Chapter 49

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: Chapter 49

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‘If I just treat her decently, she's such an obedient child... Have I been too harsh on her all this time?’

Of course, Hayden had his own reasons for neglecting Iona.

He had always taken a brazen stance on his affairs with women, but when it came to formally registering a bastard child, even he had no choice but to watch his wife's mood.

Hayden had appeased his family's feelings by openly favoring the children born to his wife over Iona.

He had never particularly grown attached to Iona in the first place, so this wasn't difficult at all.

He constantly emphasized her mother's lowly origins to the cowed child.

Her mother had been a penniless wretch with no power or wealth, and so frail that she died in childbirth.

Thanks to this, not only the rest of the family but even Iona herself felt no particular curiosity about her mother.

In the midst of everyone's indifference, he had buried the truth far away where no one could touch it.

The fact that Iona's mother had been no lowly woman at all, and that Iona was not the fruit of an affair during his marriage.

‘Well, it's something I'll have to hide for the rest of my life anyway.’

Hayden was smacking his lips with that thought when Iona's voice came from outside.

"Count, I heard you called for me."

"Yes, come in."

Hayden permitted her entry in a stern voice, and Iona opened the door and stepped inside.

For a fleeting moment, he recalled how she had once smashed through his door, but he suppressed the stray thought with a cough.

"What is it?"

"Don't just stand there—come sit down first."

Hayden waved his hand dismissively at Iona's question.

He had intended to ask her for more details about what happened that day, but now that the moment had come, he felt a bit disconcerted.

He may have strayed endlessly, but the late Countess had been his wife.

She might not have burned with passionate love for him, but he had regarded her as a lifelong partner, both as his spouse and the mother of his children.

No matter how wretched a husband he had been, even he couldn't brush off the commotion from today so lightly.

Hayden swallowed bitterly and got to the point.

"Fleur came by today."

"Yes."

"I heard you handled her well and sent her away. Thank you."

"Someone had to do it."

Iona replied flatly.

Since she wasn't making a fuss or demanding payment, Hayden felt much more at ease.

If it had been Ivonne, she would have immediately started asking for this or that the moment he expressed thanks.

Just the other day, hadn't she whined for an absurdly expensive dress, only to throw a tantrum and burst into tears on her own?

He muttered with a sigh.

"Why are the children I fathered such disappointments..."

"......"

"Ah, that wasn't about you, Iona."

Hayden belatedly corrected the misunderstanding.

But Iona, seemingly preoccupied with other matters, didn't show even a hint of offense toward him.

Iona spoke up with a thoughtful expression.

"Since the topic has come up, there's something I'd like to say—please don't take it the wrong way."

"Hm? What is it?"

"I'm worried about Miss Fleur's safety."

Hayden frowned at Iona's words.

Worried about Fleur's safety?

Who would bother with such an insignificant woman, and why worry needlessly?

Thinking that far, Hayden recalled how Iona had started with "Since the topic has come up."

Until then, he had been complaining about his children.

"Nils or Ivonne might try to get revenge on Miss Fleur."

Hayden let out a groan at Iona's warning. Even as he did, he shook his head, denying the suspicion sprouting within him.

"No way, would those kids go that far..."

"They even tried to lay hands on me, an Imperial Knight. A woman from the streets would be even easier to deal with."

Since Iona's words rang true, Hayden couldn't muster a rebuttal.

In truth, that's exactly what he had been thinking.

"Of course, you have no intention of meeting that troublemaking woman again, Count. But for your children to take the initiative to sever ties like that crosses a line. It would be best to keep an eye on her well-being for the time being. Sending her far away on a trip wouldn't be a bad idea either."

Iona added nonchalantly.

Even if all these worries turned out to be unfounded, it wouldn't hurt to be cautious.

She may have acted presumptuously on her own, but Fleur had shared his bed, after all.

Separate from his anger at her actions, Hayden didn't wish for her to meet a gruesome end.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Hayden said,

"It would be better to send her far away."

If he assigned someone to protect her personally, it might instead provoke Ivonne or Nils.

In that case, sending her to some remote place for a while seemed the better option.

Iona nodded in agreement.

"If it's alright with you, I can handle it myself."

"You?"

"It's not something to entrust to others. Just give me a suitable excuse to leave the capital, and I'll take her somewhere out of sight."

"Hm, it's about time for an inspection tour of the territory anyway."

Modroff muttered while stroking his chin.

The Modroff family served the Imperial household, so the entire clan resided in the capital.

Territorial management was left to proxies, with occasional visits just to check that things were running smoothly.

In truth, sending Iona out of the capital on an errand was practically the only plausible excuse Hayden had.

Traveling back and forth between the capital and the territory was quite taxing, so Hayden happily decided to foist the task on Iona.

At the very least, she was the one child he didn't have to worry about causing trouble.

"Alright, this year you'll go in my stead."

"I'll handle it without any issues."

Iona's even temperament had a reassuring effect.

Feeling relaxed, Hayden even spouted uncharacteristically sentimental words.

"I didn't know you'd think of me like this. There have been some unfortunate incidents between us too, haven't there? Of course, you must have been hurt in your own way..."

Iona gazed indifferently at Hayden as he began offering excuses disguised as a lecture.

She had gone along with him to some extent to coax beneficial decisions out of him, but that didn't mean she was doing it to earn his recognition and become the official heir.

In other words, there was no need to curry more favor than necessary.

Iona cut him off curtly.

"Count, I didn't protect Miss Fleur for your sake. Nor have I forgotten everything you've done to me all this time."

Hayden was a bit flustered by Iona's sudden line-drawing.

He stammered,

"Th-then why go so far for that woman's sake?"

After a moment's hesitation, Iona replied with a cold sneer.

"Who knows. For some reason, Miss Fleur doesn't feel like just another stranger to me. A mistress and a bastard—quite the perfect match, aren't they? Though I suppose I didn't come out of her belly."

Her voice was so monotone that Hayden only realized the mockery directed at him after a delay.

Forgetting to shout, Hayden gaped blankly.

Iona continued, savoring his expression.

"Lucky for Miss Fleur, then. She got to part ways with you before bearing a child. If she had, she would've ended up like me."

"You...! Do you say such things because you don't know the immense grace I've bestowed upon you?!"

Regaining his senses belatedly, Hayden couldn't contain his surging rage and pointed accusingly at Iona.

"It was I who registered you—a child who would've grown up on the streets following your lowly mother—and raised you as a noble. It was thanks to me that you could join the Imperial Knight Order, that you could impress His Highness the Crown Prince early on!"

"Thank you for helping me rise in the world, Count. Though I do wonder why you didn't do the same for Nils and Ivonne."

Hayden's face drained of color at Iona's pointed remark.