TISND Chapter 159

Chapter 159

Caligo hadn’t been seen for several days. He had left behind a brief note saying he had important business and would be away for a short while. He said only that he would come back to take the children, and then he disappeared without a word.

But Helena had a rough idea. On the day she had suddenly collapsed, instead of taking her to the Horion Temple’s physicians, he had brought her somewhere else.

It seemed he was conducting research on an antidote in secret. If so, he would likely come to realize that there was no cure for Asehimmo. That, at least, was a relief. If he knew there was no antidote, maybe he would give up faster—just as she had.

The day she had confessed, almost unconsciously, that she was afraid of Caligo—it was she who rejected him, yet the guilt lingered in her heart. She couldn’t erase the image of his wounded eyes. Ever since coming to Horion, Caligo had been trying to strike up conversation, as if he couldn’t quite let go. But after that day, he had stopped. No doubt, he had been hurt. And now, he was trying to keep his distance. Perhaps she should be grateful that he was at least trying to find a cure.

‘I always end up hurting people.’

Helena had always wanted to help others, but the result was always the same—leaving people wounded. Caligo was no different. As she bitterly reflected on her life, she decided to consider the current situation a small mercy.

By tomorrow, the children would return to the capital. Caligo would come back, carrying the conclusion that no antidote could be found. Though they might grieve and feel sadness, they would eventually leave…

‘I just have to hold on one more day. That’s it. Then it’s all over.’

“It’s already getting chilly,” Helena said softly, watching the children through the window.

Jane gently draped a blanket over her shoulders and spoke,
“It felt like summer would never end… but now autumn has come.”

“Yes, it has.”

“…The young masters are leaving tomorrow, aren’t they?”

“Yes.”

‘Will today be the last day I see them?’

Her body was growing weaker by the day. As the wind grew colder, she could feel the end drawing near.

Even if the children came back later, she would likely be confined to her bed. She might not even be conscious. She didn’t want them to see her like that. And if they did, she hoped they wouldn’t worry too much.

Despite all these concerns, Helena continued to maintain a certain distance from the children. She treated them kindly, but firmly refused their offers to take her back to the capital or help her.

“Kids, the wind is getting chilly—come inside now.”

“Helena!”

Jeremy and Joshua, who had been playing outside, brightened up when they saw her.

“It’s time for lunch.”

“Okay!”

“If you’re leaving tomorrow, you should start packing. Make sure you don’t forget anything.”

“…Okay.”

The smiles faded from the boys’ faces, but it couldn’t be helped.

***

After lunch, the children began packing their things with a slightly downcast look. Jane offered to help, but they declined. Perhaps they were reluctant to leave Horion. Unlike usual, they didn’t smile much and wore somber expressions.

‘I want to hold them. Tell them it’s not their fault. That they can go with peace of mind.’

Helena wanted to say those things, but she forced herself to stay quiet.

When someone knocked at the door, Helena, who had been avoiding the boys’ eyes, carefully rose from her chair.

“Hello, Mrs. Holly.”

By now, Helena had grown quite familiar with the village residents. The middle-aged women, especially Mrs. Holly, were particularly fond of her. Helena didn’t know why. Jane had once said it was because they saw her as a daughter, but Helena had never acted particularly daughter-like.

It was just like last time. As Helena awkwardly greeted her, unsure of what to say, a basket was shoved into her arms—without so much as a “hello” or “may I?” This basket-shoving behavior had been growing increasingly common among the villagers, and Helena still didn’t know why.

Blinking in surprise as she accepted the basket, she heard Mrs. Holly speak:

“It’s a stew made with beef bones and tender meat, simmered since last night. The meat’s so soft it’ll crumble just pressing it with your tongue. Should be easy to eat.”

“Ah, you didn’t have to go through the trouble…”

Still shy around others, Helena replied timidly, but Mrs. Holly was not one to be swayed.

“Helena, you barely eat unless it’s stew or something soft, right? I don’t know what illness you have, but you need to eat properly. You’re getting thinner and thinner—what are we supposed to do?”

“You don’t need to spend your time and money on me… I’m already an adult.”

“Oh dear, you think being grown means something?”

When Mrs. Holly clutched her belly and laughed, Helena replied dryly,
“Yes, I’m legally an adult.”

“Oh, is that so?”

It felt familiar. Wasn’t this exactly how Helena treated Jeremy and Joshua? She stared blankly as Mrs. Holly reached out to pat her head.

“Come shopping with me.”

“No, my legs aren’t well… I’d just be a burden.”

“The more unwell you are, the more you need to get outside.”

“Still…”

“No more of that nonsense—get dressed and come out.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Helena answered timidly. She knew no matter what she said, she wouldn’t be able to change Mrs. Holly’s mind. Still, she liked spending time with the older women in the neighborhood. They had wisdom from a lifetime of experience, and when she was with them, she felt like just a regular person.

***

Somehow, Helena ended up bringing Jeremy and Joshua along too and was soon swept up in the hustle of the marketplace. Mrs. Holly gave her all sorts of useful tips—what time to come out to get good goods at fair prices. Even though Helena hadn’t asked or complained, the woman tried to help her in every way possible.

Sociable as always, Mrs. Holly pulled her around the market, introducing her and the boys to everyone they met. Though Helena welcomed guests warmly at home, she had rarely ventured into the market herself, so all she could do was offer shy greetings. Her blushing face made everyone she greeted burst into laughter.

And that’s when it happened.
Mrs. Holly stepped away for a moment to say hello to some townspeople, and Helena followed Joshua and Jeremy.

At least Joshua smiled kindly and greeted unfamiliar locals with a refined, if slightly formal, charm—far better than Helena, who still struggled with social interactions.

Jeremy, on the other hand, was different. He remained wary of crowded places and deliberately scowled to hide his shyness. Because of this, some townsfolk had come to see him as a troublemaker.

“Oh my, when did you pay?”

“I just gave you the money. Now it’s time for my change!”

In the blink of an eye, Jeremy had found himself in trouble. He had bought an apple from a produce vendor, but the shopkeeper insisted she never received any money.

“I’m telling you, I never got paid. Are you saying I’m lying?”

“I did pay! I even took out my wallet!”

“Taking out your wallet isn’t the same as handing over cash.”

The shopkeeper snapped.

“You never paid to begin with—trying to steal from me, weren’t you?”

“No, I wasn’t!”

“If you were caught stealing, you should apologize! Don’t try to wriggle out of it!”

A crowd had already gathered around the stall, and all eyes were now on Jeremy. The more they stared, the more he shrank inward. Joshua, unable to bear it any longer, stepped in.

“Forget it… I’ll just pay you.”

Helena had tried to stay out of it at first.

But—
the moment she saw tears welling up in Jeremy’s eyes—she couldn’t look away anymore.

“Jeremy would never steal,” Helena said, stepping forward.

“What did you just say?”

“Ma’am, maybe you were mistaken? Jeremy isn’t the kind of kid to lie or run from what he’s done. If he’d made a mistake, he would admit it!”

“You’re taking his side? Did you see him pay me?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Then how can you take his side? What nonsense!”

The shopkeeper huffed furiously.

“What are you, that kid’s mother or something? What gives you the right to speak so boldly?”

“Of course I’m not his mother! But I trust my eyes!” Helena raised her voice.

“I know that child would never do something like that! I’d stake my life on it—my life, my entire fortune—I’d bet everything on him!”

As her voice rang out, a single tear slipped down Jeremy’s cheek.

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 🩷