Chapter 8
When I saw Lady Kenderville’s flustered face, I realized it.
She had never expected Helena to intervene.
At first, she cautiously made snide remarks, but as Helena ignored them, she gradually escalated her attacks.
She assumed no matter what she said, Helena wouldn’t react.
She wanted her words to hurt, to make her shrink back.
“D-Duchess…”
Since Helena, as an adult, hadn’t stepped in, she even began targeting Jeremy.
“So, you knew I was a duchess?”
“Of course! Yes, I knew!”
“Well, then. Are your parents doing well?”
When Helena abruptly brought up her parents, Lady Kenderville appeared startled.
“Why, why would you ask about my parents…?”
“I simply asked. Are they doing well?”
“Yes, they are… But why would you ask that?”
“Just curious. Your upbringing seemed questionable.”
The outright mockery made Lady Kenderville’s face flush bright red.
She had never expected Helena, who had kept silent despite any insult, to respond like this.
Caught off guard, she opened and closed her mouth, unable to retort.
“You said whatever you pleased in front of a child, didn’t you? It made me wonder about the people who raised you.”
Everyone knows that mocking family stings deeper than personal insults. Surely, she knew that.
“I was wrong! Please, leave my family out of this…”
Helena grew even angrier, realizing Lady Kenderville valued her family but didn’t respect others’.
Wait. Why did I just call them “family”?
Helena paused for a moment.
“As a protector… this is something I can’t overlook.”
Not quite family, but as a guardian, she could justify her actions, couldn’t she?
Thinking this, Helena voiced what she had been contemplating.
“That’s why I’m planning to purchase this salon.”
“What?!”
As expected, the apology had been a façade.
Lady Kenderville hadn’t been genuinely sorry—she’d only lowered her pride to salvage the situation.
“You can’t do that!”
Lady Kenderville, who had been groveling moments before, suddenly sprang to her feet and shouted.
“Are you planning to drive me out of Frantor just because you don’t like me?”
She cried out indignantly.
“How could you be so cruel? To drive out someone who’s long been rooted in Frantor, just because they don’t suit your taste… How heartless of you!”
Helena was dumbfounded.
It was fine for Lady Kenderville to act cruelly, but Helena’s actions were deemed heartless?
“My lady, your reputation as a duchess will be ruined! People won’t stand for it!”
The hypocrisy was astounding.
“You’re trampling over the livelihood of a poor woman like me.”
“And what of it?”
Helena, tilting her chin up slightly, responded indifferently.
“I’m ‘Eskel’.”
At the very least, Helena didn’t want Lady Kenderville anywhere near where Jeremy operated.
“As they say, I’m unlucky, but I have plenty of money.”
***
After the situation had settled, Helena selected the most suitable outfit and placed it in the dressing room.
Before long, Jeremy emerged from the room.
“I gave you clothes to change into. Why didn’t you wear them?”
“Your sense of fashion is awful. How could you claim to pick the best outfit in the world and hand me something like ‘that’?”
“It’s not my taste that’s awful—it’s this place’s collection. Be fair.”
Following her orders, the staff bustled about. Watching them, she added indifferently:
“It’ll get better over time.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m the owner here now.”
The sizable dowry was fortunate.
On top of that, Helena had financial leeway to begin with.
She had steadily sold medicinal herbs since childhood, so she had more than enough savings.
…And now, she doesn’t need to worry about holding back.
“You…”
Jeremy, his eyes reddening, glanced sideways at her before speaking.
“I told you not to waste your time on pointless things.”
“What are you talking about?”
“…I heard everything.”
“Oh.”
A spacious dressing room equipped with a sofa and a coffee table.
Even so, it seemed it couldn’t completely block out the noise from the commotion outside.
“You heard it, huh.”
Helena glanced at the boy beside her.
Jeremy looked utterly humiliated, likely thinking she had intervened because of him.
He was turning his head away, trying hard to hold back his tears.
So, she spoke.
“It wasn’t because of you.”
“…”
“This time, I wasn’t acting like a mother either.”
Helena spoke nonchalantly.
“You know who I am, right? I’m Eskel. And an Eskel just did what an Eskel does.”
“…”
“It’s just a trait of our wicked family, so you’ll have to understand.”
