so much. There had been a reason for his delayed betrayal.

 

‘There was nothing to gain from throwing them under the bus.’

 

Iona tapped the top of his bowed head lightly with the toe of her boot.

 

“Get up.”

 

The man quietly raised his body and sat on his knees. His face, too, was pale, likely due to the pressure of having the viscountess present or perhaps from the blood rushing to his head.

 

“Now, tell me yourself—where were you and what were you doing when we met earlier?”

 

“I... I’m sorry. I’m ashamed.”

 

“Do you want to say it in front of Dieter, or do you want to say it when he’s not around?”

 

“……”

 

Iona’s threat was effective.

 

The man’s hands, resting on his thighs, clenched into tight fists.

 

His eyes darted nervously, trying to locate Dieter. It wouldn’t be long before Dieter returned to this spot. The man didn’t have much time.

 

After a brief internal struggle, he finally spoke.

 

“Well, it’s just that... the training was so hard... We just wanted to relax and ease the fatigue, so we... used a little... um, some drugs...”

 

His voice trailed off, as though the full admission was too terrifying to say soberly.

 

He had no defense, even if he were thrown out on the spot.

 

As he chewed on his words, his face twisting in shame, he suddenly looked up. With desperate eyes, he gazed at the viscountess, silently pleading for help.

 

‘Pleading for help?’

 

It was a sentiment that didn’t match the situation, and Iona frowned at the absurdity of it.

 

At that moment, the viscountess, who had been standing quietly behind, strode forward and slapped the man across the face.

--- End Of The Chapter ----

 

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