TISND Chapter 119

Chapter 119

The children weren’t even blood relatives. The relationship was decided from the very beginning. Though it seemed like they had a good time, it ultimately didn’t end well. Helena recalled the intense gaze of Jeremy, who had fiercely glared at her. The child had never called her “mother,” and it was a relationship that couldn’t be considered familial.

But it was warm. Even in the dead of winter, just being around those family members made her happy, enough that she wouldn’t feel the cold even when standing outside in the chilly air. Being near Caligo, Jeremy, and Joshua was the happiest she’d ever felt. It was the first time she had ever felt such warm affection in her life.

Now, thinking that those children might be approaching their death, Helena was worried. She wondered if they were doing well in the mansion she had left behind. Were they dressing appropriately for the warm weather, not just wearing thin clothes? And… was she still having awkward conversations with Caligo and getting along with him?

She remembered the times they spent together, gently touching the damp earth with their bare hands. They made food from unknown ingredients they found in the ground, and when their bodies grew cold from the outside wind, they warmed themselves with stew. The rare smiles of Caligo, which he would sometimes hide, and his care for her, even when pretending not to notice. If Helena had lingering feelings, they were tied to those memories. Despite the many sad moments, there had been more good ones.

“Maybe I’ll see Jeremy and Joshua on Empress’s birthday,” Jane said, intentionally avoiding mentioning Caligo. She seemed to think Helena would be sad whenever the Duke was mentioned.

“Yeah, they might come,” Helena replied.

She missed the children. It had only been a month since their departure, but it felt as if they hadn’t seen each other in years.

—

But on the day of the birthday, something went wrong.

The poison, which had been slowly deteriorating her body, had finally reached her feet.

“…My lady.”

Now even her sense of touch had dulled. Her hands and feet didn’t feel like her own anymore. She tried to grasp something, but couldn’t hold onto it and struggled. Her feet were the same. She could still manage to stand, but without Jane’s help, walking became difficult.

“You can’t do it, my lady. We should tell the Count that you can’t make it,” Jane said, her voice trembling, on the verge of tears, as she hurried to get up.

“No. I have to go today. I can’t tell Father I won’t make it on the day itself.”

“But you can’t even walk properly on your own. How will you go?”

Helena paused for a moment, deep in thought, then spoke.

“Jane, do you have any spare dresses? Maybe the ones the Countess of Enphirem gave or the ones from Frantor that you’ve never worn?”

“Yes? I do have some things left from the Countess,” Jane replied.

Helena decided to minimize the burden. She had already thrown away unnecessary luxuries and trinkets like fans. The few things she kept were gifts.

From the bonnet Emma had gifted her in the mansion to the dress and accessories from the Countess, Helena couldn’t bring herself to throw them away and had kept them all.

“Bring those first. And the shoes you’ll wear today, make sure they’re comfortable to walk in.”

“You’re planning to wear the dress the Countess gave you? But it might not fit you properly.”

“I’m not going to wear that dress.”

“…Huh?”

“Jane, you’ll wear it.”

Jane blinked in surprise.

—

The Eskel family, known for their dreadful reputation, had finally fallen into trouble, and the rumors spread widely through the capital. People had seen the Eskel family, usually so reckless and oblivious to danger, sighing all day with pale faces. Not only had the family lost money, but the region of Frantor was also threatening to attack them.

Amidst this, a new rumor emerged that the Eskel family had recently made a significant sum of money through an investment. Who could have helped the Count with his financial troubles? Rumors about his children being useless to their father were widespread, and people wondered if he had adopted a son or brought in a new right-hand man.

What was certain was that on the Empress’s birthday, a savior of the Eskel family would appear. Knowing the Count’s prideful nature, it was certain he would show off the person.

“Could it be Countess Laviel?”

“That woman is full of greed but lacks talent. Besides, I heard she severed ties with the Count.”

They say the most entertaining thing in the world is gossip—especially about other people’s children.

Naturally, the stories about Count Eskel, who was constantly troubled over his children, were fascinating.

“Perhaps it’s the Duchess of Frantor?”

Someone speculated, but a lavishly dressed woman scoffed at the suggestion.

It was Melissa York, who, after enduring numerous scandals, had finally returned to the ballroom after a long absence.

“How could that woman possibly support the Count’s family? From what I’ve seen, she seemed like a foolish woman who relied solely on the Eskel name.”

Melissa had been speaking animatedly when she suddenly turned her gaze toward the corner of the ballroom.

While the nobles were engaged in lively conversation, the Frantor ducal family remained silent.

She thought of making eye contact with Caligo, but quickly abandoned the idea.

The Duke of Frantor was a man who rarely showed any change in expression, appearing either indifferent or cold to everything. However, at this moment, his expression twisted in discomfort, and he looked unusually unkempt, as if he hadn’t even had time to shave.

Even the duke’s twin sons seemed different. Jeremy, who was usually full of complaints at home, now kept his mouth firmly shut, trembling with fear, while Joshua wandered about restlessly, looking deeply unsettled.

Caligo belatedly took their hands, but it didn’t seem to have much effect.

And then—

The man who had been standing motionless like a statue suddenly turned his gaze.

A familiar scent lingered at the tip of his nose.

Almost instinctively, Caligo turned his head toward the entrance of the ballroom.

“She’s here!”

At that moment, the Eskel family made their grand entrance.

Despite their infamy, they were always a topic of conversation, and their appearance immediately drew everyone’s attention.

“…Who is that?”

“Do you know her?”

The Count, his wife, Salizar, and Rosalith were all familiar faces, as they never missed a royal banquet.

However, the woman standing among them, as if she were the centerpiece, was an unfamiliar face.

No—rather than unfamiliar, she seemed strangely familiar.

“I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”

“Gasp! The Duchess of Frantor?”

“Wasn’t she said to have been cast out?”

The Duchess of Frantor had always been known for her plain appearance, rarely wearing makeup. For someone from the Eskel family, she was remarkably frugal.

But the woman who appeared now was entirely different.

Her dress, made of the finest velvet, accentuated her delicate figure beautifully.

Her neatly styled hair was adorned with a diamond-studded pin, and matching earrings and a necklace gleamed elegantly on her ears and slender neck.

Furthermore, her usually unremarkable face was now radiant with makeup, making her almost unrecognizable.

The Eskel family was notorious for their terrible personalities, but they were equally famous for their striking features.

True to her Eskel lineage, the Duchess of Frantor had large, expressive eyes and a sharp, prominent nose.

Even the most extravagantly dressed nobles, adorned with peacock feathers and jewels, momentarily lost their words at her transformation.

The Duchess of Frantor looked as though she had stepped out of a masterpiece—mysterious, regal, and noble.

Rather than the daughter of some wealthy upstart, she exuded the dignity of a visiting empress from a foreign land.

“That’s really the Duchess of Frantor?”

“Does Eskel even dress their servants like that?”

She seemed to have injured her leg, as her movements were slightly strained.

A servant carefully supported her, but even that servant was dressed as finely as any noble, walking into the ballroom with an air of confidence.

Melissa, who had been busily gossiping about Helena just moments before, found herself momentarily speechless.

“I heard Eskel was struggling financially. Were those rumors false?”

“That servant’s dress alone is of the highest quality.”

The moment Helena appeared, Caligo forgot to breathe as he stared at her in a daze.

And then—

Their eyes met.

Should he coldly ignore her as usual?

Or should he say something, even if just in passing?

As he hesitated, his lips parting slightly in thought—

“…!”

Helena walked right past him, as if she hadn’t even noticed he was there.

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