“I heard from Peter. You have something you want in exchange for keeping the secret.”
“Well, yes, we did have that conversation...”
Iona trailed off meaningfully, her words hanging in the air before she continued slowly.
“But it seems the value of that secret has risen a bit since then.”
What was originally just a small scheme for Peter to earn some pocket money had now escalated into the root of a murder case.
If Iona revealed that Peter was the one who had addicted Dieter to the drugs, Peter would not only lose his knighthood but would also be ostracized from every noble family, doomed to wander the streets.
Carmen would never allow her lover Peter to face such a fate.
“I understand. I wasn’t unprepared for you to take this approach. Normally, we would have handled things more carefully... but we simply didn’t have time. That’s why we decided it would be better to pay the higher price to ensure your silence.”
Though Carmen didn’t reveal why she felt they were out of time, Iona felt as if she already knew exactly what had happened.
‘So, the note I sent must have worked.’
It had been Iona who had slipped a note into Carmen’s room, pretending it was from Count Setabara.
Knowing that Carmen, caught in a scandal with Peter, might withdraw, Iona had deliberately baited her.
Since Iona had already pieced together the nature of Carmen’s relationship with Count Setabara, crafting a few cryptic words hadn’t been difficult.
‘And it seems this woman was already in a fragile mental state.’
Meanwhile, Peter had hidden himself by building a network of associates who shielded him from scrutiny. He had deliberately shared the secret with more people, using them as decoys and witnesses to spread rumors and create an atmosphere of suspicion.
To frame Dieter as the murderer of his own father, witnesses were needed to testify to his severe drug addiction.
‘Last time, I didn’t have enough time to intervene. But if preparations are made in advance, silencing these addicts isn’t that difficult.’
The method was simple: supply them with highly addictive drugs and demand their silence in return.
Some of the lower-quality ingredients caused such extreme cravings that people would even sell out their own family for another dose.
Convincing them to alter their testimonies was easy.
For those who had already spent years indulging in debauchery, resistance to such substances was unlikely.
The issue, however, was that Carmen and Peter had been caught red-handed by Iona in their attempt to addict Dieter.
Now, they were at a crossroads: abandon their long-laid plans or push forward at any cost. In the end, they were forced to choose the latter, inadvertently handing Iona the very weapon to control them. Р
“Very well, Lady Viscountess. Let’s not drag this out. I’ll tell you what I want.”
Iona clasped her hands together, resting them neatly on her lap, as she spoke lightly.
“Leave this land with Sir Peter.”
Carmen’s lips parted slightly in shock.
Her blank expression made it clear she hadn’t expected such a demand. She stared at Iona, her face half-dazed.
To make it clearer, Iona elaborated, choosing her words carefully.
Carmen shot up from her seat, slamming the table as she rose.
“You’re being unreasonable! What fault does my maid have for you to target her like this?!”
“I know she’s not just a maid. Does that answer your question?”
“Ugh...!”
Carmen froze, her expression betraying her shock.
She hadn’t expected her secret to extend to this. The maid, Amaia, also looked taken aback, her face showing a rare flicker of unease.
A faint sigh escaped Amaia’s lips before she finally spoke.
“Why are you trying to kill me?”
Iona stood, running her hand along the top of the sofa as she slowly circled toward Amaia, stopping directly in front of her.
Looking down at Amaia with a detached gaze, Iona answered plainly.
“Because I can’t be sure you’ll side with me.”
“If you learn who I serve, you’ll regret this.”
“Do you think I’m acting out of ignorance?”
Amaia’s eyes wavered ever so slightly.
“Is this betrayal?”
“Isn’t that why I married the duke, who your master considers a thorn in their side?”
“I thought there was an unspoken agreement...”
“You were mistaken. And the longer that misconception lasts, the better it is for me.”
‘Better until the moment I sink my teeth into her neck myself’, Iona thought.
A tense silence hung in the air between Iona and Amaia.
Then, suddenly, Iona saw something flash coldly in Amaia’s eyes.
In an instant, Amaia pulled a dagger from her sleeve and lunged at Iona with deadly speed.
Iona sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the strike, and drew her sword from her hip.
It was a recent acquisition—purchased alongside Leroy’s gift—a blade slightly smaller than his and fondly dubbed “The Power of Love.”
--- End Of The Chapter ----
[ TN: Join Patreon to support the translation and to read 5 chapters ahead of the release: /YourNoona
Join Our Discord for regular updates, and have fun with other community members: invite/SqWtJpPtm9 ]
Support /content/60992349
Join Discord
invite/SqWtJpPtm9