TISND Chapter 28

Chapter 28

In the early stages of Asehimmo poisoning, there were no visible wounds or obvious symptoms.

Victims didn’t even realize they were poisoned, slowly dying as the toxin spread. It began with the dulling of sensation in the fingertips, which gradually extended to the organs, ultimately causing the heart to stop.

Eternal Sleep—it was Asehimmo’s nickname.

“If only they had used an acute poison that caused immediate symptoms…”

Aiden couldn’t hide his despair, clenching his teeth.

“It makes me angrier that they used a toxin that accumulates in the body. It can’t even be expelled once it’s in.”

Helena’s fingertips had already begun to lose sensation. While not all her fingers were numb yet, it was only a matter of time before the paralysis spread to her hands, arms, and eventually, her neck.

“Are you going to tell me who poisoned you?”

“And what would you do if I did?” Helena replied calmly.

“There’s no point in asking them for an antidote, right?”

“At the very least, I could make them swallow the same poison.”

“And shorten the one year I have left? Besides,” she looked directly at him, “you wouldn’t escape unscathed either.”

“I can probably guess who did it, even if you don’t tell me.”

Her social circle was already small. The list of people who harbored enough malice to poison her was even smaller.

“But this… this is too cruel.”

His eyes glistened with unshed tears.

“Using Asehimmo—it’s like sentencing you to live for exactly one year. No more, no less. That’s what makes it so unfair.”

“…”

“They didn’t just want you dead. They wanted you to live with the knowledge that you only had a year left.”

“That’s true. If they really wanted to kill me, they could’ve done it quickly.”

Helena pressed down on her fingertips. It was like touching someone else’s skin—she felt nothing.

When she touched her cold fingertips to the warmth of her arm, they felt lifeless. Even when she dug her nails into her skin, there was no sensation.

“At least there’s one upside to this,” she said with a wry smile. “I don’t feel pain.”

“Pain is your body’s way of protecting you!” he snapped. “If you can’t feel it, someone could stab you in the back, and you wouldn’t even know!”

“Oh, really?”

While Aiden’s heart burned with anguish, Helena remained as composed as ever.

She had always been like this—her heart shredded and bleeding inside, but never showing the pain on her face.

“Helena, please, let’s not do this,” he pleaded, his voice cracking under the weight of his emotions.

“Let’s leave this place. Even if I can’t cure you, we can find other doctors who might be able to.”

“I can’t leave. I don’t want to leave,” Helena replied firmly.

“A contract isn’t more important than your life! I can’t watch you die!”

Unable to contain his emotions any longer, Aiden pulled her into a tight embrace.

“How is this fair? I’m a doctor, but I can’t save you. I have to stand by and watch you die, and I can’t do anything.”

“It is what it is,” Helena said softly.

“No, it’s not! I have to do something—anything. Please, let me try.”

“I know you too well,” Helena said, her voice tinged with sadness.

“If you don’t find a solution, you’ll blame yourself. You’ll torture yourself for the rest of your life.”

“So what? Are you saying we shouldn’t even try?”

“Yes. If there were a solution, I would have found it already. I’ve tried, Aiden. I’ve tried everything, but nothing worked.”

Most commoners who attended the academy did so to elevate their social status.

For many, entering the imperial court as an official and receiving a title was the ultimate goal—a stable and prestigious path.

Yet Aiden, who had the grades to work in the imperial court, chose to become a doctor instead.

He took the difficult path, driven by a pure desire to save lives.

Helena didn’t want to burden someone like him.

This foolish doctor would never forgive himself if he failed to cure her. He would carry that pain for the rest of his life.

“And besides, I’m married now, even if it’s just a contract marriage. You shouldn’t hold me like this anymore.”

Helena gently pushed herself out of his embrace, her tone turning sharp.

“Our relationship ended a long time ago, Aiden. Not that it ever truly began… don’t you remember?”

“…Even when someone’s crying, you can still be this cold?” Aiden said bitterly, his voice trembling.

She was terrifyingly composed, which made her even more like herself.

“If a successful doctor wants to be caught up in an affair rumor with a duchess, then by all means, keep doing what you’re doing. Especially when the other party is Eskel.”

She criticized herself without hesitation but never failed to think of others.
Prioritizing others’ well-being over her own life was so very like Helena.

“What’s so bad about Eskel?”

“…”

“I don’t care about that kind of thing. I never have.”

“I know. But the people around you do.”

Aiden wiped his tears and finally gave in. He had never been able to win against Helena’s stubbornness.

“Even if I can’t find an antidote, I’ll at least figure out a way to slow the poison down.”

“Don’t get your hopes up too much.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”

Aiden let out a sigh of laughter before looking at her with a resolute expression.

“I mean it. So don’t die on me. Hold on until I come back with something.”

“I’ll try my best,” Helena replied, avoiding his gaze.

—

After finishing a brief check-up, the two of them left the room. Aiden’s face was slightly dark, likely due to the lack of positive results.

It was clear that no matter how much he asked, Helena wouldn’t agree to leave for the western regions with him.

And the longer they delayed, the more her condition would worsen.
The reality of having to helplessly watch her die was excruciating for him.

“Oh? Why are you two together?”

At that moment, Jeremy stepped out of Joshua’s room and asked, spotting them.
Coincidentally, Jeremy and Caligo had been looking for Helena.

