TISND Chapter 150

Chapter 150

And the next day—

Jeremy, who had left the capital late upon hearing the news, finally arrived in Horion.

As soon as he found Helena, he clung to her like a cicada on an old tree, refusing to let go. He even sniffled.

“Are you crying?”

“I’m not crying.”

“You look like you’re crying.”

“I’m not crying.”

It was Helena’s embrace—one he had longed for so desperately.

Helena had returned.

Even if he owned the whole world, he wouldn’t be happier than he was at this moment. No, even if he did have the whole world, without Helena, everything would feel meaningless.

Only now did he feel like he was truly back where he belonged.

She seemed thinner than he remembered, but her warmth was the same. Even her scent—faint but comforting.

It smelled familiar.

Like fresh grass, maybe? Or perhaps the breeze at dawn?

…Whatever. It didn’t matter.

He was never letting go again.

Ever since she had left the mansion, he had nearly died from missing her. But now, that wouldn’t happen again.

It didn’t matter that she had chosen to stay in Horion.

Because he would simply stay here too.

There was no need for him to remain in the capital or in Frantor.

Everything was perfect.

…At least, it would have been if not for the mocking voice behind him.

“Aren’t you acting like a little kid?”

It was Joshua, his twin, snickering.

“You show up late and think you can hog Helena all to yourself?”

“I was late because I was busy bringing the things you forgot!”

Jeremy slammed a stack of letters onto the ground with a loud thud and shouted,

“How could you send me on errands when things are already this chaotic, Joshua?!”

“Thanks for bringing the letters, Jeremy,” Joshua replied smoothly, patting his twin’s shoulder. “I was wondering if I’d have to go all the way back to the capital, but you saved me the trouble.”

Joshua had become quite the cunning one.

He casually picked up the letters his twin had tossed aside and smirked.

“But… you’re gonna have a hard time keeping her to yourself.”

Jeremy scowled.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Helena is pretty popular here in Horion, you know.”

As if on cue, a swarm of children suddenly burst into Helena’s yard.

They ran straight up to her, greeted her warmly, and then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, settled down in the backyard.

Helena excused herself to get them some snacks.

And then—

The unthinkable happened.

The snacks.

Helena’s snacks.

The delicious treats that should have been his—

—ended up in the hands of these kids he had never seen before.

Rage bubbled inside him.

To make matters worse, Helena was even hugging them.

“Who are those kids?!”

“They live in Horion,” Joshua answered.

“That’s not what I meant! Why are they here? Get rid of them!”

Did they have any idea how much he had suffered missing Helena?

Unlike Joshua, who had the help of their father and Primrose, Jeremy had no choice but to stay behind and guard the mansion.

But he endured it.

Because finding Helena was important.

But so was discovering what the antidote was.

So he had held on.

And when he finally heard the news that Helena had been found, he had flown here.

He had endured motion sickness in a carriage just to get here as fast as possible.

And yet, within thirty minutes of arriving—

Helena had been stolen from him.

His insides twisted with frustration.

“Do you really think Helena would push them away?” Joshua asked.

“I know she wouldn’t, but this is infuriating! Why is she still dealing with these little pests even here?!”

“Isn’t it obvious? She must’ve fed them once, and they stuck around.”

“That’s not the point! Why are they eating Helena’s food in the first place?!”

Something similar had happened back in Frantor.

But back then, Helena was working, so he had begrudgingly tolerated it.

This, however, was different.

The thought of Helena being taken by these kids made his blood boil.

“Get away from her!”

Finally snapping, Jeremy stormed toward the children and yelled,

“She’s mine! Which means her hugs are mine, and the snacks you’re eating are mine too!”

“That’s not how things work,” one of the kids shot back.

“You’re Joshua’s twin, right? You two sure know how to make an entrance.”

“Don’t change the subject! Get away from her now!”

Jeremy growled like a guard dog, fiercely trying to chase the children away.

But instead of being scared, they just burst into laughter and ran around playfully.

