Chapter 5
Jeremy still followed Helena, under the guise of keeping an eye on her.
He continued to suspect her of engaging in suspicious activities.
It didn’t make sense to him that she wasn’t planting seeds, but rather working the ground or covering it with soil in the middle of winter.
“You’re not just silly, are you?”
There’s plenty of soil all around, yet she insisted on bringing in sand or other materials to mix in. Jeremy finally voiced his frustration.
“Winter is when nothing grows. Even if you plant seeds, they’ll just freeze to death.”
“I know. But the ground still needs to be prepared. That way, in the coming spring, we can plant seeds.”
“But why bring sand from elsewhere? The soil here is fine. It will grow just fine.”
“You need a bit of sand. Plants won’t thrive in overly soft conditions.”
Jeremy simply couldn’t understand her reasoning.
Aside from that, Helena continued to check drainage systems and move about busily. It made no sense to him why she was moving around aimlessly in the dead of winter when she should be resting and sleeping soundly.
“Why don’t you go inside? It’s freezing!”
Frantor’s winters were harsh.
The biting cold wind felt like sharp claws tearing at exposed skin. The climate was extremely dry, and even snow barely melted.
The winters in the north were brutal throughout the season.
This winter, particularly, had been even colder with many cases of frostbite and deaths due to the cold.
Standing on the frozen ground, Jeremy’s face had become pale from the cold.
“I’m not cold.”
“So stubborn.”
“What? Stubborn?”
He had never really been on the receiving end of harsh words. Though prickly, he was still a young master.
“Why are you surprised? You throw insults at me too.”
“Th-That’s…!”
“Would you prefer I call you something worse? Like ‘stupid’ or ‘fool’?”
His reactions were amusing. Helena finished arranging the sack she had brought and stood up, smoothing out her knee as she rose.
She poked his cheek lightly with her finger.
“If you give me nice words next time, I’ll return them too.”
“…Alright.”
“It’s time to go inside.”
Though the work wasn’t complete, they decided to return to the mansion for Jeremy’s sake.
Compared to Helena, who had been born in the mild climate of the west, Jeremy was clearly more sensitive to the cold.
The Duke’s family could easily afford warm clothing for Jeremy.
However, in the past, he had torn apart any warm clothes given to him, claiming they were too heavy and uncomfortable. Thus, he had no suitable outerwear.
Helena made a decision to get Jeremy a new coat before the Northern Meeting began.
—
Cotton was common in the region where Helena grew up.
The west was extremely suitable for cultivating cotton, and yet, there was little demand for it.
The irony was that in the north, where cotton was needed the most, it was difficult to obtain.
Most importantly, the northern environment wasn’t suitable for growing cotton. Cotton thrived in warm and humid climates, which the north severely lacked in both temperature and precipitation.
“Thanks to Madam, I’ve had my first experience with cotton!”
In the North, people preferred making cloaks or outerwear using leather or fur rather than cotton fabric. They typically wove clothes using wool or other thick materials rather than fine linen.
Moreover, clothing wasn’t made in proper workshops; individuals had to sew their own clothes. Without this, surviving the harsh winters was nearly impossible.
The issue was that leather and fur were also difficult to come by. It would be much better if there were cotton available, even as a filler material.
“We usually use leather or fur, and we’re not accustomed to using cotton.”
Helena had requested her servants to gather materials such as cotton and leather for making clothes.
Emma, one of the servants, gladly agreed, recalling Helena’s previous thoughtful gesture of bringing a medicine box.
“Is it difficult to obtain cotton in Frantor?”
“It’s quite difficult. Leather is also scarce as it’s used for families going to war, so there isn’t enough left for those guarding the homes.”
In fact, it was difficult for ordinary people to procure cotton themselves. Merchants specializing in linen often monopolized the trade, making it hard for individuals to obtain such materials.
“How did you get cotton, Madam Helena?”
“I know a merchant who supplied it.”
If Frantor could have a reliable supply of cotton, the number of frostbite victims would surely decrease. It’s something to consider seriously.
“You’re amazing.”
