Chapter 18

 

“You, since you are of the same low status, do you feel more attached to that bitch? If you side with her, do you think you can live like her?”

 

“Kyaaak!”

 

“Don't tell me wrong! Stupid people like you have ruined my life. It's all because of her!”

 

Yvonne shouted, pushing the maid over the wall.

 

Despite destroying furniture and stabbing the maid, Yvonne's mood did not improve. Because there was someone else she really wanted to take care of.

 

'That cunning girl, until marriage came out, she was not like that, but she changed and wanted to be a duchess?'

 

Originally in the Mordov family, Iona was like a trash can.

 

Whenever Nils felt bad, he always took out his anger on Iona first.

 

Every time Yvonne saw Iona's face, she had to spit at least a few swear words to feel better. 

 

Iona used to be served bad food or bad street clothes by her maid.

 

But for Yvonne, the most important of these was collecting and burning the invitations already in advance for Iona.

 

She couldn't go to the same party with that cheeky girl as sisters.

 

Thanks to this, Iona was treated as an outcast even in the social world, but Yvonne did not feel any guilt.

 

It was natural. Because she was a dirty bastard for Yvonne.

 

Since it was none other than Iona who ruined their happiness, Iona, the culprit, must live more unhappily than everyone else.

 

But apart from the need for a trash can, it was also unpleasant to see filth tumbling in front of her eyes.

 

Yvonne sometimes wished that Iona could not stand all this bullying and would rather run away.

 

'If I abuse and mistreat her so much that she can't stand it, won't she fall out on her own?' There were times when she acted more strongly with such thoughts.

 

But that leech-like girl did not leave her family for many years, even after becoming an adult.

 

No, on the contrary, as time passed, she became more and more necessary to the Mordov family. Even more than Nils and Yvonne, who were the real children.

 

'Why should I be treated like this because of that cheeky illegitimate child?'

 

Today, Hayden wasn't talking or praising Yvonne, but that cheeky illegitimate child. This was because the guest had heard them fighting.

 

Yvonne was a little taken aback when she found out about this, but she quickly cheered up.

 

It wouldn't have happened without that illegitimate child, so she argued that it was all Iona's fault, no, her father's fault for trying to pair such a child with the duke.

 

But the results were disastrous. Count Mordov was very angry with her and ordered her not to come out of her room for the rest of the day.

 

Thanks to this, Yvonne had to shut herself up on the third floor without being able to show her face in front of the Duke.

 

“It's her fault, without her I-I…”

 

It was when Yvonne muttered something and gritted her teeth. Someone suddenly opened the door and entered without knocking.

 

It was Nils.

 

Yvonne shouted in a choked voice with a happy face.

 

"Brother!"

 

Surprised by the thunderous voice, Nils hurriedly brought his index finger to her mouth.

 

“Shh, Dad... the sand is here. When I woke up, I went to Dora and went out. Only Hadi, who had no business with…”

 

It was hard to understand because of the leaky pronunciation, but Yvonne nodded hastily.

 

Thinking that it was because of Iona that her brother started talking like a three-year-old baby, she couldn't hold back her anger at all.

 

“Didn't the Duke talk about me? He shouldn't have misunderstood me...”

 

Yvonne asked impatiently.

 

The duke would understand her position once he knew the circumstances, but because of the family's honor, she couldn't give a truthful explanation, so it was just unfair. 

 

This was Yvonne's thoughts all the time when she was in her room.

 

“You didn’t do avythink. Eh, it's always a one-on-one algument, Iona doesn't cale about family."

 

Nils replied in a non-trivial tone.

 

However, the uncomfortable thing was that he, too, had a frown on his face.

 

Because of his broken tooth, Nils couldn't come forward in front of the Duke, so it was frustrating.

 

“She's a public servant, so there's no way she'd hate the cage. Father, but he doesn’t know that.”

 

Hayden still seemed intent on coaxing Iona to use her well, but Nils had a different idea.

 

Most of the Mordov family's prestige came from the close relationship between Iona and the crown prince.

 

If Iona married the duke and got another surname, the position of the Mordov family would be ruined.

 

“Yvonne, you should have the duchess position instead of her. Either that or the job that she used to carry. We have to do one of the two, otherwise, our future is leaking.”

 

“… …I mean, it's not easy. How can we change the name that came from the imperial family at will?”

 

Yvonne put on a downcast expression at Nils' absurd remark.

 

No matter how much they were restrained by those in power, they could not work outside their father's shadow.

 

However, Nils seemed to have no intention of moving on the surface from the start.

 

He whispered slowly.

 

“When the bride was carried away.”

 

Yvonne took a deep breath. Nils, who wrapped his arms around Yvonne's shoulders, added, with his eyes shining.

 

“When the opponent of the contest is in trouble, my sister is the one who will come first with the next candidate. If things go well, I can give you two pottery catches.”

 

“Hey, are you going to kill Iona? still… … Will it be okay?”

 

“Munnon's child will be inherited, but it's trivial to belittle what you'll get. In the first place, it was a problem that he borrowed Sasana's needle to promote a fake youngda. Because of that, Idu Medrepu can do well.”

 

The pronunciation was still difficult to understand, but one thing was certain. Nils didn't want to embarrass Iona, he wanted to get rid of her altogether.

 

Nils dragged Yvonne, who was standing in a daze, to a nearby chair and sat her down.

 

Before continuing the detailed explanation, Nils looked around and said.

 

“Get out of here.”

 

As if the maids had been waiting for him, they left the room like the ebb tide. Those who came out into the hallway exchanged anxious glances as soon as the door closed.

 

It seemed that Nils had lowered his voice as much as possible, so his voice could not be heard anymore.

 

After a long silence, a silent conversation took place between the maids who were standing in a circle.

 

There was no sound, so there was no way to know what was going on beyond the door.

 

***

 

The Imperial Knights' diligence was strict. There were no exceptions, even if for a person who had a major life event, such as marriage, right around the corner.

 

'Working three shifts like hell, I must quit soon.'

 

Iona complained so much in my heart, but her eyes, accustomed to the early morning shift, were nothing but sharp.

 

Her body had already adapted to the harsh work environment.

 

Donning her familiar uniform, Iona buttoned it up with machine-like speed.

 

'It's fortunate that retirement is scheduled soon.'

 

One additional advantage of a proper marriage was added.

 

Until she died, she couldn't even think of quitting her job, but now she can afford to look at the situation quite objectively.

 

She was being exploited for her passion.

 

-Knock... Knock...

 

“Sleep more. Why did you come out already?”

 

At the sound of a knock coming from the other side of the door, Iona replied calmly.

 

But Marsha did not enter the room and remained silent.

 

That alone gave her a rough idea that the person standing across the door wasn't Marsha.

 

Instead of asking for the other person's identity, Iona suddenly opened the door.

 

“Ah, lady…!”

 

A maid with an incontinent scar on her cheek was standing in front of her. If her memory is not wrong, she was definitely a child who worked under Yvonne.

 

Iona asked nonchalantly.

 

“What is going on?”

 

Then the maid trembled and looked around.

 

It seemed that she was trying to say something that should not be heard by others.

 

Iona silently took her into the room. If the other person's purpose had been spying or assassination, she wouldn't have bothered to announce her visit by knocking.

 

The maid took a small deep breath and said.