TISND Chapter 96

Chapter 96

“If you lie to me again, I will cut your throat with my own hands.”

Caligo’s words, spoken with a hardened expression, had left a scar in her memory.

And at some point, that memory began to pierce her like an awl.

Dreams were merciless.

In her nightmares, Caligo swung his sword at her over and over again.

She wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go. Just as she was trapped in this locked bedroom, unable to escape, she couldn’t flee in her dreams either.

Until now, she had believed she had come to terms with her impending death.

A life without lingering attachments. Hadn’t she come to Frantor in hopes of spending her remaining year meaningfully?

But as her body grew weaker, fear crept in, unnoticed.

…The truth was, she didn’t want to die.

For the first time, she felt she was truly living.

She had met good people, shared warmth and made precious memories with them.

She didn’t want to die. She really, really didn’t want to die.

There were still so many places she longed to see.

She had always wanted to visit the sea before she died.

She had never once seen the ocean in her life, nor the vast continent beyond it.

There was still so much she wanted to do, so many people she wanted to meet.

Why did she have to die so soon?

At some point, these emotions and thoughts had started to consume her, shaking her to the core.

“Die.”

No… Perhaps disappearing like this was the right thing to do.

Even if she clung to life, she feared the scorn she would receive from him.

He never liked me anyway…

She no longer understood her own feelings. Did she still love him? Even when she asked herself, she couldn’t come up with an answer.

His cold gaze, his cruel words—every time she recalled them, it felt like ash settling in her chest, suffocating her. It hurt so much, she could barely breathe.

Instead of feeling excitement and happiness by his side, she found herself constantly wounded, swallowing back the tears that threatened to spill over.

That realization crushed her.

Throughout the night, Helena was tormented by nightmares, thrashing in her sleep.

Her nightgown was drenched in sweat.

“Ugh—”

Finally waking, she bolted to the bathroom, unable to hold back the nausea.

But having eaten nothing all day, there was nothing to throw up—only bitter bile rising up her throat.

Even after retching several times, nothing came out.

Exhausted, Helena collapsed onto the cold bathroom floor.

Though she had emptied her stomach, her body and mind still felt unbearably heavy.

She could feel it clearly now—her body was deteriorating.

Death was drawing near.

But it wasn’t just her body that was weakening.

Her heart was, too.

—

Had the rumors faded because Aiden left on his own?

Or had people simply moved on to hunting their next victim?

Or perhaps, from the very start, the truth hadn’t mattered—maybe the rumors had only existed to condemn her.

Just as quickly as the scandal had spread, it disappeared without a trace.

After all, it had never been based on real evidence.

There had been no witnesses to claim they saw the two of them in any sort of intimate encounter.

Since she was Eskel, the rumors about her were nothing more than stories born from the servants’ imagination.

The same servants who had once cast suspicious glances at Helena and Aiden were now too preoccupied gossiping about Count Umbren eloping with a woman in the dead of night.

No one seemed to care how absurd that scandal was. No one even bothered to verify whether the rumors were true.

With Aiden gone, Helena was granted a small taste of freedom.

One day, the lock on her bedroom door had disappeared.

Yet, she rarely left her room.

She barely touched her meals, often leaving them nearly untouched. Unable to stand by any longer, Emma decided to visit her.

“Oh, Madam…”

The moment she saw Helena’s face after so long, she couldn’t hide her shock.

The signs of illness were undeniable.

“Should I call a doctor immediately? My goodness! Why have you lost so much weight?”

“I’m fine, Emma.”

“Fine? You look terribly unwell… No, I must call a doctor right away!”

“Emma.”

Helena stopped her.

“Don’t call one.”

“…But, Madam—”

“That’s an order.”

She insisted it was just a lack of sleep, but it was clear Emma didn’t believe her.

“Understood, Madam. But I came because I was worried. Is there anything you need?”

“No. But if Jane returns from her errands, please send her to me immediately.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Emma couldn’t hide the sorrow in her eyes.

The rumors had faded, but their damage remained.

The wounds Helena must have suffered were not so easily erased.

As a fellow servant of Frantor, she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.

The ones who had spread those baseless rumors were now hiding behind anonymity, feigning ignorance. Even if she tried to track them down now, finding the true instigators would be nearly impossible.

“Madam, shall I bring you a change of clothes?”

It was already daytime, yet Helena was still in her nightgown. Concerned, Emma cautiously asked.

Despite her youthful appearance, Helena was never one to forget her position.

She understood what it meant to be a duchess.

Even though she preferred the earth and the fields, she had always dressed appropriately while inside the manor.

“What about the dress you recently had made, Madam? The weather is getting warmer—it might be nice to get some fresh air, even if just for a change of pace.”

“…There’s no need.”

“But—”

“It doesn’t fit, Emma.”

Helena replied indifferently.

“But, Madam, you had that dress tailored just before coming to the capital.”

“I know. But… it doesn’t fit anymore.”

That morning, Jane had brought the dresses she had left.

But none of them fit.

In the end, she chose to remain in her nightgown.

Jane had looked heartbroken, but Helena had reassured her, saying it was fine since she wasn’t leaving her room anyway.

Of course, she knew her words hadn’t offered any real comfort.

“Then… shall I call a tailor, Madam?”

Emma finally managed to ask, though her lips trembled as she spoke.

How much had she suffered?

Just thinking about the pain Helena must have endured—the young woman she cherished like a daughter—made Emma feel like she might cry.

“Yes, please.”

A while later, Emma left.

Jane was likely out meeting Bahen, who had recently arrived in a nearby city, to retrieve some documents.

Caligo had managed to sever Eskel’s financial lifeline by cracking down on the illegal money lending operations that had been amassing wealth through exorbitant interest rates.

Afterward, he gradually tightened his grip on the noble faction, slowly strangling them.

As a result, the influence of the Crown Prince—the one he served as his lord—became more secure, giving him a solid political advantage.

However, due to legal loopholes, the practice of loan sharking couldn’t be completely eradicated.

Still, they had succeeded in cutting off Eskel’s financial resources, and Caligo was surely planning his next move to drive him out completely.

Perhaps he was searching for witnesses and evidence proving that the noble faction was engaging in human trafficking, targeting those who couldn’t repay their debts.

Helena suspected that Bahen’s wife might also be entangled in something similar.

So far, Caligo had been handling things well.

But something felt off.

A bad feeling crept over her.

They now had the perfect justification to take action against Eskel—so why was everyone so still?

The nobles’ reaction was eerily quiet.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that her father’s shadow didn’t know everything.

Had Caligo noticed this as well?

“Jane?”

Had Emma left the bedroom door slightly open on purpose when she stepped out?

Through the narrow gap, she could hear footsteps approaching from the hallway.

Few people ever entered Helena’s bedroom.

Aside from Jane and Emma, almost no one came.

Naturally, Helena assumed that Jane had returned from her errand.

She seemed to be back earlier than expected.

Helena slowly pushed herself up.

She had thought Jane might take her time, perhaps enjoying the bustling streets of the capital while she was out.

Bahen was supposed to arrive in the capital soon—maybe Jane had returned with the exact date of his arrival.

“You’re back already? You came so ea—”

Before she could finish her sentence, someone burst into the room and shoved her.

Helena, too frail to react, was thrown backward.

She nearly collapsed onto the floor.

A sharp pain flared in her shoulder, but she barely showed it.

She was frozen in place.

Because standing before her, staring her down with burning rage, was Jeremy.

His fists were clenched, his breath ragged with fury.

“You were just like the rest! You filthy Eskel!”

The one who had pushed her—was none other than Jeremy.

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