“…”
“Next time, if you meet someone like that, just mention the Eskel name. Tell them there’s a crazy woman living in the mansion.”
His eyes reddened even more than before. What’s wrong?
Helena tilted her head, examining his face.
It seemed like he was sniffling.
Helena, who had no idea how to comfort a child, grew nervous herself. What should she do?
“Should we head out?”
After thinking for a while, she cautiously extended her hand.
He stared blankly at the hand in front of him.
“All that yelling made me hungry.”
“…”
“Let’s eat something.”
“You… seriously.”
Jeremy, who had finally let his tears fall, wiped them away and took her hand.
“Can you really eat in a situation like this?”
“What’s so bad about this situation? If you’re hungry, you eat.”
“What do you want to eat, then?”
“Chicken skewers sound good. Let’s get some hot cocoa too.”
“Fine, whatever.”
The first time Jeremy held Helena’s hand, it felt soft and warm.
For someone like him, who got cold easily, it felt warmer than a fireplace.
How strange. They were only holding hands, yet the warmth seemed to spread from his hand all the way to his chest.
Jeremy’s ears turned red as he held her hand tightly.
“But do you even know where they sell chicken skewers?”
“No, I don’t. It’s my first time here. You lead the way.”
“Ugh, fine. I’ll guide you, but only because I have to.”
“Thanks.”
They easily found a place selling chicken skewers.
Jeremy seemed to recall it from passing by in a carriage before, as he found it quickly.
They ate chicken skewers until they were full.
However, there was no sign of the hot cocoa to warm their cold bodies.
Thankfully, after walking a bit further, they found a place selling cocoa.
“Wait here for a second.”
Helena blew on the cocoa, which had marshmallows floating in it.
She kept blowing on it until her nose turned red, then finally handed it to Jeremy.
“Drink it slowly, don’t burn the roof of your mouth.”
“What about you?”
“I’m good.”
‘Aren’t you hungry? You barely ate the chicken skewers.’
Now that he thought about it, Helena, who had said she was hungry and suggested eating, hardly ate anything herself.
Even a sparrow would have eaten more than she did.
Cabbage stew, bread, chicken skewers…
She had been too busy handing everything to Jeremy.
“I’m done.”
He felt strange—like his stomach was churning, or he was overheated. Either way, it was odd.
“Huh? Already? Did you not like it?”
Helena widened her eyes in surprise, asking him a series of questions just because he said he was finished.
“No, I just ate too many chicken skewers, so I’m full.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. So, you drink it.”
He remembered how cold her hands had been when she handed him the cocoa. While she had been warming his hands, hers had grown noticeably colder.
“No, I’m fine. I don’t need it.”
“Stop being stubborn and drink it.”
Jeremy grumbled, placing the warm cocoa cup back in her hands.
“If you don’t want it because it’s already been drunk from, I’ll buy you a new one.”
“…That’s not it.”
Her hands, pale from the cold wind, began to regain warmth.
“Anyway, thanks.”
“Idiot…”
Jeremy muttered, puffing his lips out in a sulky manner.
“You’re thanking me for something I left unfinished, even though you bought it in the first place. How dumb.”
Seriously, that woman is a complete fool.
***
“Tomorrow, you’ll finally see Young Master Joshua again after a long time.”
The butler, who was pouring tea, noticed Caligo staring out the window.
Following his gaze, he saw Jeremy trailing behind Helena like a shadow.
“Young Master Jeremy seems to be fond of the mistress.”
The butler was well aware of the infamous reputation of the Eskel family.
That was why he had been secretly concerned that the new mistress might negatively influence the sensitive child.
But it seemed his worries had been unfounded.
“It appears the mistress is gaining followers among the staff one by one. Her reputation is improving day by day.”
The butler was also aware of Caligo’s grudge and hatred.
Eskel, who had caused the loss of his older brother.
Caligo had approached Helena to take revenge on Count Eskel.
But Helena was entirely different from Count Eskel.
“…No matter how you justify it, she’s still an Eskel,” Caligo said coldly.
“Make sure you don’t grow attached to her.”
“…Yes, Your Grace.”
Helena, sitting in the grass, looked as fresh and beautiful as the day they first met.
His gaze lingered on her for a long time.
