TISND Chapter 97

Chapter 97

A sensation of something flowing from her arm.

It felt like a bug was crawling.

Though her arm felt numb, as if frozen, she could still sense it.

For a moment, Helena turned her head and saw that her sleeve was soaked in blood, from her forearm down to her sleeve.

When she had been shoved by Jeremy earlier, she had felt a sharp sting.

Where had she been scratched? The bookshelf by the door. There, a glass statue of a woman holding flowers had been displayed. Shards of glass lay scattered on the floor, having broken at some point. She hadn’t noticed it until now, thinking everything was clear just because the glass was transparent.

The boy hadn’t noticed the blood-soaked arm. Perhaps in his heightened state of agitation, he hadn’t realized.

“If you’ve got a mouth, why don’t you make an excuse?”

If it were any other time, Helena would have scolded the boy for his language. But now, she realized she was in no position to criticize him.

In the end, Jeremy had found out. Joshua and Emma had said they would be careful not to let Jeremy hear about the rumors.

But there’s no such thing as an eternal secret.

Trapped suddenly in her room, and with Aiden gone, Jeremy had no choice but to catch on. It had been foolishly ambitious to hope that the boy wouldn’t find out.

Why had she hoped that the boy wouldn’t find out? Helena pondered.

Jeremy, now glaring at her with frustration, kept coming into her mind.

He was once the child who would smile brightly at her, looking up with admiration.

But now, that same boy was staring at her, filled with resentment and hostility.

Perhaps it was the betrayal and hostility she feared that he would show.

“Have you been meeting with that doctor behind Father’s back?”

“…”

“Were you really deceiving us all and doing things like this?”

Jeremy asked, but Helena couldn’t respond. In fact, she didn’t even know what expression to wear.

Perhaps it was dizziness, but her vision seemed to blur. She had nothing to say anyway. Even if she denied it, she didn’t think Jeremy would believe her, just like Caligo.

Suddenly, a thought struck her.

The time she had promised with Caligo was one year. After that, she would have to leave Frantor.

If the children had to endure the pain of parting, perhaps it would be better if they remembered her as the bad person.

Her reputation didn’t matter anyway. She knew in her bones she wouldn’t live much longer. The only thing she worried about was the children left behind. She didn’t want them to mourn her death. She’d rather they hated her.

Yes. Just like Melissa from the past.

Jeremy wouldn’t need to sharpen the blade of revenge like Joshua. She would be dead in a few months. Instead of living in regret, she hoped they could forget everything and start anew. She hoped they wouldn’t remember her, who would become a ghost of the past.

“I thought something was strange. You kept… kept avoiding us and spending time with us.”

“…”

“Back then, we used to eat together, nap together, and now you keep pushing us away. I tried to understand you, you know! I didn’t want to act like a child and monopolize you like before.”

“…”

“But, but to think you were doing this behind our backs.”

Perhaps before it all came to this, she should have spent better time with Jeremy. If she had, she wouldn’t feel so regretful now.

She should have at least tried to make sure he had a good meal.

She should have spent more time with him, the boy who hated being alone.

“Hey, Jeremy!”

Joshua must have noticed the commotion and rushed in, grabbing Jeremy.

“What are you doing?!”

“Let go! Did I say something I shouldn’t have?”

“Don’t believe those rumors! Do you really think Helena would do something like that?”

“Then why can’t she explain herself? If she was confident, she should have told me! She should have explained the situation to me! Why can’t she speak?”

Jeremy pushed away Joshua’s hand, which was trying to grab him.

“Isn’t it because you’re guilty that you can’t say anything? Where do you think that filthy Eskel’s blood is going?”

“Jeremy!”

Now, Joshua was also angry and pushed his twin aside.

“Don’t say something you’ll regret later.”

“Why would I regret it? I’m just saying the obvious!”

“Hey! Jeremy!”

“Joshua, you were the one who told me not to trust her at first. So why are you changing your mind now?”

