Nils cursed at Iona with a leaky accent even as he fumbled his tingly chin.

“You, is this girl… …Go, how can a lowly thing like you, hi-hit me?”

Nils continued to pick up harsh swear words as if he was ashamed of falling out in front of his family. 

He didn't seem to know that it made him look even uglier.

Nils soon got up from the pain and stood up, but he continued to stagger in the middle.

After spitting out the blood in his mouth, he changed his expression in an instant when he found a tooth fragment mixed in it.

He ran to one side of the office and violently grabbed the sword hanging on the wall.

Nils looked back at Iona and drew his sword right away, and started screaming.

“You! I will give you one last chance. Apologize!”

To that, Iona replied with an unwavering face.

“Pull it out.”

“…”

“Pull out that sword.”

However, even after she said it twice, Nils could hardly pull out his sword.

Beads of sweat flowed from his temples; He seemed to instinctively feel it too that from now on Iona would be different from before, that she wouldn't obey them as before and wouldn't tolerate unfair treatment.

“When you want someone else's life, you must first be prepared to sacrifice your own. Take responsibility for what you did, Nils Modrov.”

Iona said calmly and removed the glove from her left hand. She then aimed it at Niels' face and threw it at him.

It hit him right on the bridge of the nose.

Nils gritted his teeth as he looked at the glove that was fallen on the floor.

As if he wanted to pick it up, he slowly bent his knees. 

"Nils!"

Hayden called his son's name with a pale face.

All eyes turned to Hayden. Who warned his son in a low voice.

“Back off.”

“Bur father—”

“—I said, back off!!”

At that, Nils stood up as if he couldn't help it. Then he walked silently and stood beside Hayden as if to let him know that he could not go against his father.

Though there was a subtle sense of relief in Nils' eyes as he glared at Iona from a safe place.

At that funny sight, Iona laughed with a sigh.

“At least the older one is better at judging the situation.”

Hayden managed to contain his anger as he clutched at the handle of the chair.

When her trusted father and brother looked intimidated, Yvonne also got scared and averted her eyes.

“Iona, you should leave.”

Hayden commanded Iona with a tense face.

But instead of following Hayden's words, Iona walked slowly forward.

As Iona got closer, their expressions changed at her every step.

Iona fell into contemplation for a moment as she observed those insignificant humans.

'Is this a dream or is it a reality?'

If it was later, was it God's punishment to repeat the past, or was it a gift given to her to enjoy the moment of victory a little longer?

Perhaps God was merciful to her and wanted her to meet a moderate end in order to appreciate her young life; Hence God gave her a chance to become a sane person.

'But if that's the case, why was I sent back in this year?'

The reason Iona was able to face a death that was not regrettable was that she did not leave behind any regrets.

But why were those, who should have returned to the grave before her, were alive and breathing right before her eyes?

She was brought back to life, but alas, that fortune also fell to her enemies.

'If I have a place to die, it is when my death means the end of the Modrov family.'

“Can’t you hear me telling you to leave? Go to your room!”

Hayden, who was openly ignored, shouted in anger.

Iona stopped and picked up the glove that had fallen on the floor. She brushed it off and put it back on her hand.

She slowly curled up her fingers, and a sneer lingered on her lips.

“I have been locked up for too long already.”

Revenge had already been done once, so there was nothing too difficult. Having had the opportunity once to weave their coffins, it would likely be a more leisurely journey this time.

Iona made up her mind to take advantage of that time to repay her gratitude.

“Besides, I know that the day we promised to meet with Duke Leroy is not far away."

Hayden twitched as if he had been hit.

Iona looked into his eyes and asked leisurely.

“How long do you have left?”

***

“Did you finish talking with the Count?”

The only thing that welcomed Iona back to her room was equally unwelcomed faces.

Betty and Grita, the maids in charge, greeted Iona as if they had already expected her bruised face.

Their demeanor was deliberately polite, but neither of them truly worked for Iona.

In the first place, the head of household at this time was Hayden, so the servants had no choice but to act according to the employer's taste.

In other words, it also meant that all of Iona's life flowed into Hayden's ears through them. Because of this, as soon as Iona faced them, she sighed reflexively.

After all, Iona had been caught up in battles and explosions and even fought with her family after waking up from death. Everything she encountered was an enemy, so she had no choice but to be tired.

Iona, who barely showed patience, asked plainly.

“Betty, is Paul also in the mansion?”

"No, she went on a vacation for a while."

"Yes? Then send a letter telling her not to come back to the mansion; all of you are fired.”

“…Yes?"

Betty asked with a puzzled look at the unexpected command.

They had awkward smiles as if they were trying to defuse the situation.

However, Iona did not reassure them, saying that it was a joke, and in the end, a strange tension lingered among them.

Betty looked at Iona with astringent eyes and quickly stopped being polite; she warned in a calm voice.

“The Count will not stay still.”

It was an expected answer, so Iona didn't get angry again.

After all, they used to betray Iona in a good way at every decisive moment like this.

She could have kept them by her side and acted the same as past, but Iona didn't want to put up with such tiring things anymore.

Iona looked down at the two with cold eyes and said.

“When the count asks for the reason, tell him that 'the kids you sent were careless and were found out,' is that satisfactory enough?”

Betty, speechless, turned to Grita as if looking for reinforcements.

After exchanging brief glances, Grita stepped forward next.

“…Lady, we are the ones serving the lady at the Count's command. It is tantamount to going against the will of the Count for the lady to order the dismissal at will. These are all words for the young lady, so please don't be uncomfortable with them."

At first glance, she used friendly language, but the content was coercive.

As a result, Iona's patience reached its limit.

“Strange. I think I only permitted you to use a sword for training in front of me. Did I forget permitting you to use your tongues...?”

Iona trailed off and took a step closer to the two.

As she gently touched the handle of the sword at her waist, the maids' faces gradually grew pale.

Iona tapped the head of the sword with her fingertips and asked.

“Have you got guts? Or do you believe that the backing you have now will protect you until after death?”

Betty, who involuntarily stepped back, quickly alternated glances between Iona's waist and her face.

She answered in a trembling voice.

“…I will report to the count first and then come back.”

“There is no need to come back.”

Iona smiled briefly and stepped back. 

As soon as they had a chance to escape, the two of them ran outside.

Left alone, Iona locked the doorknob tightly and went to bed.

'Hayden won't ignore my message since I caused that mess earlier.'

Anyway, it wasn't any good for him to make his relationship with her any worse; because she was soon to be a Duchess.

'The Duchess...'

As soon as she recalled the title she had in her previous life, she involuntarily burst into a peal of laughter.