Chapter 177

“…Pardon?”

Dieter blinked in confusion as he responded.

His expression was one of complete bafflement, as though wondering why she was asking such a question out of the blue.

It was clear that he had no idea why Iona would be asking something like this.

And precisely because of that, Dieter gave his answer without any hesitation.

“Uh, well… I think… it was about two years ago? Yeah, something like that.”

“...”

“That bastard—no, this guy—he brought something weird to me first! It’s been about two years!”

Recalling the words she heard in the training hall, Iona let out a small chuckle.

“It coincides with when he started hanging out with you.”

“Well, that’s…”

“How long has Sir Peter been working here?”

“…It’s been a bit longer. Around five years?”

“He’s skilled, but for someone with such talent, he didn’t rise to prominence very quickly.”

“Well, he’s a commoner knight with no real background. It’s only natural it took time to climb the ranks…”

Suddenly, Dieter halted, as if he had just realized something.

His expression shifted so dramatically that Iona, unconsciously filled with anticipation, looked at him expectantly.

However, the conclusion he came to, despite his shocked face, was anything but surprising.

“Wait… could it be that guy didn’t just supply me with things, but also his superiors?”

Iona turned her back on the naïve Dieter without a second thought.

There was a reason he had blindly accepted everything Peter handed him without any suspicion until now.

Sinking back into the sofa, Iona gently touched her lips, lost in her own thoughts.

‘So they used the promise of advancement to make him do their bidding.’

It made sense if she thought of it that way.

A talented individual who had been unable to shine.

From a position of power, it would be all too easy to manipulate someone like that.

And if Peter had truly been a pawn of the Viscountess, it was understandable why he had sought her aid in his final moments.

From his perspective, he was merely following her orders, so it must have felt unjust to take the blame all on his own.

‘The real question is… what was the Viscountess hoping to gain by poisoning Dieter in the first place?’

So, was she really trying to remove Dieter from his position as heir?

Or perhaps she was simply biding her time, keeping this secret hidden from the Viscount until the right moment?

Already suspicious of her being the Empress’ assassin, Iona found herself with yet another unsettling doubt.

As she furrowed her brow in frustration, puzzled by the mystery, Dieter suddenly approached her and, without warning, dropped to his knees right in front of her.

No, he knelt.

“What are you doing?”

“My apologies, Duchess. I’ve been standing far too casually for someone who’s basically a criminal.”

It seemed Dieter had seen the serious expression on Iona’s face and mistakenly thought she was angry at him.

To be fair, she had been irritated by the petty rumors she’d overheard, but the issue she had been brooding over just now had nothing to do with that.

Seeing Iona only stare down at him with bewildered eyes, Dieter’s voice grew even more desperate.

“Please, forgive me just this once! If my father finds out, I’m dead!”

“If you didn’t want your father to find out, you should’ve been more careful. How could you act so recklessly on the very day you had guests?”

“I couldn’t help it! The thought of possibly crossing swords with Her grace made me too nervous!”

“Why are you suddenly playing the victim? You weren’t so meek when you were trying to show off in front of your friends, acting like you could beat me.”

“That was all the drugs talking! How could I, with these flimsy, muscle-less arms, ever hope to defeat Her grace?”

Dieter looked as though he might burst into tears at any moment.

Iona sighed inwardly at his pathetic display of childishness, which wasn’t even remotely cute.

She spoke in a voice brimming with patience.

“Fine, but if you want me to keep this a secret, it’s going to come with one condition.”

“A… condition?”

Truthfully, Iona didn’t really care what happened to Dieter, but if the Viscountess was involved, there might be something worth digging into.

After all, the Viscountess played a crucial role in Iona’s plans.

If the Viscountess truly was the assassin planted by the Empress, as Iona suspected, they wouldn’t need to dirty their own hands...

‘If not, I’ll have to adjust the plan and deal with some unpleasant loose ends.’

Iona sincerely hoped it was the former.

Killing a local lord was no simple task, so it would be much easier to let someone else take on the dangerous work.

With this thought in mind, Iona leaned forward and spoke to Dieter.

“I want to meet with Sir Peter privately. Can you arrange a meeting without the Viscountess knowing?”

“Pardon?”

“I need to know where he’s been getting his supplies so that we can prevent anything similar from spreading throughout the duchy. I’ll just confirm the facts and send him on his way. It’s in his best interest too—he wouldn’t want to lose a hard-earned job so foolishly, would he?”

“Well, that’s true, but whether Peter stays or goes is ultimately our decision...”

“If that’s how you feel, then let’s see how your father reacts when he finds out about today.”

“…That would be far too heartless of me. When would you like to meet?”

Dieter quickly changed his attitude at Iona’s subtle yet firm threat.

He knew all too well what would happen if Viscount Ida found out about today’s events.

Lately, Viscount Ida had been eager to foster stronger ties with the Duke’s family, hoping to solidify his position as a rising power in the eastern region. His excitement was so great that it seemed to bury the bitter feelings from the past deep beneath the surface.

The Viscount had personally overseen every detail to ensure there were no shortcomings in welcoming the Duke and Duchess, going so far as to nag the servants himself in preparation for their visit.

And now, Dieter had not only ruined his father’s plans but completely trampled on them. He was certain his father, even though he was his son, would never forgive him for this.

Iona gave her next command to the terrified Dieter as though it were a revelation.

“Tell him to follow me when I leave tonight. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Yes, I understand. But… if I do that, you’ll really keep what happened today a secret, right?”

Dieter was so focused on ensuring Iona kept quiet that he didn’t even fully register the favor she had asked.

Noticing his less-than-trustworthy attitude, Iona narrowed her eyes.

As her silence grew longer, anxiety began to creep across Dieter’s face.

Unable to bear the tension any longer, Dieter suddenly grabbed Iona’s hand.

“I—I trust you, my lady. I’ll live an upright life from now on, and I’ll work hard to become someone worthy in your eyes. Please, believe me! I swear I’ll turn over a new leaf!”

“Alright, alright… just let go of my hand first…”

When Iona finally gave in to his desperation, Dieter looked at her with pure relief.

“I love you! Thank you! I love you so much!”

Iona couldn’t help but be impressed by how much Dieter seemed to fear his strict father.

It was then that a deafening crash erupted from the direction of the door.

Iona and Dieter both turned to the source of the noise.

Upon seeing the uninvited guest who had barged into the room, Iona muttered in disbelief.

“Your Grace?”

The one who had violently thrown the door open was none other than Leroy.

His gaze was fixed intently on Dieter’s hand, which was still gripping Iona’s.

For some reason, though his face was cold and rigid, there was an unmistakable fire burning in his eyes.

Why had he suddenly burst into the room? And why was he wearing such an expression?

Before Iona could voice her confusion, Leroy strode into the room and, without warning, delivered a powerful kick to Dieter, sending him sprawling onto the floor.

“Urgh!”

Dieter let out a strangled cry as he collapsed, but Leroy didn’t spare him so much as a glance. His eyes were already on Iona.

Iona’s hand, which had been held by Dieter, still hovered awkwardly in the air.

Leroy seized her hand, and with his thumb, he lightly brushed over her knuckles.

It was only then that Iona noticed the faint white marks left where Dieter had squeezed too tightly.

Leroy stared at the marks with clear displeasure and muttered under his breath.

“There are too many men around you.”

--- End Of The Chapter ----

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