Chapter 14

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: Chapter 14

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I couldn't comprehend what I had just heard.

Duke Leroy gazed at Iona with a face full of expectation for an explanation, but she simply waited for his response with resolute eyes.

Only after a long while did Leroy finally manage to choose his words.

"Didn't you say you have no memory of our past meetings?"

"Yes, that's correct. But does that pose a problem?"

"...Then, since we've only seen each other's faces a couple of times at most, are you saying there was no opportunity for you to develop any rational feelings for me?"

"Ah."

Iona's face lit up with sudden realization, and she let out an admiring sound. Then, with a slight frown, she added,

"I wasn't planning to confess any romantic affection, either."

Leroy was gradually growing accustomed to her dousing his overly serious imaginings with cold water.

He felt a sense of relief instead and waited for her next explanation.

"Duke Leroy, I know this marriage proposal must feel profoundly unpleasant and humiliating to you."

Receiving unexpected empathy about his situation from the other party left him feeling dazed.

As a result, he couldn't bring himself to stop her until the conversation veered into utter absurdity.

"What I want to make clear here is that I don't want you to view this marriage in that light."

"Sorry, but that hope seems unlikely to come true."

Leroy belatedly cut her off with a stiff voice.

He had no desire to hear platitudes like, 'Things have turned out this way, so let's try to make the best of it.'

"It will be difficult, but I'll do my best."

"This has nothing to do with your efforts—"

"Most people will interpret this union as a harmony between the ducal family and the imperial house."

Iona suddenly raised her voice.

As Leroy reflexively fell silent, a gentle curve formed at the corners of Iona's mouth.

"It might appear to be a smooth resolution, but in the end, it looks like the ducal family bending the knee to the imperial house. After all, they're accepting a woman with comparatively inferior standing solely because she's the crown prince's confidante."

"... ."

"In other words, the more authority I gain, the more the scales will balance. People will believe the imperial family extended a hand of genuine reconciliation rather than engaging in a power struggle. Yet, since this was a marriage forced upon us from the start, there won't be any tangible demands exchanged like in a legitimate transaction."

Shoving one's faction in by force versus offering it as the price of harmony would undoubtedly be perceived in completely different lights.

But this was a proposition that could never hold. It went against the original intent of Crown Prince Richardt, who had orchestrated the whole affair.

The woman before him was speaking words that defied his lord's will.

She declared with firm resolve in her voice,

"I will become the head of the Modroff family."

"... ."

"Furthermore, the dowry for this marriage will consist of the venerable house that has stood alongside Lehman's history for over two hundred years—its title, the properties and estates that kept it functioning, the entirety of it."

A momentary silence stretched out.

The very first thought that crossed Leroy's mind the instant Iona finished speaking was crystal clear. This was nothing short of complete nonsense.

"Become the head of the family?"

"Yes."

"Not because you covet the position, nor to seize and hoard the wealth from your blood siblings—but simply to hand over your entire fortune to me?"

A scoff escaped his lips quite naturally.

"If you're trying to pull a scam, at least make it sound plausible."

"I didn't expect you to believe me on the spot."

Even in the face of Leroy's negative reaction, she stood unwavering.

Gazing at him with eyes devoid of any hesitation, she said,

"I have never once lied to the lord I have chosen to serve in my lifetime. Not out of hope for reward for my loyalty, but simply because I resolved to do so—I upheld my integrity. One day, Your Grace, you will come to feel the true weight of these words."

"You speak of integrity while defying your master's will?"

Leroy retorted coldly.

Every word she uttered to persuade him was riddled with contradictions.

In truth, most of the experiences he'd had in her presence carried a similar sense of bafflement.

She kept lavishing him with favors that defied understanding. To the point where it was impossible to believe they could be genuine.

"I have already shown more loyalty to Lord Richardt than was required."

"Then someday, I too will come to regret trusting you."

"What if you judge me differently even after I die for your sake, Your Grace?"

At that chilling supposition, Leroy flinched for a moment.

What puzzled him most was how utterly sincere the entirety of this conversation sounded.

If Crown Prince Richardt had intended to plant a mole in the ducal house, he would have selected a woman with a cleaner history. Nor would he have concealed the fact that she was supposedly his lover.

Perhaps she had felt betrayed by her lover and resolved to betray him in kind.

Maybe she simply couldn't endure the crown prince's command to marry another man. A mind too upright often shatters completely rather than bending.

Openly discarding her former lover and thriving with another would make for a convincingly vengeful spectacle.

But even granting all that, did her method of persuasion really need to be this extreme?

"I have long been His Highness the Crown Prince's devoted subordinate, so it's only natural that Your Grace finds it hard to trust me easily. Proving the sincerity of what I told you today is ultimately my burden to bear. However, integrity isn't the sort of sentiment one can nurture single-handedly."

As if she had anticipated his distrust from the outset, she continued her calm explanation.

Just then, a gust of wind arose, lifting the chiffon hat that had been perched precariously high into the sky. The biting wind clawed at his face, causing Leroy to reflexively blink.

Yet the woman before him paid no mind to such trifles, her gaze fixed solely on him.

Perhaps from the very moment they had first crossed paths today.

"How much are you willing to invest in testing my sincerity, Your Grace?"

"Hey."

"... ."

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"...Speak."

At the persistent prodding, Marsha finally parted her lips.

Yonas, who had been standing beside her, whipped around toward her with urgent eagerness.

It was an attitude aggressive enough to be burdensome, but Marsha showed no signs of fluster.

In a gathering of mere underlings, furtive talk about their master's affairs was par for the course.

The other man was no doubt scheming to probe Iona's background on behalf of the duke.

And sure enough, his follow-up question matched Marsha's expectations precisely.

"Could you tell me what kind of person the lady you serve is?"

"I see no reason to give you the answers you're after."

Marsha replied coolly.

Yonas shot back, a hint of incredulity in his voice.

"Why do you bare your fangs like that, assuming what answer I'm hoping for?"

Marsha regarded Yonas steadily for a moment.

He seemed utterly lacking in finesse when it came to decorum, so she figured she could afford to loosen her own formality a touch.

"What one typically seeks from an unwelcome marriage partner is usually their flaws."

"I wasn't specifically angling for bad press."

"I too have heard the rumors about the lady I serve. She's undoubtedly achieved great success in her profession... but beyond that, there are plenty of tales that stir up prejudices among people."

"Prejudices, you say—meaning those things aren't actually true?"

Everyone was in consensus calling Iona the crown prince's loyal hound.

Even if the term conveyed her closeness to the crown prince, likening a person to a dog inevitably carried a measure of disdain.

People viewed her as a woman whose sole interest lay in currying the crown prince's favor. Her infrequent forays into society and sparse personal connections were lumped into the same narrative.

Those eager to align with the crown prince took umbrage at her rigid demeanor, while his detractors shunned her simply for being his underling.

Her sole shortcoming, in Marsha's eyes, was her lack of cunning to reshape such an image.

"The lady has endured a lifetime of hardship. She always places others before herself. She throws herself into the fray for them without hesitation, yet never expects the same in return. There's scarcely an easier mark for others to exploit and leave suffering losses."

Rather than interrupting, Yonas simply listened intently.

Marsha continued, her gaze drifting toward the distant lakeshore.

"I hope the lady finds happiness at last. She deserves it, without question."