“What’s this? You two! Why were you together? What were you doing? Explain right now!”

“She was just getting a check-up.”

“You’re not sick, are you?”

Since the incident in the mountains, Jeremy had been particularly worried about Helena getting hurt.
His expression darkened, as if he feared she might be unwell.

Helena bent down to meet the boy’s gaze and asked, “Why? Do I look sick to you?”

“Not really…”

“It’s just like a regular health check-up you get when you visit a doctor.”

Helena, unwilling to reveal her condition to the boy, responded as if everything were normal.

“You skipped dinner while you were sleeping. Should we eat something?”

“Yeah!”

“Anything you feel like having?”

“The strawberry syrup you made last time!”

“That’s not a meal.”

“Not fair!”

The boy quickly let go of his worries and returned to his usual cheerful self.
But Caligo thought differently.

Aiden’s unusually somber expression bothered him.

Helena took Jeremy’s hand and headed to the kitchen.

In the meantime, Caligo crossed his arms and asked Aiden, “Is there a problem I should know about?”

“There’s nothing wrong.”

The response was rather insolent, with a defiant glint in his eyes.

Still, Caligo wasn’t petty enough to lose his composure over such disrespect.
Instead, his gaze sharpened, probing for the truth beneath Aiden’s words.

“There really isn’t anything wrong.”

But it was Aiden who lost his composure under Caligo’s scrutiny.

Even while Helena was unwell, this man exuded an air of indifference and boredom.

The man before him wouldn’t bat an eye even if he learned the name of her illness.

Why would anyone like such a cold, heartless man?
Aiden clenched his teeth.

To hold on to her without love was a sin.

—

In the backyard, Caligo naturally pushed himself between Helena and Jeremy, helping out with their tasks.

“We also brought some fruit from the western region. Would you like to try some?”

Aiden seemed quite adept at dealing with children, skillfully handling Jeremy’s grumpiness. He even cheerfully greeted Joshua when he joined midway.

“Harvest in winter? Really?”

“It’s still warm in the West.”

“…I’m not eating it.”

“At least give it a try.”

“I said I’m not eating! Are you going to keep tempting me with that ridiculously handsome face of yours?!”

Jeremy just couldn’t get used to Aiden’s bright and striking appearance. In Frantor, smiles were rare, so why was this man constantly beaming? Every time he saw him, it made his blood boil.

“He’s supposed to be her first love? I refuse to accept it!”

“No matter what, my father’s still better-looking than you.”

“Jeremy, that’s not an insult. That’s a compliment.”

Helena chuckled and teased Aiden.

“Feels nice to be complimented on your looks, doesn’t it, senior?”

“I don’t really think I’m that handsome, though.”

“Ugh, so obnoxious.”

The two of them looked very close. The seamless and warm exchange between them radiated a sense of familiarity and camaraderie.
A relationship that could never be, one that Caligo could never hope to emulate.

“…Oh.”

Jeremy, glaring at Aiden in disapproval, suddenly turned to his father and froze in surprise.
Caligo’s face had gone cold, an icy expression hardening his features.

“Father, is something wrong?”

“No, nothing at all.”

Caligo was unsettled by the sharp, unfamiliar emotions piercing him.
Looking at those two filled him with an inexplicable anger.

“Carry on with your meal.”

“You’re not eating with us, Your Grace?”

“I have preparations to make before tomorrow’s departure.”

It was a relationship that had been concluded before it even began.
There was no use wasting emotions on something pointless.
With that resolve, Caligo tried to leave the room.

“I was hoping you’d stay,” she said, her tone faintly tinged with regret.

“If you’re heading out tomorrow, wouldn’t it be better to eat a hearty meal before you go?”

“…If that’s the case—”

“No, Helena,” Aiden interjected just as Caligo hesitated.

“If he’s busy, we shouldn’t hold him up. Let him go.”

He gently dissuaded her, his voice kind.

“That’s been bothering me for a while,” Caligo said, his restrained emotions beginning to slip.

“Why do you call her by name?”

“Apologies, it’s a habit. I didn’t realize it bothered you.”

“No matter how close you are, it’s inappropriate when there are others watching.”

“I’ll be more mindful in the future. But is it okay when we’re alone?”

It was a battle of egos between two proud men who refused to concede a single word.

“What did you just say?”

“Is that not acceptable? She’s already given me her permission, but it felt right to get her husband’s consent as well.”

Though their words were polite, a cold animosity seeped through their calm tones, like blades quietly drawn.

Even Joshua, who had been observing silently, felt the tension tighten around him, leaving him at a loss for words.

“Why are you all just standing there?”

But not everyone picked up on the subtle, invisible standoff between the adults.

“The food’s getting cold. If you leave leftovers, you’ll get punished, remember? Sit down and eat already.”

Jeremy, cheeks puffed full of food, blinked his large round eyes innocently at them.

The taut tension dissolved in an instant, leaving behind a faint sense of absurdity.

Joshua, who had been nervously holding his breath, sighed heavily at his twin’s obliviousness.

“Hey, Jeremy, has anyone ever told you you’re clueless?”

“Me? I’ve got plenty of awareness!”

“No, never mind… just eat.”

Waving him off, Joshua exhaled deeply. He had a feeling Frantor was going to be noisy for a while.