TISND Chapter 85

Chapter 85

It was a small hunting tournament hosted by the Crown Prince. Perhaps because of this, the participants were mostly composed of Imperial faction members.

Caligo stayed by the Crown Prince’s side, who was seated in the place of honor, and Helena was seated next to him.

In the gathering of nobles, Caligo showed the minimum courtesy expected of a husband. He didn’t leave her to wander around on her own, and occasionally introduced Helena to people who approached him.

But that was all.

It was nothing more than fulfilling the basic manners expected of him as her escort. There was no deeper meaning behind his actions.

Thus, Helena also decided to do as he wished and stick to the basics. She made sure not to stray far from his side and avoided conversations with unfamiliar faces, as he had warned her. She focused on simply standing there like a doll.

“Duke Frantor.”

“It’s been a while, Count Hyren.”

Because of this, people began to notice the cold atmosphere between the two.

For a newlywed couple supposedly in their honeymoon phase, their relationship seemed colder than even that of strangers.

So the rumors were true.

Those who had been quietly observing the Duke and Duchess Frantor could no longer deny it.

There was no one unaware of the conflict between Duke Frantor and Count Eskel.

Rather than subsiding after the marriage, the conflict had only deepened.

An invisible war had already begun.

And so, people casually brought up Count Eskel without hesitation.

“I heard His Grace recently reported Count Eskel’s loan sharking?”

“For now, the count must be preoccupied with securing his financial resources.”

Even in front of Helena, they talked about the count without reservation.

“Why doesn’t His Grace simply get rid of the count at once? With his skills, he could do it quietly without anyone knowing.”

“He’s probably tightening the noose gradually. Beheading him at once would be too generous a death. The count will have to suffer as he watches his family crumble. That would scare him more.”

“But is it alright to talk about such things in front of her? She’s Eskel’s daughter, after all.”

“So what? Surely, she knows her own situation.”

The crowd was busy ridiculing her as she stood silently in her modest dress.

“It must be terrifying—to stand beside someone who might kill you.”

“And considering His Grace is the one, how frightening must it be? Wouldn’t she want to run away immediately?”

“Did you hear? They say she has a lover who’s a doctor.”

“As expected of Eskel’s family. She must’ve inherited his promiscuity too.”

Just as Caligo had stated that the latest scandal had nothing to do with him, he truly made no effort to address or quell the rumors in public.

While Caligo remained silent, Helena also stood there, unfazed by the whispers and fingers pointed at her.

Even with her eyes closed, she could hear the murmurs of the crowd. She had grown used to such insults. She could only be thankful that there were no children present in this gathering.

What pained her more than the people’s derision, however, was Caligo’s indifference.

The coldness with which he treated her as if she didn’t exist.

Now that the war between Eskel and Frantor had begun, Caligo had no reason to be kind to her.

How exhausting it must’ve been for him to pretend to be a husband to the daughter of his enemy all this time.

Though she had anticipated this would happen someday, she couldn’t help but feel her heart ache.

She had always wanted to know what Caligo truly thought of her.

What did he really feel? Wouldn’t they grow closer over time as they spent more time together? She had secretly hoped for it.

But nothing had changed. The only thing left in him was an unrelenting thirst for revenge.

And she couldn’t resent him for that. Once again, all Helena could do was choose silence.

“Is His Grace participating in the tournament as well?”

“Not this time.”

“That’s unfortunate! I was looking forward to seeing His Grace’s hunting skills.”

“You’ll have to save that for another time.”

She wanted nothing more than to escape far away from Caligo, who treated her as though she were invisible.

At this very moment, she wanted to escape from this place and run far away to somewhere no one could find her.

She didn’t care if her body never recovered; she just wanted to get away from this situation. Away from the man’s indifference, the people’s whispers and pointed fingers, and this suffocating feeling of being utterly alone in the world.

Even though they were in a vast hunting ground, it felt as though she was trapped inside a cage, struggling to breathe.

Finally, the hunting tournament began, and gunshots echoed here and there.

