Chapter 45
As the snow began to melt, color started to return to Frantor.
The forests and mountains, which had been asleep in grayscale, sprouted leaves and seeds, and people began shedding their thick outerwear one by one.
The once cloudy sky turned a clear blue.
Helena took a deep breath, letting the crisp air fill her lungs.
“Spring is already here.”
Why does time pass so quickly? She lightly clenched her hand.
“Why do we have to plant the seeds so far apart?”
Jeremy, who had just come out of the storage room with seeds in hand, grumbled as he spoke.
“Can’t we just plant them close together? It’s cold, and they could grow better together.”
Helena, amused by his childlike reasoning, burst into laughter before replying.
“Jeremy, you have your own room, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Well, no matter how close you are with someone, you wouldn’t want to cram twenty people into a tiny room to sleep, would you? Sharing the bathroom and the shower, too?”
The more Helena explained, the paler Jeremy’s face grew. He seemed to be thoroughly put off by the idea.
“Just like people need their own space, plants do too.”
“Sharing a room with twenty people? No way!”
Jeremy huffed and began planting the seeds with renewed vigor.
“Besides, I wouldn’t be able to have you all to myself! I’d hate to share you with twenty others!”
…Wait, that wasn’t the point she was trying to make.
Jeremy, however, seemed to interpret her words with indignation.
“Hey, Jeremy.”
Joshua, who had been reading a book nearby, clicked his tongue and warned him.
“You don’t understand how I feel, Joshua! Do you even know how annoying things have been lately?”
Despite his complaints, Jeremy—ever the diligent farmer—continued to sow the seeds with care.
“How would I know?”
Joshua shook his head in resignation, sneaking a glance at Helena. She seemed too amused by the twins’ banter to intervene.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Helena looked slightly thinner than before. He already knew she ate like a bird, but now it seemed she wasn’t just losing weight—she seemed to have lost some vitality as well.
“Hey, Joshua.”
Noticing his gaze, Helena walked over with a playful smile.
“Winter’s almost over.”
“And? What about it?”
“It’s almost time for you to leave. Jeremy’s already sulking because you’ll be heading back to the ‘Academy’ soon.”
So it was that time already. Winter had passed in the blink of an eye.
“Why? Are you here to ask where I’m going or something?”
“No, it’s not that. I just had something else I wanted to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Can I ask why you’re so skilled with a sword?”
“Why do you even want to know?”
“I asked before, but you didn’t answer me.”
“I can handle it just fine on my own.”
Joshua shrugged, looking rather pleased with himself.
“Are you worried I might hurt myself while handling a sword? You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve received professional training.”
“Ah, so you’re saying you’ve been in an environment where swordsmanship is commonplace?”
“…”
As expected, Helena, usually dense, had a knack for being sharp in odd moments. Joshua fell silent at her pointed remark, while Helena laughed cheerfully.
“If you’ve been professionally trained, that means it’s an environment similar to an academy, right?”
“That’s right. It’s not dangerous, and I have a good teacher. So there’s no need to worry.”
Hmm, if even Caligo tacitly approved, then it probably wasn’t something to worry about.
“In that case, I’m glad. I won’t ask for more details. You seem to like your teacher, too.”
“When it comes to skill, he’s second only to my father in the empire. He’s an admirable man with much to learn from.”
Of course, there had been a swordsmanship instructor at the academy Helena attended. However, he was the type to insist, “Women shouldn’t learn swordsmanship.”
Since the academy had been personally chosen by Count Eskel, it wasn’t exactly a top-tier institution. In the end, she only learned how to hold a spear or sword, but never received practical training.
If Joshua praised someone to such an extent, they must be the kind of impressive figure one would expect to find in a novel.
That said, Helena’s idea of a “remarkable man” was Caligo, so she pictured a stern man with a similar aura.
“Someday, I’d like to meet him. If he’s been helping you, I’d at least like to thank him.”
Joshua learning swordsmanship sparked a plausible theory in Helena’s mind. She recalled hearing about a retired knight commander among Caligo’s acquaintances. Could Joshua be learning from him?
As she’d heard, the man had lost his wife and lived alone. It wasn’t far-fetched to think Joshua might be staying with him and learning swordsmanship. That sort of arrangement, while rare, wasn’t unheard of even among the nobility.
