I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

And today Edmund jumped at the chance.

"Your Highness. The ordered dessert is ready."

Edmund, who remembered the events of two days ago, came to himself with the maid's voice. The maid, who answered the door, held a silver tray of apple pies. The maid who placed the pies on the table looked at Edmund.

"The chef said the cake was baked with special care."

"I need to change. Wait outside the door."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Left alone, Edmund took a deep breath as he looked at his favorite dessert.

And then he pulled out a crystal bottle, which he kept in his pocket.

Suddenly his eyes flashed with determination… And he opened the lid.

Lily, attracted by the sound, looked up and stared at Edmund's hands.

As if she wanted to see if he spilled poison or not.

His mother advised to check everything in person.

After all, what a meticulous person her lady was.

Edmund began pouring liquid from a crystal bottle over the apple pie as if in response to Lily's insistent gaze.

There was no place that the liquid didn’t reach.

It was only when the bottle was completely emptied that Edmund lowered his hand.

“This a lot… It will work, right?”

Edmund looked at Lily again, clutching the bottle with trembling hands. Lily stared coldly at Edmund.

‘Will I get caught?'

Edmund shivered as he saw the inhuman coldness in her eyes.

In fact, Edmund didn’t poison the pie.

When he was just given the poison, fear took over his mind entirely. But as time passed, he realized what he was going to do.

‘I'm trying to kill my father and my brother.'

So, Edmund secretly from Lily poured all the poison from the bottle and filled it with water.

He was numb with fear, imagining that his mother might die, but he couldn’t kill his father and younger brother. How can he rejoice in the future, walking over the corpses of his relatives?

‘How can one be happy in the future, killing one's father and brother?'

And if his mother really committed the unforgivable sin… If so, then it is right that she should pay the price.

Edmund stared at Lily in silence and swallowed nervously.

At the moment when he was already thinking that he was caught, Lily smiled smoothly and said:

“Good job, Your Highness.”

Lily reached out to Edmund and took the bottle.

"Then I will take my leave and bring your mother the news."

"…Yes."

Lily left the room, and the next moment the prince's legs gave way.

After all, he clearly remembered Lily's words.

"If His Highness, the Prince, cannot do it, his mother will die." 

"…"

Maybe now he betrayed his mother.

Did he really make the right choice?

"Your Majesty, it is time for dinner,” the maid opened the door and entered."Bring dessert.

"Bring the dessert."

"Yes."

Edmund went to dinner first, and the maid took a tray of apple pie.

When the latter was about to leave the room, Lily stepped into the room.

"I'll take this."

The maid winced as she watched Lily stretch her hands.

"This is a take-out dessert to the dinner venue. It is not food that you, a servant, should take."

"But His Highness the Prince ordered me to bring dessert just before he left the palace.”

“Your Highness… Did you order it?”

"Yeah. As you yourself saw, the prince is now worried in body and soul and is nervous, because he hasn’t seen his father for a long time. And he said my presence will be a relief for him."

The maid fell for Lily's gentle persuasion.

And this happened because Lily was seen beside Edmund from childhood, moreover, now she was replacing Lisa for him in the palace.

Of course, the maid had no choice but to believe Lily's words.

"…Here it is. Just be careful."

"Yes."

Leaving the room first, Lily looked around and opened the lid.

Then she took a small bottle out of her pocket and sprinkled clear liquid over the apple pie.

* * *

"His Highness the First Prince arrives."

The door to the dining room opened and Edmund entered. Carlisle jumped up from his seat and happily called out to him.

"Brother!"

"His Majesty, Her Majesty. Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Edmund gave a shudder greeting.

Carlisle, who at that time was about to run to Edmund, suddenly froze and retreated.

He remembered Edmund's cold tone the other day.

I heard from Helan that the two met.

Naturally, I smiled at Edmund so that the atmosphere did not become extremely awkward.

"Edmund, come and sit down."

"Yes, Your Majesty.”

Edmund sat down opposite me.

This child's cheeks were now sunken, as if he had faced many difficulties lately.

Edmund was a fast growing boy for his age. He would have been even more because he was raised as a Crown Prince.