“Is this the same as before?”

“What’s the difference?! She’s still Eskel, what’s different about it?!”

Helena had never seen Jeremy and Joshua argue like this before. They had bickered occasionally, but never had they raised their voices at each other like this.

But now, it was happening.

“Don’t let yourself be fooled by that woman!”

“Don’t call her ‘that woman’!”

“Why do you keep siding with Eskel? Are you going to betray Father too?”

“How am I betraying Father? It’s because you’re saying nonsense!”

“Why is this nonsense?!”

Jeremy shouted at the top of his lungs.

“She’s the filthy Eskel’s bloodline, and that’s what she deserves, so what’s not making sense?!”

“Hey! Have you said everything you need to say?”

In the end, Joshua, unable to hold back his anger, tried to grab Jeremy by the collar.

“Enough.”

Breaking the chaos, Helena spoke in a voice without inflection.

Immediately, the boys froze, their movements halting in an instant.

Helena could see regret flashing in their eyes.

They were both looking at each other cautiously, as if considering what to do next.

“I will never forgive fighting and using violence in front of me.”

“…”

“Words spoken will not disappear with time. And neither will punches. So stop hurting each other.”

Helena, more than anyone, knew how much the twins cared for each other.

They had always supported each other, standing together even through difficult times.

It was impossible for them to hurt each other, not because of her.

“… Who do you think you are, trying to teach me a lesson? Who do you think you are, trying to tell me what to do?”

Frozen as if he had been struck, Jeremy glared at her and shouted.

“Don’t try to teach me a lesson! You’re just Eskel!”

“…”

“Don’t try to act like my mother.”

I know. Helena quietly responded to his words.

“I wasn’t trying to be your mother.”

It was just that she was worried about them. She wanted them to take care of each other even without her in the future. She fought back the words that rose in her throat.

It was something she had always said to Jeremy before. She hadn’t been trying to act like his mother.

But today, saying those words hurt more than ever. A sharp pain tugged at her heart.

So, Helena simply looked down at Jeremy.

“…”

Even though he seemed ready to shout back, he now kept his mouth tightly shut. His lips were clenched, and his fists were tightly balled as he glared at her.

“I will never forgive someone who betrays our trust.”

“…”

“You too, you’re nothing but a stepmother.”

With those words, Jeremy kicked the bookshelf over. As a result, the glass statue, precariously perched on top, lost its balance and fell.

With a sharp, piercing sound of breaking glass, the shattered pieces scattered across the floor. Jeremy stepped on the broken glass before turning his back and leaving the room. Helena listened with sorrowful eyes as the sounds of his retreating footsteps faded away.

Though she had somewhat expected it, it didn’t make her heart feel any better. The thought that her beloved child no longer trusted her was painful. Criticism from others could be bearable, but when it came from someone she cared for, it stung more deeply.

“Helena.”

Joshua, who had been silent in shock, finally spoke.

“You’re bleeding. When did you get hurt?”

Joshua had only just noticed the pale complexion on Helena’s face. Her forearm was soaked in blood, and droplets of blood were dripping from her fingertips.

“It must hurt a lot, right? I’ll go get help…”

“Joshua. Go to Jeremy right now.”

“How can I leave you alone in this condition?”

Joshua had been worried about Helena, who was already so thin. But now, with her complexion so pale and injured, he seemed even more reluctant to leave her side.

But Helena insisted.

“Jeremy is just as alone as I am.”

“…”

“Right now, Jeremy needs you. Don’t leave him alone.”

“…But.”

“You know how much harder it is for him when he’s alone. Please, go.”

Joshua nodded, understanding, after a moment of hesitation.

“Make sure to get treated, okay?”

“Yeah. Thank you.”

Joshua hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave, but after gently tapping her shoulder, he finally left the room.

Left alone, Helena bent down and began to gather the scattered shards of glass from the floor.

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