TISND Chapter 134

Chapter 134

Helena stared quietly into the bloodshot eyes of the countess.
There was no trace of regret or remorse in those eyes—only pure malice.

“I should have killed you from the start!”

“…”

“I should have snuffed out your breath forever, so you wouldn’t dare to plot something like this!”

Helena had thought, perhaps, that her mother might carry a sense of guilt. After all, killing someone with your own hands is no simple feat. How much harder it must be to poison someone you’ve known for decades. But the countess harbored no hesitation, no regret.

A hollow laugh escaped Helena’s lips. Only then did she realize—she had been hoping her mother would feel guilt. It had been her own wishful thinking, hoping there might be even a shred of reluctance behind her mother’s murderous intent.

But the very person who had poisoned her felt nothing. All this time, Helena had been the one foolishly clinging to useless hopes.

“Thank you, Mother.”

“…”

“To be honest, I did feel a bit guilty about all of this.”

Helena confessed in a calm voice.

“Blood ties, you know…”

“…”

“Even before I set this plan in motion, I hesitated quite a bit. I spent my whole life resenting you and Father. I had sworn never to consider you family again, yet I still couldn’t help but waver.”

She tried to hold back, but in the end, tears escaped, falling one by one.

“Because you were still the ones who fed and raised me.”

“…”

“And because even now, I call you Mother and Father.”

But it wasn’t just tears. A bitter laugh slipped out along with them.

“But hearing you now, my guilt feels a lot lighter.”

“…”

“We were never a family, so I don’t need to feel guilty. You never considered me family in the first place…”

“Yes, why would I ever consider you family?”

The countess spoke coldly.

“I was the one who held this family together during our hardest times!”

“…”

“I’m the one who scraped by, mingling with the social circles, building connections despite the humiliation. I devoted everything to Eskel. How dare a dirty, lowborn girl like you claim to be my child!”

Even after twenty years, the countess still trembled with rage and betrayal.

“How could you ever be my child?”

“Is that why you hated me so much? Enough to poison me in the end?”

“I despised you.”

“…”

“I’m sure your mother felt the same. She was so shocked when she found out she was pregnant.”

Helena had never heard anything about her biological mother before. Ever since she learned she wasn’t the countess’s real daughter, she hadn’t had the courage to ask.

So, you didn’t want me, either… Just like Father.

You must have been shocked. After all, I was a child conceived in just one night.

In the end, no one was happy that I existed.

Not Count Eskel, not the countess, not even my own mother…

For a while now, her insides had felt shredded. She was barely holding back a scream.

But she didn’t want to show the countess that she was breaking.

Helena forced her legs to support her, standing firm.

Perhaps it was a blessing that Jane wasn’t by her side right now.

“What happened to the mother who gave birth to me?”

“Why ask such an obvious question?”

“…”

“Of course, I killed her.”

“…”

“Don’t be too sad. You’ll be joining her soon enough, won’t you?”

The countess glanced at Helena’s injured leg, as if mocking her. Helena responded with a weak smile.

“The heavens are truly cruel.”

The countess murmured as she looked at her.

“The count certainly had a talent for making money. I always thought that talent would pass down to one of my own children…”

“…”

“But of all people, it had to be a girl like you.”

“I thought the same, too, while planning all of this.”

Helena gazed steadily at the countess.

“Maybe I did take after my father quite a bit. I used to think I hadn’t inherited anything from him at all.”

Come to think of it, Jane had said something similar. That Helena resembled her father.

It was an ironic twist of fate.
That she, of all people, had inherited the very talent her mother and father had so desperately desired.
And that she had used that talent to bring Eskel to ruin.

“Take care, Mother.”

“…”

“Though I doubt you’ll be able to.”

Helena left her final farewell to the countess. It was over now.

There was no hesitation as she left the count’s estate. Yet her heart felt hollow.

She had finally accomplished what she had planned for so long, but there was no sense of relief or joy.

All she had gained from this ordeal was the realization that, from the moment she was born, she had always been alone.

—

Under the crown prince’s leadership, trials were held for Count Eskel and dozens of other nobles.

As the trials progressed, additional charges emerged beyond illegal gambling and human trafficking. Embezzlement, conspiracy to commit murder, and even the illegal raising of a private military force came to light. There was an overwhelming amount of evidence and witnesses.

It was also revealed that Count Eskel was the true mastermind behind the usury operations, prompting a separate trial to be scheduled.

However, Duke Frantor chose not to be involved in the trial. This decision puzzled many.

There was no one unaware of the conflict between Duke Frantor and Count Eskel. The person who must have awaited this trial the most was surely the duke.

Everyone wondered why he would step away at such a critical moment.

“Did you know?”

One day, Caligo stormed into the inn where Bahen was staying. His ominous expression sent the other guests scattering, not even knowing who he was.

In Bahen’s room, a woman lay on the bed—a woman Caligo did not recognize. But as soon as he saw her face, he instinctively knew who she was. She was Frina, the very person Bahen had searched for so desperately.

She seemed barely conscious, as she did not react even to Caligo’s raised voice.

Under normal circumstances, he would have lowered his tone out of consideration for her.

But he had no room for such courtesy now. His rationality was too frayed.

“Did you know that Helena was ‘Forget-me-not’?”

“Let’s talk outside.”

“Just answer the question.”

Caligo’s demeanor was so fierce it was hard to believe this was the same usually composed and rational duke.

“I asked you. Did you know she was ‘Forget-me-not’?”

Goodness. So much for his fiery old self being gone forever. If this wasn’t fire, what was it?

Even with Caligo’s grip tight around his collar, Bahen chuckled dryly.

The moment he saw Caligo’s face, Bahen understood why the duke had not participated in the trial.

So, you finally found out her secret. Though far too late.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Without a hint of hesitation, Bahen’s answer deepened Caligo’s scowl. He let go of his collar with a dismissive shove.

Coughing harshly, Bahen thought, ‘Isn’t this a bit much?’

While Bahen struggled to catch his breath, Caligo’s face remained hard.

Before coming here, Caligo hadn’t been able to shake the ‘what if’. What if Helena truly was the ‘Forget-me-not’? What if the person who played such a crucial role in this case was really her?

Unable to believe it, he had come to Bahen, seeking confirmation.

But Helena really was that sender.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“…”

“I’m asking you, Bahen! Answer me!”

“Because she didn’t want me to.”

“What…?”

Bahen responded with a bitter expression.

“She said you wouldn’t believe it anyway. That even if I told you, it would only lead to more suspicion.”

“…”

“So she said she’d handle it on her own.”

Bahen’s heart ached just as much.

At first, he had been wary, but now Helena was an irreplaceable benefactor to him.

“Of course, I considered telling you. But… but I couldn’t bring myself to. I had to save Frina.”

“So? You left her to shoulder this dangerous burden alone?”

“She said only she could do it. That it had to be Eskel. That only she could bring him down. How could I stop her?”

Despairingly, everything Bahen said was true.

If not for Helena’s covert efforts, this trial would never have begun.

They would have remained blind to the human trafficking that took place in the shadows, unable to secure a single piece of evidence, forever stuck in the same place.

It had been far too great a burden for her to bear alone.

It had been a perilous and lonely path.

How could she… How could she have thought to do this alone?

And with that frail body of hers…

Caligo’s expression darkened visibly.

Finally, he made up his mind.

Right now, this very moment—

He had to find 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 🩷