TISND Chapter 66

Chapter 66

In a slightly subdued voice, Caligo spoke at the unexpected visit.

“At this hour?”

It was clearly rude to pay a visit so soon after someone’s arrival in the capital.
Moreover, visiting the estate at such an early hour was even more inappropriate.

“Helena, did you invite them?”

“No.”

“An uninvited guest, then. From the Eskel family.”

For an uninvited guest to visit the estate was a considerable breach of etiquette.
No matter how noble one might be, visiting another’s estate without an invitation was against the rules of propriety.

Of course, during the social season, such uninvited visits were tacitly permitted.
These visits typically involved men calling on women to propose marriage or ask for dates.

But in the Eskel estate, there was no debutante of marriageable age.

“Let go of me! How dare you block the path of a noble? Are you out of your mind?”

Outside, Rosalith’s voice could already be heard amidst the commotion.

“Step aside before I do something about it myself!”

“But the master has not given permission…”

“What does that matter? I’m here, so who would dare stop me?”

Rosalith, as always, remained audacious and unbothered by others’ gazes.

“Let her in,” Caligo ordered, his resonant voice cutting through the situation.

Scoffing at this, Caligo glanced briefly at Helena before rising from his seat.

“It seems she’s here to see you.”

Helena was a little taken aback as well.
Of course, Rosalith did have some level of “interaction” with her and the Eskel family.

Being a younger sister just a year apart, Rosalith often vented her frustrations or temper on the more timid Helena.

She frequently called her a fool, spoke harshly, and was often envious.
In many ways, Rosalith was the most childlike of their siblings.

“Ahem, Madam. Lady Rosalith has arrived…”

Emma, after gauging the atmosphere, announced her visit with a light cough.
But Rosalith brushed past her shoulder and walked right in.

“You must be His Grace, the Duke of Frantor.”

The moment Rosalith entered, Helena realized her sister hadn’t come to see her.

“We’re meeting for the first time, aren’t we? I’m Rosalith Eskel.”

Those unaccustomed to her brazen demeanor often responded with blank stares.
However, Caligo met her with a cold gaze before speaking.

“Pleasure to meet you, Lady Eskel.”

Hearing his low voice, Rosalith seemed to blush for a moment.

“I heard you married my sister, Helena. I should’ve greeted you sooner, but I apologize for showing up like this. Since we’re family now, why don’t we get to know each other better?”

Rosalith’s boldness was, in a way, her charm.
Her striking appearance and passionate personality had already captivated many men.
Despite not having had her debutante ball yet, many came to the estate just to see her.

Even young Helena once envied her boldness.
Unlike Helena, who was timid and hesitant, Rosalith expressed herself clearly.

It was obvious she was interested in Caligo.

“Helena, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Noticing the guest, Aiden, who had been quietly observing, spoke to Helena.
He seemed worried she might faint.

“It’s nothing.”

Apparently, her unease was showing on her face. But what could she do?
She had admired Rosalith since childhood.

She envied how Rosalith had grown up loved and confident.
Now, seeing that same sister courting the man she loved filled her with fear and insecurity.

How could two lives be so different despite having the same father?
Since childhood, it had been a habit of hers to compare herself to Rosalith, who was loved and cherished.

Perhaps that’s why.
Once again, I found myself comparing myself to Rosalith.

Just moments ago, I thought I looked fine, but now I felt utterly inadequate.
Even though I knew I shouldn’t, I couldn’t help but belittle myself.

“I’m fine.”

There was nothing physically wrong with me. I forced a smile to reassure Aiden, even though it felt unnatural.

But then, Caligo’s steady, emotionless voice came from behind her.

“Let’s do that.”

“Really?”

Though his reply was as indifferent as usual, it felt like a dagger to my heart.
I hadn’t expected Caligo to indulge Rosalith.

No, I knew he wasn’t the type to be rude to someone, even Rosalith.
I understood that. Yet, for some reason, my chest ached.

“It makes me happy to be welcomed like this. Hello, Sister Helena.”

Only then did Rosalith finally greet me.

But even now, I couldn’t bear to look at her standing next to Caligo.

