TISND Chapter 98

Chapter 98

It wasn’t long before Jane returned.
She didn’t say anything when she saw the shattered glass pieces.

Perhaps she had overheard the murmurs of the servants on her way back and had already guessed what had happened.

“Madam, I’ll clean this up later, so let’s treat your wound first.”

Normally, Jane would have made a fuss, but she was unexpectedly calm this time.
She carefully examined Helena’s wound as she sat her down on the bed.

“I think we should call a doctor to treat this properly.”

A short while later, Jane brought the estate’s physician.
After examining the wound, the doctor concluded that it needed stitches and began suturing the gash.

Although an herbal anesthetic was applied, it didn’t completely numb the pain.
As the needle and thread pierced her skin, Helena’s expression remained unchanged, which puzzled the doctor.
Fortunately, at least, neither her bones nor nerves were damaged.

By the time the treatment was done, Jane had already cleaned up the broken glass.

“Madam, um… Bahen said he would be visiting the estate soon. He mentioned that he’d rather discuss the details with you in person.”

“Alright. You must have had a hard time traveling.”

Bahen was usually the one who traveled across the empire, gathering information.
Meanwhile, Jane interacted with the estate’s servants and collected intel from Eskel.

None of the staff at Eskel Manor suspected that Jane, working under the incompetent Helena Eskel, was actually a spy.

Somehow, she had ended up playing the role of an excellent informant.
It felt like just yesterday that she was complaining about how exhausting it was to be a spy.

“Um, Madam…”

Jane remained silent for a while, staring at the cloth wrapped around the broken glass.
Then, she looked at the bloodstained nightgown with a grim expression.

She seemed hesitant to speak, her lips moving slightly without making a sound.

“Yes? What is it?”

“…It’s nothing.”

“I’ll bring you a fresh nightgown.”

After hesitating for a long time, Jane forced a smile and left the bedroom.

—

By the time Bahen arrived in the capital, Helena’s new dresses had also been prepared.

She had all the ill-fitting dresses discarded and started wearing the newly made ones.
They had been tailored at an astonishing speed.
Since they were meant for the social season, there was a sense of urgency in their completion.

Of course, Helena planned to avoid social gatherings as much as possible, but she still had obligations at the imperial palace.
She would need to attend an audience with both the Emperor and the Empress.

For this reason, Emma had instructed the tailor to put extra effort into the dresses.

Dressed in the new gowns, Helena looked noticeably better.
Compared to her usual plain dresses or nightwear, it was a significant improvement, which greatly pleased Emma.

“Hello, Madam. It’s been a while.”

At last, Bahen arrived at the Frantor estate.

“How dare you speak so rudely to Madam!”

Jane shouted.

“How could you address her so informally?!”

Jane had seen Bahen before when he reported past events, but she had never seen him speak directly to Helena.
Now, hearing him do so, she was furious and raised her voice.

“It’s fine, Jane.”

“But Madam! Such disrespectful behavior should land him in prison!”

“He speaks informally even to the Duke.”

“…What?”

Jane looked at Bahen as if questioning his sanity.
He merely shrugged with a nonchalant smile.

“Calm down, it’s fine. Let us continue our conversation.”

“…Understood, Madam.”

Jane barely regained her composure and cleared her throat.
She then excused herself, saying she would bring some tea, and left the room.

“Thanks for that. I wasn’t sure if I needed to be formal here or not.”

“You act formally toward His Grace in the capital, don’t you?”

“No?”

“Then it’s fine.”

“Hmm, anyway, this estate is quite nice. Very impressive. I spent last night exploring the place—I was busy taking it all in.”

Helena noticed his consideration.
A man who gathered all sorts of information couldn’t possibly have missed the rumors about her.

Moreover, he must have overheard the murmurs of the estate’s servants during his stay.
Yet, he hadn’t asked unnecessary questions or offered empty words of concern.
It was a subtle yet thoughtful gesture.

“Anyway, sorry for not coming straight here. Last night, I had to take care of something Caligo asked me to do.”

Bahen couldn’t have visited the estate solely to see Helena.
After all, a duchess meeting privately with a mercenary would undoubtedly raise suspicion.

