Chapter 110
“Gasp!”
Viscount Forzi’s grip loosened upon hearing the news from his servant, causing the glass in his hand to slip and fall.
A reckless, newly established trading company had built a massive ship to send across the Esquallos Ocean.
They had been drowning in debt, desperately seeking investors at the last minute.
And now, they had struck gold.
Was this a dream or reality?
“This is tea leaves sent from the Trafon Trading Company. Word has it they are selling like crazy across the empire.”
“Tea leaves?”
“Yes. And these particular tea leaves are easy to store, so they packed the enormous ship to the brim with them!”
The tea was exotic, completely different from the ones traditionally enjoyed in the empire.
“My goodness, how is this possible?”
He had only invested a little—just a tiny bit—after hearing Helena mention Trafon.
Yet, that small sum had multiplied again and again, swelling into a staggering fortune.
The earnings from what would have been a commoner’s monthly wage had now become equivalent to a noble’s annual income!
“How could this be!”
Count Eskel’s financial troubles had also meant that Viscount Forzi’s funds had dried up.
He had always survived by picking up the scraps that fell from the Count’s table, so the recent crisis had hit him hard as well.
But thanks to this investment, he now had enough funds to live comfortably for quite some time.
“Ahaha! What an incredible stroke of luck!”
Forzi was practically ready to jump off the sofa and dance in excitement.
“No, wait a moment.”
The amount he had invested had been significant for a commoner, but for a noble, it was disappointingly small.
It was money he could afford to lose—meaning, he hadn’t taken much of a risk.
But if he had poured an enormous sum into this Trafon deal… he could have become unimaginably wealthy!
Regret gnawed at Viscount Forzi, and he clicked his tongue in frustration.
—
News that someone close to him had struck a fortune was impossible to ignore.
Upon hearing the rumors, Count Eskel immediately summoned Viscount Forzi.
“Did you really invest in Trafon?”
“Yes, I put in some money just in case. Honestly, I must thank you, Count, for giving me such valuable information.”
Forzi was grinning from ear to ear, unable to suppress his joy.
“Well, congratulations.”
“Oh? You didn’t invest, Count?”
“That’s right. I had… certain circumstances.”
“Ah, what a shame! But don’t worry! A better opportunity will surely come along.”
Forzi clapped his hands together, remembering something.
“Oh! I must also give my thanks to Lady Helena—no, I should say, the Duchess!”
Before long, Helena appeared in the drawing room.
“It is an honor to meet the Duchess.”
In the past, she had been nothing more than a child he had dismissed without a second thought.
But now, things were different.
Forzi clasped Helena’s hands with the enthusiasm of someone meeting a savior.
“You need not be so formal.”
“You are as gracious as ever! It is such a delight to see you again, Duchess.”
“I’m pleased to see you as well after so long.”
“You actually remember me?”
“Of course, why wouldn’t I?”
“Hahaha!”
Watching Forzi, Count Eskel scoffed inwardly.
Seeing how quickly Viscount Forzi changed his attitude after making easy money made Count Eskel’s blood boil.
He forced himself to conceal his simmering frustration.
He was certain he had told Forzi to ignore any talk of investment. Yet the man had defied him, secretly investing money anyway.
And now, the viscount had made an easy, hefty profit. Watching him revel in his sudden wealth made the count’s stomach churn.
Perhaps if he had invested instead, he could have made even more money than that fool.
To make matters worse, Forzi had the audacity to celebrate right in front of him.
That bastard!
Count Eskel clenched his teeth, glaring daggers at the viscount.
Before he could dwell further on his resentment, however, he heard his daughter’s voice.
“Father.”
Helena, who had been overwhelmed by the commotion upon arriving, finally turned to acknowledge him with a polite nod.
“Yes.”
Unlike the overexcited, loudmouthed Forzi, Helena remained composed.
The count had expected her to be giddy over making such a fortune, yet she was calm.
Even in this situation, she prioritized greeting her father first—something he found deeply satisfying.
He had always assumed she was a foolish girl, but perhaps he had misjudged her.
“Come, child, have a seat. I invited you here, yet I’ve kept you standing this whole time.”
“Thank you, Father.”
He had never once paid proper attention to her before.