The intermittent cries of animals and the cheers of the hunters that followed could be heard all around.

The more the gunshots rang out, the more she felt as though she was the one being hunted. Her breathing quickened, as if she were running away from the gunfire.

But she couldn’t run.

After all, it was she who had chosen to marry him.

“Duchess, are you alright?”

At that moment, a marchioness, noticing Helena’s pale complexion, cautiously asked her.

“You don’t look well.”

Judging by the genuine concern in her voice, Helena’s face must have looked truly ashen.

Well, it wasn’t surprising. Her illness had progressed to the point where she had been confined to the manor for quite some time.

This was the first time she had spent so long outside. Aiden had warned her to avoid overexerting herself.

“Perhaps you should rest for a bit. Shall I call for a servant?”

“Yes, I think that might be best.”

Cold sweat kept breaking out.

She could feel the poison coursing through her veins, slowly eating away at her body.

It was getting harder to endure.

“Your Grace.”

Helena forced out words, summoning what little strength she had, and finally managed to address Caligo.

“May I… leave for a while?”

“Leave now?”

“Yes.”

She couldn’t even fully comprehend what Caligo was saying anymore. Her ears were ringing.

“Why? Do you hate being here that much?”

“It’s not that.”

For a moment, her mind went completely blank, and her legs gave out beneath her.

Helena barely managed to keep her balance as she staggered, staying on her feet through sheer willpower.

Through her blurry vision, she saw his slightly startled expression.

“I’m… not feeling well.”

“…”

“I think I might be coming down with something. I’ll head back first.”

Without waiting for his permission, Helena turned away.

She truly felt as though she would faint if she stayed here any longer.

She didn’t want to show such a vulnerable side to anyone.

It was the last shred of pride she had left.

Even if she looked like an incompetent fool, she couldn’t allow herself to appear weak.

Helena staggered back to the carriage, her breathing labored.

Her body was drenched with sweat, as though she’d been caught in the rain. Even breathing felt suffocating.

As soon as she arrived at the Frantor estate, Helena tried to head straight to her bedroom.

She waved off any servants who tried to approach her and walked alone.

But her legs kept threatening to give out, her breath short and shallow.

“I knew this would happen.”

It was then that she heard Aiden’s voice.

Helena couldn’t bring herself to turn toward him.

He must have noticed it by now—how she had been avoiding him all this time.

Because she was grateful. Because she felt guilty. And because, deep down, she couldn’t understand him.

She had avoided him, hoping he would eventually grow tired of her and leave.

But Aiden came to find her.

“…Take your medicine and rest in your bedroom.”

“…”

“I’ll just give you the medicine and leave, so stop running away from me.”

Aiden, with a sad smile, reached out a hand toward her.

“Please, don’t reject my hand.”

His desperate plea left Helena unable to refuse.

Just like her, Aiden seemed on the verge of breaking, consumed by his own anguish.

She couldn’t bring herself to coldly push him away.

After a moment of hesitation, Helena accepted Aiden’s hand, which was extended to support her.

*

In her absence, the void she left was quickly filled, as if she had never been there at all.

Even the people who had been gossiping about Helena as she left the hunting grounds with her pale face were now chatting about something new, as if her departure had never happened.

Among them, like dust floating aimlessly, Caligo stood still, recalling how she had staggered as she walked away.

Her condition seemed far worse than just a mild cold.

He knew she had never been a particularly healthy person.

But… despite that, something about it left him with an uneasy feeling.

“Duke, how about we head to the palace and hold a small banquet? What do you think?”

Crown Prince Raul asked.

“If you don’t mind, why not join us? It would be a shame to part ways so soon.”

“No, I’ll be taking my leave now.”

Caligo replied curtly.

“I still have matters to attend to. Please oversee the rest of the group, Your Highness.”

“Are you so busy you can’t even stop by for a moment? Well, if you’re that pressed for time, I suppose I have no choice but to let you go. What a pity.”

After offering the Crown Prince a brief bow, Caligo mounted his horse without hesitation.

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