TISND Chapter 138

Chapter 138

When Helena first set out for Horion, her heart was filled with excitement. The thought of finally seeing the ocean, which she had only ever dreamed of, made her heart race.

But upon arriving, excitement was soon replaced by worry and anxiety.

Now, standing at the edge of death, she wanted to hold on to romance until the very last moment. A peaceful path, the sound of the waves… But no matter how much she tried to cling to that fleeting romance, reality refused to be ignored. Just as it had been in the capital, the people of Horion also gossiped about the fallen Eskel family. That was what worried her the most—the possibility of someone here recognizing her face.

Though the Eskel family had collapsed, people’s resentment toward them remained unchanged. And at any moment, someone could come after her—whether it be an imperial citizen or someone who harbored a personal grudge against the Eskels. The danger surrounding her had never truly disappeared.

Because of that, Helena stayed indoors for several days after arriving in Horion. Even with the long-awaited ocean right in front of her, she remained cooped up inside.

Eventually, Jane, unable to watch her like that any longer, came to wake her in the early morning.

“Madam—no, my lady.”

Jane quickly corrected herself and apologized. “Sorry, it’s hard to change the way I address you all at once.” Then she took Helena’s hand and pulled her up.

“There won’t be anyone at the beach this early in the morning. Let’s go out and have some fun.”

“What about the fishermen?”

“They’ll be at the port, but no one would come to the beach this early.”

“…Are you sure?”

“I’m sure! Just in case, I went and checked early yesterday morning.”

After much persuasion, Helena finally got to see the ocean on her fourth day in Horion. As Jane had said, the beach was nearly empty. Since the sun had yet to rise, the shore was still cloaked in darkness.

Then, as dawn broke, Helena took in the sight of the sun rising over the ocean. Though the brightness made her eyes water, she kept them wide open, trying to capture the view in her memory.

The ocean, seen for the first time in her life, was even more beautiful than she had imagined. Before the sun rose, it had seemed ominous, but as the sunlight bathed the water in a crimson glow, it transformed. Like a flower slowly absorbing dye, the sea darkened into deeper shades.

The sound of waves crashing against a lone rock.
The salty scent of the water brushing past her nose.
The vast ocean stretching so far that the distant ships looked minuscule.

She loved it all.

“…It’s so beautiful.”

She felt a deep sense of peace, as if the sharp thorns of her thoughts were slowly being smoothed away. Gazing at the vast sea made her own existence seem so small. The burdens that had weighed her down suddenly felt insignificant. It was as if the waves were carrying away all the loneliness she had been holding inside.

The white sand of the beach held a cool warmth. When she scooped up a handful, it felt damp against her palm. Even as sand slipped into her shoes and clung to her clothes, she didn’t mind.

“My lady.”

“Hm?”

Jane, who had been enjoying the beach barefoot, suddenly approached and snapped her fingers. A few cold droplets of water splashed onto Helena’s face.

And so, the two of them ended up playing in the water for quite some time before returning home. Though exhausted from their early morning escapade, Helena’s heart felt lighter.

After that, she had no trouble heading into town. Contrary to her worries, no one recognized her.

At first, she had considered using a false name while in Horion. But fortunately, her name was quite common. While names like Rosalith or Laviel were rare, “Helena” was found everywhere.

Moreover, her physical features were far from unique. Brown hair and green eyes—one of the most common combinations in the empire.

As long as there was no official warrant for her arrest, she concluded that she would be safe for the time being.

That didn’t mean she wandered around town often or interacted with people. Socializing had never been her strength.

Instead, Helena focused on preparation.

She didn’t have an immense fortune, but she had some wealth. Though it had dwindled while running her business in Frantor, she still had assets. However, she had no heirs or descendants to inherit them.

So she pondered how best to use her fortune before she died. Money was useless once she was gone—she couldn’t take it to the grave, so she wanted it to be used meaningfully.

Most of her wealth would be donated.

But there were still some people she wanted to leave something behind for. She decided to set aside a portion for Joshua and Jeremy. Though they wouldn’t necessarily need it, it was something she could do for them.