And then—

“Helena!”

Jeremy, who had been running around like a madman, suddenly came to an abrupt stop and shouted at Helena.

“Stop being nice to other kids!”

“…I wasn’t even that nice to them. I just gave them some food.”

Helena mumbled hesitantly, looking flustered.

“That’s exactly it! Stop doing that.”

Jeremy fumed, his face turning bright red.

“Don’t smile at them. Don’t talk to them. Don’t even look at them!”

“Wow, this is embarrassing to watch. Have you lost your mind?”

“Joshua, shut up!”

The only people allowed to stay by Helena’s side were their father and Joshua.

Even that didn’t sit well with him, but at least he could tolerate it.

As for anyone else? Never.

“Aren’t you guys the same age as us?”

“Yeah. So why are you acting like a toddler in diapers?”

“…What? Diapers? You little brats, I won’t let you get away with that!”

“Haha! Catch us if you can!”

With a face like a raging demon, Jeremy bolted after them.

The problem was—

Unlike Joshua, who had spent years training at the guild, Jeremy’s only real exercise had been leisurely strolls around the mansion.

He had always preferred reading books over running around, so he barely lasted before he was gasping for breath.

—

In the end, Jeremy followed a similar pattern to Joshua.

At first, he had been full of anger and frustration.

But by sunset, he had completely warmed up to the kids.

Especially since he was naturally affectionate, he found himself grumbling about a girl’s thin clothing while handing her his own outer coat.

He had run and played so much that he was drenched in sweat—a rare occurrence for him.

It was the first time he had ever played with kids his own age, and he had lost track of time.

When Joshua joined in midway, it became even more fun.

By the time they bid the children farewell, Jeremy’s undershirt was soaked with sweat.

In the end, he and Joshua had no choice but to take a bath together.

When they emerged, the small house was filled with warmth and the scent of food.

Feeling happy, Jeremy changed into clean clothes.

Yet, deep inside, there was a weight in his heart.

He still hadn’t apologized to Helena.

Not for what had happened back at the Frantor mansion—

Not for the way he had hurt her.

But… he had never apologized to anyone before.

Sure, he had fought with Joshua a few times.

But in a family, making up was… different.

You didn’t need words—just a look, spending time together, or sharing a snack as a peace offering.

But with Helena, it was different.

He had to apologize.

Because—

He was wrong.

And because she was important.

He needed to promise her that it wouldn’t happen again.

So Jeremy made up his mind—

He would ask for her forgiveness.

—

“…Oh, this is really good.”

But the moment he tasted Helena’s cooking, his resolve crumbled.

He had eaten her food countless times, yet each time, he was amazed all over again.

How could something so simple—just carrots seasoned with salt and pepper—taste this good?

Jeremy buried his face in his plate, shoveling food into his mouth.

Everything was perfect.

The house, though small and modest, was filled with warmth.

His father, Joshua, and Helena were here.

The food was delicious.

…Wait. He was supposed to apologize.

If Joshua hadn’t spoken up, he probably wouldn’t have gotten a word out before the meal ended.

Jeremy finally snapped back to reality, cleared his throat, and wiped his messy mouth with a napkin.

“Um, hey…”

It was harder than he thought.

More than the embarrassment or awkwardness, the hardest part was figuring out what to say.

What words would make her forgive him?

“…About what happened at the mansion, when I pushed you and hurt you… I wanted to say sorry. I’m really sorry for what I said, too.”

Jeremy wanted to treasure Helena.

More than any treasure in the world.

But what if she didn’t forgive him?

Even though she had spoken to him as if nothing had happened, what if—deep down—she was still upset?

As time passed, his anxiety grew.

But—

“It’s okay.”

“…”

“You don’t even have to apologize. It wasn’t a big deal.”

Hearing Helena dismiss it so easily made a different kind of anger bubble up inside him.

“…How can you say it wasn’t a big deal?”

His frustration flared all over again.

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