Chapter 9
After purchasing Lady Kenderville’s salon, Helena immediately moved all its contents to her estate.
Then, one day, she approached the staff and said,
“From now on, use this material when making clothes. Preferably for winter clothing.”
As always, she spoke with a face as expressionless as ever.
“And in a week, cotton will arrive from the west. I’ve also ordered leather and fur as extra supplies… Once they arrive, it would be good to line the clothes with them.”
“Pardon me, ma’am, but where will these clothes we make be used?”
No matter how skilled they were, they weren’t trained to craft the luxurious dresses worn by nobles.
Suddenly being told to make clothes was perplexing, and some staff wondered if this was another instance of Helena doing something eccentric—an “Eskel thing.”
The staff exchanged cautious glances, waiting for her explanation.
“I intend to distribute the clothes you make to the residents,” Helena said matter-of-factly.
“Huhh…! Madam!”
“There have been more deaths from the cold this winter than usual. If there are any leftovers, we could even sell them for some profit.”
Her calm tone stirred murmurs among the staff as she continued.
“I’m not asking all of you to do this. Only those who can afford the time should take part. There’s no deadline, and it’s entirely voluntary.”
“Are you saying we don’t have to do it if we don’t want to?”
“Of course. But those who make clothes will be compensated generously.”
Her tone was firm yet understanding. She planned to leave after delivering her message but paused as if remembering something.
“Oh, right.”
She placed a basket onto the table with a light thud.
“I made some carrot sandwiches by slicing the carrots thinly.”
“…”
“I accidentally made too many. It was a terrible mistake.”
Clearing her throat awkwardly, Helena added that she was leaving and exited without waiting for a response.
The staff exchanged looks before cautiously taking a bite of the carrot sandwiches she had supposedly made herself.
The sandwiches were filled with thinly sliced sautéed carrots and various vegetables. The sweet juice from the carrots made them incredibly tasty.
Inside the basket was also some juice. Judging by its appearance, it seemed homemade. A quick sniff confirmed it was apple juice.
Apples were the most beloved fruit in the region of Frantor. Selling the apples grown here allowed the locals to avoid going hungry.
Even without added sugar, the tangy and sweet flavor of the apple juice was delicious.
“She’s truly hard to figure out.”
A staff member enjoying the thoughtfully prepared apple juice spoke up.
“What do you mean?”
“Our mistress. The more time passes, the harder it is to tell if she’s considerate or not.”
“She seems to have it one moment and then not the next.”
Everything Helena had done so far seemed to be for someone else.
The clothes she gifted Jeremy, the sewing tools she suddenly brought in, the carrot sandwiches, and the apple juice.
“…It’s so unlike an Eskel.”
“Yeah, unlike an Eskel.”
But it wasn’t easy to break the prejudice that came with being the daughter of the Eskel family.
Anyone could see that the master of the house had brought Helena in purely for his own purposes.
Letting down their guard and opening up to her… wasn’t something that came easily.
“Moreover, the fact that the clothes we make will go to others…”
It was undoubtedly a meaningful endeavor.
The staff, too, felt a pang of sadness whenever they heard of people freezing to death. They had pondered ways to help those in need, but no clear solution had ever presented itself. They were too busy working in the manor to go out and personally make clothes for others.
The fact that Helena was stepping in to fill that role was astonishing.
“Well, I’ll admit it. Among the Eskels, she’s the kindest and most beautiful.”
“That’s true.”
“By the way, how did she make these carrot sandwiches? They’re really good.”
“Should we ask her how she made them the next time we see her?”
“That’s a great idea!”
As they shared the sandwiches, the staff began discussing the clothes they would make in the future.
—
Helena was contemplating expanding her endeavors.
She planned to start by distributing clothes to the poor.
Later, she could try selling the clothes they made. After all, Frantor wasn’t the only region in the north.
There were many people shivering from the cold, and even more searching for high-quality, warm clothing.
She wanted to gradually expand her business, increasing revenue within Frantor and beyond.
It was all part of a larger plan to help more people.
“Madam,” a voice called.
Helena, deep in thought as she headed back to her room, turned to see Emma. Among the staff, she had a particular fondness for Helena.
“Young Master Joshua has returned from the academy. Do you happen to know where the duke might be?”
“Oh, I’m not sure… but I can look for him.”
It was bound to be an emotional reunion between father and son, who had been apart for so long.
Helena felt an urgent need to ensure they met quickly.
“In that case, I’ll escort Young Master Joshua to the study.”
“Hmm, do you know where the duke might be?”
