Chapter 60
“May I sit here?”
Even though she had no intention of standing up, she still asked.
Helena responded with an unyielding smile.
“I was just in need of someone to talk to. It’s fortunate that you’re here.”
From the start, Helena had anticipated that Melissa would approach her.
Joshua had told her that what Melissa wanted was a life of marriage with Caligo.
She must have been contacting Joshua and Jeremy because she wanted to meet him again.
It was clear that she had been lurking nearby, waiting for the right opportunity to meet him.
So Helena had simply set a small trap to let Melissa approach her.
“Feel free to call me Melissa. I’ve always wanted to meet you.”
“Is that so?”
“We share a special connection, you know that, right?”
Melissa took a bite of the pudding Helena had ordered and gave a sly smile.
“Because of Caligo?”
When Helena directly mentioned his name, Melissa’s face visibly stiffened.
“You call him by his name?”
“Names are meant to be used, aren’t they?”
As expected, Melissa was unusually fixated on Caligo.
“You seem close to the Duke, to… that man, don’t you?”
Finally, Melissa voiced the question she had been dying to ask.
“He’s a kind person, so he does the basics well. Even if it’s not genuine, he’s polite and courteous by nature. Don’t you agree?”
The expression on Melissa’s face as she reminisced about the past Caligo was not so different from Helena’s.
So she, too, knew how kind he could be.
She still liked him.
“How’s married life? How’s it going?”
Melissa bombarded her with questions, but Helena only smiled.
“I’m afraid I can’t talk about personal matters.”
“Why not?”
“Why should I tell you, Melissa?”
Helena sharply countered.
“Aren’t we practically strangers who’ve just met?”
“I’m only asking because I’m concerned about you.”
“Concerned? About what?”
“I want to know if everything’s working out with him, if there’s anything I can advise you on. I’m asking out of concern, so don’t get defensive.”
Melissa’s words were laced with thorns.
“I’m sorry, Melissa, but I never asked for your concern.”
Helena’s calm response made her gaze even sharper.
“You don’t need to worry. I’m doing just fine.”
“Doing fine? Don’t lie to me!”
It sounded as if Melissa didn’t want her to be fine.
“Why? Am I not allowed to be fine?”
“You’re an Eskel! How dare the daughter of Eskel covet his side? It’s absurd. How could the daughter of Eskel possibly be happy in Frantor? Do you really expect me to believe that? It’s a blatant lie, so don’t even bother.”
“Then why couldn’t you be happy, Melissa?” Helena retorted.
“Yes, I’m the daughter of Eskel. And you are from the York family, part of the Emperor’s faction, just like Frantor. So why did you end up divorced?”
Melissa had been betrothed to Caligo before he was even born, also under the Emperor’s orders.
The Emperor didn’t trust even those who were loyal to him.
He feared the growth of power and ensured its dispersion by arranging marriages like this.
He had paired Frantor’s ducal house with the York family, which didn’t hold significant influence within the Emperor’s faction, for the same reason.
The Emperor didn’t want the powerful Frantor family to ally with another strong house and grow even more influential.
“Why are you asking me something like that?”
“I’m asking because I’m concerned about you too.”
The aging and cowardly emperor. Even so, Caligo had never distanced himself from the Emperor’s faction.
It was partly due to the political position of Frantor, but mostly because of the Crown Prince.
Caligo didn’t trust the Emperor but had faith in the Crown Prince and pledged his loyalty to him.
That’s why Melissa knew Caligo couldn’t act rashly toward her.
And that infuriated her even more.
“In a way, you two are the perfect couple, aren’t you?”
Unlike me.
“From the start, he wanted to marry her! He didn’t want to take in someone else’s children either.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I don’t understand what I did wrong! I did everything I was supposed to do.”
“As a mother?”
“No, as a member of the Frantor family,” Melissa replied.
“Frantor was always going to be inherited by the eldest son born to Caligo and me! I even planned to send the other children to the academy so they could grow up well and live on their own later. I did everything I needed to. So what’s the problem?”
“…”
“They’re not even my blood, are they? That much was enough. What more could anyone expect from me?”
Helena clenched her fists under her coat, her anger bubbling beneath the surface.
