Chapter 10
Kavil’s touch, as he draped the shawl over her exposed shoulders and back, was surprisingly delicate for him.
Helena’s shoulders stiffened with tension as his fingertips brushed her skin.
This was the closest they had ever been. From Kavil emanated a heavy, dangerous scent reminiscent of a dark dawn forest.
After meticulously wrapping the shawl around Helena, Kavil withdrew from her as swiftly as if he had never approached.
Helena exhaled slowly, clutching the shawl he had placed on her.
Kavil gazed at her for a moment before belatedly realizing his own actions and abruptly turning away to leave.
Unbeknownst to Helena, Kavil’s earlobes had turned uncharacteristically red.
“My lord? You need to take me too!”
Claude bowed hastily to Helena and hurried after Kavil.
Helena stared in confusion at Kavil’s retreating figure, fleeing as if escaping, before boarding the carriage herself.
The lingering scent of him at the tip of her nose felt unfamiliar, and Helena gripped the shawl tightly.
By the time Helena arrived, the party had already begun. Taking a deep breath before entering the hall, she straightened her back and stepped inside gracefully.
After handing her gift to an attendant, Helena’s gaze halted abruptly while searching for her eldest sister.
She slowly approached her father, Count Florence, who was engaged in conversation surrounded by nobles.
The count’s lips hardened briefly upon spotting her. Toward his daughter, whom he hadn’t seen in a while, the count greeted her quite affably.
“It’s been a while, Helena.”
“It’s been a while, Count. How is your health? Big sister was quite worried.”
“I’m fine. It’s just age catching up; nothing to worry about.”
“That’s a relief then.”
After glancing around the hall, the count asked casually,
“Did you come alone again today, without the duke?”
“Yes. His Grace had a sudden matter to attend to.”
“What? Does that mean the duke will be attending?”
“Yes. He’ll arrive soon.”
The count narrowed his eyes as if assessing the truth, then slowly nodded.
“Yes. With the duke attending a family gathering, there won’t be any more talk. Well done.”
Noticing the underlying rebuke and relief in the count’s question, Helena smiled wordlessly.
The count’s eyes flashed sharply as he watched her.
The count valued others’ gazes and judgments as dearly as his own life. The looks of approval, praise, envy, and jealousy from people filled his life with satisfaction.
He had thought his life quite fulfilling until it was shaken by his remarriage to Helena’s birth mother.
Remarriage in the empire wasn’t a flaw, but remarrying less than a year after bereavement drew criticism. And having a child soon after even more so.
The count’s life had been upended by his encounter with Helena’s birth mother, and he deemed one such experience enough.
He had never desired a child when remarrying Helena’s birth mother. Helena was a presence that shouldn’t have existed in his life.
If she insisted on being born, she should have surpassed her sisters, but the child was unremarkable in every way. Even frail in body. Finding no particular use in her, the count easily removed the child from his sight.
Only when his wife occasionally mentioned visiting the child did her pale face, gasping as if on the verge of death, come to mind.
After his wife died too, while pondering how to dispose of the child, she appeared before him of her own accord.
Declaring she would marry the duke in place of her sisters.
It was music to his ears. The power and wealth of Duke Destrian were beyond what the count could dream of achieving in a lifetime.
However, troubled by the duke’s brutal reputation and hesitant to marry off his daughters, Helena’s appearance was timely.
For the first time, the count found Helena, now repaying the cost of her upbringing, endearing. That day was also the first time the count called Helena by name.
Noticing that the dress and accessories Helena wore easily exceeded the value of a mansion on the capital’s outskirts, the count spoke in a quite paternal tone.
“When the duke arrives, make sure to come greet me together. Understood?”
“I will.”
As Helena felt deep fatigue from the count’s transparent motives,
“Helena.”
Her head turned at the delighted voice right beside her. The party’s host and Helena’s eldest sister, Eleanor, stood smiling brightly.
“Sister!”
“Thank you for coming despite being busy. Seeing my little sister’s face after so long makes me so happy.”
“Happy birthday, Sister.”
“Thank you. Did you greet Father?”
“Yes. Oh, he was right here just now…”
The count, who had been beside her moments ago, was now far away, cheerfully conversing with other nobles.
Following Helena’s gaze to confirm, Eleanor smiled.
“Father seems in good spirits today. Probably because he saw our little one after so long.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Of course. Father talks about you so much usually.”
Even on a day like today, Eleanor gazed at her youngest sister attending alone with pitying eyes and continued.
“Anyway, you came alone again today.”
It was a phrase Helena heard like a greeting at every gathering. But today, feeling less awkward, she smiled faintly.
