TISND Chapter 140

Chapter 140

Time passed. And he came to realize another thing he hadn’t known about Helena Eskel.

Contrary to her appearance, Helena was quite thorough and meticulous.

There had been a time when he wondered why someone who despised parties would attend a charity event. He found the answer when he learned that Helena was “Forget-Me-Not.”

She had shrewdly anticipated that if Caligo made a move, Count Eskel would immediately notice. The count would then be desperate to find someone who could reveal his secrets. Helena’s countermeasure for this was “Melissa York.”

She deliberately leaked information to Melissa, blinding the count’s search. And of all people, she had specifically chosen Melissa York.

And now—

“The empire is vast, but surely there must be rumors about her somewhere?”

“I’m sorry, but we haven’t been able to find a trace of her anywhere.”

Despite their determined search, she remained elusive.

Arrogantly, Caligo had believed that finding Helena would only be a matter of time. People always leave traces behind, no matter where they go. Yet, just as she had lived her life so far, she had vanished without leaving a single trace. Even outside the capital, no signs of her whereabouts could be found.

“Could she have left the empire…?”

“I’ve already informed the border guards. If they see someone with brown hair and green eyes, they are to thoroughly verify their identity. Any suspicious individuals must be reported immediately.”

And yet, no news had come from the borders.

This meant she had not left the empire. If she had settled somewhere domestically, there should have been paperwork signed in her name. If she had changed her name, they should still have been able to find some kind of trace.

But it was as if Helena had erased herself from existence.

As time passed, people gradually began to forget her name.

For the first time, Caligo felt an unfamiliar sense of anxiety. What if they never found any trace of her? What if the only news they ever received of her was… her obituary?

Even now, when he closed his eyes, he could vividly recall the pain in her wounded gaze. Was he really going to do nothing? Was he really going to stand by and let her disappear—perhaps even die—without lifting a finger?

He wanted nothing more than to leave immediately and search for her himself.

But the duty he carried held him back.

After losing his family due to his own foolish choices, the only thing that had kept him going was his responsibility—his position as Duke of Frantor. His young sons, the fragile state of his domain—he had survived by telling himself that no one else could protect Frantor but him.

Even when crushed under the weight of loneliness and guilt, he had never forgotten his duty.

But now, for the first time, that duty felt burdensome. No—more than burdensome, it felt irritating.

He had spent so many years consumed by the desire to take revenge on Count Eskel.

And yet, now… he felt no interest in the man at all.

The count was a dead man walking.

Even Joshua had left for Seantillen in search of Helena. He would likely join forces with Primrose’s mercenaries to assist in the search. Even Jeremy was writing letters to renowned doctors across the continent, seeking a way to cure Asehimmo.

Even his own young sons had left their seats to take action—

Yet here he was, trapped in this damned imperial palace.

As time passed, her illness would only worsen, and even the faint traces she had left behind would disappear completely.

—

And now, news arrived that Salizar Eskel had escaped from prison.

Using monstrous strength, he had overpowered the guards and successfully broken out.

Despite his body being covered in wounds, Salizar had not let out a single groan, his eyes wild and unhinged.

Once he was free, he had immediately taken off in a clear direction—

As if he already knew exactly where he needed to go.

It was obvious who he would be targeting.

Helena, who had brought down his family.

Caligo wanted to go after him immediately.

But the order of his friend and liege, the Crown Prince, held him back.

“For now, we have confiscated all of the count’s assets. But how should we handle them?”

“Have the luxury goods returned to the state.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to convert them into funds and put them to good use?”

He should have been getting up from his seat and leaving right now.

And yet, here he was, sitting through pointless debates about what to do with the count’s seized wealth.

What a waste of time.

All these men cared about was how to secure their own positions and profit from the situation.

Even though they were currently on the Crown Prince’s side, they had turned their backs on Caligo long ago.

They were just waiting for the right moment to push him aside and use the Crown Prince as a puppet.

This was all meaningless.

Once, he had dedicated himself to this duty—had given everything to it.

Because it was his responsibility.

Because it was for his liege, the Crown Prince.

He had believed that sacrificing his time for his prince was the right thing to do.

But now?

“I believe the best course of action is to liquidate the luxury goods into cash for now.”

“And who will be responsible for managing those funds?”

“What about Marquis Serianton from the treasury?”

“You’re suggesting we entrust an unknown sum of money to the count’s son-in-law?”

The weight of his responsibilities felt lighter now, but in its place, a deep sense of disillusionment took hold.

Why am I still sitting here?

Suddenly, a laugh escaped Caligo’s lips.

The meeting room fell silent.

No one had expected the ever-composed and dignified Duke of Frantor to openly scoff.

The noble who had suggested entrusting the count’s wealth to his son-in-law turned red with embarrassment.

Caligo cast a cold gaze around the room.

Time was passing.

Her time was passing, too.

He needed to leave immediately—

And yet, here he was, listening to these fools argue over something so trivial.

The absurdity of it all made him laugh again.

“Why did you stop talking?”

“…D-Duke Frantor, Your Grace…”

“Continue.”

Despite the duke’s cold command, no one dared to respond properly.

“It seems everyone is quite exhausted from this long meeting. Let’s take a short break and reconvene in 20 minutes.”

Instead, the crown prince offered a gentle smile and announced a brief recess. As the nobles left the conference room, Raul immediately approached his friend and asked,

“What the hell is going on with you? You’re the one who always said that those in a position of duty must be faithful to their responsibilities.”

“I will be faithful to my duty. That’s why I’m requesting that my duty be changed to something else,” Caligo replied.

“Please allow me to capture the escaped Salizar Eskel.”

“There’s already someone assigned to that task. You don’t need to do it yourself. Don’t you have your own duty to attend to? Gathering evidence before it disappears?”

Raul watched his friend with uneasy eyes.

Caligo looked anxious and restless. It felt as if he were standing next to a ticking time bomb.

Normally, his gaze was sharp, yet always carried a firm determination and unwavering loyalty—qualities Raul had always admired in him.

But now, his friend’s eyes were cold, distant, and filled with cynicism.

Caligo had always been someone who fixated on a single goal with unwavering determination.

Unlike Raul, who balanced his life between duty, hobbies, and relationships, Caligo had always charged forward relentlessly, driven solely by responsibility.

But now, that relentless determination was no longer directed at duty—it was aimed elsewhere.

Even if Raul issued a command, he knew it would be difficult to break his friend’s stubborn resolve.

With a sigh of resignation, Raul finally said,

“Fine. Once you finish your current task, you’re free to go after Salizar.”

Not that it mattered—he was obviously going to search for the duchess instead.

“But will you be okay? This will take quite some time.”

There were nearly a hundred people suspected of being involved with Bacchus. Investigating all of them would require extensive manpower and time.

Moreover, the resistance from the nobles was immense. Those guilty of crimes were desperate to reduce their sentences, even going so far as to destroy any remaining evidence.

Some had set fires, while others had even attempted to flee.

With so many suspects to investigate, time was already limited. But because of their fierce resistance, delays were inevitable.

“You don’t need to worry about that. In any case, I’ll take this as Your Highness granting me permission.”

“What?”

“Excuse me, I have someone I need to meet.”

“I’ll make sure to return in time for the meeting.”

Leaving only that brief farewell, Caligo turned on his heel and strode away without a second thought.

Don’t worry? Just what the hell is he planning?

Raul blinked, watching his friend’s retreating figure with growing unease.

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