Chapter 261

As the figure removed the hat concealing their face, a cascade of fine, golden hair shimmered as it fell.

A decent attempt at hiding his identity, but had no one really recognized him all the way here?

Considering the risk he took, dashing over despite the danger of being discovered by the Empress, it seemed he was growing desperate too.

His deeply furrowed brow made it clear, he was furious at how things weren’t going his way.

Richard snapped coldly,

“Let’s talk outside.”

“I have nothing more to say to Your Highness.”

“If the Duke doesn’t mind, I don’t care if we continue the conversation right here.”

Iona countered sharply, her voice like ice.

“And would Your Highness be fine with that? I’m guessing all the court maids assigned to this residence are the Empress’ people.”

Richard let out a short, incredulous laugh.

“So now you stand against me, taking my mother’s side?”

His anger was evident, but Iona no longer made any effort to soothe him like she used to.

Why should she fear him?

Especially when he was playing so perfectly into her hands.

When she met his gaze silently, Richard’s voice began to rise.

“Do you even realize what you’ve done? If you don’t, let me spell it out. The person you just used as a shield—she’s going to try to kill you.”

The blunt force of his words made it obvious, he’d left behind any sense of diplomacy.

And really, it would’ve been a problem if the Crown Prince didn’t at least have the brains to see this much.

Iona responded as if she had expected all of this.

“That’s actually a relief. At least it’s less revolting this way.”

“…What?”

“Perhaps Your Highness should just go ahead and help Her Majesty the Empress. What are you hesitating for?”

Honestly, Richard should’ve just sent assassins to Iona’s quarters instead of sneaking in himself.

She scoffed at his foolish choice.

“I told you, didn’t I? If you don’t treat me as an enemy, this is exactly what you’ll get.”

Richard ground his teeth in fury.

Judging by his explosive reaction, Max must have delivered her message accurately.

Iona considered asking after Max, if he was doing well, but decided against it.

There was no need. Richard already looked enraged enough to burst.

Perhaps it was in that moment that she realized—there was no going back for them.

He was already half-mad with rage.

Veins stood out across Richard’s neck as he growled,

“Why are you doing this… why go this far?”

“……”

“What do you think I’ve been keeping that secret for all this time?!”

His voice rose sharply as frustration overwhelmed him.

He threw out his arms, pleading.

“I did it to protect you! I was afraid that if my mother found out about your birth, she wouldn’t let you live!”

For a brief instant, a glimmer of thrill flickered in Iona’s eyes.

She had driven him to the edge, pushed him so relentlessly that he was finally forced to confess the truth.

It was a hard-won victory.

Richard couldn’t possibly fathom how long Iona had been waiting for this moment.

To calm the tingling excitement creeping up her throat, she slowly clenched her fists.

In a cracked voice, Iona asked,

“You’re saying you did it… to protect me?”

“Do you really think my mother would’ve spared you? Everyone in the empire knows who Count Modrov was loyal to. If word got out that you’re the child of Count Modrov and my aunt, who do you think they’d suspect first? Her Majesty the Empress isn’t careless enough to let things play out like that!”

Richard shouted, almost in desperation.

It was a surprisingly convincing excuse, but Iona already knew it wasn’t the whole truth.

Even after ascending to the throne and standing at the peak of power, Richard had never revealed the truth to her.

No one knew better than Richard himself that Iona was not the kind of person who would waver or rebel just because she learned of her own origins.

In fact, had he explained the situation and shared the secret as something only the two of them knew, Iona would’ve grown even more loyal to him.

As she had said before, back then, Richard had been a substitute for all other relationships in her life.

Learning that they were blood relatives would only have deepened her attachment to him, never lessened it.

There was only one reason Richard had kept the truth from even her.

The fact that they could never be together, that truth had to remain known to him alone.

Not even Iona, the one directly involved, was allowed to know.

“……Since when?” she asked.

“……”

“When did Your Highness start thinking that way?”

“……I’ve known that my aunt’s daughter was alive since around the time of her funeral,” Richard replied quietly. “I kept silent all this time because I believed that once the secret got out, I wouldn’t be able to guarantee your life.”

“……”

“I didn’t want to be the one who caused the child she left behind to die. So I kept you close, watched over you, but made sure to stay just distant enough not to draw suspicion. I wanted to protect you… at least until the day you were safe.”

His eyes were reddened now.

Even when Iona had been isolated by Yvonne’s scheming, unable to play with children her age…

Even when she had her bones broken by Nils…

…he had never once shed tears.

He had always looked at her with a calm face, even when she was injured.

Instead of reprimanding those who hurt her or seeking vengeance, he had simply told her, again and again, that he was all she had.

It had always been like that.

To him, the love he held for her had always come before Iona herself.

Even now, even at this very moment, he wasn’t mourning Iona, whom he had deceived all his life…

He was pitying himself for being the one forced to deceive her.

“I don’t understand… why do you hate me so much?”

He looked at Iona with a gaze full of resentment, as if he genuinely couldn’t comprehend her hatred.

Richard had spoken earlier as if his excuses justified his actions, as if they were grounds for forgiveness.

Ironically, that was exactly what allowed Iona to fully, completely hate him.

Even the love he claimed was meant to protect her had been tarnished.

It was yet another one of his sins.

“You knew from the beginning,” she said, her voice quiet but sharp. “How could you possibly harbor feelings for me?”

Her words sounded less like an accusation and more like she was asking herself, in disbelief.

A faint blush rose to Richard’s face.

Whether it was from rightful shame… or from irritation at having his most shameful thoughts exposed, that was unclear.

He hastily began to justify himself.

“If I could’ve stopped myself, I would have.”

“……”

“If it were a feeling I could throw away, I would’ve done it. If I could’ve given it up just by steeling my heart… would I be standing here like this, looking so pathetic in front of you?”

It was true.

Just as he said, Richard had come to her now, looking ragged and small, completely out of place, only to beg for affection.

Rather than interrogate the woman who had ruined all his plans, he had come to confess himself.

At this point, who was right or wrong no longer mattered.

Even if Richard were truly the victim here, he could never stand tall in front of Iona.

Because the reason he stood in the position of the weak right now… was something else entirely.

“You… you’re the one who…”

To Richard, Iona was someone he could never give up.

But to Iona, he was not.

Richard needed to be forgiven by Iona.

But Iona had no need to ask his forgiveness.

Whether this relationship continued or ended here, that choice lay solely in Iona’s hands.

Which was why Richard couldn’t even muster the courage to be angry with her.

And the moment he realized he had been carefully choosing his words, conscious of her every reaction, he suddenly forgot to breathe.

It was a shock unlike anything he’d ever known.

Never in his life had Richard imagined that he could be swayed by someone else.

Struggling, he lifted his trembling eyes to look at Iona.

Even though his entire world had just turned upside down… she stood steady, perfectly composed.

Like someone who had seen straight through him, Iona asked softly:

“Do you want me to live?”

Richard’s shoulders flinched involuntarily.

Right now, Iona was threatening him with her own life as leverage.

And in doing so, she had taken away any means for him to resist her.

Richard trembled as he pressed his lips together.

“If it’s as Your Highness says… and if Her Majesty the Empress is not to lay a hand on me… then the investigation into my origins will have to stay stalled.”

“……”

“Don’t worry. I don’t plan on giving up my life so easily to Her Majesty either.”

As she stared into his now-pale face, Iona gave a quiet smile.

“To do that, however… I’ll need just a little bit of your help, Your Highness.”

---The End Of The Chapter---

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