The children had never shared the details of what happened with Melissa, but the scars she left behind were still evident.
The servants had mentioned how Jeremy would sometimes hide in the wardrobe during thunderstorms.
Even here, in this very place, Seantillen, she couldn’t forget the determined look in his eyes, a boy who believed he needed to grow stronger to protect his siblings.
“To you, the children were an inconvenience from the start,” Helena said.
“I know what you did to them in the past.”
“All I did was speak my mind! I never meant to torment them. I don’t understand why everyone makes such a big deal about it.”
The one who had tormented the children wasn’t some grand villain.
It was an ordinary woman, the kind you could find anywhere in the world.
Yet, such a seemingly insignificant person had left marks so deep that they shook the children’s lives.
Perhaps even for a lifetime.
“You know,” Helena’s smile grew colder, “I have to ask because I’m baffled. If the children were such an inconvenience to you, why do you write to them now?”
“Well, that’s because I have business with them.”
“So, in the past, they were a nuisance. But now they’re not? Pick one, Melissa.”
Unable to bear it anymore, Melissa shot to her feet.
“You’re finally showing your true colors. Sitting in the Duchess’ seat must have made you arrogant! Do you have any idea how long your marriage will even last?”
“…”
“It won’t last long. It’s bound to fall apart. The daughter of Eskel sitting in that seat as if it’s hers—how ridiculous! Do you really think anyone believes the two of you married out of love? No one thinks that!”
“…”
“That seat was always mine to begin with. Just wait and see.”
At Melissa’s venomous outburst, Helena’s laugh was as cold as ever.
“Oh, it was destined to fail anyway, was it? Who do you think you’re trying to impress?”
“Wait and see? What exactly should I wait to see?”
“What… what did you say?”
“I’ll manage my marriage myself, so why don’t you mind your own business and leave?”
Melissa’s face turned pale.
“I don’t understand what makes you think you’re in a position to give advice. You need to have something worth learning from first.”
“You…!”
“What is it? If you have a rebuttal, go ahead and make it.”
Melissa only fumed, unable to respond.
“You dare cross me? Do you have any idea how terrifying it will be if you make me angry?”
“Oh? And what exactly will happen?”
“You… You think you’re so great, flaunting Eskel’s wealth, but do you have any idea how many people are waiting for Eskel to collapse?”
“Are you saying you’re planning to bring Eskel down?”
“Yes! You dared to make me angry, so I’ll shatter it to pieces. Just wait and see!”
Oh my. An unexpected ally had just emerged.
“Really?”
“What? Are you scared now?”
“Hahaha, no.”
At Helena’s sudden laughter, Melissa’s eyes widened.
“Go ahead, give it your best shot.”
“…”
“I’m really hoping everything goes the way you want. I’m genuinely looking forward to it. I truly hope you succeed.”
“You… you…!”
At Helena’s calm response, Melissa kicked the chair in frustration.
Helena resolved that she couldn’t let Melissa gain the upper hand. Smiling sweetly, she made a silent vow to try even harder.
“You crazy woman!”
“Take care.”
‘You think I can’t do it? Just watch me—I’ll make it happen.’
Melissa glared at her in silence before storming out of the restaurant, disappearing into the crowd.
—
Judging by her reaction, it seemed unlikely she would bother the children for the time being.
Even if something unfortunate were to happen, her target wouldn’t be Frantor but Eskel.
For now, Helena considered her first goal achieved.
But.
“Where did you go?”
“Why do you look so pale? Are you feeling unwell?”
Returning to their lodging, the thing Helena most wanted to see was the children’s faces.
‘Just dealing with that woman for such a short time was so exhausting.’
‘How much worse must it have been for the children who spent far more time with her?’
“You must have had such a hard time.”
Helena gave a weak smile as she pulled the two children into her arms.
“What’s going on? Why are you suddenly saying this out of nowhere?”
“If anyone looks tired and worn out, it’s you, Helena!”
“You didn’t drink, did you?”
At Jeremy’s affectionate teasing, Helena let out a faint smile.
“No, I didn’t drink.”
‘Thank you for growing up so well, my dear children.’
Right now, all she wanted was to hold them close.
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