TISND Chapter 123

Chapter 123

“I just met Helena. But…”

Helena. Though she had left, the children couldn’t erase her from their memories either.

Throughout the party, the children kept stealing glances at where Helena was heading. Even Jeremy, who had supposedly had a big fight with her before she left, was the same. He held his own hand tightly, staring with a face full of things he wanted to say.

After Helena left, it was as if an unspoken rule had formed—none of the children mentioned her name in front of him. As if they were afraid that bringing up her name might anger him.

It wasn’t just the children who kept watching her throughout the banquet. He himself couldn’t erase her from his mind, so how could he tell the children to refrain from mentioning her? Caligo comforted Joshua with a bitter smile.

“Joshua, speak freely. It’s alright.”

“…Yes!”

Joshua’s face brightened a little.

“She did seem to have trouble with her leg. Were you curious about how she got hurt?”

“No, it’s not just that.”

“Not just that?”

“It seemed too strange to say she just twisted her ankle. She couldn’t even keep her balance in the first place.”

Jeremy, who had been listening quietly, added,

“…She hasn’t looked well for a while.”

Jeremy murmured so softly that it was barely audible unless you were close.

So, you were still worried about Helena. Pleased with his twin’s feelings, Joshua smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, it’s been quite a while. Do you think she might be ill?”

Caligo shook his head.

“Didn’t she have a doctor? If something was wrong, that doctor would’ve noticed first.”

“But, Father,”

Joshua pointed out,

“What if she kept that doctor around to hide her illness?”

“What?”

“When you think about it, it’s strange. Helena may be dull, but she’s not a fool. It doesn’t make sense to keep him around despite the scandal.”

Caligo also thought it was strange that she kept that doctor by her side. Rather, it was Aiden who seemed desperate to stay close to Helena. Until his mother came to visit, he hadn’t even considered leaving. He was willing to endure the scandal for it.

He had thought simply of it at the time. That lingering feelings from their school days made them unable to let go of each other. It was so obvious how much the two cherished each other that it felt natural to think so. It was true that he had found their relationship displeasing. But could this all have been a misunderstanding?

“That doctor… I mean, sorry. It’s strange that Helena’s complexion hasn’t improved at all, even with that doctor around. She’s been unwell since Frantor.”

“Yeah.”

Jeremy still spoke without lifting his head.

“She always ate like a bird.”

She was a strange woman. She would always be the first to suggest eating together, yet when the delicious food arrived, she would only push it towards them. She would prepare a meal so diligently but only eat a tiny bit herself.

“All she ever ate was bread or stew. She wouldn’t even touch fish or meat dishes.”

Joshua fell into thought.

“Her hands also seemed a bit unsteady. Once, when she was using a hoe, she didn’t even notice she’d hurt herself. Isn’t that odd? People feel pain when they get a splinter… How could she not notice when she was bleeding?”

“…A knife.”

“Pardon?”

“When eating fish or meat dishes, you usually use a knife. And she didn’t eat those at all?”

“…Oh.”

Joshua’s eyes widened.

“Now that I think about it! Back then, she struggled so much just to cut a piece of meat. But when I cut it, it was so tender.”

Come to think of it, that woman. Jeremy spoke up.

“She collapsed once.”

“What?! She collapsed?”

Joshua’s eyes widened.

“Not long after we arrived in the capital, we went for a walk in the garden together. She fell asleep, but no matter how much I tried to wake her up, she wouldn’t open her eyes.”

“…What?”

“Hey! Why are you telling us something so important only now?”

Joshua shouted, his voice rising.

“She got better quickly, so I thought she was really fine!”

As his twin lashed out, Jeremy, flustered, also raised his voice.

“How did she get better?”

“That doctor showed up, and she was fine right away.”

That doctor again.

Putting all the clues together, Helena’s condition seemed far from a simple cold or a twisted ankle. Realizing this, both Joshua and Caligo’s faces darkened.

“It doesn’t look like a normal condition, does it?”

Joshua sighed as he spoke.

And Jeremy’s face grew dark for another reason. Despite being around the mansion together all the time… He hadn’t even known she was sick. That woman always made sure he ate, yet never took care of herself.

Stupid. She should have looked after herself. Why was she always so busy giving to him? If she was sick, she should have said something. She never said a word. Whenever he or Joshua was hurt, she worried until they were healed. Why didn’t she take care of herself?

