TISND Chapter 82

Chapter 82

The butler, who had been fiddling with the documents, muttered to himself.

“It will be difficult to see her face for a while.”

Hearing this, the young duke’s steps slowed slightly.

“…Who?”

“Lady Rosalith Eskel.”

The butler answered. Caligo’s expression softened slightly upon hearing this.

“It seems she went down to the estate after receiving some reprimand from the Count.”

“She’s of no use to me anymore.”

With that, he descended the stairs of the mansion without hesitation.

“There’s nothing more to gain from her anyway.”

He had spent some time with Rosalith during her visit to the mansion, just to ensure that she didn’t start spreading any rumors.

But she had been truly ignorant.
She seemed to have no interest in her father or siblings, not even the slightest care about how they lived.
It appeared that she was only concerned with herself.

“I’m glad I won’t have to deal with that annoying woman anymore.”

“If Lady Rosalith stops visiting the mansion, do you think the rumors will die down?”

The duke immediately understood what the butler was trying to say.

“The rumors about the mistress, you mean?”

“They won’t disappear just because she’s gone.”

The rumors about “Helena Eskel,” shrouded in mystery, quickly spread.
Of all the Eskel daughters, she was the only one with no known background.

When rumors started circulating about her spending time with the doctor, people were quick to assume the worst about her, as they did with all the Eskel daughters.

The rumors didn’t die down; in fact, they grew louder, and Caligo became increasingly concerned.

“Isn’t the real problem the fact that she’s always with that doctor, butler?”

“…Would His Grace consider helping with the situation?”

“Me?”

“If you were to appear with her at an official event, it might at least calm the rumors. If you two show a close relationship, it will surely put the rumors to rest.”

“Well, it’s not exactly a baseless rumor.”

“…Your Grace.”

“Am I wrong? Since the day I brought her to the mansion, we’ve had no relationship. You, of all people, should know that well. So why are you still talking about it?”

Caligo said.

“I’ve told you repeatedly, don’t show her unnecessary affection. Whatever she does, whoever she meets, it’s none of our concern. The rumors are something she’ll have to handle herself, it’s not my business.”

“Still, in a situation where everyone is pointing fingers, you should help.”

“Do you not understand why they’re pointing fingers?”

“Do you believe the rumors, Your Grace?”

“Why are you so sure about it?”

No matter what he said, the wall between them seemed to grow higher and firmer.

Caligo had always kept a distance from her, but never to this extent.

The butler was worried that at this rate, their relationship would end completely.

“I don’t know what they’re doing in my mansion, but why are you asking me to help her? She should be grateful that I haven’t thrown her out already!”

“Why not have a conversation with her? If it’s a misunderstanding, I’m sure she will clear it up.”

“Enough. I don’t want to hear any more of your meddling.”

He had already heard her say that the rumors were false.
Everything was a misunderstanding.

But so what?
He had resolved to erase everything about her from his life.
This feeling, this attachment, this desire—he would forget it all.

So, whether the rumors were true or not didn’t matter.
Even if the misunderstanding was cleared up, his relationship with her would never change.

Caligo turned his gaze toward the empty field in the distance.
It was a place where Helena often spent time with the children.

It seemed like she had only just arrived at the mansion, but already, the soil in the garden had sprouted.

Yet, there was no sign of her or the children’s laughter, not even her familiar silhouette.
Once the rumors spread, it seemed like Helena had chosen to retreat completely.

“The mistress hasn’t come out today,”

The butler quietly reported, as though reading his master’s thoughts.

“It seems she has been staying in her bedroom all day due to a cold.”

I had hoped I would never see her again.
But now that she wasn’t in sight, she lingered in my mind.

What bothered me the most was the way I felt.
Even though I had decided to move on, I couldn’t help but look for her, and it was absurd.

How could emotions be so stubborn? Was it always this hard to sever feelings?

“Who asked about that?”

“I thought you might be curious, so I mentioned it.”
The butler suggested politely.

“How about having a brief conversation just to check on her?”

“I don’t have time to waste on that. You know that, don’t you?”

Despite that, the young duke dismissed the butler’s suggestion coldly.

“I can’t keep the Crown Prince waiting.”

“I know, of course I do… but still, I brought it up out of concern.”

