TISND Chapter 108

Chapter 108

When Helena returned to the Eskel estate, she was relieved to find that her room was still there.

Since it had originally been in a building used for storage, no one had taken over her space. The annex had accumulated some unfamiliar clutter, but overall, nothing had changed significantly.

“Lady Helena Eskel, who had married the Duke of Frantor, had finally been cast out.”

The rumor had spread not only throughout the Eskel estate but all the way to the capital.

Yet unlike the previous scandal, Helena wasn’t particularly shaken.

Perhaps it was because there was no one like Aiden—no one she needed to protect.

A scandal. The Duke of Frantor. The Eskels.

The servants merely clicked their tongues, saying that what was bound to happen had finally happened.

The daughter who had always been an outcast in her own family had been abandoned by the Duke of Frantor as well.

Upon returning to the estate, Helena spent the first few days pulling out the overgrown weeds in front of the annex or taking naps.

It wasn’t so bad.

…That was a lie.

In truth, her body and mind were so exhausted that she considered resting for a few more days.

The first few days after her return, she had buried herself under the covers, drowning in sorrow.

A gust of wind was enough to make her melancholic. She would suddenly feel overwhelmed by her circumstances and find herself shedding silent tears.

When she was alone in the dark room, Caligo’s cruel words and Jeremy’s cold gaze would resurface in her mind.

Then, one day, she had a sudden thought.

“Crying won’t change my circumstances.”

“It won’t erase the death looming over me.”

“So why waste my time like this?”

That was when she resolved herself.

With the end of her life drawing near, she wanted to finish what she had started.

—

“How heartless of the Count,” Jane murmured one day.

A few days had passed, and she had grown restless at the absence of both Count Eskel and the Countess from the annex.

“How could they not show their faces when their own daughter has returned?”

“They must be busy.”

“Even with many children, a parent’s heart should still ache for each one. But the Count is so indifferent. And the Countess, too—how could she be so cold?”

‘Jane, it’s because I’m only half their blood.’

Helena swallowed the words that threatened to spill from her lips.

—

It was a full week before Helena finally saw Count Eskel.

He looked even more exhausted and aged than when she had last seen him.

Yet, oddly enough, he seemed to have gained weight—as if he had been trying to drown his stress in alcohol and food.

“Useless girl.”

It was in the estate’s garden. The Count, who had been strolling through the greenery, clicked his tongue when he spotted her.

Despite not having seen his daughter in a long time, he showed no signs of joy or surprise.

Even though she had visibly lost weight, he neither noticed nor cared.

Helena, too, felt no happiness at the sight of her father—only a bitter taste in her mouth.

His eyes were the same as ever. Indifferent. Emotionless.

The past and present were no different.

Even though she had done nothing wrong, her shoulders instinctively hunched.

It felt like something invisible was pressing down on them, making it harder to breathe.

Like with Rosalith—just another habit.

Helena had always been this way in front of her father.

It was difficult and frightening to face him.

And yet, she still longed for his love.

Even though she knew he had never shown her the slightest bit of affection, Helena still lowered her head and greeted him with the utmost formality.

“…It has been a while, Father.”

“Why did you even go to the Frantor household?”

“You already know, it was by the Emperor’s command.”

“Even so! You’re a woman, and yet you couldn’t even steal a man’s heart?”

The Count glared at her irritably.

“If things had been better between you and the Duke, none of this would have become such a mess. At the very least, you should have brought me some useful information. But you couldn’t even do that.”

“…”

“And what was that nonsense about business in Frantor? Did you really think doing something like that would make the Duke fall for you?”

“I didn’t do it to win his affection.”

“You can’t win a man’s heart with money. That’s not a woman’s role.”

Helena, who had been listening in silence, spoke quietly.

“Are you struggling with something these days?”

“My dear Helena, my foolish, stupid child, of course I’m struggling—because of you!”

The Count sighed dramatically.

“If only you had played your role properly in Frantor, I wouldn’t be in this mess.”

The Count had a habit of venting his frustrations onto her, blaming her for his troubles.

‘If only you had done better, I wouldn’t be struggling.’

‘You share some responsibility for this, too.’

In the past, his words had wounded her, and she had tried her best to block them out.

But now, she chose to listen.

It still hurt.

But she listened anyway.

As she had expected, it was mostly about money.

The Count complained that his wealth was slipping through his fingers like water from a broken jar.

So Eskel really was facing a financial crisis.

It was strange, considering the vast wealth the family had accumulated over the years.

The Count’s main source of income had always been moneylending.

But that avenue had been cut off.

And after his imprisonment—when the Emperor had caught wind of his schemes—he had been forced to make a large “donation” in the name of restitution.

