Chapter 163

Chapter 163

With a shy expression, the viscountess hesitated before finally taking Iona’s hand.

Iona, noticing her awkwardness, asked, “Is the Bardem greeting style different from this?”

“No, it’s just that I’m rather shy,” the viscountess answered in a small voice.

Her hands were quite firm for a noblewoman’s, though Iona couldn’t tell if it was due to the feel of her bones or calluses.

After a brief handshake, Iona released her hand without hesitation.

The viscountess, with a bright smile, suggested, “If you’re not hungry yet, would you like to walk and chat a bit?”

Although Iona’s sweat-drenched body and workout attire were hardly suitable for a noble’s stroll, she accepted the offer without hesitation.Updated chapters at novelhall.com

It was near dawn, so there weren’t many people awake, making it more comfortable to walk.

Iona handed her towel to Marsha and began walking alongside the viscountess.

Looking up at the cloudy sky, Iona commented, “You wake up quite early.”

“I usually wake up much later. But my husband ordered me to get closer to you, so I made an effort today.”

A maid, who had been standing a step behind, continued to translate the viscountess’s words. Though Iona could understand basic Bardem, she appreciated the time to prepare her responses.

Iona, who had been hiding her expression all along, finally smiled awkwardly after the maid’s interpretation ended.

“Did the Viscount say that?”

“The Viscount has always regretted not being able to interact with neighboring estates.”

This implied that their previous distance from the duke’s family was not by choice.

Considering the sensitive history between the two families, Iona simply smiled in response.

The viscountess continued, “Regardless of the benefits and losses that might arise from this interaction, I also wanted to become friends with you.”

“That’s very kind of you to say.”

“I’ve always been lonely since I got married and moved to a foreign country at a young age. I’m happy to have a neighbor my age nearby.”

The current viscountess, standing before Iona, was the second wife of Viscount Ida, whom he married a few years ago.

When Viscount Ida acquired the Schmidt estate and was erasing traces of the previous owner, the Bardem family pushed for a marriage to strengthen their ties.

With the Viscount’s first wife deceased and the mistress’s position vacant, the marriage proceeded without issue.

The Viscount did not expect much from his young wife, and she behaved very modestly, so their marriage remained harmonious.

The Viscount’s son, born from the first marriage, showed little interest in his stepmother.

While not a warm family, in a sense, they were peaceful.

Naturally, there was no romance or love that a young bride might have hoped for.

“Perhaps the next meeting will provide a definitive answer.”

“The Viscount must be eagerly awaiting your visit,” Leroy said with mock sympathy for Viscount.

His perfectly curved lips didn’t seem to genuinely pity the Viscount at all.

Iona was about to correct Leroy’s exaggeration about the Viscount eagerly waiting, but she remembered how desperately the Viscount had clung to her and decided to remain silent.

It was true that she had exerted considerable effort to extricate herself from the Viscount’s grasp and leave the Viscounty after breakfast, as he insisted she stay for tea time as well.

Even then, Viscount Ida had clung to Iona as she climbed into the carriage, making sure to secure a definite date for her next visit.

It was a frightening persistence.

“We’re almost there,” Leroy said, pulling back the curtains he had drawn to block the sunlight.

Peering outside, Iona saw that the carriage was indeed nearing the duke’s estate.

As the long journey was coming to an end, she felt a sense of relief, but then noticed the crowd filling the streets.

Initially, she thought the people were out shopping or returning from work, but she soon realized they were all standing still, waiting for the carriage to approach.

As the carriage with Iona and Leroy drew closer, the knights managing the crowd unsheathed their swords in unison.

Iona, who had been absentmindedly looking outside, reached out and opened the window.

The cheers of the people grew louder and more distinct.

Just then, flowers thrown by someone caught the wind and fluttered through the small window.

Iona muttered in a daze, “...I’ve never received such a welcome before.”

Perhaps she had been too preoccupied with the thought of dealing with Viscount Ida.

She hadn’t anticipated a procession to welcome the duke and duchess.

In the past, Iona had never received such a reception from the people of the duchy.

After all, she had never come down to the duchy with Leroy after their marriage. It was only natural.

Iona had only stayed briefly in the duchy when absolutely necessary, always moving quietly and unofficially to quickly return to Richard, making her presence discreet.

“It seems my instructions to prepare in advance paid off,” Leroy said, watching Iona’s surprised reaction with a smile in his eyes as he looked outside.

“I hoped you would come to love this place as much as I do.”

--- End Of The Chapter ----

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