Chapter 96

Chapter 96

Iona thought he would at least try to confirm what she said, but she never thought he would believe it so quickly.

Iona marveled inwardly at their seemingly indestructible friendship.

After all, how strong could a bond formed over drinks and gambling be?

Feeling sympathetic, Iona stepped in to defend Nils friends.

Of course, they didnt mean to belittle you by bringing up such stories.

Nils face reddened, but he couldnt bring himself to openly criticize his friends in front of Iona.Fôllôw new stories at novelhall.com

Struggling to compose himself, Nils asked in a forcibly calm voice, Did you go to that gathering with Duke Leroy?

Yes, I did.

Nils took a deep breath to calm his excitement at Ionas straightforward answer.

The ownership of the mine is currently in his hands. We need to return it to its rightful place soon.

Iona, pondering the appropriate response, soon wore a look of confusion. Why are you telling me this?

Nils, at a loss for words, closed his mouth.

He realized it was only natural for her to be perplexed, as he had abruptly brought up a topic about land in which she had no interest.

He felt his pride wounded at the thought of revealing the tangled story.

While Nils hesitated, Iona leisurely continued, I dont quite understand why he would purchase such a worthless piece of land... It doesnt seem like my concern. Although we are seeing each other with marriage in mind, he hasnt formally proposed yet.

After saying this, Iona looked at Nils, as if asking if there was anything more to add.

For the first time, Nils found himself in a position where he had to plead with Iona and struggled to speak.

He knew that he should approach the situation humbly, but applying this logic with Iona was a different matter.

Nils had never bowed his head to Iona before.

After a moment of hesitation, Nils spoke, Duke Leroy said he would return the land to me if you asked him.

Aha... So, you want me to clean up the mess youve made, Iona muttered with an understanding tone. Nils face turned beet red.

Iona, observing Nils, leaned casually against the side of the table.

Crossing her arms leisurely, she muttered as if to herself, Isnt that a bit insincere?

Nils clenched his fists, recalling the warning his butler had given him.

If he backed down now, his first achievement as the successor would be creating conflict with the royal family.

Worse, if the royal family ignored their past relations and demanded compensation, it could lead to bankruptcy.

If humbling himself now could solve the problem, it was a profitable deal.

Convincing himself, Nils said shortly, Please.

Receiving no response from Iona, Nils cautiously looked up to gauge her reaction.

Iona maintained the same posture, simply holding her place.

Despite his frustration, Nils considered various possibilities aligning with the date she mentioned.

Even if the royal family became aware of the issue immediately, they wouldnt demand contract fulfillment before the palace ball.

Despite his growing impatience with the delayed resolution, from his perspective, it wasnt a bad deal.

Yet, Nils bit his lip, feeling an inexplicable unease.

It felt like the solution he thought was right before him kept shifting its position, luring him somewhere else.

The problem was, he had no clue what awaited him at this elusive destination.

However, before Nils could voice his uncertainties, Iona coldly issued a dismissal.

If you understand, then leave now.

Nils silently complied, eager to escape the humiliation of kneeling before Iona.

Perhaps it was because he had never been in such a humiliating position before.

His calves were already aching, though he hadnt been sitting for long.

As he limped out of the room, he turned to throw a parting shot, but ultimately, no sharp words came out.

Iona silently watched Nils powerless departure.

Being on the receiving end isnt exactly pleasant, so why did he insist on this all the time?

Every time Nils had a reason to reprimand Iona in the past, he always tried to make her kneel.

It was an unreasonable method that diminished the dignity of a superior, merely a crude display of power. Although it wasnt completely incomprehensible if it was just about wielding power.

With a short click of her tongue, Iona pulled out a hidden letter and pointed to a particular section.

It detailed the amount of silver mined from the Siam mines to date.

She had received an advance copy of the press release that would soon officially announce the reopening of the mine.

This information alone would likely enable the royal family to easily estimate the compensation they could demand from the Modrov family.

Even if Nils swung a pickaxe in the mines all his life, hed never be able to raise this much money.

Lost in thought, Iona was startled by a knock from outside and lifted her head.

It seemed Marsha had returned to the room after confirming the guest had left.

With a somewhat displeased expression, she approached Iona and said, Miss, I just spoke with Cornelia.

She was referring to the maid who had been relaying messages from under Yvonne.

Recently, Lady Yvonne visited Miss Florence. It wasnt just a one-time meeting; theyve been in contact continuously since then.

They must be plotting something unpleasant, Iona concluded nonchalantly upon hearing Marshas words.

--- End Of The Chapter ----

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