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Chapter 23
The person facing them was the same tout who had taken them to the yellow-roofed house earlier that afternoon.
“I had a feeling we’d meet again! Young master, once may be coincidence, but twice is destiny! So, where shall I escort you to this time?”
“Tch, you vulgar fellow! Do you really think I came to this filthy neighborhood because I like it? I’m here strictly for information gathering!”
“Ohhh, information gathering! And what kind of information might that be? If you’d give me even a little hint, I’ll do my very best!”
“I need to look into a man named Wesley—the one we met earlier today.”
Helena cleared her throat and whispered into the tout’s ear.
“Do you happen to know places Wesley frequents?”
“Oh, young master! I know a teahouse Mr. Wesley visits often. It’s called Plemen.”
“Good. Then I’ll go to Plemen.”
“Of course, young master! I’ll guide you!”
“Fine, to Plemen we go! For information gathering…!”
“Bwahahaha! The young master is on the move! Everyone, clear the way!”
Watching Helena’s antics with a blank expression, Aaron was suddenly seized by the urge to return to the House of Count Ishfern on his own.
But he couldn’t.
The teachings his sisters had drilled into his very bones would not allow it.
Aaron, no matter the situation, you must always treat women well.
Aaron looked up at the sky.
Sister… even in a situation like this?
In the darkening heavens, he somehow felt as though he could see his sisters’ faces.
They were all smiling and nodding.
With the expression of an ox being led to slaughter, Aaron followed Helena.
When he suddenly lifted his head, she leapt boldly into Benjamin’s thoughts.
It was probably because of the sunset that had claimed the sky above.
That day… the dress she wore was that color.
On the day they first met, Helena’s dress—flowing as she descended the staircase connected to the Winston estate’s ballroom—had glowed with the same brilliant hues of sunset.
As Benjamin climbed the hill where the Ishfern estate stood in solemn dignity, he recalled the Helena he had first seen.
When he borrowed his formal wear, the tailor had casually mentioned the reason for her sudden marriage arrangement.
According to common gossip, Helena Winston was a woman being pushed into marriage with her dowry because of some shameful scandal.
Yet the woman he had met that day hadn’t seemed like that at all.
Her confident smile had the power to reduce those who doubted her based on shallow rumors into petty fools, and her dignified beauty had shaken even his own heart—he, the man chosen for a purely political marriage meant to humiliate her.
He couldn’t deny it.
The moment they shared their first dance, when neither of them yet truly knew the other—
That time had been the only moment when he felt freed from everything binding him, able to lose himself entirely in one person.
Of course, the magic was fleeting.
The instant her eyes—like a mysterious forest drawing him in—vanished from his sight, belated self-loathing came rushing in.
He was cursed.
A sinner.
He had no right to hold feelings for anyone.
Perhaps that was why—
You looked quite happy. I suppose you found your future wife to your liking. That’s a relief.
He had rejected Aaron’s words far more harshly than necessary.
A textbook debauched noblewoman. Dragging men around as if she were a queen—pathetic beyond words.
Even as he insulted her aloud, part of him desperately hoped the rumors weren’t true.
Yet Helena Winston met Crown Prince Rufus again.
On the very morning of their wedding.
Recalling the sight of Helena and Rufus pressed close together on the balcony made him feel as though someone were testing just how angry a person could become over something utterly pointless.
She looks like she’d collapse any moment, yet the instant you take your eyes off her, she causes trouble.
Crossing the drawbridge over the moat, Benjamin looked up at the castle with clear irritation.
Helena’s drive was astonishing.
Whatever kind of magic she used, within a single day of arriving she had secured a capable head maid, and now—together with that maid—she was efficiently directing workers to restore the castle.
There was no reason he would welcome such changes.
But the problem was that he had no justification, nor any means, to stop her.
When he hadn’t known her well, he’d assumed he could just dump her in an annex and she’d be unable to do anything.
But this was Helena.
