TISND Chapter 50

Chapter 50

The morning Joshua was set to leave.

“How am I supposed to live without youuu…?”

From early dawn, loud wailing echoed in front of the mansion.

“What’s so great about that Academy anyway? You could just stay here and study with the private tutor!”

As if they’d never see each other again, Jeremy clung desperately to Joshua’s pant leg.

“Let go! I already said I don’t need a tutor! I like real-life experience!”

“Stay here with me, Joshua. Let’s plant seeds together and watch them sprout.”

“…I can’t.”

After hesitating, Joshua firmly shook his head.

“Why not?”

“You can’t come with me.”

“Is the Academy really that hard?” Jeremy asked with puppy-like eyes.

“Yeah.”

“Are the math problems difficult too?”

“Very.”

“That stupid Academy!”

Frustrated, Jeremy kicked at the dirt beneath his feet.

“One day, I, Jeremy Frantor, will conquer every math problem out there!”

“Sure. I’ll be waiting, whenever that day comes.”

“You’ll wait? I’ll be there in no time, so just hold on!”

Finally calming his twin down, Joshua approached Helena.

“Please take care of Jeremy for me.”

“Okay.”

“Father.”

Joshua gave Calligo a slight nod.

The father and son’s farewell was brief, as though they had already said all they needed to the night before.

“I’m leaving now.”

Just before stepping into the carriage, Joshua glanced back at Jeremy.

“Don’t cry.”

“I’m not crying!”

“Good, if that’s true.”

Moments later, the carriage carrying Joshua began to roll away, and as it did, Jeremy’s tears burst forth.

Standing beside him, Helena patted his back to comfort him.

“Waaah, Joshua’s gone!”

“Don’t cry.”

“What if I never see him again?”

“That won’t happen.”

“What if he forgets me?”

“You’ve got quite the imagination.”

Jeremy, clearly upset by Helena’s dry reassurance, shouted, “Aren’t you sad that Joshua’s gone?”

“I am.”

“Then why aren’t you crying? Cry right now!”

Jeremy sobbed uncontrollably.

“It’s embarrassing to cry alone! At least you should cry too!”

“You don’t need to cry.”

His eternal partner, his twin, had left. It felt like his heart was being torn apart, yet his father and Helena seemed so calm.

“What’s wrong with everyone? Why am I the only one crying? Do you just forget how to cry when you grow up?”

“Jeremy.”

“What?”

“Go back to your room and grab your coat. Your things will be brought over later, so don’t worry too much.”

“Huh? Wh-what?”

Things were starting to take an unexpected turn.

“Helena.”

“Yes, I packed everything last night. We just need to get Jeremy’s things ready.”

“My things? Why are you packing my stuff?”

The sudden hustle and bustle of the servants, Helena, and even his father confused Jeremy.

“Am I going too? Where? Where are we going?”

“Yes, you’re coming too.”

“Where?” Jeremy blinked in confusion.

—

Bringing Jeremy along had been Helena’s decision.

She couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him alone at the mansion, knowing he might not even eat properly in her absence.

Calligo, too, had no intention of leaving Jeremy by himself, so he readily accepted her suggestion.

However, explaining everything to Jeremy about Joshua’s situation was something they decided to postpone.

For now, Joshua didn’t want Jeremy to know about his business, and Helena thought it was more important to understand what exactly Joshua was involved in before saying anything.

“Are we going on a trip?”

“Probably?”

“Where are we going?”

“I don’t know either.”

“Why don’t you know?”

Calligo, who had been quietly sitting in the carriage, answered instead.

“Seantillen.”

“I know that place! It’s such a famous tourist destination!”

Seantillen was a city located in the southern part of Frantor, near the border.

Beyond the dense mountain ranges lay gentle plains.

While Frantor was just entering spring, Seantillen was already in full bloom. A warm breeze swirled around, and the leaves were greener than in the northern regions.

“We’ll arrive soon,” Calligo said as he glanced out the carriage window.

Helena leaned forward, pressing herself against the window.

Her face flushed with excitement and anticipation for the new city.

Though nobles often traveled, Helena was not well-versed in the geography of the empire.

She had spent most of her life in Eskel, and the only other place she had visited was Kanians, where the academy was located.

Even during her time in the capital, she rarely ventured out.

“Do you like it that much?”

“Yes, I love it.”

The world was so vast, yet there were still so many things she hadn’t seen.

Before she died, she wanted to capture all this beauty with her own eyes.