Stupid Eskel. Stupid Helena. Who takes care of whom? When she was so frail. When she was so unwell.

A sob rose in his throat. He didn’t want to cry. He tried not to. He didn’t want to cry because of her. It hurt his pride. She was a woman who might have deceived them.

But despite his best efforts, the sobs slipped out.

“Sniff… hic…”

In the end, Jeremy broke down and cried. He hated her. He still hated her. He was angry at the woman full of secrets, but he couldn’t help but worry.

Even when she left, even when they met her again, all she worried about was Jeremy and Joshua. Why did she do that? If she were a woman who had deceived them and ran away, she should have spewed cruel words, making it easier to hate her.

He felt so sorry. He was sorry he hadn’t taken care of her as much as she had taken care of him. Joshua had believed in her until the end. Should he have done the same? Jeremy stared blankly at the hand that had pushed her away.

With this hand, I pushed Helena. I shouldn’t have done that. She must have been hurt. She was already in pain.

“Uwaaaa!”

Jeremy wailed. He cried so hard it seemed to drain every bit of strength from his body. He cried and cried, until he was utterly exhausted and collapsed. No matter how much Joshua coaxed and comforted him, it was no use. Eventually, Jeremy cried himself to sleep, and Caligo and Joshua had no choice but to leave the banquet hall in a hurry.

Helena was nowhere to be seen in the hall. Whether she had left earlier, they did not know. With heavy hearts and in silence, the three of them climbed into the carriage. Caligo held the sleeping Jeremy and stared out of the window.

“Helena said she had something she absolutely had to do after leaving the mansion.”

“Something she had to do?”

He thought he knew everything about that woman.

Another Eskel, raised under a count who cherished his children dearly. A woman who lived without want, enjoying wealth atop those who had been trampled. Caligo had thought her innocence and gentleness were merely a result of her ignorance of the world.

But… do I really know everything about her?

Can I truly say I know everything about Helena Eskel?

When they returned to the mansion, Caligo called for the butler. Then he gave his orders.

“The resident physician that Emma brought last time—can we see him now?”

“I heard he went down to the countryside, so it might not be possible right away. But I will make sure to contact him.”

The butler nodded as he accepted the command.

“And there’s something else I need you to investigate.”

“Investigate? What exactly do you mean?”

“Helena and Aiden. I need records on both of them.”

From their birth to everything they’ve done until now.

Find out everything.

*

The Count of Eskel looked immensely pleased with Helena, who stood out at this year’s birthday celebration. Perhaps that’s why he wanted to introduce her to the noble faction he mingled with. However, she politely declined, asking to meet them at the next banquet instead. Even after gaining fame, she never went out of her way to stand in the spotlight.

This was because she had a more important goal than building connections with the aristocracy.

“Didn’t Father say he would introduce you to some people?”

“I prefer staying at home. I don’t particularly enjoy socializing with people.”

Helena, whom Salizar expected to act brashly now that she had earned their father’s trust, surprisingly chose to remain relatively calm. Her response seemed to satisfy Salizar, who smirked approvingly.

“Brother.”

“Yes?”

“I have something to ask you.”

“What is it? Ask anything!”

Salizar spoke with a cocky and confident tone, though he felt a hint of regret almost immediately. He worried she might ask a difficult question.

But the question Helena asked was something he could easily answer.

“Father has been teaching me about finance lately. However, despite having ample income, he always says it isn’t enough. Does Father perhaps have a business venture of his own?”

“Ah, that…”

Should I say this? Salizar hesitated for a moment.

“Hmm, is it okay to talk about it?”

“If it’s difficult for you, you don’t have to tell me.”

Helena didn’t seem particularly insistent, which only made Salizar hesitate more. While he’d be reluctant to discuss such topics with Laviel or that dimwitted Rosalith… perhaps it would be okay with Helena, who was known for keeping secrets.

Besides, the girl was proving to be quite useful.

Father might get angry, but if things turned out well, he might even praise him for handling it properly. After all, he was Salizar Eskel, the captain of the White Order of Knights. He was in line to succeed the family business, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

“Well, I suppose it’s fine to tell you.”

Leaning back comfortably on the sofa, Salizar began to speak. Helena, who had been listening with a feigned lack of interest, felt a quiet glimmer in her eyes.

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