However, he had used Caligo’s request as an excuse to visit the estate, giving him the opportunity for this direct meeting.

“Seems His Majesty has been assigning that guy all sorts of useless tasks.”

“Is that something you should be telling me?”

“Isn’t their relationship common knowledge?”

Indeed, the connection between the Emperor and Caligo was widely known throughout the empire.

There were rumors that the Emperor was highly wary of the Frantor family.
People criticized him for being at odds with Caligo, a hero who had defended the nation.

But the nobility didn’t entirely dismiss the Emperor’s position.

The current Emperor was an incompetent ruler.
He had ascended the throne solely by birthright, never proving himself as a capable leader.

In the early years of his reign, he had at least attempted to enact various policies to establish himself as a proper ruler.
However, most of them had ended in failure.

This led to an ongoing conflict between the increasingly powerful aristocratic faction and the Emperor’s own supporters—who, in truth, were barely loyal to him.

A weak Emperor who could trust no one.
It was a disastrous combination.

Because of this, he had faced numerous assassination attempts and had resorted to carrying out purges.

Many incidents had unfolded over the years, and among the most notable casualties had been the late Duke and Duchess of Frantor.

“The Emperor enjoys keeping that guy under his thumb, nitpicking at every opportunity, making unreasonable demands. He’s always trying to break his pride and force him to kneel. You’d think he’d grow wiser with age, but he’s only become more irritable.”

Bahen clicked his tongue.

“You’ll be meeting the Emperor soon, won’t you?”

“Yes, I believe so.”

“It won’t be easy for you. Anyway, I was busy handling Caligo’s request, which is why I was delayed in looking into what you asked for.”

“…Forget-me-not?” Bahen muttered.

At the mention of the name, Helena hesitated.

“Someone’s looking for an anonymous sender who goes by ‘Forget-me-not.’ Have you heard anything about it, Madam?”

‘They’re calling me Forget-me-not,’ Helena thought.
Well, that made sense. She had left no trace of herself behind except for that name.

“No, I haven’t heard anything,” she replied.

“Well, someone is looking for ‘Forget-me-not.’”

Bahen continued sharing the information he had gathered.

Surprisingly, Eskel had remained quiet despite the disruption caused by the dismantling of their loan shark operations.
Everyone had expected them to retaliate fiercely.

It was unusual.

Even if the aristocratic faction’s actions are understandable due to their own interests, it’s said that there’s been no significant movement from the Emperor’s side except for those who are loyal to Caligo.

I’ve heard that even within the Emperor’s faction, it’s not easy for them to unite. Although they support the Crown Prince for political positioning and legitimacy, there are still those who are not fond of him.

It’s all a well-kept secret. It’s like a group of forces moving without any apparent coordination.

On the other hand, it almost seems like only Caligo is making any moves at all.

“Doesn’t the Duke find this strange?”

“He probably doesn’t like the situation either. But right now, no one has figured out why they’re not acting, nor can they find any solid clues.”

Even within the Emperor’s faction, there are people who can’t be trusted. Bahen clicked his tongue low, sympathizing with the plight of his friend.

“Anyway, I appreciate the information. I didn’t expect you to tell me things like this.”

Helena softly expressed her gratitude.

It was, after all, a transactional relationship. Helena helped Bahen search for his wife, and in return, he brought back rumors about Eskel. Yet, he had even shared detailed information about Caligo.

“Well, I didn’t think you’d do anything reckless after hearing this, Madam.”

“That’s a baseless trust. Don’t you think it’s too naïve for a mercenary?”

“I think so too. And besides, Madam, you’re Eskel…”

Bahen forced a awkward smile. He seemed like he still had something left to say. He was carefully observing her reaction before speaking.

“Um, Madam…”

“Yes?”

“I just want to ask, but… are you trying to bring down Eskel?”

It wasn’t a question; it was more of a statement, as if he had already come to a conclusion. His face was serious as he looked at Helena, who gave a bitter smile.

Considering all she had done until now, it would have been strange if he hadn’t noticed.

If it weren’t true, it would have been easy to deny.

But as her silence stretched on, Bahen’s eyes widened as he continued to gaze at her face.

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