She also considered leaving something for Jane, but she firmly refused. If Helena dared to include her in the will, she threatened to leave immediately. So Helena quickly gave up on that idea.

Next, she wrote letters.

To Aiden, Joshua, Jeremy, Emma, Countess Enphirem, Rosalith…

And finally, she wrote one to Caligo.

Writing took longer than expected, as there were many letters to complete.

And then—

“There’s no need for a funeral.”

“What?”

“No funeral. No grave. Just scatter my ashes into the sea.”

Helena delivered this in a tone as indifferent as if she were simply discussing that evening’s dinner menu.

Jane was so shocked that she was momentarily speechless.

“My lady! No funeral? No grave? I can’t accept that! Why? Why don’t you want a funeral or a grave?!”

Jane, frustrated, lightly pounded her fists against Helena’s chest.

“You love the land so much—why wouldn’t you want to be buried in it?”

It was uncommon to scatter someone’s remains at sea. Most people were buried in cemeteries, while some nobles and royals were entombed beneath chapels. Given that her family had fallen, it was understandable that she couldn’t be placed in a chapel. But to not have a grave at all?

“Just because.”

“‘Just because’?! That’s all you have to say?!”

“Wouldn’t it be better if my resting place was used for farming, or for planting flowers—something useful?”

“What are you even saying? No matter how much you think that way, this is too much!”

“…I just don’t want to be buried alone.”

At Helena’s quiet confession, Jane, who had been shouting, fell silent.

“Most people are buried with their families. But I don’t have anyone.”

“…My lady.”

“So, I think the sea might be a better place for me.”

Understanding Helena’s feelings at last, Jane spoke with determination.

“It’s okay, my lady! I’ll die with you!”

“Do you realize how terrifying that sounds, Jane?”

“Then… I’ll be buried with you?”

“That just makes me sound like a horrible person.”

In the end, they decided to put off the discussion about her funeral for later.

—

She had brought down her family, found a place to spend the rest of her life alone, and completed her will.

As soon as everything was settled, Helena collapsed into bed as if she had been waiting for that moment. Walking for long periods was now out of the question, and even moving around was difficult without a cane.

Meanwhile, strange rumors about her began to spread among the people of Horion.

A sickly young woman had moved into a house that had been empty for a long time. The townspeople were incredibly curious about this mysterious woman living alone, and since she rarely appeared outside, wild rumors began to circulate.

At the same time, Jane was too busy taking care of Helena to pay attention to the gossip. Because of this, Helena had no idea what people were saying about her.

“Did you hear? A ghost lives in that house on the hill.”

As curiosity reached its peak, a group of brave local children started lurking around the house.

“A ghost?”

“They say her face is deathly pale, and she has three legs!”

“And her hair is so long and thick that from a distance, she looks like a lion!”

“My mom said she eats dirt.”

“I heard her hobby is burying people.”

“If it’s really a ghost, we have to get rid of it!”

With that resolve, the children cautiously approached the mysterious woman’s house.

However, the house on the hill was well-maintained—too clean for a ghost to be living there. Was the rumor even true?

Just as they were thinking that—

“Who are you kids?”

A pale face. Thick, wild hair. A long, white dress. A limp in her step.

And in the dim light, it looked like she had three legs.

“AAAH! A ghost!”

“She has three legs!”

“She’s a mountain spirit! She’s going to bury us alive!”

Terrified, the children screamed and tried to run away.

“…Huh?”

Helena, who had just stepped outside for the first time in ages to get some fresh air, blinked in confusion.

‘A ghost? Me? Have I already died?’

That was strange. She had spoken with Jane just this morning. Had she somehow died in her afternoon nap?

Then she noticed one of the children had tripped and fallen while running away.

A child.

“Hey! James!”

One of the boys had been so frightened that he had stumbled and fallen to the ground.

And this boy…

Helena’s eyes sharpened as she examined him.

“You.”

She immediately approached the child and spoke to him.

“AAAH! What do you want from me?! What are you?! What do you want?!”

“Have you eaten?”

“…Huh?”

The boy let out a baffled laugh at her unexpected question.

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