ERTHMB Chapter 138

Not Respectable

“Your mother tried to kill me today.”

“—!”

Though Eugene rarely showed surprise at most news, this time he couldn’t help but widen his eyes. His words caught in his throat, unable to ask for the whole story.

Until Ian took Helena away from him.

“What are you talking about? Trying to kill you?”

Ian, who must have been nearby, suddenly appeared on the path, parting through the bushes. He wrapped both hands around Helena’s shoulders, his busy gaze scanning for any injuries.

Without thinking further, Eugene reached out his arm. To avoid striking the bastard who asked what should have been his question as if it were his natural right, he needed to grab onto something of Helena’s.

“Ah…!”

Helena let out a single moan as her wrist was suddenly seized with strong force. Eugene roughly turned Helena around, pulling her from Ian’s embrace.

Ian reflexively tightened his grip to avoid losing her, and Helena’s other wrist caught in his grasp.

Helena grimaced at the pain of being pulled from both sides. Even seeing this, Eugene didn’t let go. Red finger marks began to appear on her tightly gripped wrist.

“Let go, Eugene.”

“You want me to just stand here and watch you being held by that bastard?”

Eugene pulled Helena even harder. Ian also held onto Helena with matching force. He had decided to be stubborn this time.

However, the moment he saw Helena’s pained expression, his resolve wavered. No matter how much he resolved himself, he still couldn’t bear to see Helena in pain. Ian quietly released the strength from his grip.

Helena caught hold of him.

“Don’t let go of that hand.”

“But you’re…!”

“It doesn’t hurt. It hurts me more when you let me go. So hold on until the end.”

Helena pressed his hand firmly with her thumb to prevent Ian from letting go, giving him a stern warning.

“I’ll be the one to let go.”

Facing Eugene again, Helena roughly pulled her arm free from his grasp. Eugene’s grip was suddenly left empty.

“…….”

Helena turned away, and Eugene stared blankly down at his own hand. The warmth that had disappeared made him immediately feel that she had escaped without leaving any possibility.

What was so important about holding just one hand, yet it seemed like he would remain forever hollow like this.

Meanwhile, Ian began to examine Helena’s condition in earnest.

“What did you mean about almost dying earlier? Are you really okay?”

Though he hadn’t rushed a long distance, Ian was breathing heavily. Watching him made Helena feel strangely embarrassed. She hadn’t expected Ian to be affected by words she’d said to provoke Eugene.

Helena spread both arms to show him she was fine.

“As you can see, it wasn’t that serious. I’m not hurt anywhere… Actually, I’m perfectly fine.”

“Someone tried to harm you, and you’re saying it wasn’t that serious. If something had really happened, I would have, I would have…”

Nevertheless, Ian’s expression darkened further. It wasn’t a face of simple worry. Helena could now distinguish what underlying feelings created such clouded expressions, even if they looked similar on the surface.

The sincerity he had shown the day they first met. The obsession with fearing loss.

Helena pressed Ian’s cheeks as if squishing them and looked into his eyes.

“There you go again. I roughly know what you’re afraid of, but this is a life you saved. You said my living was your desire. Do I look like someone who would die so easily in your eyes?”

“That’s… that’s not it, but…”

“Right? So as much as I trust you, you can trust me too.”

Inappropriately for the situation, Helena smiled brightly as if soothing a thoughtless child. Only then did Ian act spoiled, placing his hands over Helena’s and leaning his face against them.

It was an impromptu moment of tenderness. Being warmth condensed in an instant, it was distantly sweet. Helena liked how he always made her feel time was precious. She liked him so much that she unconsciously smiled even more broadly.

At that moment, an ominous voice cut through and pierced between them.

“In front of me…”

Eugene’s voice was choked, unable to come out all at once. He swept his face once to swallow the lump stuck in his throat. Then the image of the two people who had left him outside became even clearer.

It was truly a scene that gouged his bitter insides. Knowing this, Eugene still couldn’t take his eyes off the two and let out a hollow laugh.

“You’re going too far, Helena.”

Ian seemed to notice Eugene’s presence for the first time and frowned. The sharp gazes of the two men entangled in the air. Ian embraced Helena protectively, as if facing an uncontrollable beast.

Eugene’s hollow laugh deepened.

“Isn’t this enough so far, Helen? Just how much more do you need to make me miserable before you’re satisfied?”

Ian stepped forward to defend her, but Helena broke away from his embrace and instead stood protectively in front of him.

“Are you really the miserable one, Eugene? The face I used to see in the mirror at Evergale wasn’t like this.”

“…Helena. You know better than anyone what I’m saying, what my feelings are toward you. Do you think I want to keep fighting with you?”

Helena tried to avoid Eugene’s gaze and end the conversation, then held her ground. Because she knew what his feelings were, she wanted to turn away even more, and precisely because of that, she had to face him properly.