“The Master might be in the training grounds to the east.”
“Then wouldn’t it make more sense for you to look for him?”
Helena blinked, puzzled as to why she had come to her for this. Emma merely smiled in response.
“I need to escort Young Master Joshua, so I thought it might be better for you to go, madam.”
“Me?”
“Yes! I hope you wouldn’t mind, madam?”
Though Helena still didn’t fully understand her enigmatic smile, she nodded and turned to search for Caligo.
“Oh, wait a moment.”
“What now?”
Emma stopped Helena and placed a bonnet with a ribbon on her head.
“Even though you’re often outdoors, you never wear a bonnet, madam. You should wear one to protect your face from the winter sun.”
“…It’s bothersome.”
“If your beautiful face were to get sunburned, it would break my heart. Please, madam, wear it.”
Helena had worn wide-brimmed straw hats before, but she rarely had the chance to wear a bonnet with ribbons. The ribbon brushing against her chin felt uncomfortable.
However, she couldn’t bring herself to brush off Emma’s kindness. In the end, she reluctantly nodded her head.
—
Fiddling with the uncomfortable ribbon, Helena walked toward the eastern training ground.
“This is so annoying…”
Lately, Emma had been persistently recommending new dresses or shawls for her. The dress she currently wore was the latest order, praised enthusiastically for its perfect fit.
Unable to refuse any longer, Helena had reluctantly worn it.
Nevertheless, more than two weeks had passed since she arrived in Frantor, and this was her first time visiting this area. The main building was far away, and the training grounds were filled with knights, leaving little reason for her to come here.
“Who is this unfamiliar face?”
“Should we help her if she’s lost?”
Sweaty knights were emerging from the eastern training ground, having just finished their training. Seeing a strange woman wandering the grounds made them wary.
“Foolish girl, don’t you know who she is?”
“She’s Eskel’s daughter.”
“Better not get too close, or she’ll bite back.”
Knowing that she was Eskel’s daughter, they became even more guarded.
However, Helena didn’t flinch at their glances.
“Apologies for the late introduction, madam.”
A knight with a nonchalant expression stepped forward, blocking her path.
“Do you have any instructions, madam?”
“Where is Duke?”
“He’s at the spring in the inner area.”
Following the knight’s direction, Helena reached a spot where a small spring had been set up near the flowing water.
“Thank you.”
As she got closer to the mountains and the water, the wind grew stronger.
The loosely tied ribbon was soon whipped away.
“Whoa.”
The bonnet flew along with the ribbon into the wind.
Holding her skirt tightly, Helena frantically ran after it.
The bonnet landed at the feet of a man sitting by the spring.
“Helena.”
She froze upon recognizing his face.
He was shirtless, as if he’d washed lightly in the cold river water. His wet, dark hair clung to his handsome forehead, and his sharp, piercing eyes gleamed between strands of slightly longer bangs.
“…Duke Frantor.”
Her breath hitched as she stared at him, unable to tear her gaze away. His broad shoulders and muscular chest were mesmerizingly beautiful.
She could almost imagine him as a sculpture in a grand art museum—something no work of art could surpass.
“I’m sorry. I heard Joshua came, so I came looking for you.”
“Again, this isn’t something to apologize for.”
The bonnet that had fallen to the ground was picked up by him, and he took a step closer.
One step. Then another.
With every step closer he took, her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.
“This isn’t something to apologize for…”
But as he noticed her flushed face, she stopped moving, breathless.
Frantor was in the midst of winter, yet her face was flushed red as though she had been outside in the summer sun.
Her small fists, tightly clenched, were as delicate as her fair complexion.
At that moment, Helena bit her lip.
Her pale lips began to glow, full of life.
Without thinking, Caligo reached out and lightly touched her lips with his fingers.
“…Caligo?”
Why was it you? That question still lingered unanswered in his mind.
Even now, he didn’t fully understand his own actions.
“Father.”
The tense atmosphere was shattered by Joshua’s voice.
Both quickly stepped back, as though the air had been ignited.
Yet, the subtle tension between them didn’t disappear.
For the first time, Joshua witnessed his father looking flustered—because of this woman.
Eskel’s daughter.
Joshua’s eyes narrowed briefly before returning to their usual sharpness.
“Nice to meet you, madam.”
Unlike Jeremy, Joshua greeted her politely.
Startled by his unexpected formality, Helena widened her eyes.
“I’m Joshua.”
However, she had spent her life carefully navigating her interactions.
“Please take care of me from now on.”
So, she knew.
That boy didn’t like her.
