I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

Unexpected words threw me into a stupor.

"Use… Jeremy?"

"Exactly. I'll be more believable than some fictional father. His Majesty has already seen the three of us."

But he is right. Jeremy will be the best shield against Raymond's suspicions.

In the box of arguments ‘for’, Raymond saw Jeremy and me at a party 6 years ago.

But there is one ‘but’ here.

Raymond would never let Jeremy lose this focus.

There was no need to involve him at all.

While my mind was clouded with doubts, Jeremy continued firmly:

"Ellie, I don't think of anything else besides Carlisle's safety."

"I still have to come to the audience tomorrow…"

* * *

The next day.

The Croft family carriage pulled up outside the palace.

"Lady Croft."

When I left the carriage, a servant came up to me.

"Lead me to him."

My tone seemed to embarrass this guy. So he froze for a moment, but soon showed a kind smile and said:

"His Majesty is waiting for you."

Raymond is waiting for you…

There is nothing terrible in these words, but today I was so nervous that I immediately shook my head.

We'll have to talk about my son.

I can’t say an extra word, there should not be any holes in my legend.

By all means, I can’t allow him to know that Carlisle was Raymond's child.

This is the main reason why I have lived overseas for the last six years.

I didn't want to plunge my son into a massacre called a power struggle.

"Your Majesty, Lady Croft has arrived."

"Let her in."

Raymond's deep voice rang out. The office door opened.

I stepped slowly inside.

I hid my fluttering heart as much as I could and prepared courtesies:

"Hail His Majesty the Emperor, Empire Sun."

"Raise your head."

The sound seemed to come straight out of his throat, much lower than usual. And so he stood in front of me, and spoke:

"I have something to tell you."

Raymond's black eyes were darker than ever. The strong emotions in those eyes didn’t promise me anything good.

I looked at him and calmly issued:

"Everything what you want, sire. But I only ask to do it in private."

Do you think I don't know what the conversation will be about?

He looked at me but didn't answer.

"Everyone leave.”

All the servants and knights left, and the office door closed tightly.

"Looks like you saw me yesterday."

It wasn't hard to add two plus two. After all, I sent a letter yesterday asking for an audience.

It would be weird if I suddenly wanted to just chat with my ex-husband. And this is after what I said to him in the temple.

"Yes. Yesterday I learned that His Majesty was in my house."

"This mansion isn't even yours."

"I don’t think so. And the child whom the Emperor saw, he is also my child."

Raymond's face changed dramatically.

"This is really your child. I didn't want to believe," he said, holding back the impulse with force.

It was as if I had thrust a dagger into his heart now.

"Carlisle is my child. And not a child of His Majesty. I asked for an audience to make one thing clear. Carlisle is just my son and has nothing to do with the Emperor."

"Just your son? And where did dad go if he's just your son? Are you afraid that I will come to the soul of Jeremy Drua?"

Raymond's black eyes flashed with menace.

Until the last moment I hoped that it would be okay. But he really mistook Jeremy for Carlisle's father.

After a moment, I remembered what Jeremy had said.

If I follow Jeremy's words, there will be one less problem. But I won’t be able to sleep well at night. I will not use it as a human shield.

"The heir of Duke Drua is ​n’t the father of my child."

"How is he not?!"

He grinned as if he didn’t want to believe me.

"My son's father is already dead."

I looked down and spoke the prepared words.

The documents for the child's father were fabricated even before the departure from the Lund Kingdom.

"I never thought before that you would cover Drua so much."

However, Ray didn't believe me.

No, maybe he doesn't want to believe that I met someone else and got pregnant in a matter of days after the divorce?

"You must have sent people to the Lund Kingdom in search of them. Otherwise, how would you find the location of the mansion? The heir of the House of Drua only pretended to be the father of my child. You should know that we didn’t live together."

He had nothing to answer.

I didn't know yet if he believed or doubted further.

His silent lips finally parted slowly.

"I thought he was my child."

My heart was pounding at these words. I clenched my trembling fingers into a fist.

"I'd rather have a baby with Jeremy Drua."

"Do you want to tell me that you found someone else as soon as you divorced me?"

He was angry. This question was eating at him from the inside, and he finally decided to pour it all out on me.

"You are asking a question that I have no reason to answer."

"There is no reason to answer because we are already divorced, is that what you want to tell me?"

"That’s right."

"Oh, what a coincidence! The child's father is dead, so why not get along with this Jeremy Drua?"

"Sire!"

I let him know that he was crossing the line.

Only then did Raymond flinch and recover. Now he seemed to realize that he had made a mistake.

"What I have just said… I, I…"

He sighed and rubbed his face with his hand.

"I'm tired of endless interference in my personal life."

"Ellie…"

"Once again, my child has nothing to do with Your Majesty."

His dark eyes trembled and his parched lips were open wide, but no words spilled out.

I looked straight at him, not avoiding his gaze.

It was unpleasant to see him so broken, but I decided to think only about Carlisle.

I couldn’t throw my son into the millstones of the war for the throne.

Heir or not, I wished him to live happily and freely. Without an eternal threat to life.

So I shouldn't arouse a single suspicion right now.

"Sire. If Carlisle's existence is made public, it will make a lot of noise. I don’t want my child to wander secret hiding places his whole life."

"Do you want me to shut up?"

"Yes, if it's possible."

"Huh."

A strange laugh came from his side. I can't even guess if this is sarcasm or is he delusional?

"I understood you."

"Thank you, sire."

He looked very upset.

It looks like it will take him a while to come to terms with the facts.

"I need to leave."

I said goodbye and left the office.

* * *

Garden of Marquis Sios.

Lisa, who was now fiddling with young flowers, froze when she saw the person entering the greenhouse.

Lily, the gray-haired maid, saluted Lisa.

"What's happened?"

When Lisa spent time in the garden, she liked not to be disturbed.

And Lily is well aware of this fact. Therefore, it is an important matter.

"Milady. When I studied Jeremy Drua and Ellie Croft, I found something interesting."

"What's in there?"

"Lady Croft has a child."

"What? A child?"

"Lady Croft raised a child, hiding under the guise of the owner of a flower shop in the Lund Kingdom. Now the boy is hiding in a mansion on the outskirts of the capital."

Hiding the child, it means…

And why?

Lisa's blood froze in her veins.

"Do you have details?"

"The child is 5-6 years old in appearance, and his appearance… requires investigation."

5 to 6 years old.

Ellie left the Empire six years ago.

If the kid is 6 years old… chances are it might be Raymond's kid.

What a great surprise.

The appearance of a new prince.

Now Edmund's position will be seriously shaken.

Lisa bit her lip.

We almost got there.

Just a stone's throw.

Ellie Croft jumps out and spoils my plans again.

Lisa asked Lily, trying to calm down:

"What's the matter with his looks? There is no symbol of the monarch's family?"

"The report reads this: silver hair and purple eyes were visible from afar."