Chapter 32

Leroy only raised and lowered his eyebrows slightly, but remained silent.

After closing the bottle of ointment, he took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands.

At the thought of being ignored, Iona boasted like a proud person.

“I may have a few bruises, but Nils lost a few teeth. Now, without his dentures, he sounds like a three-year-old.”

"Aha."

“In exchange for slapping me, Lady Florence is temporarily banned from entering the palace. That's what I accomplished.”

Thinking she had done enough to earn Leroy's respect, she checked his reaction, only to be taken aback by his sudden burst of laughter.

She had seen many polite smiles, but it seemed like this was the first time he'd genuinely laughed, even before returning in time.

Confused by his reaction, Iona frowned and asked, "Why are you laughing?"

Leroy chuckled and replied, "I suppose it's because...it's amusing."

“Why? Isn't that a natural retaliation?”

Iona thought she had an exciting revenge, but she felt like she was devalued, so she didn't feel good.

Leroy noticed her disapproving expression and sat down next to her, rubbing his palms together lightly.

Turning to Iona, he nodded and asked.

“Hmm, then answer this question. What did you usually do when the same thing happened before?”

What did she do before?

The answer was fixed, but it was a word she could never bring herself to utter in front of Leroy. Was there any other response besides just tolerating it?

Being hit by Nils had become so commonplace that it didn't seem worth getting angry over anymore. No, in fact, it had become a regular part of her daily life.

If there was a difference from time to time, it seemed that on the days when fate was unkind, Iona would lose the use of some part of her body, while on better days, she would only receive a light beating. It was a grim reality, but one she had come to accept as her norm.

'Maybe not from now on.'

Iona shamelessly evaded an answer.

“Taking care of all these childish things daily only makes me tired.”

“Does it happen often enough to use the word daily?”

Iona bit her lip at the thought of getting caught by Leroy in her evasive tactics.

“I don't want to make a fuss.”

“They threw stones... Just because it's something you get used to over and over again doesn't make the fact that 'you've been stoned' goes away. And of course, being stoned hurts.”

“… …Do I look like someone who would be hurt by such an attack?”

“I’m sorry. I thought you were a normal person.”

Leroy, who answered in a non-trivial tone, shrugged.

As if he had no intention of asking further questions about the same issue, he got up and headed for the doorway without hesitation. He seemed to be trying to call in a servant from outside.

Looking at the back of the man walking away, Iona suddenly thought.

'It was only this man.'

The only man who thought of her as an ordinary person, not a filthy illegitimate child or a soldier in the emperor's army.

Why did she even marry such a grateful person who knew for the fact that she could be hurt normally like everyone else?

What was the reason for repeating that selfish thing without letting go of him even after returning in time?

If it was simply for the purpose of helping him, there would not have been a need to stop him from getting married to someone else.

'It's probably not love.'

'I'll never be able to call this gross selfish feeling by that pure name... ….'

{

“I want to kiss you one last time” 

“Let's forget about it. I won't tell anyone you asked me such a thing. Don't worry, I will carry this secret to my grave. So don’t betray your lover... Don't just say that you like me in a moment of weakness.”

“I never did anything shameless like that!”

}

Hearing the door close, Iona closed her eyes tightly.

Somehow, she felt like she was going to get greedy.

***

It was about an hour after the ball started when Iona and Leroy left the Mordov Mansion.

It was because of Marsha's stubbornness that she would produce better results than usual since Iona was given clothes and accessories as gifts.

Looking at Leroy's increasingly dull face, Iona thought that Marsha's way of reciprocating was a little wrong, but she did not actively dissuade her.

Even though she let go of the breaking point out of a burdened mind, Iona was also excited about the surprise gift.

“Thank you, Duke. It was the first time I received a gift like this.”

Iona said with sincerity.

Of course, she received a few formal gifts during her married life, but it was not wrong considering this time also as her first.

To Iona's thanks, Leroy responded with pure admiration.

“You look like a different person.”

“Don't you like it?”

“No, I was surprised that they matched better than I thought. I thought you were beautiful the last time we met, but you could be even prettier than that.”

He spoke so plainly that Iona realized that he really meant it only after a while. His expression was quite serious.

Most of the reactions of the people she met after arriving at the Ritzter Mansion were similar.

Iona dressed up enough to not be caught by others, but she had never spent as much time and money on her makeup as she did today.

It was only natural that a custom-made product from a famous designer could not be compared to a modest poplin dress.

As soon as they stepped into the ballroom, everyone's attention naturally focused on those two.

“Oh, my, that girl… … Isn't that Dame Iona? Why did she attend the prom?”

“Have you not heard the news yet? Rumors have spread that she regularly appears at social gatherings these days.”

“Miss Erna, didn't you say that Dame Iona came to the embroidery meeting that the young lady attends?”

"That's right. I thought she would be strict, but she was kinder than I thought. Although her embroidery skills were rather terrible. Even if it was the first time... …”

The young lady, who recalled the image of a raccoon from hell, no, a lion, trembled as she embraced her arms.

They didn't know who the gift was for, but they felt very sorry for the person who will receive the handkerchief.

“By the way, she really looks like a different person dressed up like that. I saw her face a few times when I visited the imperial palace, but it didn't have that kind of impression. Well, more than I thought... …”

“She is beautiful.”

“She is beautiful.”

“She is beautiful.”

The young ladies who said the same thing in one tone met each other's eyes and laughed.

“She wasn’t like that at the embroidery meeting. She was wearing a uniform at the time even with a sword.”

“Oh my God, knights are really… …Would it be a big deal if they disarmed even for a moment?”

Another laugh broke out among the young ladies.

The reason Iona appeared in uniform that day was because she moved to her appointment as soon as her shift was over, but there was no way they would understand the sorrow of such an office worker.

“Well, it’s the first appearance with a partner, so it deserves attention. By the way, was that dress a gift from the duke... …?”

The women's eyes turned to Iona's dress, then slowly moved to the man standing next to her.

While those who had invited Iona to gatherings before had been curious about her, not everyone had the same opinion. Some wondered if he would really marry a woman with bad rumors who worked under the crown prince.

But now, seeing Iona and Leroy chatting with their arms crossed, they couldn't help but feel surprised at how unexpectedly intimate they seemed.

“I feel like I’m getting all the attention I got for the rest of my life today.”

Iona, who had been quietly listening to the whispers of people, left a short evaluation.

Everyone lowered their voice, but she had good ears, so she could understand a few words that popped in between.

If there was anything fortunate, was it the fact that the reactions were not so bad?

Suddenly, a middle-aged man and woman approached them. Iona turned her head slightly towards Leroy.

“These are the Count and Countess of Ritzter and their children.”

Behind Count Ritzer and his wife, a young man, and woman followed with a slight distance between them.

As for the man, it was a face that Iona already knew: Erich Ritzter, her arrogant subordinate.

'But why he has such a bewildered face?'

Iona calmly greeted the count and couple even though she felt puzzled.

“Greetings after a long time, Count Ritzter, Countess. This... …”

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