Unless he bound her hand and foot and imprisoned her, there was no stopping her.
Even then, she’d probably break her way out somehow.
As he dismounted his horse, a small but impressively efficient young attendant scurried over to him.
“Master, you’re back!”
Benjamin let out a sigh.
This child, Jo, was difficult to deal with in a completely different way from Helena.
With a bright smile, Jo slipped into his personal space in an instant—and being so small, Benjamin couldn’t exactly shove the child away.
Jo politely held out both hands.
“Please give me your cloak.”
“No.”
“…Pardon?”
Jo’s light-green eyes instantly filled with tears.
“I—I’m sorry. I overstepped…”
He could at least argue back with Helena, but this tiny attendant looked as though they’d burst into tears at the slightest tap, which made things even more uncomfortable.
“….”
With no choice, Benjamin removed his dust-covered cloak and handed it over.
Jo immediately smiled brightly, as if they’d never been on the verge of tears.
I’m going to lose my mind.
But instead of leaving, Jo lingered, trailing after him.
Eventually, Benjamin stopped and turned around.
“What is it?”
“Master, the madam has gone out.”
“She never gets tired of wandering around. Let her be.”
He was about to turn away when Jo hesitantly added,
“…S-she went to Goha…”
Benjamin froze.
“Where?”
Jo swallowed and repeated,
“T-the trade city of Goha. Of course, she didn’t go alone. Sir Aaron went with her.”
“I’m going to lose my mind. Why would she go there?”
“Well… I believe she went to look for Wesley, the former steward.”
Benjamin’s eyes widened.
There was no one else to blame.
He was the one who had brought up the former steward to Helena.
He was the one who had spoken carelessly without even knowing where the man was.
And he was the one who had completely forgotten about it because Helena’s shy little thank you, traced against his back with her fingertips, had seemed oddly cute.
After a long sigh, Benjamin snatched the cloak back from Jo and draped it over his shoulders.
Plemen was a small teahouse located along the main road.
When they opened the lavender-painted, charming door, a sweet and oddly alluring scent greeted them.
At that moment, Sir Aaron suddenly began sneezing.
“Ahhh—ah—achoo!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Ugh, Lady Heren. My eyes suddenly itch terribly. My nose too…”
“What is it? The scent? I’m fine.”
As they stood flustered, a madam with a curious smile approached them.
“Welcome.”
“Eehhh—achoo!”
“Oh my, it seems that gentleman isn’t compatible with our establishment.”
Helena looked at Aaron with pity.
Strangely enough, his eyes had swollen instantly, puffing up like macarons.
In a purring voice, the madam said to him,
“Step outside and you’ll feel better soon. Will the rest of your party—with the splendid mustache—be leaving as well?”
“No!”
Helena answered boldly.
“I’ll be fine on my own. There should be a friend of Mr. Wesley here—please call him.”
The madam narrowed her eyes and slowly scanned Helena up and down.
“…It seems you’ve heard rumors about Nero. But Nero isn’t a child who opens his heart easily. You may not even be able to lay a finger on him. Is that acceptable?”
“Don’t worry. Just call him.”
“Hohoho, Nero’s fee is quite high.”
“Hahaha! Don’t worry—the man with macaron eyes will handle the bill.”
At Helena’s confidence, the madam laughed softly.
“Then, please come this way.”
Once outside the teahouse, Aaron immediately searched for water and washed his face.
After rinsing with cold water, the itching soon subsided.
“Huff… huff… what on earth was that?”
It felt as though he’d been bewitched.
He couldn’t enter the teahouse, but he still had to protect Helena, so he returned and sat on the landing outside.
How much time passed like that?
Aaron suddenly encountered someone completely unexpected.
“Count!”
Benjamin, riding a black horse along the main road, turned his mount at the sound of his voice.
Leaping down, cloak fluttering, Benjamin strode straight up to Aaron and demanded,
“Where is that woman?”