Most importantly, it seemed safe. While education was important, Helena prioritized safety above all else.
“Sure, do as you like,” Joshua replied, seemingly unbothered by the idea.
—
For now, she decided to focus on her own work.
Behind the scenes, Caligo had begun to move, and in response, Count Eskel was preparing his counterattack.
This meant Helena couldn’t afford to sit idly by either. Throughout the winter, she had been gathering rumors. Through merchants and medical stations, she sought to uncover any misdeeds of her father beyond what was publicly known.
The current emperor was an exceedingly paranoid and cautious old man. Fearful of Frantor’s growing influence, he had pushed for Helena’s marriage to Eskel.
If that was the case, minor scandals wouldn’t be enough to bring Eskel down. Issues like high-interest loans or other financial misdeeds might only result in a warning or a call for self-restraint.
What she needed was evidence that would force the emperor to act—or she would have to create such a scandal herself.
“Ha ha! Greetings, my lady!”
“You fool! She’s not just ‘my lady’; she’s the Duchess! Address her properly!”
The knights, who had spent more time wandering outside than protecting her, suddenly began acting friendly.
It was clear they had been ordered by her father.
So, her father was aware of Caligo’s movements. He had tried using her as a spy but likely realized she wasn’t particularly useful in that role.
Even so, he’d instructed the knights to monitor her, likely for one reason:
He feared she might side with Caligo.
“Spring has come already. How have you been?”
“Are you getting along well with His Grace, the Duke?”
She had to ensure her father never doubted her. To him, she needed to remain the same naïve, affection-seeking, incompetent daughter she had always been.
“…No,” Helena replied with a sad smile.
“He’s been staying at the estate, but I suppose he’s too busy with work to show his face often.”
“Is that so?”
A child unloved by Caligo, left alone like an isolated island—that might be the role her father envisioned for her.
If she was too incompetent to be a spy, it was better for her to remain quietly in place.
For Helena, if she wanted to act discreetly, it was best for her father to continue seeing her that way.
Her response, tinged with sadness, caused the knights to exchange knowing glances. Their gazes carried a mixture of ridicule and scorn, as though her reaction was exactly what they’d expected.
“I hope you can build a harmonious relationship with His Grace. As the Duchess, I’m sure it will happen before long.”
“Oh, and we have some news to deliver.”
“News?”
“Tomorrow, a new servant will arrive from Eskel. The Count has given special orders for the sake of the Duchess, who must endure such hardships in a foreign land.”
Worried that their words might sound suspicious, the two men’s expressions darkened. One of them was already glaring at the other, cautioning him to be more careful.
But Helena knew better than anyone that she needed to keep appearing as a naïve and oblivious woman.
“How thoughtful of him to care for me even from so far away…”
Feigning gratitude, she acted moved by the gesture. The expressions of the two knights visibly brightened.
“Yes, the Count is deeply concerned for you and has given his orders. Please keep the new servant close by.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you for letting me know in advance.”
This level of interaction would suffice with the knights. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to harbor any particular suspicion. Satisfied, Helena watched them walk away with relieved faces, then turned to head back to her room.
How long had he been watching? Caligo stood not too far away, observing her.
“Your Grace,” she greeted him.
“They must be the knights from Eskel,” he said.
“…Yes.”
Had they seemed suspicious to him? Or had their conversation avoided raising any concerns? She stopped herself from overthinking. It didn’t matter either way—she had already resolved herself to this path.
Even if Caligo suspected her or came to despise her, Helena was determined to finish what she had to do. After all, with the time she had left, wishing for his love might be asking too much.
She could feel his gaze on her, but she couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes. Just as she turned her head away, she accidentally caught a glimpse of his face.
His expression wasn’t as cold or fearsome as she had imagined. While it was somewhat hardened, it carried an unreadable look—a mix of longing, perhaps, or sadness.
Since last winter, Caligo had often looked at her this way. As if he were glaring at her, ready to devour her, yet maintaining a distance she couldn’t bridge, no matter how far she reached out.
Why does he look at me like that? Helena couldn’t help but wonder.
“You should go,” he finally said, his lips pressed tightly together.
Startled, she hesitated before nodding her head in agreement.
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