Chapter 224

It wasn’t easy to ignore the way the entire world seemed to be shouting at her to uncover the truth about her birth mother.

And it was even harder when the mystery was filled with nothing but intrigue.

Iona had decided to secretly investigate the secrets that Hayden had kept hidden. Once she had gathered enough information, she would decide what to do with it at her own discretion.

After all, this was about her own birth—no one else’s.

She understood the Archduke’s desire to find his sister’s daughter, but to Iona, he was still nothing more than a stranger.

Even if they truly were related by blood, the choice of whether to reveal or conceal that truth belonged to her alone.

With that thought settled in her mind, Iona deliberately ignored the sorrowful look in the Archduke’s eyes that lingered in her memory.

In any case, he would surely be more eager to find his biological son than a long-lost niece he had already forgotten about.

It seemed the Archduke didn’t have high expectations from her in this matter.

“I’ll try to wrap this up quickly,” she said.

“It’s fine if it takes time. In the end, we’re moving together, and I love my wife’s diligence. Though, I doubt the Archduke would be too pleased about it.”

Leroy responded casually.

Hearing the affectionate words that he uttered so naturally, Iona tried not to show any unusual reaction.

Just as he spoke of his love for her as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she, too, wanted to accept it as such.

Suppressing the ticklish feeling in her chest, Iona murmured inwardly to herself.

‘Yes, I really do like how things are right now.’

If there was anything she had to do at this moment, it was to finish this matter as quickly as possible and go on the honeymoon Leroy had been hoping for.

Clearing her throat slightly, Iona spoke.

“To determine the direction of the investigation, we first need to identify who was responsible for kidnapping the Archduke’s son. Did the Empress truly use the Nant Tribe, or was it just an accident?”

“Unless another faction was involved, I don’t see much difference. If the Archduke’s son is in the hands of the Nant Tribe, he’ll end up being used for the Empress anyway.”

“The most definitive way to confirm the truth would be to infiltrate the enemy’s camp…”

“And how do you plan on doing that?”

“I’ll be the bait. If I pose as a wealthy noble’s child and lure them into demanding a ransom, it’ll buy us some time.”

“Rejected.”

Leroy cut her off immediately.

Iona merely shrugged, as if she had expected that response.

She knew very well that, unlike Richard, Leroy would never allow such a plan.

If anything, Leroy would insist on taking her place rather than putting her in danger.

Of course, Iona had no intention of pushing him into such a reckless situation either.

“There’s another way, though it will take a bit longer… We could investigate the people involved.”

“The people involved?”

“If the Empress has been communicating with the Nant Tribe, there must be an intermediary handling the exchanges.”

“That doesn’t sound like someone who would be willing to cooperate.”

“Getting them to cooperate is my responsibility.”

Though she softened her wording, the meaning remained the same—she was determined to infiltrate enemy territory.

A quiet sigh escaped Leroy’s lips.

“All of these options are dangerous.”

“But in this case, at least we’ll be working together,” Iona pointed out, gauging Leroy’s reaction before adding slyly,

“Think of it as an outing… It could be a kind of date, don’t you think?”

“……”

Leroy stared at her in disbelief.

He knew his wife was an unusual woman, but he hadn’t expected her to frame an undercover investigation as a date.

Perhaps it was because she had always handled every task the Crown Prince assigned her without hesitation.

She had no qualms about taking on dangerous missions herself.

In fact, she almost seemed to prefer it.

Leroy wanted to stop her from throwing herself into peril, but he couldn’t interfere with everything she set her mind to.

In the end, he would have to find a middle ground—just as Iona did when she considered his feelings first.

After a long sigh, Leroy finally relented.

“If things start looking too dangerous, you pull out immediately.”

***

Was It Too Impulsive a Decision After All?

As Leroy stared down at the breakfast laid out before him, he found himself returning to the same thoughts that had plagued him for days.

The food on his plate was simple—dense northern-style bread and stir-fried eggs with vegetables, slowly growing cold under his gaze.

Of course, this was not the carefully selected breakfast that the head chef of Count Nigel’s estate would have prepared for the Duke and Duchess.

Instead, Iona and Leroy were seated in a modest eatery in front of a trading company’s branch building, dressed as ordinary travelers.

“Does it not suit your taste?”

“No, I’m just not hungry.”

“You should eat anyway. The most important thing in undercover investigations is conserving your strength.”

With that, Iona tore off a piece of her bread and handed it to Leroy.

Despite having been sitting in the same spot since dawn, she still looked remarkably energetic.

In the end, Leroy could no longer suppress the question that had been gnawing at him, fearing that staying silent would only make him seem petty.

“Is this how you usually worked under the Crown Prince?”

Worried that his question might come off as too harsh, Leroy softened his gesture by accepting the piece of bread from her hand.

The fact that she had searched the scene of the Nant Tribe’s attack for clues herself and had no hesitation about staking out a place for days on end—it was as if she had no regard for her own safety when it came to achieving her goals.

Realizing there was no point in making excuses, Iona hesitated for only a moment before giving an honest answer.

“This is actually one of the easier assignments. At least I don’t have to stay hidden in a confined space.”

“…Have you actually hidden inside a crate before?”

“I’ve even been inside a wine barrel. The smell of fermented grapes clung to me for three whole days.”

Iona shrugged as she spoke.

At that, Leroy recalled the face of the Crown Prince, who had once claimed to be her lover.

He had always thought the man wasn’t normal, but learning about how he had treated Iona only deepened his confusion.

The biggest question that nagged at him was: How could he push a woman he supposedly cared about to such extremes?

It had already been four days since they had begun monitoring this particular trading company, which they suspected of being the communication link between the Empress and the Nant Tribe.

During that time, Leroy had switched disguises and locations multiple times to observe their target from different angles, yet none of the dangerous situations he had worried about had come to pass.

At one point, he had wondered how Iona had managed to rise through the ranks and achieve so much at such a young age.

Now, he had his answer—patience and persistence.

Noticing the thoughts reflected in Leroy’s eyes, Iona gave him an embarrassed smile and offered a small justification.

“If you keep digging, something will eventually come up.”

“You would have succeeded no matter whose command you were under.”

Leroy spoke with certainty.

If she had been this dedicated in any other field, he would have recruited her himself, regardless of her background or age.

The only problem was that she wasn’t just any subordinate—she was his beloved wife.

Looking back, when they had discussed this operation, he should have done more than just address the risks. He should have explicitly told her not to overexert herself.

He swallowed back a bitter smile as he turned his gaze outside the window.

The company they were observing was one of the larger trading firms operating between Bardem and Leman.

It hadn’t been around for long, which made it an ideal candidate for external forces like the Nant Tribe to infiltrate.

After narrowing down the list to firms that had gained market share since the Archduke had arrived in the north, only two remained as primary suspects.

The reason they chose to focus on Montiva Trading Company first was that its director was from Bardem.

Just then, a carriage pulled up in front of the trading company’s building.

Judging by its appearance, it wasn’t a freight wagon.

Leroy lowered his voice.

“What time is it now?”

“Well, it’s certainly not the usual hour for deliveries.”

Iona whispered back.

As expected, two suspicious figures stepped out of the carriage, both wearing large cloaks that covered them from head to toe.

Perhaps worried that covering their faces entirely would attract more attention, the coachman had opted to pull his hat low over his face instead.

As he stepped down, Iona stared blankly at his exposed features before turning to Leroy with wide, startled eyes.

She was so stunned that she didn’t speak.

Instead, Leroy asked the question for her.

“Do you know him?”

-- End Of The Chapter --

 

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