Chapter 170

Chapter 170

Leroy barely managed to suppress the laughter that almost burst out reflexively.

In a calm voice, he pointed out the truth.

"...It seems there’s been some misunderstanding. I never gave such an order."

It took Iona quite some time to comprehend Leroy’s words.

Not only was he saying something completely unexpected, but if the order hadn’t come from him, she couldn’t even begin to guess what had led to this situation.

But there was no reason for Leroy to lie to her in this situation.

Iona muttered in a dazed voice, "Then why...?"

"Didn't I tell you last time that the head maid seems to have taken a liking to you? It seems the other maids feel similarly."

"But that can’t be right."

"Why not?"

Leroy asked softly, staring intently at Iona.

Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, Iona lowered her eyes to avoid his, though it wasn’t much of an escape since he leaned forward to match her eye level.

With her hands clasped tightly on her lap, she nervously picked at her fingertips as she spoke.

"I haven’t done anything to earn their approval. And it’s not like I’m a perfect lady who can win everyone over with just a first impression."

"You seem to lack confidence in yourself."

"I'm just stating the facts."

Iona emphasized, her voice firm.

She thought the conversation was growing increasingly foolish.

Pointing out the obvious, she said, "Until recently, I was a loyal follower of the Crown Prince’s faction. It’s only natural that they would be wary of me."

"But you’re married to me now."

"Perhaps I'm deceiving you to uncover your weaknesses."

"So, you plan to trick me and eat me to the bone?"

Leroy rested his chin on his hand, looking up at Iona with a subtle gaze.

Having spent more than just a few nights with him, Iona easily understood the hidden meaning behind his words.

She tried not to show the heat rising to her cheeks as she responded in a stiff voice.

"I’m just speaking hypothetically."

"Well, since your hypothesis isn’t true, there’s no chance you’ll ever betray the people’s expectations here. Isn’t that enough?"

Despite Leroy’s attempt to conclude the matter, Iona still seemed unconvinced.

Unlike Iona, who remained dissatisfied, Leroy didn’t find this issue particularly difficult to understand.

The astute head maid had likely already noticed his genuine affection for his wife and had subtly hinted at this to the maids under her charge.

'She must have figured out that we’re getting along well, so the maids probably felt more comfortable approaching her.'

The unexpected reaction, more pronounced than typical muttering, caught Iona’s attention, and she finally turned her gaze to him.

The maid, who had also glanced at Leroy, respectfully bowed her head and explained, "Yes, that’s right. He said he used to work under you before your marriage, so we led him to the drawing room. Shall I take you there?"

Iona didn’t respond immediately; instead, she locked eyes with Leroy.

Sensing some discontent from him, she decided to address the issue with her husband, who was right beside her, before dealing with the distant guest.

However, after carefully observing Leroy’s face, she found nothing unusual about it.

With a light smile, he then naturally rose from his seat and reached out to her.

"It’s not polite to keep guests waiting too long, is it?" Leroy asked, extending his hand toward Iona.

***

"Your Grace, this is Fin. He was a highly capable administrator overseeing the management of Modrov Estate."

"It's an honor to meet you, Your Grace. My name is Fin Gerfield."

As Leroy accepted the man’s greeting, his first thought was, 'He’s quite handsome.'*

"Nice to meet you," Leroy said, concealing his initial thought behind a faint smile as he shook hands with the man.

Fin Gerfield, as he introduced himself, was a man with a gentle and tidy appearance. Judging by his lack of any mention of a noble lineage, he seemed to be a commoner, yet his formal demeanor was more polished than that of most noble offspring.

His sharp jawline, straight nose, and well-formed eyes were even more striking.

He had the kind of clean-cut looks that seemed better suited for a role involving face-to-face interactions rather than a desk job.

Though, if that were the case, the first thing he’d need to do is ditch those dull glasses.

Leroy, who had been watching him, withdrew his hand after the handshake, inspecting Fin’s hand as he did so.

The hand was smooth, without a single mark or sign of unnecessary power struggles.

Leroy inadvertently recalled the young man he had encountered in the capital and chuckled softly as he let his arm fall to his side.

'Am I becoming overly sensitive?'

Perhaps it was because he had faced so many rivals in the capital that he instinctively followed his wife to investigate as soon as he heard a young man had come to visit.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Leroy reflected on his narrow-minded behavior of judging a stranger’s appearance upon first meeting.

Leroy redirected the conversation, asking, "But what brings you here? You were managing Modrov Estate, weren’t you? Is this about a work report?"

"No, He was called to take on some responsibilities related to the Ida Estate."

"I also requested to be transferred so that I could serve Lady Iona more closely."

Fin added his explanation with a respectful demeanor.

At this, the faint smile on Leroy’s lips grew a bit tense.

--- End Of The Chapter ----

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