On top of that, maintaining his extravagant lifestyle must have drained his coffers even further.

“This poor father of yours worries about the future so much that he can’t even sleep or eat properly.”

“…Father.”

In the past, she would have just stood there and listened to his complaints.

She would have remained silent, burdened by guilt, convinced that all of this was somehow her fault.

And she would have kept the conversation going, desperate for even the faintest trace of affection from him.

But now—she knew.

No matter how hard she tried, her father would never love her.

It was time to break free from this vicious cycle.

“I wish I could be of help to you, Father.”

“And how exactly do you plan to help? By handing over the dowry you took with you when you got married?”

The Count scoffed.

“Don’t bother. A mere pittance like that wouldn’t even begin to solve my problems.”

This was one of the reasons she had left the Frantor estate.

She had realized that within the safety of Frantor’s walls, she could never gain information—or the leverage—she needed.

And so, Helena had willingly returned to the Eskel estate.

To earn her father’s trust.

To gain his confidence.

And through that trust—to seize the opportunity to destroy the Eskel family.

“…But, Father.”

Helena smiled faintly.

“I didn’t only use my dowry to start a business in Frantor.”

“Oh?” The Count’s gaze sharpened.

“Where did you get the money?”

At the mention of money, Count Eskel’s eyes sharpened, and his tone softened with sudden warmth.

“At first, I focused on growing and selling herbs,” Helena said.

“Ah, herbs.”

The Count immediately lost interest.

“You expect me to be out in the dirt planting seeds?”

“Of course not, Father. I wouldn’t ask that of you.”

Helena smiled politely, her tone light.

“It was just a hobby at first, selling herbs. But with a little help, I started selling medicine as well. Before I knew it, the money started piling up.”

“Hmph.”

Disinterested, the Count barely listened. In fact, he seemed annoyed, scratching his head irritably. He had already turned his body slightly, as if preparing to walk away.

“But then I invested some of that money—and ended up making quite a profit.”

“You’re always babbling nonsense like some foolish girl… What did you just say?”

The Count blinked in disbelief.

“Y-you did what? A girl like you invested?”

Investment was a tricky game, one that even seasoned players struggled with.

Even Count Eskel, greedy for wealth as he was, wouldn’t dare put his money anywhere without solid information. His fortune had always come from squeezing wealth out of others, not from risky ventures.

“Hah! And I’m supposed to believe that? Fine, tell me—where did you invest?”

“Hmm. I don’t know much about it myself. But I contributed money to a company that was organizing ships and trade routes to the Esquallos continent. They gave me shares in return.”

“E-Esquallos?”

The Count’s mind worked furiously.

“What was the name of the merchant group you invested in?”

“It was a long time ago, so I don’t remember exactly… but I think it started with ‘Bon’?”

“…What?! Are you telling me you invested in Bondestel?”

A new era of continental trade had begun.

As the seemingly eternal glaciers melted, new sea routes had opened, granting access to previously unreachable lands.

Bondestel had been quick to seize the opportunity, sending ships across the new routes and reaping massive profits.

Though it had started as an upstart trading company, it had now risen to become one of the most powerful merchant guilds in the empire.

And yet—

“This girl?”

“This foolish, clueless girl, who had never shown any talent for handling money?”

“Had actually invested in Bondestel?!”

“Yes,” Helena replied simply.

Even as an Eskel, she could never have built a business with just her dowry.

Instead, she had carefully grown her areas by selling herbs, gradually increasing her wealth.

And because the money was tied to her name rather than the Eskel family’s, she had been able to invest freely—without her father ever knowing.

When she had told Jeremy, Joshua, and even the people of Frantor not to worry about money, she hadn’t been lying.

“Though, I lost most of it in Frantor,” she admitted.

“R-right…”

The Count wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

Of course, what did it matter?

This girl could never handle investments.

She was a foolish child who couldn’t even protect her own assets.

She had probably thrown her money away, clinging to false hope in Frantor, only to be cast aside.

The Count swallowed hard, regretting the wasted money.

“But with what I have left, I plan to reinvest wisely.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I heard something interesting from a merchant I know. Apparently, a new ship has been sent to the southern regions of Esquallos! But they took on a lot of debt to build it. The company’s name was… Trafon, I think?”

“That’s just nonsense meant to swindle fools out of their money! They’re probably just trying to lure in investors to cover their debts.”

Brushing it off as a scam, the Count grumbled irritably.

Hey Guys you can read advanced chapters on Patreon
If you liked my work and want to support me then you can visit my page for tips. As I can’t create Kofi because of the unavailability of Paypal in my country, I’ve made this tier which is being updated every week so that you won’t be charged again till you want to donate again by yourself or you can exit the tier after donating 🙂.

Happy Reading 🩷