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Chapter 255
To think that right after being kidnapped and rescued, he would suddenly meet a relative he didn’t even know existed.
Even if Iona were in his shoes, it would be a hard story to believe.
Iona glanced at Walter, feeling a little at a loss.
After a long silence, with a heavy expression as if weighing his words carefully, Walter finally opened his mouth.
“…It seems Father has gone through a great deal of emotional hardship.”
“You rascal, are you calling me some senile old man?!”
Interpreting the exact meaning behind his son’s gaze, the Archduke suddenly raised his voice in frustration.
Then, without hesitation, he swung his iron-like palm at Walter.
Struck hard on the back, Walter grimaced in pain for a brief second, but true to his noble bearing, he quickly composed himself.
Turning his face away, Walter spoke coldly.
“I apologize on behalf of my father for any inappropriate remarks. Please take it as a sign of familiarity, and I ask for your generous understanding…”
Before the Archduke could strike him again, Iona quickly interrupted and stepped in.
“I understand this sudden introduction may be confusing, but… His Excellency is telling the truth. The late sister of the Archduke—she was my mother.”
While rescuing Walter, Iona had already gained a certain level of confidence in her assumption.
After all, Richard agreeing to the deal despite the lack of evidence in the Archduke’s claim must have stemmed from a deep-rooted belief within him.
The actions of Richard, who had tried to hide the truth, were ironically making everything clearer.
There was no longer any hesitation in Iona’s voice as she mentioned Princess Teresa.
Watching Iona introduce herself with such confidence, the Archduke’s eyes welled with emotion.
He straightened his back and declared,
“Yes, the man your aunt met in her youth was none other than Count Modrov.”
Instead of going into the uncomfortable details of the past, the Archduke simply added, “We’ve already verified the connection ourselves.”
He couldn’t give a solid answer when Walter asked, “How exactly did you verify that?”
Still, with both Iona and the Archduke voicing the same claim, it became increasingly difficult for Walter to argue otherwise.
Though, judging from his expression, he didn’t fully believe it either. Walter glanced slowly between Iona and Leroy.
“So then… the Duchess is actually my… cousin?”
“Yes, you rascal.”
“Then the Duke would be… my cousin-in-law?”
“Hmph, I suppose that’s how it works.”
With a stark contrast to his indifferent tone, the Archduke gave Leroy a warm pat on the shoulder.
Perhaps it was because he had managed to rescue his son with the help of this young couple.
The gaze he directed at Leroy had grown noticeably softer.
It was a remarkable improvement, considering he had previously treated Leroy like an invisible bystander while showering all his attention on Iona.
Returning the gesture with the perfect smile of an ideal son-in-law, Leroy said,
“Perhaps it’s best we go over the details later. Why don’t we all have something to eat first?”
“Mm, yes, of course. Walter, have you eaten anything?”
“I haven’t yet.”
“Then let’s all go and have dinner. I have a lot I want to ask you, Walter.”
The Archduke grabbed Walter’s arm and led him back to the dining table.
Though he didn’t say it aloud, it was clear that he had noticed how thin his son had gotten.
With even his father encouraging him to eat, Walter could no longer come up with any excuse to refuse.
Leroy called for the maids, ordering them to reheat the now-cold dishes and asked for dessert to be prepared for Iona.
From that point on, the mood at the table grew surprisingly warm and relaxed.
Since Walter didn’t challenge the claim that they were family, there was no reason for arguments to break out.
And yet, as she quietly chewed her perfectly browned blueberry pie, Iona could still feel the subtle eyes of suspicion directed toward her.
The source was obvious.
‘Looks like we’ll be having a long conversation soon.’
Just like a physical fight, a proper argument required stamina.
Iona made sure to clean her dessert plate completely.
And as had been the case with most of her instincts up until now, her feeling turned out to be exactly right.
****
After dinner, it was quite some time before Iona finally had a moment alone with Walter.
The Archduke had sat Walter down and spent hours talking with him, wanting to know every detail about where and how his son had been all this time.
It wasn’t until nearly midnight that their emotional father-son reunion came to an end.
When Walter stepped out onto the balcony after finishing his conversation, Iona was already sitting in one corner, quietly settled.
Seeing her, Walter paused for a moment, then casually made his way over and took a seat in front of her.
“Where’s your husband? Why are you out here alone?”
“I just stepped out to get some fresh air. I haven’t been able to sleep.”
“Do you smoke?”
Iona, who had been staring intently at the cigar case in her hand, slowly tucked it back into her pocket.
“…No. I’m trying to quit.”
She had been doing well until now, barely feeling any withdrawal. But today—foolishly—she had taken a puff while mingling with the kidnappers, and it had been a mistake.
Strangely enough, since the end of dinner, the bitter taste of tobacco had begun pulling at her with unbearable intensity.
If Walter hadn’t come out onto the balcony just then, she might’ve unconsciously lit one up.
In that sense, his timing had been perfect.
Iona, just in case, left him a request.
“Please don’t tell my husband.”
“Didn’t expect that. Is he that old-fashioned? That you have to hide even smoking from him?”
“We promised we’d both quit together. If we want to live a long and happy life, we both have to stay healthy.”
Walter stared blankly at her matter-of-fact answer, lips slightly parted.
After a beat, he responded.
“…I see. Sounds like your relationship is genuinely strong.”
Iona turned her gaze to him calmly.
“Aren’t you tired? You’ve been through a lot. You should get some sleep early. You need to recover if you plan to head back to the north.”
“Before that, I need to resolve some of my doubts. Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep.”
“You don’t believe me, do you?”
It was an abrupt question, but Walter seemed to understand its meaning without issue.
With a faint smile, he replied,
“It’s not exactly a story one can believe without proof.”
“There’s no hard evidence. It’s all circumstantial. If that bothers you, you’re welcome to keep doubting me.”
Her confident stance left Walter speechless for a moment.
He had clearly expected her to try her best to persuade him sincerely.
But the fact was, the Archduke—the head of the northern lands—already placed deep trust in Iona.
Even if his son looked at her with suspicion, it didn’t pose any real problem.
Most important matters would be handled with the Archduke anyway.
More than that, Iona had earned the right to be respected by Walter for another reason.
She said firmly,
“For now, it’s enough if you think of me simply as the person who saved your life.”
It had already been proven that she wasn’t on Richard’s side, thanks to the chaos that had unfolded in the carriage.
She had revealed her face and risked herself to save Walter. Her open opposition to the crown prince was already a fact.
Most of all, if not for Iona, Walter would’ve quietly disappeared at the crown prince’s hands, without anyone knowing.
So really, it wasn’t her who needed to win favor from the other.
Perhaps it was Iona’s unwavering demeanor that intrigued him.
With an amused smile, Walter said,
“Still, couldn’t you share at least some of that circumstantial evidence?”
The strength in Iona’s shoulders suddenly faded.
The thought of explaining the long, tangled backstory made her sigh with exhaustion.
She grumbled in frustration.
“Do I really still look like a con artist to you?”
“No. I just hope it’s true.”
“…”
“If I’ve got a cousin who tried to have me kidnapped and killed, then it’s only fair I have a cousin who came to rescue me, too, right?”
Iona was left speechless by the unexpected reply.
It didn’t sound like a joke. Walter’s gaze as he looked at her held no trace of suspicion.
His eyes, the same dark brown as his father’s, gleamed with honest clarity—like tempered iron.
And somehow, Iona felt just a little awkward.
‘Great. Like father, like son—they’re both way too pure.’
---The End Of The Chapter---
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