It would have been less shocking if I hadn't known the political situation. The mother's house that was pushed out of the Crown Prince's seat and collapsed.

He knows that he has nothing left but his status as a Prince.

So I didn't go meet Edmund in the meantime, because he'll be more uncomfortable when he sees me.

He won't know that I'm related to the position of the Crown Prince and the collapse of his mother's family.

"It's been a long time since we last met, Father."

Edmund spoke to Raymond first. The moment Raymond's eyes turned to Edmund, his shoulders flinched with tension.

Raymond now sees Edmund as the child of the dead prince.

I was afraid that he was about to lose his temper.

“I heard you feel bad. Now everything is fine?"

"Yes. Now I’m fine. Thanks for her concern."

Fortunately, Raymond didn't show anything harsh. I relaxed, and then Edmund turned to me.

“Your Majesty the Empress, Your Majesty the Crown Prince. I'm sorry I couldn't go say hello lately."

"No, don't apologize. It’s a pity that we didn’t invite you."

"Thanks for these words. Okay… um… Your Highness is doing well?"

Edmund smiled at Carlisle.

The cold tone Helen told me about suddenly disappeared somewhere.

Probably, he hid his feelings in the presence of the Emperor and the Empress.

But Carlisle didn't know it. He quickly burst into enthusiasm, as if he thought his older brother had replaced anger with mercy.

“I… No, I'm fine. I miss you brother,” Carlisle said with a bright smile.

Carlisle's laugh in the hall, where everyone was hiding behind a mask, was unusually sincere.

At that moment, Carlisle's pure laugh shook Edmund.

‘I don’t think it’s because of that strong hatred for Carlisle.’

Rather, a vague sense of guilt appeared in those dark eyes.

‘Is Edmund guilty of something in front of Carlisle?’

Considering this a mistake, I gave the winked at the servants to cover.

And soon the table was covered with culinary delights. The meal began.

Carlisle and Edmund talked tirelessly.

Raymond hardly spoke, and I only occasionally threw a line here and there.

However, Carlisle talked to Edmund throughout the meal that Edmund had no time to wield a fork.

On another day, I would have advised Carlisle to stop bothering Edmund, but today I dropped the case.

After all, even if Carlisle had stopped talking, the atmosphere would have become quite prickly.

And if Edmund spoke to Raymond in this hard atmosphere… I didn't want to imagine what will happen next.

After dinner, which was filled with Carlisle's clear voice, a servant entered with dessert.

"His Majesty, Her Majesty. This is from the first prince."

I saw a sweet apple pie.

It was Carlisle's favorite dessert.

At that moment, Edmund smiled broadly.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I hear His Highness the Crown Prince likes that."

"My God, how do you know? Come on, say thanks, Carlisle."

"Thank you, brother."

Carlisle's cheeks flushed, apparently flattered by such concern.

‘Are you sorry for treating Carlisle coldly last time?'

I knew that Edmund's feelings didn’t echo Lisa's thoughts. With a heartfelt smile, I took a piece of apple pie and put it on Carlisle's plate.

As if he was just waiting for this, Carlisle stabbed a huge piece of cake with a fork.

"So tasty! Mom would also need…"

"Prince?”

Carlisle, who had been talking with excitement a moment ago, suddenly froze.

"Ugh!"

"Carlisle, what’s up?”

Carlisle bowed his head and groaned.

The fork fell out of Carlisle's hands and made a ringing sound.

"Mom…"

A chill ran down my spine.

Carlisle lifted his head and began to vomit blood.

"Carlisle!"

Calling out to Carlisle with a frightened face, I hastily hugged the falling child.

"Carlisle, son!”

Raymond threw his chair away and ran over to me.

Carlisle vomited blood over and over again. Hot blood ran down my hand.

My heart seemed to stop at this sensation.

"Carlisle, Carlisle!"

"It hurt’s…"

Carlisle slowly closed his eyes.

"Don't lose consciousness. No, Carlisle, please!"

Soon after, however, Carlisle’s body fell into my arms.

"Oh no, no! Carlisle!"

"Call a doctor! Right now!"

Raymond's urgent shout rang in my ears.

I hugged my son tightly with trembling arms and cried his name in madness.