Chapter 181

“What are you talking about…! That can’t possibly be true.”

Feigning surprise, Peter shook his hands in disbelief, pretending not to understand.

As expected, Iona watched his performance with no particular emotion.

“I was just suggesting something for fun, not thinking much about it, Dame. You know, since I come from such a low background, I thought it might make me look better in his eyes if I did. I deeply regret it and promise it won’t happen again.”

After a brief pause, Iona replied in a casual tone.

“Sir Peter. Do you remember why I called you here?”

“Pardon? …Yes.”

“I brought you here secretly, of course, for security reasons. From this point on, we’ll be discussing something that must never leave this room. If word gets out about this meeting, I won’t be the one in trouble.”

Apologizing to Peter, who must’ve spent the entire journey preparing his excuses, Iona had no intention of wasting time listening to his fabricated story.

The basic tactic in interrogation is to push forward without giving the other person time to collect their thoughts.

Without waiting for Peter’s response, Iona swiftly continued speaking.

“Gathering information on the viscountess isn’t easy. She’s foreign, has few acquaintances, and serves few people. It’s not the ideal environment for bribing those around her.”

“…”

“But what about a common knight who spends most of his time with his comrades?”

Peter’s shoulders twitched involuntarily.

He seemed to realize that Iona wasn’t just prying into matters related to Dieter.

Iona, locking eyes with Peter, delivered the final blow.

“I know someone who saw you secretly meeting with the viscountess.”

Of course, that was a lie.

She had her subordinates investigate Peter, but she hadn’t asked such sensitive questions that might raise suspicion.

However, in this moment, it didn’t matter if Peter believed it to be true. The actual truth was secondary.

‘I only found out that he frequently disappears, but how much I can extract from this depends on how I use it.’

The other knights of the Viscounty assumed Peter was sneaking off for romantic pursuits.

Some who knew Peter’s hobbies thought he was secretly making trades.

From Iona’s perspective, both assumptions had some truth to them.

The real reason Peter was moving in secret was to meet with the viscountess behind closed doors.

He had likely been acting on her behalf, carrying out many of her orders.

“If the Viscount finds out about your relationship with the viscountess, the situation will become far worse than just giving Dieter those pills. Getting fired would be the least of your worries.”

Iona paused, waiting for Peter’s reaction.

His face had gone completely pale, seemingly unable to deny anything anymore.

To him, Iona and Leroy were figures of such immense power that he couldn’t even meet their gaze.

People of such high standing could easily find out everything about him.

Out of sheer fear and misunderstanding, Peter began to shrink in on himself.

“Why are you doing this to me?” he asked, his voice filled with frustration.

If Dieter hadn’t called for that sudden assembly, he wouldn’t have been caught like this, which only made the situation feel more unfair.

“This has nothing to do with you two. What is it that you want from me…?” 

Iona could’ve answered simply and clearly.

What she wanted was testimony about the true nature of the viscountess.

How much this knight knew about the viscountess’ true intentions was still unknown, but even a small clue was valuable at this point.

Fortunately, Peter seemed on the verge of losing his judgment with just a little more pressure.

As Iona carefully chose her next words to provoke him further, she felt she was getting close.

Peter clenched his hands tightly over his thighs, and suddenly, he knelt down on the floor of the carriage.

With a desperate expression, he looked up at Iona and pleaded.

“Please. Don’t tell the Viscount about this. I’ll handle it. I can take care of everything. I’ll leave this place. And I promise, I’ll never see the viscountess again. If there’s anything you need me to do, anything at all, I’ll do it.”

“…”

“So please… just spare Lady Carmen.”

Iona struggled to maintain a neutral expression and glanced over at Leroy.

Leroy, feeling much the same, returned her gaze with a similar look.

The silent exchange between Iona and Leroy could be summed up as:

What in the world is he talking about now?

***

“What hair ornament would you like to wear?” 

