TISND Chapter 105

Chapter 105

‘So, the day has finally come…’

The butler squeezed his eyes shut upon hearing that Helena was returning to the Eskel estate.

The once-distant tension between the Duke and Duchess, which had started in the capital, had now shattered completely.

Back in Frantor, even if their relationship had been awkward, they had at least been amicable. So how had it come to this?

Naturally, the butler had done everything in his power to prevent this from happening.

“No, Your Grace! This cannot be allowed!”

And by ‘everything’, he truly meant ‘everything’.

He had believed that his days of running frantically around the estate were long behind him. Ever since his hair had turned completely white and his knees had begun to stiffen, he had vowed to leave the frantic dashing to the younger servants.

And yet, here he was, chasing after the Duke in desperation.

“Rest easy, butler. This isn’t a divorce.”

The young Duke responded calmly.

Of course, there was no way he could ‘rest easy’ after hearing that.

“That is not the issue, Your Grace! How—how did it come to this?!”

“Butler.”

Caligo’s voice was quiet but firm. The butler, still gasping for breath, fell silent.

“This is what she asked for.”

“…Pardon?”

“I simply agreed to it.”

The butler blinked in disbelief.

“Duchess asked to leave?”

“Yes.”

The butler had served the household for decades. He was old, yes, but he still prided himself on his keen eyesight and sharp hearing.

Never before had he misheard his master’s words.

But for once, he wished he had.

He couldn’t believe it.

That Duchess had chosen to leave.

Thinking back, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

But to see their relationship end like this… it was a bitter pill to swallow.

And it wasn’t just the butler who was in an uproar.

Emma, who had pledged to serve Helena with the same loyalty she had shown the previous Duke and Duchess, was utterly distraught.

“Madam, tell me I heard wrong!”

Tears welled in her eyes as Helena clasped her hands and thanked her for everything.

Emma quickly pulled out a handkerchief, dabbing at her tear-streaked face, trying to suppress her emotions.

“The household will be busy once I’m gone. I feel bad for leaving you with all my responsibilities.”

“No, Madam! This isn’t the time for apologies! Are you truly leaving?”

No matter how much Emma begged, it was futile.

The decision had already been made.

Neither the Duke nor Helena showed any signs of wavering.

No amount of persuasion would change Helena’s mind.

Surprisingly, the only person who remained composed was Jane.

It was as if she had expected this outcome all along.

“We’ll be busy, then. Packing, sending word to the Eskels—there’s a lot to take care of. But don’t worry, Madam. Until the very last moment, I will make sure you’re well taken care of.”

For the first time, Helena felt relieved that she had confided in Jane.

At least, when she left this place, she wouldn’t be doing so completely alone.

—

Whether it was because of Jane’s efficiency or because Helena had few belongings to begin with, the preparations were completed in no time.

By the time everything was packed, the luggage didn’t even fill the carriage’s storage compartment.

Even after finishing the preparations, it still didn’t feel real.

When she had arrived in the capital, the house had been filled with noise and excitement.

Now, on the day of her departure, it was eerily quiet.

The servants seemed unsure of how to react.

Those who would have normally mocked her were now whispering behind windows instead, their laughter subdued.

As if they weren’t sure whether to mock her or not.

Helena took one last glance around the estate before moving forward.

At one point, Emma had recommended a new physician to fill the vacant position in the household.

But since Helena had decided to leave, the idea had been abandoned.

Still, she had heard that the current physician occasionally visited the dispensary.

Sure enough, when she arrived, she found the physician sitting by the window, his expression grim.

It was understandable.

Barely after arriving, his patient had tumbled down the stairs—then, before he could even get properly acquainted with the household, she had decided to leave.

No matter how experienced a doctor he was, it was bound to be frustrating.

After she had fallen, Helena had seen his conflicted expression clearly.

A frail body could be concealed under layers of clothing, but signs of illness—those were not so easily hidden.

Cold hands and feet, an unhealthy body.

Perhaps he had already sensed something was wrong.

Perhaps he had found it suspicious that he had no records of what medications had been prescribed to her before.

And so, rather than speaking up, he had chosen to remain silent.

He was a sharp, intelligent man.

And in the end, he had decided not to inform Caligo.

“D-Duchess…”

Helena gave the doctor a faint smile.

“I’m sorry.”

“…Pardon?”

“I know you were given the opportunity to serve as the Duchess’s personal physician. It must feel like I’ve taken that chance away from you.”

“No… There’s no need for an apology, Your Grace.”

The doctor hesitated for a moment before finally voicing the concern that had been plaguing him.

“Your Grace, your health is clearly in poor condition. But when I reviewed past records, there were no notes regarding any chronic illness. That has been worrying me.”

His words didn’t come from mere curiosity or professional ambition.

It was genuine concern—one that came from his duty as a physician.

“…Do you have a preexisting condition?”

The words were spoken cautiously, as if he had carefully measured them before speaking.

It was clear that he had already noticed the inconsistencies.

A man with a sharp mind and a tight-lipped nature—Emma had certainly chosen an excellent physician.

And that was precisely why Helena couldn’t allow him to stay.

“That’s enough.”

She cut him off firmly.

“I came here to warn you. Do not pry any further.”

“…”

“And under no circumstances are you to speak of my condition to anyone.”

She was clear and concise in her warning.

“A physician keeping a patient’s condition confidential is a given, but since you were never my physician, I came to make sure you understand that.”

“D-Duchess…”

“I believe you’ll be given a letter of recommendation from Frantor once I leave. With that, you’ll have no trouble finding a position in any household.”

Though, truthfully, he hardly seemed like someone who needed a recommendation to secure a job.

That was all she had to say.

Blinking slowly, she absently adjusted the folds of her outer robe.

“Your Grace…”

Sensing that she was about to leave, the doctor hesitated before speaking up again.

“Does His Grace know?”

“…”

“No. And that’s exactly why I’m here—to ensure your silence.”

“I will keep your secret.”

But then, after a brief pause, he added carefully,

“However… if I may speak honestly, Your Grace—if you wish to live, you must begin treatment as soon as possible.”

*Live?*

Would she really be able to survive?

Even if she dared to hope, the reality seemed impossible.

She had only one wish—to carry out her final duties before her time ran out.

“Thank you for your concern.”

Helena gave him a small, fleeting smile before turning to leave.

—

The sky was overcast.

Come to think of it, the day she first arrived in Frantor had been just like this.

She had come without a wedding, without any proper preparations—practically empty-handed.

Had anything changed since then?

The air had grown warmer, but she herself remained the same.

‘Nothing has changed.’

“Helena! Helena!”

She must have been standing still, lost in thought, because a child’s voice rang out from a distance.

She knew who it was before even turning around.

Joshua.

“Don’t go! You can’t go! Okay?! Just wait—just wait a little bit!”

Ever since Caligo had given his approval for her departure, everything had gone smoothly—packing, writing to the Eskel estate, making arrangements.

And yet, there was one thing she had kept putting off.

Saying goodbye to the children.

“I told you, she’s not leaving!”

It seemed Joshua wasn’t alone.

Jeremy’s voice echoed behind him.

After their last bitter exchange, Jeremy had kept his distance, acting as though he would never look at her again.

Helena had thought she wouldn’t see his face again before she left.

But Joshua clearly hadn’t accepted that.

Determined, he was dragging his unwilling twin toward her.

“Come on!”

“I have nothing to say to her!”

Despite his protests, Jeremy was no match for Joshua’s strength.

Eventually, he was pulled right in front of Helena—forcing her to meet his sharp, glaring eyes.

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