The butler had no choice but to let the young lord go.
Upon arriving in the capital, Caligo was busier than when he was in Frantor.

With the upcoming social season, he was also preparing to train new knights.

Although he didn’t personally assess every entrance exam, as the chairman of the committee, he oversaw the process and took on the responsibility.

He also had to attend military meetings to keep up with the rapidly changing international situation.
He directly oversaw the training of the troops he commanded.

Since they would be fighting together on the battlefield, he participated in the grueling training process himself.

Along with the duties he had carried since childhood as a duke, he fulfilled all his responsibilities diligently.
Even though he was busy in such an important position, he hoped that he wouldn’t miss the chance to clear up misunderstandings, despite being caught up in his social duties.

If time passed without clearing up the misunderstandings, the chance to fix their relationship would eventually disappear.

“Butler.”

“Yes.”

“Has the ‘Forget-me-not’ arrived yet?”

Since that day, anonymous letters continued to arrive.

Soon, it was revealed that the letters sent by Forget-me-not contained highly credible information.
This provided a means to track down the trail of usury.

But there was one thing that puzzled him.
Who could Forget-me-not possibly be?

“Not yet.”

After hearing the butler’s answer, Caligo picked up the letter. There was a faint scent at the end of the letter.

An unfamiliar scent. But one that seemed strangely familiar.

***

Crown Prince’s Palace.

Caligo confirmed that the palace was empty.
Even the servants in the palace wore bewildered expressions.

In such a situation, the Crown Prince only had one thing to do.

Without hesitation, he headed to the jousting arena, which was not far from the palace.
As expected, familiar helmets and horses came into view.

Caligo was stunned when he saw the Crown Prince, wearing a helmet and holding a spear.

From a distance, the Crown Prince waved his hand nonchalantly as if he had seen Caligo.

Then, he turned his attention back to the knight he was competing against.
Both the guards and the knights watched in nervous silence.

“Your Highness!”

“Your Highness!”

“Are you alright, Your Highness?”

“Hurry, get the physician!”

The jousting match was in full swing.
At that moment, the Crown Prince swung his spear to strike his opponent but lost his balance and fell from his horse.

Everyone panicked and rushed over as they saw him lying motionless on the ground.

“Haha! I’m fine. There’s no need to call the physician.”

The jousting arena, where the match was taking place, was a small space built for his hobby.

“This is fun since it’s been a while. Haha, though sadly, my body can’t keep up.”

The Crown Prince greeted Caligo, who was walking toward him, from the ground with a smile.

“Ah, Duke, you’ve come! Everyone else is making a fuss and rushing to me, but why are you taking so long to approach?”

“Even from a distance, I could hear Your Highness’s laughter. I knew you were fine immediately.”

“You’re such a boring person, ha ha!”

Despite the servant’s hand reaching out to assist him, the Crown Prince lay there on the cold ground grinning.

With blonde hair and blue eyes, he was still a young man with a boyish charm.

Unlike Caligo, whose body was the typical physique of a warrior, he had a slender build, and his face was pale.

“I must have shown quite an embarrassing sight. It’s not enough that I want to show only the best side of me in front of you.”

Crown Prince Raul loved sports.
The problem was, because of his deep passion, he would often dive into things without considering his position or responsibilities.

As with the jousting match just now, there had been numerous close calls.
Even though the opponent tried to be careful, swinging a lance while wearing heavy armor often led to frequent falls.

“Then perhaps you should stop participating in jousting matches next time.”

“How can I stop doing something I love?”

“Isn’t it because you’re the Crown Prince?”

“Before being a Crown Prince, I’m just a man who loves sports! Can’t you understand that?”

“Are you a child?”

“I’m younger than you, so give me a break.”

Unlike the cold, sharp responses from Duke Frantor, the Crown Prince laughed heartily.

“Well, are you not going to help me up?”

Raul, still lying on the dirt, reached his hand toward Caligo.

“I don’t want to hold the hand of Your Highness covered in dirt.”

“You’re really not going to help me?”

The Crown Prince blinked innocently, asking.
With a sigh, Caligo finally extended his hand to his lord and friend, Raul.

Without hesitation, Raul took the hand, rising and laughing like a mischievous child.

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