Even if what remained between her and Eugene was resentment rather than love, she had to shake off even that completely. She had originally come to burn everything without leaving behind anger, lingering attachment, or even a half-hearted bit of guilt.

“If you really want to have a proper conversation with me, Eugene, at least make an effort to bring the right words. Why would I need to vent anger at you? I wasn’t even angry in the first place. So I don’t want to receive a lengthy introduction about what emotions you’re feeling either.”

“…Why. Why aren’t you even angry? Tell me a little, Helena. How can you throw everything away so easily? I need to know so I won’t cling to you so damn pathetically.”

“Easy? Says who? Just because it was easy for you, do you think it would be the same for me? If it had been easy even for a single moment as you say, we wouldn’t have reached such an end.”

“An end? Don’t be ridiculous. We never divorced, and I’m still your husband. How long do you think you can keep flirting with that guy? Even if it wasn’t at first, it’s ultimately not a respectable relationship. Now that you know, you should know when to stop.”

This time Helena burst into a hollow laugh.

“I have no intention of making excuses, but it’s a bit funny. Why are you forcing me to do what you couldn’t do yourself?”

“I told you. Natasha is—”

“Whether it’s pity or love, do I need to know?”

“…….”

“I told you. It doesn’t matter.”

Eugene quietly clenched his fist. Just then, clouds covered the sun, making the tree shade even darker.

Helena could no longer read Eugene’s expression. But since there was no need to read it, she passed by him and retraced the path she had come. Having found Ian, there was no longer any reason to delay.

Helena firmly grasped Ian’s hand and led him. She only looked ahead and quickened her pace. Ian didn’t say much. Only the occasional sound of stepping on dry branches could be heard.

When their breathing had somewhat calmed, Helena stopped walking.

They were in front of a clearing. Eugene’s words came back to her.

[Even if it wasn’t at first, it’s ultimately not a respectable relationship. Now that you know, you should know when to stop.]

Beyond the dense tree shadows, nobles were gathered in conversation. Like fishing, they were continuously throwing bait one by one and pulling up hooks in battles that went on endlessly beneath the invisible surface.

Helena quietly looked down at Ian’s hand clasped in hers. To them, this would surely be a prize catch. There was no need to deliberately throw herself into the lakeside that only targeted big catches.

‘…Not yet.’

Helena slowly let go of Ian’s hand. Then, just as she had done earlier, Ian pressed his thumb firmly against her hand to prevent her from letting go.

“You said not to let go.”

Ian pulled the hand he held, making Helena face him. At the same time, the sound of grumbling footsteps could be heard nearby. Helena reflexively reached out and pushed Ian’s chest away.

Smack! A sharp sound like a blow erupted, and Ian was pushed back. Just as his body fell away, a woman appeared from the path leading to the clearing.

Before turning her head toward her, Helena first smoothed out Ian’s shirt where her handprint was marked.

“There, there was a bug. Fortunately, I caught it.”

“…It was a really big bug. Thank you.”

Ian tactfully played along with Helena’s desperate excuse. The woman who had suddenly appeared just looked at the two with a thin smile whose intentions were unclear.

Her dress was generally not flashy, but the high-quality fabric stood out.

“Lady Helena. So you were here.”

The way she addressed her by name rather than as Lady Evergale was unusual. She didn’t seem to be of the same type as Lady Jenia.

Nor was she one of those who had joined with Christine to persecute her. Since she was a complete stranger, Helena tried to quickly leave by passing her.

But the woman didn’t move aside and asked.

“Could you spare me a moment of your time?”

“…Do you have business with me?”

The woman nodded once and answered.

“I am Gabrielle Doson, a lady-in-waiting serving Her Majesty the Empress. Her Majesty has sent me to escort you to her.”

When Helena looked completely puzzled, Lady Doson added an explanation.

“Her Majesty said she has a story she particularly wants to share with you.”

****

Helena parted from Ian with eye signals and followed Lady Doson. Where she led was indeed where the Bohemian Empress was, as promised.

However, the Empress was not alone—ladies and wives from notable families were gathered together. After the Empress had her physician examine each person one by one, she spoke.

“I heard that an unfortunate incident occurred while I was away. It seems the barrier mage temporarily lost consciousness, perhaps from experiencing the northern cold for the first time. Since this was my oversight, I apologize to everyone.”

Everyone in the group felt honored, and Christine, who was closest to the Empress, was the first to respond.

“Not at all, Your Majesty. Fortunately, no one was hurt. It seems even God was moved by Your Majesty’s gracious benevolence.”

It was extremely rare for the stiff Christine to spout such honeyed words. However, the Empress’s gaze did not linger on Christine.

She casually directed her attention to Helena, who was approaching with Lady Doson, beyond Christine.

“Ah, here she comes.”