I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

This bunch of toys hinted that Jeremy had robbed the store.

He showed a displeased face, as if he felt my surprised look.

"Huh, who comes empty-handed? Well… I got carried away a little, yeah?"

"I think Carlisle will absolutely like it."

When I called the servant, he accepted the gifts.

"But it seems that I came too early if I was met by Ellie alone."

He said, passing all the gifts to the servant.

It was early hour, right time for breakfast.

Carlisle was still asleep, and Jed returned very late and spent a long time in the dreamland.

"Jed will be sleeping, because he was overworked yesterday, and Carlisle is with Helen now."

But I thought he wouldn’t show up until noon.

"You came so early… Is it because you wanted to talk?"

Before we parted last time, he said that he wanted to tell me something.

Not that he lacked manners, so it is likely that he came to visit early in the morning in order to quietly talk to me.

His nod confirmed my expectations.

"Yes. I have something to say to Ellie."

"Then we need to go to the office."

* * *

"Tea straight from the Lund Kingdom," Jeremy said as soon as the maid put down the tray and left.

"Yes. I often remember our time in the Lund Kingdom, which is why I drink this tea. If you don’t like it, I’ll ask you to replace it."

"It’s not necessary. I like it too."

Jeremy smiled and took another sip.

Suddenly his face became serious.

"Ellie."

"Yes."

"I met the Emperor."

My smile faded in an instant. I thought his important story would tell me about the tandem from Sios and Drua.

Raymond's unexpected appearance in this story made me tense.

I told you not to touch Jeremy. Is this an intimidation? Threats?

"What's the trouble with you and the Emperor?" I asked carefully.

Jeremy hurriedly took my hand.

"Oh, it wasn't like that. He only expressed a desire to get to know better. Perhaps to make sure that I’m not my father?"

"I’m glad that he doesn’t promise anything dangerous. But have you managed to prove that you are different from the Duke?"

After all, he could have killed Jeremy, hiding behind even the most ridiculous excuse. That's what scared me the most. But Raymond's head seems to have had a turnaround.

"Yes… Well, that is… Well, I made him understand that I would never betray."

Jeremy gave me a strange look and continued:

"His Majesty has no choice but to believe."

Raymond has no choice but to believe?

I thought it would be a burden to win his trust at once. After all, Ray had a serious bias towards Duke Drua. But is it really okay?

I was interested to know the reason for that, but I didn’t insist. Maybe it's too personal.

"I'm glad that everything has settled up as it should. How well is His Majesty informed of our state of affairs?"

"He’s sure Marquis Sios and Duke Drua are plotting a conspiracy. And that this conspiracy will be cruel."

Raymond also noticed that Sios was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

He was so natural in the world that he felt the enemy with only instincts.

And who wouldn’t have noticed that the behavior of the Marquis has become strange?

And although my father returned to duty, I should protect him from our intrigues, because he already suffered enough without that.

However, even thinking about turning to Raymond for help was already uncomfortable for me.

We had a hassle at the temple. Only two days have passed since then.

Emotions were still asking to come out when I remembered our dialogue with him.

It won’t be easy for him to forget this.

But you can no longer pull the cat by the tail.

Marquis Sios and Duke Drua.

We need to gather evidence and end these two, otherwise it will soon be too late.

I have to report to Raymond tomorrow.

Collecting my thoughts, I glanced at Jeremy.

"Then what's your next step?"

"Add spice to the relationship between the Duke and the Marquis. Duke Drua had already questioned Sios' loyalty. I want to jump in this gap, to slip evidence of treason to my father."

"Do you already have something on your hands?"

"Everything is just a tiny hint. But I can smell more. Have you learned anything about Sios?"

"Well, I heard that Marquis Sios had an affair with a water mage, but I didn’t find anything concrete. Lately he's just been sitting as a hermit in a mansion."

There was little movement on his part, because he knew that the gaze of the entire audience was focused on him.

"The water mage means… For a while, Marquis Sios won’t budge, so I’ll take this opportunity to shake the Duke even more. When I find out something, I will send you a person."

"But Jeremy. How come it doesn't bother you at all? When the whole case is solved, then Duke Drua…"

I hesitated on words that I couldn’t say openly.

Jeremy has actively expressed his dedication to our cause.

If this continues, the result will be the execution of his father.

If he's plotting a rebellion… death is inevitable.

Even if Jeremy has a bad relationship with his father, it wouldn’t be easy to kill his own father.

Raymond, the murderer his hated father, was also oppressed by heavy feelings after revenge.

"I want to live as a different person, different from my father. I don't want to be a monster blinded by power. I think I'm on the right way," said Jeremy calmly.

The smile on his lips was bitter. It was difficult for me to say anything in return.

There was an awkward silence.

Suddenly the door to the study opened.

Carlisle leaned out of the doorway.

Jeremy turned and jumped up when he saw my son.

"Carlisle!"

Jeremy opened his arms as if asking for a greeting, and Carlisle jumped up to him.

"Uncle Jeremy, I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Carlisle."

Watching their reunion, I also stood up when I saw Helen.

The latter came up to us and greeted Jeremy.

"Long time no see."

"It’s a long time, Helen. How are you?"

"Carlisle didn't even wash when he heard about your visit. He immediately rushed here."

When I looked at Carlisle at Helen's words, I saw his disheveled hair and pajamas.

"As urgent as your business with Jeremy is, you must wash your face and change your clothes. Come on, change with Helen."

"But I want to play with Uncle Jeremy…"

He dodged my gaze and buried himself in Jeremy's arms. When I wanted to be strict, Jeremy hugged Carlisle and lifted him into his arms.

"Let's go play with your uncle?"

"What game is this?"

"If Carlisle washes while I count to 100 and changes, then I'll give you a present. What do you think about that?"

"That sounds great! Well let's go already!" Carlisle exclaimed worried.

Jeremy pulled Carlisle away with a smug grimace, and I laughed with Helen.

Meanwhile, while Ellie was having a good time, people flocked to the mansion with might and main.

* * *

A small mansion in the woods.

Raymond went out to the front yard and took off his hat.

"It was established that she opened a flower shop in the Lund Kingdom. They say in the market every now and then that she was a single mother."

"A single… She raised him alone?"

"Yes sir. They report that no one saw her husband. Except… The son of the Drua House often visited the store. Many misunderstood that the two were lovers."

"It was also reported that he was very close to the boy."

"Investigation revealed that Phoenix Branch Manager recently secretly bought the property. The mansion of an impoverished landowner, located on the outskirts of the capital. Perhaps this is the place we need."

After listening to Carter's report, Raymond immediately rushed out of his palace.

He rushed to the mansion like a madman.

The mansion wasn’t that far from the square where the night market opened.

"This is definitely that mansion."

He rode to this place, not stopping to see everything with his own eyes.

Carlisle is really Ellie's child or whose else?

The more he listened to Carter, the more he felt like his heart was breaking into pieces.

If Carlisle was from Jeremy…

Ellie filed for divorce and sailed with this guy.

Perhaps she just sailed away in order to live in peace as the three of them?

When did it all start for them?

What brought them together?

The more he thought about it, the more he felt like he was out of his mind.

"We are here. Sit silently."

Raymond threw to the knights and dismounted.

At the moment when the Emperor quickly reached the mansion, the front door opened.

Carlisle jumped out.