This Marriage Will Surely Succeed

Chapter 205

Iona had never considered the possibility of Richard being at odds with the Empress.

Why would such a ridiculous assumption even cross her mind? After all, no one supported and cherished Richard more than his own mother.

And yet, Richard now seemed to hope for some kind of trouble to arise under the Empress’ influence.

This was what left Iona feeling perplexed.

If an explosion occurred, as Richard predicted, the Empress would have to lay low for a while.

Untraceable gunpowder causing a commotion would not only attract attention but also lead to stricter inspection procedures.

Still, Iona couldn’t understand what Richard hoped to gain by tying down even his own mother like this.

Even under Amaia aggressive questioning, Richard showed no signs of panic.

He calmly rubbed his chin and replied in a slow tone, “Would it be easier to understand if I told you that, as of today, your allegiance has changed?”

“Betraying our current employer cannot be justified with such a flimsy excuse,” Amaia retorted, standing cautiously as if concluding they had walked into a trap.

Amaia grabbed Iona’s arm, urging her to stand as well, but Iona shook her head quietly to stop her.

Now, she understood.

What Richard had been confirming while gazing out the window earlier.

‘No exits on the sides. Four at the back of the building, six at the front... ten in total.’

The number showed cautious planning—it wasn’t simply to deal with two people.

Perhaps it was naive of them to come here so unprepared.

Sensing the approaching presence outside the building, Iona suppressed a bitter chuckle.

While she and Amaia could easily fend off such an ambush together, the problem was that Richard was present.

Revealing her carefully concealed identity in such a manner was out of the question.

Reluctantly, Iona picked up her pen again, her expression betraying her displeasure.

[It doesn’t seem like we have much of a choice.]

Amaia frowned as she read the line Iona had written.

Thankfully, there was no need for Iona to awkwardly alert her to the danger.

By then, Amaia had already sensed the outside movement, her face hardening as she quietly returned to her seat.

Seeing this, Richard let out a satisfied smile.

“You’re surprisingly reasonable compared to your husband.”

His simple test was clear—if he succeeded in recruiting them, they would live; if not, they would die.

If Richard had orchestrated this plan to trouble the Empress, dealing with the viscountess here wasn’t a bad move.

After all, the ownership of Ida Manor would become ambiguous, turning it into an enticing prize for everyone.

The Empress, keen on keeping the region under her influence, would have to resolve the inheritance issue first.

Even if she failed to reclaim Ida Manor, it wouldn’t particularly harm Richard.

Unlike the Empress, he wasn’t closely tied to Bardem.

“The same way as before.”

[What happened to the person we used to communicate with?]

A man who had been silently observing their conversation raised his hand.

“That would be me.”

Amaia turned to him with a look of surprise, seemingly realizing for the first time that they weren’t dealing with a third party but someone on the inside.

With a cautious expression, Amaia asked, “Was it internal betrayal?”

The man hesitated, a troubled look crossing his face.

“I wouldn’t go so far as to call it betrayal...”

It seemed Richard’s sudden appearance and chaos had put the man in a rather awkward position.

That explained why his attitude toward them had been more lenient than expected. There seemed to be a hint of camaraderie in his actions.

‘It’s no wonder. He’s not just anyone; he’s the Empress’s own son and the soon-to-be heir to the throne. He couldn’t very well run to her and confess everything, could he?’

In any case, there were truths here that neither Richard nor the man could afford to reveal in this setting.

If Richard had intended to reveal his identity, he wouldn’t have appeared wearing a hood to obscure his face.

Sensing the conversation drifting in an unwanted direction, Richard tapped his fingers on the table to regain their attention.

“I have a question,” he said.

Iona had expected him to wrap things up, but instead, his statement took an unexpected turn.

What could he possibly want to ask now, when they had already agreed to cooperate?

Curious, Iona looked at him.

For the first time, Richard seemed hesitant, a far cry from the confident demeanor he had displayed earlier.

After a moment of silence, he finally asked, “I’ve heard there’s been some interaction between the Viscount’s household and the Duke’s household. What is your impression of the new Duchess?”

For a brief moment, Iona’s eyes met Richard’s.

At face value, the question could be interpreted as an inquiry into the Duke’s movements.

But Iona, who had once fled from his ‘affections’, understood the true intent behind the question all too well.

She didn’t waste time pondering her response.

Without hesitation, Iona scrawled a short sentence onto the notebook and handed it to Richard.

[The Duchess is enjoying a delightful honeymoon.]

--- End Of The Chapter ----

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