âYouâre still under contract with me. I was simply doing my duty.â
Helia uttered frightening words in her dry voice, while her face remained unchanged.
Caligoâs handsome image crumbled away as he looked at the black hair hanging over her shoulder.
Even when he tried to converse with her, her deep-blue eyes were still looking elsewhere today. In the first place, he wondered if those eyes had ever reached him.
âAs long as Iâm your husband, I canât be indifferent to my in-laws, can I?â
âItâs nothing more than a five-year marriage contract, thoughâŚâ
She spat out a cynical remark right away, stabbed him with her knife-like rebuttal.
His lips slightly twitched, and he hurriedly shut his mouth as the embarrassment struck him. Because she wasnât wrong.
There was no promise of marriage filled with love or future together, instead, they only exchanged money and contracts.
Not even a wedding ceremony, since everything was done ahead of time.
Four years out of their promised five years marriage contract had already passed. The season changed a dozen times and only a year remained.
Itâs time to end the remaining period of this monotonous marriage with minimal courtesy.
The slight anticipation and excitement at the beginning of their married life had turned into a somber grey color.
It had been a long time since both of them saw each other up-close like this.
The two would never stay in the same space for this long unless they had intercourse.
Caligo looked carefully at her who was looking out the window. Her expression didnât change a bit.
How could you keep the same unperturbed expression as you always had when your family member just died?
Caligo shook his head in frustration as he flung open the carriage window in his side.
âI knew it already, but sheâs really tough.â
In fact, for the past 4 years, Caligo knew better than anyone else that Helia was unexpectedly more tough and relentless than other young ladies of noble families.
But her being different also made him feel uneasy.
Caligo rubbed both of his arms as a cold chill crept up his body.
After hearing the sad news, she looked normal on her way to the carriage. She even looked calm and relaxed.
âIs everything alright?â
âAbout what?â
âThe news of your familyâs accident. My heart sank the moment I heard about the news, and I thought you were too calm.â
Helia listened to Caligo, later glanced at him.
She lowered her lengthy eyelashes. It was an elegant movement, but her eyes looked stiff.
âThe only one who died is the eldest son and successor of the family. I heard my parents survived.â
ââŚI heard their body is not even intact.â
According to his informant, they were barely able to stay alive although their limbs were not intact.
The Baroness seemed to be the most healthy. Though, they said she became crippled.
âYes, I heard they were in bad condition, so I sent them far away to recuperate.â She said.
It was such a suspicious accident. Why would a noble family get on the carriage and pass through a dangerous road, as if they were running away at night?
âWhat the heckâŚâ
Caligo, who glanced at her, lamented inwardly.
The wrinkles were thick around Heliaâs eyes. She cast a cold-gaze as if saying; so what if they were alive.
When Caligo saw those gazes, he quickly shut his mouth tight.
That was what she did whenever she felt uncomfortable or didnât want to talk.
Since talking to her in that state only made the atmosphere even colder than it was, Caligo chose to keep his mouth shut, suppressing his curiosity and frustration.
âIâm just curious, but do I look calm?â
When only stillness flowed for quite a while, she was the first to break the silence.
After a short consideration, Caligo nodded his head.
âObjectively speaking, yes.â
âIâm not calm. I think itâs all just a dream right now.â
Caligo looked at her unchanging deadpan face and detached voice.
But did you still have human emotions left in you?
He leaned back against the carriage with his arms crossed. The situation of facing each other was not very favorable.
âNo, actually, I wish this was only a dream.â
âI see, it must have been a shock to you, too.â
Caligo breathed out an unusually deep sigh.
He even forgot to use honorifics which he habitually used.
Caligo was a little bit relieved.
No matter how vacant and apathetic Helia usually was, she couldnât be fine after hearing her brother and parentsâ death.
Caligo pushed up his trickling down bangs once more. But he failed to push it back since he came out in a hurry.
âI shouldâve killed him.â
If it wasnât for her cold voice that she added, Caligo would have thought of her as someone with emotion on her own
ââŚDid something happen at the barony by any chance?â
âNo, nothing happened.â
She wasnât such a cold-blooded woman without tears or blood as he thought sheâd be.
***
Swooosh-!
A dark cloud that found the wrong moment spilled a winter rain over the frigid air.
The people held an umbrella and dressed in black mourning clothes, took out a handkerchief as though they needed it to wipe off their tears.
No one knew if it was sincere tears or crocodileâs tears.
At the center of it, Helia stood still amid a heavy winter without an umbrella, wearing unkempt mourning clothes.
She wore a black veil to cover her face and did not even move, as if she was frozen in cold winter weather.
Her veil soaked wet by the heavy rain, the laces on her dress were in disarray, and her hair was tousled due to the intense rain.
Also, her white cheeks were flushed red and her lips gradually turned blue. Even so, nobody came to put up an umbrella for her.
She only stared silently at the tomb.
âSo youâre only ended up dead. How comfortable.â
Heliaâs bleak gaze was fixated on the tall tombstone.
After his death, will he be able to attain a peaceful sleep after all heâd done to her?
It wouldnât have been enough to tear his limbs to pieces, inflicting pain that would last for a lifetime, and killing him.
She couldnât believe that he fell off the cliff and died while running away in a carriage. Such a vain death.
She couldnât even burst out laughing.
She just stayed still because this whole ordeal was hard to believe.
âDoggie, come here.â
âYesâŚ.?â
At Heliaâs query, the fat boy with a body that resembled a sausage laughed.
âSince when did the dog speak?â
ââŚâ
Sheâd only underwent hell in the attic again if she disobeyed his orders.
In the dark space, she had to plead for forgiveness, squirming toward the door that she didnât know when it would open.
The young Helia knelt before the cruel little tyrant and her body brushed against the cold floor.
Heliaâs body trembled.
âDoggy.â
He laughed.
âIf you donât listen, Iâll tell my father. Because you have violated my orders and be selfish.â
Fragments of certain memories were always lodged on one side of her heart, occasionally tearing down her wounds.
Those fragments become hundreds and thousands of pieces. Sometimes, she felt her life was a living hell.
Suddenly, Helia shook her head.
Caligo, who watched Helia from behind, stepped out to approach her due to his frustration.
Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu
However, he hesitated as he reminded her cold hand that dismissing him, saying that it was a useless interference.
Thinking of the cold-blooded Helia made him feel that way.
The other day, he moved toward her to prevent the young men who were boldly bothering her with subjects that she didnât understand, but she got angry and chastised him not to meddle with her business in front of everyone.
When he recalled the memory of that day, he felt terrible.
Instead of approaching, he held an umbrella for himself and quietly looked at her back.