“No. His Grace will arrive soon.”
“The duke is attending?”
“Yes.”
Eleanor’s face showed slight surprise, as if disbelieving Helena’s words. Then she smiled brightly.
“That’s a relief. Oh, just a moment.”
Calls for Eleanor came from behind. It was her fellow imperial knights. Eleanor alternated glances between Helena and the knights with troubled eyes.
Noticing Eleanor’s clear discomfort, Helena spoke first.
“Sister, go ahead. The host can’t linger in one place too long.”
“But it’s been so long since I talked with my little sister…”
“We can talk more later.”
“Alright, then. I’ll be back soon. Okay?”
“Yes, Sister.”
Eleanor naturally blended into the group calling her. Helena gazed blankly at Eleanor, standing at the center as if it were natural, smiling.
Soon, as noble ladies approached, Helena habitually smiled and greeted them. Amid chatting with the ladies, Helena scanned the hall repeatedly.
Kavil, who said he’d come soon, was still nowhere in sight.
One lady, noticing Helena, asked with a curious expression.
“Are you looking for someone, Duchess? Oh, right—you said the duke is attending today.”
“Oh, yes. Count Florence mentioned it earlier. That the duke will be here.”
“It seems what you said was true, that he was just busy before. Right?”
The ladies covered their mouths with fans and laughed genteelly. Imagining the stares and whispers if Kavil didn’t show, Helena swallowed a sigh.
Finally, excusing herself from the ladies, Helena left the hall. She thought to get some air until Kavil arrived.
* * *
Watching Helena converse pleasantly with the noble ladies, Bianca unconsciously bit her nails.
Strangely, seeing Helena always twisted her stomach.
Come to think of it, it had been that way since childhood. From when Father prepared a separate annex for the unusually frail Helena. Bianca hated Helena more than her stepmother.
She couldn’t stand the small hands clinging, calling her sister despite barely any age difference. Unlike herself, growing without a mother’s love, she hated Helena receiving it.
Discovering Helena feared enclosed spaces was pure coincidence.
‘It was a gift from the gods.’
“Is there really treasure here, Sister?”
Pushing Helena, who had followed at the mention of treasure hunting, into the storage room, she said,
“Would I lie? Father said there’s treasure in the storage, so hurry and find it.”
“Um… Sister, I want to go out now. It’s a bit scary here… Bianca Sister?”
Frightened at being alone in the storage, Helena whimpered, knocking on the locked door.
‘As if there’s treasure in an old storage. So stupid.’
Snorting, Bianca turned and headed to the main building. Eating macarons, admiring the new dress Father bought, time flew by.
“The separate annex young miss was locked in the storage?”
Having forgotten about Helena, Bianca recalled her at the servants’ whispers passing by.
“The nursemaid found her… I heard after that incident she fears enclosed spaces and doesn’t go near, so why was she there? We rarely go to the back storage of the annex.”
“Exactly. The young miss kept her mouth shut about what happened, so only the countess is upset.”
‘She fears enclosed spaces.’
Like she’s defective. Recalling the long-forgotten memory, the corner of Bianca’s mouth twisted upward. After that, Helena’s face visibly hardened whenever seeing Bianca.
Probably remembering being locked in, Bianca sneered. Helena suited looking scared, unable to utter a word no matter the prank.
That’s how Helena should be before her. But…
“Sister. This is the last time. If you lay a hand on my people once more, I’ll repay you dozens of times over. Even someone as foolish as you can understand that, right?”
Recalling Helena glaring at her in the ducal residence, Bianca’s eyes sank eerily.
‘How dare that insolent thing to her sister.’
Watching Helena exit the hall, Bianca quietly followed. Thinking she’d go for a walk, but Helena stood blankly before the flower bed for a while.
‘Such an idiot.’
Confirming Helena heading to the annex, Bianca turned. Cautiously scanning surroundings, she went to the back of the mansion.
There, a maid who moved like her limb awaited.
“The annex key?”
“Here, Miss.”
Clutching the annex key the maid respectfully offered, the corner of Bianca’s mouth twisted upward.
“Where else would that wretch go in the count’s residence but the annex? Good thing I prepared the key in advance. Preparation is key. Right?”
“Your words are wise, Miss.”
“You live preparing ahead like me too. If you just stand with your mouth open, won’t the gods drop a macaron in?”
“……”
The maid blinked in confusion. Snorting as if expecting her not to understand, Bianca tossed the key bunch to the maid.
“It’s easy. Don’t disappoint.”
“Of course, Miss.”
Bianca smiled delightedly. It was time to punish the naughty little sister.
