Chapter 32

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: Chapter 32

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Leroy merely raised his eyebrow slightly before lowering it again, offering no real response.

He closed the jar of ointment and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his hands clean.

Feeling ignored, Iona boasted as if furious.

"I only ended up with a bruise or two, but Nils had several teeth broken. Thanks to that, without his dentures, he sounded just like a three-year-old toddler."

"Aha."

"Lady Florence was banned from the palace for a while as punishment for laying hands on me. That's my doing too."

Thinking this should be enough, she checked his reaction—only for Leroy to suddenly burst out laughing.

She'd seen his polite smiles plenty of times, but this felt like the first genuine laugh. At least since she'd turned back time.

Iona frowned and asked,

"Why are you laughing?"

"It's just... seeing you so proud of dishing out the obvious retaliation is kind of amusing."

"Why is that obvious retaliation?"

She'd thought it was a satisfying revenge, but being dismissed like that soured her mood.

As Iona pulled a displeased face, Leroy rubbed his palms together lightly and sat down beside her.

He turned toward her and cocked his head.

"Hmm, then answer this. In the past, when something like that happened, what did you usually do?"

What did she usually do in the past?

The answer was obvious, but she could never voice it in front of him. What other response was there besides enduring it?

Getting hit by Nils was too commonplace to even merit fresh outrage.

No, it was so routine it had become part of her daily life.

The only differences were on unlucky days, when some part of her body ended up unusable, and on lucky ones, when it ended with a light beating.

'But not anymore.'

Iona brazenly dodged the question.

"Dealing with every childish little thing like this would just wear me out."

"Using 'every' means it's that frequent, doesn't it?"

Caught in his leading question, Iona bit her lip.

"Then all the more reason not to make such a fuss."

"What they threw were stones. No matter how used to it you get from repetition, it doesn't erase the fact that you were pelted with rocks. And of course, rocks hurt when they hit you."

"......Do I look like the type to get hurt by something so trivial?"

"Sorry for treating you like a normal person."

Leroy shrugged nonchalantly.

With no interest in pressing the issue further, he stood without lingering and headed for the door—as if to summon the servant waiting outside.

Gazing at the man's retreating back, Iona suddenly realized.

'He was the only one.'

The only man who saw her not as some filthy illegitimate child or the Emperor's mere foot soldier, but as an ordinary person.

The one who'd recognized she could be hurt just like anyone else—why had she gone and married someone like that?

And why, even after turning back time, couldn't she let him go? Why keep repeating this selfish nonsense?

If it was just to help him, there'd been no need to block his path to marriage.

'It can't be love.'

She could never call this creepy mess by that name...

"I want to kiss you one last time. ......I won't tell a soul. I'll keep it quietly to myself."

"Don't talk like you actually like me."

"I wouldn't do anything that shameless."

At the sound of the door closing, Iona squeezed her eyes shut tight.

She had a feeling some pointless greed was about to well up.

They left the Modroff mansion about an hour after the ball had begun.

It was all thanks to Marsha's fervor—she was determined to produce the best results possible now that she'd received clothes and accessories as gifts.

Watching Leroy's face grow steadily paler, Iona thought Marsha's idea of repayment was a bit misguided, but she didn't try to stop her.

Though she'd grumbled at first from the burdensome feeling, even Iona had been thrilled by the surprise gift.

"Thank you, Your Grace. I've never received a gift like this before."

Iona spoke with genuine sincerity.

Of course, she'd gotten a few formal gifts during their marriage, but from this point in time, it wasn't wrong.

In response to her thanks, Leroy answered with pure admiration.

"You seem like a different person."

"You don't like it?"

"No, I'm just surprised it suits you even better than I imagined. I thought you were beautiful when we met last time, but to think you could look even prettier."

He said it so plainly that Iona only realized it was sincere after a beat. His expression was far too earnest for mere flattery.

The reactions from people they encountered after arriving at the Ritter mansion were much the same.

Iona dressed just well enough not to draw criticism, but she'd never invested so much time and money into her appearance before.

A custom piece from a famous designer was worlds apart from her usual plain poplin dresses, naturally.

The moment they stepped into the ballroom, attention converged on them naturally.

"Oh my, that woman... Isn't that Lady Iona? What's she doing attending every social event lately?"

"Haven't you heard? Word is she's been showing up without fail to all the gatherings."

"Miss Erna, didn't you say Lady Iona showed up at the embroidery circle your young lady attends?"

"Yes. I thought she'd be strict, but she was surprisingly kind. Her embroidery skills were pretty awful, though. Even for a first time..."

The young lady shuddered, hugging her arms as she recalled the raccoon dog—no, lion-like figure straight out of hell.

Whoever that handmade handkerchief was meant for, the recipient seemed utterly pitiable.

"Anyway, dressed like that, she really looks like someone else. I've caught her face a few times at the palace, but she never gave off that impression. How to put it—more than I expected..."

"She's a beauty."

"A beauty."

"A beauty."

The young ladies spoke in unison, then met each other's eyes and dissolved into giggles.

"She wasn't quite that striking at the embroidery circle. She came in uniform then. Sword and all."

"Oh dear, knights really... Can't they go unarmed for even a moment?"

Fresh laughter erupted among the young ladies.

Iona had shown up in uniform that day because she'd rushed straight from work to the meeting spot, but they had no way of grasping a working woman's woes.

"Well, it's her first public appearance with her partner, so she put in the effort. Or perhaps that dress is a gift from the Duke...?"

The women's gazes shifted slowly from Iona's dress to the man standing beside her.

Those who'd invited Iona to gatherings naturally felt curiosity or fondness toward her, but not everyone shared the sentiment.

The fact that she'd never appeared alongside Leroy at any event before had drawn subtle sneers. No matter what, would he really marry some notorious woman working under the Crown Prince?

But look at them now—arms linked naturally, chatting away. Didn't it look surprisingly intimate?

"Feels like I'm getting a lifetime's worth of attention all at once."

Iona, who'd been quietly listening to the murmurs, offered her succinct assessment.

They'd kept their voices down, but with her keen ears, she caught the occasional standout remark.

The silver lining was that the reactions weren't bad.

Just then, a middle-aged couple approached them. Iona tilted her head slightly toward Leroy and murmured,

"That's the Count Ritter couple and their children."

Trailing behind Count Ritter and his wife at a slight distance were a young man and woman.

The man was a familiar face to Iona—Erich Ritter, her impudent subordinate.

'But why does he look so lovesick?'

Feeling puzzled, Iona still greeted the count couple calmly.

"It's been a while, Count Ritter, Countess. This is......"