His time had been spent grooming his eldest son, Salizar, as his successor and doting on his adorable, precious Rozalish.
Besides, Helena had always lived quietly.
Knowing her status as an illegitimate child, she never caused trouble or sought attention, instead choosing to live in seclusion.
Because of that, he had all but forgotten she was his daughter, leaving her to fend for herself.
But looking at it from another angle—if she was self-aware enough to avoid stirring conflict, didn’t that mean she was sharp and perceptive?
He had once thought she was a girl he could send off to another household and never concern himself with again.
But now, as he pondered, he realized she might be more useful than he had originally believed.
“Helena, my child. Seeing you now, I realize how much you’ve grown.”
Count Eskel studied her carefully, deciding not to overestimate or underestimate her.
“You carry yourself gracefully, with elegance and beauty.”
“…Thank you, Father.”
“I’ve heard about Trafon as well. You have a keen eye for business.”
“I was merely lucky.”
“Haha, is that so?”
Perhaps the Bondestel incident and this Trafon deal truly had been pure luck.
“Where did you come across such information? Trade and commerce are not topics one encounters easily.”
“Looking back, my time in Frantor wasn’t a complete loss, Father.”
Helena navigated the conversation smoothly.
“While selling clothing in the north, I happened to meet a merchant leader, and I learned about it from him.”
Count Eskel recalled the Helena of her childhood.
A girl who constantly craved affection, watching him with tearful eyes, always hoping for his attention.
She had been a burden to him, an unwanted chain around his ankle, forced upon him after her mother’s death.
When he had asked the Countess to raise Helena as her own daughter, he had felt ashamed—despite his marriage being nothing more than a political arrangement.
At the time, having an illegitimate child was a grave scandal.
Especially for a man of little wealth and status, it had been an unbearable stain on his name.
Nowadays, such things no longer mattered.
But back then, she had been a weak, useless girl who knew nothing of the world and sought only affection.
Even now, she might still be someone who could hold him back.
The count decided to carefully assess Helena’s abilities.
“If it weren’t for him, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Helena, too, could read the look in her father’s eyes and let out a bitter smile.
That gaze was far too cold to be one a father gave his daughter.
…You never looked at Rosalith that way, Father.
Even now, you treat me like an item on display.
His eyes scrutinized her thoroughly, still unsure whether to trust her or not.
“Is that so? If you come across any more valuable information, do share it with me.”
The count spoke.
“I may not have expressed it much, but I love you.”
It was the phrase she had longed to hear the most.
But.
That might have been true in the past—now, however, Helena was no longer naive enough to fall for her father’s lies.
“I feel the same, Father.”
So Helena, too, wrapped herself in deception, disguising her true self entirely.
“That is good to hear.”
The count was thoroughly fooled by her lie.
They weren’t close enough for him to distinguish falsehood from sincerity—
And more than anything, Helena had inherited her father’s talent for lying.
The only difference was that the count himself was unaware of it.
“Then, I shall take my leave now.”
“Very well. Let’s see each other more often.”
Intrigue.
That alone was enough of an achievement for today.
“Ah, one more thing, child.”
“Yes, Father?”
“Why are you so thin?”
“…Ah.”
“What man would desire a woman that frail?”
Had the one who poisoned her not revealed the truth to the master of this house?
“Being too thin makes you look unattractive. You must always take care of yourself.”
“Understood, Father.”
“You may go.”
Perhaps they hadn’t been able to tell him.
Helena left the drawing room, closing the door behind her, and walked silently down the quiet corridor.
How long had she been walking?
At the far end of the hallway, a woman in a deep green dress moved toward her, as if dancing.
Her dress was cut low at the chest, and her neck was adorned with a gold necklace that glittered even from a distance.
Gold hung from her ears, her arms, even her ankles—almost obsessively, as if she suffered from an affliction.
Few people Helena knew had such an excessive taste.
Especially not within the walls of the Eskel estate.
“I greet the Countess.”
The corridor was silent, leaving only the two of them.
Helena’s greeting was far too stiff for a woman she was supposed to call mother.
“…Helena.”
The countess’s lips twisted slightly, as if she had finally recognized her.
The Countess of Eskel.
Her mother on paper.
And the very person who had poisoned Helena.
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 🩷
