Chapter 15

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: Chapter 15

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"...At the very least, it's clear she's a very good master to you."

Yonas's voice carried a hint of admiration.

Marsha was curious about the reason, but there was no time to continue the conversation. From afar, Iona and Leroy's figures were drawing closer.

They had only just left to stroll by the lake, so why were they already coming back?

Marsha hurried toward Iona, leaving Yonas behind.

"Miss, your hat..."

"It flew into the lake because of the wind."

"I'll have to fix your hair again. Come on, get in the carriage. Gentlemen, please wait outside for a moment."

The wind must have been strong, as the elaborate hairstyle she'd put so much effort into was already disheveled.

Marsha hurriedly led Iona to the carriage. Iona obediently followed her inside.

Watching them, Yonas soon turned his gaze to his own master.

Leroy stood a little apart, staring intently at the spot where Iona had disappeared, his expression grave.

Yonas sidled up to him and asked slyly,

"What did you two talk about to make you look so grim?"

"Yonas."

"Yes."

"If a woman proposes marriage and offers her entire fortune as payment, what should a man take that to mean?"

The absurd hypothetical caught Yonas off guard.

Of course, he was sharp enough to read between the lines, so he could easily guess that what his master had just described was a real situation. Regardless of how nonsensical it sounded.

"...Did Lady Iona say that?"

Yonas asked in a dazed voice.

Leroy gave a short nod.

Yonas's reaction wasn't much different from Leroy's earlier one. He pressed on in disbelief.

"Why on earth?"

"I don't know that either."

Leroy didn't bother explaining that she'd declared her intention to become the head of the family.

Just the part about handing over her personal fortune was bizarre enough.

Besides, her relationship with the Crown Prince was still a secret known only to him, so he hadn't expected a proper answer anyway.

"Maybe she's a bit off in the head?"

After racking his brain for a while, Yonas blurted out.

He ruffled his hair roughly as he added grounds for his suspicion.

"Think about it—last time, she suddenly acted all friendly, and it threw us both off, right? Looking back, she's been strange since then. She looks fine on the outside, but she's that Crown Prince's confidante—who knows? After just two meetings, what could...?"

"No."

"Pardon?"

Yonas blinked dumbly at Leroy's denial.

Leroy repeated himself, his eyes fixed on the figure beyond the small window.

"It's not just two meetings anymore."

"Ah, right—you said you'd met her before last time...?"

Yonas trailed off as the memory clicked.

Too focused on the point he'd been called out on, Yonas didn't dig deeper into why his master had steered the conversation that way. The topic naturally shifted to the past.

"But when was that? Lady Iona didn't seem to remember it."

"It was a long time ago. We weren't close, so it's natural she'd forget."

"...But you remember, Your Grace?"

Yonas narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Just as he was about to press his master more aggressively, the carriage door opened, and Iona stepped out.

Thanks to the expert's touch, she looked much more put-together.

Iona spoke in a voice as prim as her appearance.

"Thank you for waiting."

"It seems this wasn't the best spot for conversation after all. If you're agreeable, how about we move indoors?"

"No, I think it's best we call it a day. You'll need time to think over my proposal anyway."

Her attitude was straightforward, as if she'd already done her part in persuading him for the day.

Something about it sparked Leroy's competitive streak, and he grabbed her.

"We could talk more and get to know each other better. I told your father I'd see you home by evening."

"If you're worried about criticism for a short meeting, don't be. I'll make sure to return home by evening."

"A gentleman doesn't send a lady he'd escorted out home alone. Are you trying to paint me as a man lacking basic etiquette?"

Iona looked slightly flustered by Leroy's question.

She clearly hadn't expected him to hold on this tightly.

But Leroy thought she was the one being unreasonably stubborn. If word got out that she hadn't been properly treated by him, she'd be the one in trouble, not him.

"No, that's not it... I just thought you'd let me go, since I made such an unpleasant proposal."

As soon as Iona finished speaking, he felt a curious stare boring into the back of his head.

Leroy ordered Yonas into the carriage without looking back.

Perhaps because Iona was there, Yonas obeyed silently instead of grumbling.

Watching Yonas walk away, Iona proposed a compromise a moment later.

"Then shall we head back toward the city center for now? Once you're settled somewhere comfortable, I can come find you at the appointed time."

"Is there really any need to go to such lengths separately?"

She'd gone so far as to offer her entire fortune for this marriage—why was she so eager to end their time together?

All he'd suggested was seeing her home.

"I'm planning to visit a place unsuitable for accompanying the Duke."

Iona's explanation did nothing to improve Leroy's mood. It meant she'd planned all along to cut their meeting short and go somewhere else.

Leroy stared at her steadily before speaking.

"Fine. It seems my distrust of you is only growing."

"I'm not planning anything that would harm you, Your Grace."

"If you don't want secrets between us, then tell me the truth. Where are you headed?"

In the end, it was Iona who backed down first. She swallowed a troubled sigh and answered.

"To Pasha Street."

Did I hear that right? Could it be a different word with a similar sound?

Pasha Street—the infamous district of pleasure and revelry known to all.

It was far too bold a destination right after a betrothal meeting.

Thanks to her earlier proposal, he'd thought nothing could surprise him more, but he'd been dead wrong.

Clinging to a shred of hope, Leroy asked,

"...Is there some wholesome place there I don't know about?"

Realizing her words could be misinterpreted, Iona let out a small "Ah."

Perhaps wanting to seem as upright as possible, she straightened her back and stood tall. Reassuringly, she said,

"Don't worry. I'm not going to meet a man. There's a woman I need to see there."

Of course, her answer did nothing to reassure Leroy.

Iona's father, Hayden Modroff, was a man with no redeeming qualities by any objective measure. His selfishness and opportunism were problems enough, but above all, his views on marriage were deplorable.

He'd sown plenty of wild oats before marriage and showed no signs of stopping afterward.

He still met many women, and as might be expected, he sired illegitimate children.

Iona would bet everything that she wasn't the only hidden bastard in the Modroff family.

Even while the countess was alive, Hayden never stopped taking mistresses. It was only natural that his behavior grew even more brazen after her death.

Even now, Hayden had a lover everyone knew about.

And Iona was on her way to meet her.

"If it's inconvenient, you can wait outside."