“…Hello.”

“You’re still the same, Sister.”

What’s with that woman?

Jeremy grumbled behind me, clearly unimpressed with Rosalith’s arrogant demeanor.

—

“The estate is so beautiful! It’s the most stunning one I’ve ever seen.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Lady.”

“Managing such a large estate must take a great deal of effort. I wonder if Sister Helena is doing well?”

At her remark, I felt Caligo’s gaze linger on her.

“I appreciate your concern, but she’s doing quite well, Lady.”

“Oh my, really? That’s such a relief!”

For some reason, I had felt small ever since earlier.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Even Jeremy, who always stayed by my side, asked curiously.

“Nothing. Just…”

“Is that woman your younger sister?”

“Yeah.”

“You two are completely different.”

“…We are. Very different.”

My reply was weak and listless.
It wasn’t a situation that should make me feel intimidated, but my head felt heavy for some reason.

The brief glimpse I caught of the two of them together—they looked like they had stepped out of a fairy tale.

Their conversation flowed effortlessly, and Rosalith’s laughter echoed in the room.

Caligo had never smiled at me before. But he seemed to be smiling at Rosalith, and that terrified me.

What if he regrets marrying me?
What if he starts to like Rosalith?

My imagination tormented me more than usual today.

Get a grip. Don’t do this.
I clenched my fists beneath the fabric of my sleeve, trying to steel myself.

This was a good opportunity. Rosalith’s visit could save me a trip to Eskel.
I could use this chance to find out if there were any suspicious rumors, if strangers had been seen around the estate, or what Father and Brother Salizar were up to.

I had a promise with Bahen. If I got lost in my thoughts and failed to seize this moment, it would be disastrous.
I needed to turn this into an opportunity.

If I could ask after her well-being and establish a connection, things might progress more smoothly.
I kept urging myself to move, to shake off my stiffness. But my hands continued to tremble.

Helena sat frozen, her gaze lowered.

Perhaps because I’d been staring down for so long, I noticed something odd.

“Huh.”

Caligo’s movements seemed strangely unnatural.

He wasn’t the type to make large, exaggerated motions.
Even so, I noticed he’d been intentionally avoiding using his right arm.

A right-handed person should instinctively use their dominant hand to open the cap of a brandy bottle. Yet, he deliberately used his left hand.

Using his left arm, which he didn’t normally use, Caligo picked up his glass and even kept his distance from Rosalith, who was seated on his right.

Could he be injured?
Just because he always emerged victorious didn’t mean he was immune to getting hurt.

Helena recalled that he had just returned from the battlefield and felt a pang of concern.

Moreover, the clothes he was wearing seemed far too restrictive for someone with an injured right arm.

He likely hadn’t been able to wear something more comfortable at the imperial palace due to formalities.
And judging by how quickly Rosalith’s visit followed his return, he probably hadn’t even had time to change after arriving at the estate.

He must not have had the chance to see a physician or even bandage his wound properly, sitting there as he was.

At the very least, he needed proper treatment, like changing his bandages.

“Your Grace.”

It wasn’t easy to address him. He was in the middle of a conversation with Rosalith, and she felt like I might be intruding.

“What is it, Sister? What’s the matter now?”

As expected, Rosalith frowned, clearly displeased at the interruption.

But Helena couldn’t back down this time.

“It seems you’re injured. Wouldn’t it be better to go inside and get treated?”

“My goodness, Your Grace, are you hurt?”

“I’ll call the physician right away.”

“I’m fine…!”

As he finished his sentence and started to turn away, Caligo instinctively reached out to stop her with his right arm—only to freeze mid-motion.

“Your Grace.”

How could he move his injured arm like that? Alarmed by the faint groan she heard, Helena hurried to his side.

“Are you alright?”

“It looks like moving your right arm is causing you difficulty.”

After a moment of hesitation, she carefully suggested,
“Why don’t I talk with Rosalith while you go upstairs, change into something more comfortable, and get some treatment?”

What if the wound got worse? What if it became infected?

“I said it’s unnecessary.”

But Caligo coldly rejected my concern.

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