Chapter 20

 

It was obvious that he was hiding behind a pillar pretending to be headed for the exit, but she didn't bother to follow.

 

Because the purpose in the first place was to make him keep quiet.

 

"uh? Iona! Are you working this morning? How was the person you met yesterday, is he okay?”

 

“Ah, Sir Nick. I saw earlier that Captain Saskia was looking for you.”

 

The fellow knight who had just come closer also turned away at once with a bluish face.

 

Nevertheless, new piranhas who did not see the words of the previous challengers were constantly flooded in.

 

“Dame Iona! I heard you saw him face to face!”

 

“I thought Dame Iona would never get married. What is this?”

 

“If Dame Iona goes like that, what should I do because I feel sorry for our Sir Reiner…”

 

“Are you really getting married?”

 

“I can’t even go home anyway! The leader said that people like us shouldn't even get married!"

 

It was hard to understand what people were saying as more and more people started talking and asking questions.

 

Iona tried to keep her mouth shut and focus only on her meal, but she couldn't ignore the gathering eyes.

 

“I heard that he is so handsome, is it true?”

 

“Oh, he was handsome.”

 

After responding to that question, Iona inhaled the stew and stood up.

 

The work of the knights did not simply end at patrolling and guarding. It was common for them to leave work only late at night after roaming around the training ground, at the behest of their superior.

 

In the midst of only smelling each other's sweat, it was really fun for them to talk about the love story of a superior.

 

Iona hurriedly ran out of the restaurant to avoid the cheering hyenas.

 

Of course, it wasn't really useful. Because she couldn't run away like this from the next person she met.

 

“How was the encounter?”

 

This was the question Iona heard as soon as she entered Richard's bedroom.

 

Richard was leisurely drinking tea with the newspaper open on the table.

 

[The ice knight who stole the hearts of many men, this time bewitching the young duke?!]

 

Judging by the childish choice of words, it must have been a cheap newsletter popular among commoners.

 

There would be no subordinate who would voluntarily bring something like that to a country's crown prince, so this must be a prop prepared only to tease Iona.

 

“Ah, of course, my ice knight must have tied the duke’s heart in an instant.”

 

Richard's voice was full of joy that he couldn't hide.

 

Iona answered as if she was going through colic.

 

“He seems to hate me.”

 

At that, a satisfied smile appeared on Richard's lips.

 

It was bad taste in many ways to be used even after the marriage, by a person who threw her to suffer.

 

Iona asked abruptly.

 

“Can I ask you one question?”

 

"Ask."

 

“Why did Your Highness choose Lord Leroy as my husband?”

 

After putting aside the lingering attachment to the question of why Richard had abandoned her, the next question remained.

 

Why did she have to marry the duke?

 

If Richard had intended to ally with the duke, he should not have proposed such an insulting marriage.

 

Conversely, if he had intended to completely stomp and bring Leroy to his knees, more specific orders should have been given to her.

 

However, Richard had never asked her to investigate the duke's background or to assassinate a related figure.

 

Of course, it wasn't that he didn't do it at all, but he didn't ask her to keep it confidential enough to make it difficult.

 

What did he want to achieve by putting an exceptionally obedient dog in the duchess position?

 

“My knight I know, is not the one who asks these questions.”

 

Richard said that and nodded.

 

Aside from being an alumnus, his words were true. Because she never asked him "why" questions until her death.

 

Lest he harbors any doubts, Iona silently apologized.

 

“I apologize for any inconvenience.”

 

Richard, who was silent for a moment, opened his mouth.

 

“Iona, you are only getting married by my name. Whoever I paired you up with, you would do as I told you. Isn't that right?”

 

It will not be the same as before, now Iona will only look to one person, no matter who Richard orders her to marry.

 

“It's not even a normal marriage in the first place, so don't worry about useless things. If you offend me over such a trifle...”

 

Richard flipped through a newspaper and concluded his words softly.

 

'Are you offended by me…'

 

Iona didn't answer. She had never lied to him, so she was afraid that it would come out.

 

Fortunately, as if recognizing Iona's lowered head as a sign of obedience, Richard quickly turned his attention away from her.

 

He must have lost interest, tossing the newspaper on the table, he stood up.

 

“Miss Florence will be visiting in a little while....”

 

Suddenly, a maid near by spoke.

 

“Tell her to wait. Take care of yourself and take your time.”

 

After saying that, Richard went straight into the bedroom.

 

Iona stood still by the table while the ladies-in-waiting tidied up the table.

 

She couldn't leave the place on her own just because he was offended by her.

 

After tidying up the dishes, Louisa whispered as she pushed the tray away.

 

“If you said you didn’t want to get married, he would have been less angry.”

 

'Can it be?'

 

Curious about the meaning of an order could not have been a greater sin than disobedience.

 

Seeing that she was told to stop Miss Florence, it seems true that Richard was grumpy.

 

The daughter of the Marquis of Florence Lanzhoff, she was Richard's fiancée.

 

If there was one singularity, it was the fact that she madly hated Iona.

 

It must be because when Richard avoids the fiancé whom he was not interested in, Iona was the one who had to convey his intention of refusal instead.

 

'Did they say that even ghosts will come if I speak?'

 

Before long, an attendant announced Lady Florence's visit.

 

Iona sighed and went outside.

 

As soon as she realized that it was Iona who came out to greet her, Florence's face wrinkled.

 

“Why did you come out?”

 

“His Highness is still in bed. If you wait for a while in the drawing room, you can have an audience with him as soon as he wake up.”

 

“I remember being tricked by the same offer last time and locked in the drawing room for half a day.”

 

To correct it, no one locked her up and it was Richard, not Iona, who ignored his fiancé's visit.

 

Still, Florence tended to talk as if it was all Iona's fault.

 

“I apologize.”

 

“Go and tell His Highness the Crown Prince that I have come.”

 

“I can't. Sorry."

 

“Are you ignoring my words?”

 

“I ask for your understanding.”

 

Florence moved the fan with her left hand and held it.

 

Her next move was predictable enough, but Iona didn't bother to stop it. It was a conditioned reflex reaction rather than a judgment based on reason.

 

Soon, a stinging pain landed on Iona's cheek.

 

'There are too many right-handed people in the world.'

 

The hitting wasn't strong, but it felt more painful than expected to be hit again in the spot where Nils had hit her.

 

But showing off the pain was what the other person wanted.

 

Iona said with her hands behind her back, with her face still unchanged.

 

“I’ll take you to the drawing room.”

 

-Smack

 

Another hand flew. Iona hadn't even expected this.

 

-Smack.

 

This one was also unexpected.

 

'Isn't it polite to take out your anger only once?'

 

Florence slapped Iona's cheeks until her hands turned red.

 

Florence was the first to run out of exhaustion, but Iona was not in a good state either.

 

Eventually, her cheeks swelled up like loaves of bread.

 

'Do they think I'm really a neighborhood drum...'

 

Iona was amazed again.

 

Originally, she was not the owner of an easy enough status to be treated like this.

 

But Florence knew all too well that Iona was never in the mood to reveal to Richard what had happened, and that the master's dog would not dare to bite the woman who would become his wife.

 

But there was one thing Florence didn't know.

 

Iona hadn't been living as the prince's dog since a few days ago.

 

Iona now knew that she herself was a person too.

 

[ Your Noona: Hi everyone! This is Your Noona. I hope you had fun reading TMWSS as much as I enjoyed translating it. (No. No. Don't misunderstand. I'm not quitting or anything) Rather, this note is just to inform you how you can support the translation. Yup, you guessed it right; TMWSS now has a Patreon page! 

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