The other servants behind Emma perked up, listening intently.
Hearing that Helena was ordering clothes to be made, some hurried over, assuming that the daughter of Eskel was taking after her father’s craft.
“How’s the clothing? Do you like it?”
“That remains to be seen.”
“Wait, what do you mean…?”
As expected, the daughter of Eskel was acting like Eskel!
The servants’ sharp gazes turned towards Helena when they heard her nonchalant reply.
“I’m swamped with work, why call me here and there?”
Jeremy barged into the room where the servants had gathered.
“Come here.”
Helena, holding the coat, helped him put it on. Fortunately, Emma had crafted the coat to fit perfectly.
“My, was this meant for Madam Helena?”
“It looked too small for me.”
Helena firmly cut off Emma’s explanation.
If Jeremy found out it was meant as a gift, he would likely refuse to wear it and throw a tantrum.
She hoped he would wear the outerwear properly until it wore out.
“You look good in it.”
The color matches perfectly, and it isn’t uncomfortable for movement. This should help him get through the winter safely.
“What’s this? What are you scheming?”
“It’s not because I like you. It’s because it’s too small for me.”
“…Really?”
The craftsmanship was impressive. It would be a shame to let such a well-made piece go to waste.
“So, you can either wear it or not. I’m leaving.”
After leaving her curt response, Helena left the room.
Jeremy, excited by the well-made coat, eagerly examined the gift.
Meanwhile, the servants who were observing the situation remained puzzled.
“Hey.”
Someone watching Jeremy, who was excited about his new clothes, said,
“Our Madam Helena… sometimes it’s hard to tell if she has manners or not.”
“Yeah, right?”
“Sometimes it feels like she does, sometimes it feels like she doesn’t.”
The servants responded with displeasure.
***
As expected, Jeremy wore the clothes Helena gave him with care. He seemed to enjoy touching the soft cotton left over, playing with the texture.
Suddenly, he said to her,
“Why do you wear those tattered clothes?”
“Pardon?”
“That’s clothing? Even the rags we use in the mansion aren’t as worn-out as yours.”
Jeremy grumbled.
“Why don’t you buy some clothes?”
“I don’t need to.”
“That doesn’t make any sense!”
“I really don’t need to. I have plenty of clothes.”
Helena had come to terms with the limited time she had left. She gradually began to reduce her possessions—donating clothes she no longer needed and sticking to practical, worn-out clothes that were still comfortable.
One day, someone would find her body, and she hoped no one would have to deal with her belongings.
“No, you’re really serious. Standing in front of me wearing those ragged, worn-out clothes? It’s just… baffling.”
Realizing how serious the situation was, Jeremy rushed to tell Caligo immediately.
“Father, it’s really serious.”
“No need. Drawing lines on a pumpkin doesn’t turn it into a watermelon.”
With a dry response, Caligo silently stared at her, his brows slightly furrowed.
“Hey, why would you say that…!”
Even Jeremy, who always spoke irritably to Helena, couldn’t continue his sentence after hearing her words.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
The strangest part was that she didn’t seem to realize how ridiculous her words sounded. Caligo had been silent all this time too.
“What’s going on? Seriously, what’s wrong?” Helena furrowed her brows in confusion.
“Well, since you’re already going to the tailor’s, why don’t we go together?”
After looking down at her for a while, Caligo finally spoke.
Helena sighed deeply in frustration.
“I really don’t need new clothes.”
“You’re going to the Northern Council wearing those clothes and tarnishing my reputation?”
“Oh.”
Helena finally reacted to Jeremy’s words.
“That would be a problem.”
“Yes, it would be a problem… so when Father offers to buy you new clothes, you’d better accept them.”
Helena didn’t want to harm Caligo’s reputation, but she also couldn’t burden them by letting them spend money on her.
In fact, she hadn’t touched the money Caligo set aside for her personally.
“So, I’ll buy my own clothes. That’s fine, right?”
In the end, she let out a heavy sigh and gave up. Jeremy, with a sulky expression, puffed out his lips, clearly wanting to say more.
