Chapter 135

Chapter 135

After Iona inherited her title, all matters were swiftly and efficiently resolved.

Iona, having received Hayden’s body from the royal family, laid him to rest in the Modrov family cemetery.

Yvonne, confined to the mansion, and Nils, still under investigation at the royal palace, could not attend the modest funeral.

Iona herself had only issued the orders and did not witness the burial, leaving only a few workers to watch over Hayden’s final journey.

Hayden, who died a dishonorable death, was quietly buried without a proper funeral.

Nils, who had acted without consulting anyone, surprisingly showed no reaction, though one might have expected him to be furious.

Considering who needed to keep Hayden’s death under wraps, it wasn’t strange at all.

Hayden had been humiliated by none other than his own son.

Thanks to Nils abandoning his father to secure his own safety, just as Iona had hoped, he was likely spending most of his time reporting his father’s misdeeds to the newspapers.

It was unthinkable that he would have the decency to visit his father.

Regrettably, even after abandoning his father, Nils could not escape all responsibility.

Yvonne and Nils were Hayden’s legitimate children, and his death did not free them from its repercussions.

Branded as troublemakers by the royal family, they were no longer the proud direct descendants of the Modrov lineage.

Instead, Iona, who had been an outsider, now represented the family, freed from the collective responsibility of the era.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m

It was ironic. Because Hayden had refused to acknowledge her as kin, she ended up inheriting everything from him.

“Countess, it’s almost time for the guest to arrive.”

Alerted by the call, Iona looked up from the documents she had been examining.

The butler, who had treated her father similarly, now bowed respectfully to her near the door.

In the past, Iona had repeatedly seen the same scene from the same angle in the same place.

Feeling anew that everything was back in its place, Iona took in her surroundings with a fresh sense of awareness.

After a moment, Iona suddenly remarked.

“We should change the chandelier.”

“The chandelier... you mean?”

“Yes, that would make it perfect.”

Saying so, Iona stood up.

The butler, slightly puzzled by the sudden request, did not inquire further.

Iona neatly arranged the papers she had spread out and then moved to the side of the desk.

“Has the carriage crossed the main gate?”

“No, not yet, but the Duke tends to arrive early...”

“That’s true.”

Iona responded with a cheerful voice.

As the butler said, Leroy usually arrived earlier than scheduled.

Even during his last visit, when the drawing room had been filled with flowers, he had arrived much earlier than he let on, not magic, but it’s impossible to transform a space into a completely different world in just about 10 minutes.

While it wasn’t a surprise gift, Iona also had something she wanted to give him today.

“Is there something more you’d like to know?”

Iona turned back towards the previous painting and asked earnestly.

Leroy then extended the hand he had raised to calm her and grasped hers.

He seemed worried she might interrupt him as he hurriedly shared his thoughts.

“No, I was going to say that this is enough. I appreciate your desire to spend a beneficial time with me, but... I usually prefer to focus solely on the painting itself.”

“Oh.”

Iona responded blankly, still staring at their intertwined hands.

She thought he would agree and let go of her hand, but instead, he just turned his head and began admiring the painting while still holding on.

Feeling somewhat awkward, Iona turned her gaze to align with his.

Leroy stood motionless for a long time, seemingly captivated by some aspect of this particular painting.

As Iona quietly observed the lake depicted in the painting, she eventually couldn’t hold back and spoke in a soft voice.

“Still, you should at least know the title of the work.”

“Was I mistaken, and it’s not my fiancée I’ve come to see, but a broker?”

Leroy leaned closer to Iona and whispered this, his voice lowered just like hers.

His breath tickled the back of her ear with a small laugh, making Iona feel a tingling sensation.

Unknowingly, she clenched her fingers.

Trying to suppress the strange fluttering feeling in her chest, Iona firmly responded.

“Still, a basic explanation is necessary. It’s going to be the property of the Duke soon.”

At that, Leroy stiffened slightly.

He had been leaning towards Iona, but now he straightened up and looked down at her face in silence for a moment.

He didn’t appear surprised, nor particularly pleased.

Iona felt a bit flustered.

She had expected him to be delighted by her remark, but his reaction was not at all what she had anticipated.

Why did he seem so reluctant when they were finally about to fulfill a long-delayed promise?

Leroy, his brow furrowed in thought, finally spoke.

“It seems we do need to discuss that matter.”

“Countess!”

Just then, someone burst in, interrupting Leroy.

Iona and Leroy both turned towards the source of the voice.

A servant hurried into the exhibition room, his face pale as he stammered.

“Please, come to the annex for a moment.”

--- End Of The Chapter ----

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