Helena gently stroked the window as if it could convey the picturesque scenery before her.

Unlike Frantor, which had mostly low buildings, Seantillen was a cityscape.

“But you’re from Eskel,” Jeremy said.

“So what?”

“You’re from Eskel, and this is your first time in Seantillen?”

“Is it that famous of a tourist spot?”

“Yes! You love traveling, so why haven’t you been here before?”

“Good question… I guess it just didn’t happen.” Helena gave a faint smile.

“Jeremy, do you like traveling?”

“I love it! Last year, Father took me to the harbor. It was amazing!”

“Really? I’ve never seen a harbor before.”

“You’ve never seen a harbor?”

“Nope.”

“Then that means you’ve never seen the sea either?”

Helena nodded. As she did so without resistance, Jeremy grumbled.

“What have you even seen in your life?”

“The empire is huge. It can’t be helped.”

“Fine, when I grow up a bit more, I’ll take you to the sea. Just wait.”

“Thanks.”

Of course, she had a general idea of what the sea looked like. It was blue, refreshing, vast, and bordered by white sandy beaches.

How beautiful must it be? Helena mustered her tiny imagination to picture the breathtaking ocean.

—

Fortunately, Seantillen wasn’t as dangerous as she had feared.

Her biggest concern had been the security.

The further away from populated areas one got, the more likely Joshua would become a target.

How did he end up getting injured in such a beautiful place?

To be precise, this city, Seantillen, seemed far removed from swords and danger.

Could Joshua really be here?

“It’s so huge!”

Calligo had quickly secured accommodations in Seantillen.

It was a space prepared to ensure even the guards, including Jeremy, could move comfortably.

The place was slightly away from the city, with a yard attached to it.

“Jeremy.”

As Calligo looked around the lodging, he called for Jeremy.

“Yes, Father.”

“Helena and I will be going out for a while. Can you stay here for a bit?”

“…By myself?”

Jeremy’s face darkened immediately.

Helena had known how much he disliked being alone since the day they first met.

She couldn’t leave him alone in Frantor, which is why they had brought him along. However, she couldn’t take him to where Joshua was either.

“We’ll be back soon.”

“I don’t want to! I hate being by myself.”

As expected, Jeremy threw a fit.

“Why are you leaving me behind while you two go off together?”

“Jeremy.”

“We came all the way to a tourist city, and now the two of you are just… oh.”

Jeremy, who looked as if he was about to burst into tears, suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

“What’s wrong, Jeremy?”

“You two are going on a date, aren’t you? Go ahead! I’ll behave and stay here.”

“…What?”

A date?

The casual remark from the child left both adults frozen in place.

“It’s not a date. We’re just going out because we have something to do.”

“Father.”

Jeremy called out to Calligo.

“Yes.”

“What’s the definition of a date? You told me before, remember?”

“…When a man and a woman go out together and spend time.”

“Then it is a date.”

“…”

“…”

Jeremy puffed up his chest proudly and declared, “See? You should’ve just told me from the start. I’m not clueless, you know.”

The boy was on a roll now.

“I thought it was weird we came to a tourist city, and now it all makes sense.”

“…”
“…”

Sigh.

“I should at least be thankful that you didn’t leave me in Frantor. Go ahead and take care of your business.”

Helena cautiously asked, “A date…?” Of course, it wasn’t really a date, but why did it sound like she liked the idea just because Jeremy called it that?

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yeah, but I have one request.”

“What is it?”

Calligo calmly asked in return.

“I want a sibling. When you come back, please bring a sibling with you.”

“…”
“…”

Both adults were at a loss for words once again.

Helena was especially stunned. The child, who had never called her mother before, was now so casually asking for a sibling.

“A sibling! I want one! If you make one, I’ll take care of everything. I can feed them and change their diapers.”

“That’s not what I meant, Jeremy.”

The adult masks they were trying to maintain were shattered by Jeremy’s innocent words.

The child blinked his eyes like a rabbit and answered with childlike simplicity.

“But Joshua said, right? He said if you want a sibling, when Dad goes out with Helena alone, you should act like nothing’s happening. He didn’t say why, though.”

This was the first time Helena saw Calligo speechless.

“I’ll be back.”

“Yes! When you come back, bring five siblings with you!”

“…”
“…”

“Make sure you do it!” Jeremy cheerfully waved his hands as he shouted.

It seemed like Calligo had given up talking to the child. He quietly turned his back, and Helena followed him obediently.

strong>Hey Guys you can read advanced chapters on Patreon