“The one on the left.”

Responding to the maid's question, Carmen returned her gaze to the mirror.

There was no trace of the earlier commotion on her composed face.

As she habitually lifted the corners of her lips into a practiced smile, Carmen was thankful for her talent in acting.

Perhaps it was because she had such a wonderful mentor close by.

“Tomorrow, the Viscount will be away, correct?” 

From that brief question alone, the maid seemed to understand Carmen's true intentions and responded with a dry smile.

“My lady, you shouldn’t.”

Look at that.

Even though the maid clearly didn’t approve of the current situation, she still kept her polite demeanor intact.

Compared to the person wearing a role that didn’t suit them, Carmen’s act of being the obedient wife was hardly a noteworthy effort.

“I know, I’m not going to do anything reckless.”

The maid didn’t seem to believe her, but she also didn’t voice her doubts.

Carmen, feeling slightly awkward, avoided the maid’s gaze.

If she had been more cautious from the start, they wouldn’t be in this situation now.

Suppressing her anxiety, Carmen replayed the events from a few hours ago in her mind.

The Duchess, who had initially insisted on Peter’s dismissal, had quickly changed her stance after a conversation with Dieter.

She said that as long as there was no risk of recurrence, there was no need to inform the Viscount, and she even apologized for overstepping in the affairs of the household.

Her closing remarks were surprisingly restrained.

It was hard to believe that this was the same person who had been so adamant about firing Peter.

Perhaps, because she was once a knight, the Duchess had reacted so strongly to Peter’s actions.

Not only did he get involved with drugs, but he also gave them to the child of his master.

To her, it must have seemed as though Peter was not just disregarding the honor of a knight, but stomping it into the mud.

‘If, after calming down, she remembered her status as the Duchess and the relationship between neighboring territories, then yeah, I can see why she suddenly changed her attitude.’

Carmen nodded to herself, convincing herself with this optimistic thought.

The truth was, the Duchess had no reason to meddle in this affair.

Even if Peter continued to negatively influence Dieter, it wasn’t something that would harm the Duchy.

The Duchess' presence would no longer be a variable in the plans moving forward.

'As long as I'm careful not to be connected to her, everything will be fine,' Carmen reassured herself as she slowly stood up.

Having finished her preparations, it was time to move to the dining room for dinner.

She slipped out of her bedroom slippers and changed into low-heeled shoes before stepping outside.

The maid, who had helped her dress, quietly followed behind.

By the time they reached the dining room, the guest of honor had already arrived.

Carmen hesitated briefly upon seeing the Viscount seated at the head of the table, sipping his aperitif. But she soon approached and sat beside him in silence.

Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—Dieter had excused himself, claiming illness. Likely, he had preemptively avoided attending, feeling guilty about what had happened earlier in the day.

“I heard there was some commotion at the training grounds earlier. Did Dieter manage to get on the Duchess’ bad side?” 

The Viscount, knowing his son all too well, stopped mid-sip and asked the question with a knowing look.

Carmen replied in a reassuring tone.

“He was just a bit late meeting with his friends. I spoke with her about it, and she didn’t seem too upset. After that, Dieter behaved himself and followed through without causing any more trouble.”

“Useless fool,” the Viscount muttered under his breath in frustration.

It was clear that he was disappointed in his son’s lack of discipline, but he seemed disinterested in probing further into the matter.

After all, for the Viscount, today was an important day—the official beginning of reconciliation with the Duchy. He wasn’t going to let Dieter's shortcomings dampen the occasion.

Taking advantage of this moment, Carmen decided it was the perfect time to share the joyful news she had been carefully preparing to announce.

“More importantly, I have some wonderful news to share with you. Espozo.”

Hearing the maid's translation, the Viscount turned to look at Carmen.

Meeting his eyes, she smiled brightly and delivered her long-awaited revelation.

“I’m pregnant.”

--- End Of The Chapter ----

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