I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

"If he doesn't help… At least he won't pander to his enemies. He probably won't budge at all. He sits as a hermit in his estate, said that he wants to spend the rest of his life there, in silence."

"Ah… this one."

Helen seemed to know who I was talking about. She said nothing more, probably thinking that everything was hopeless.

"It would be great if some information came from Lumont."

"You can ask him yourself."

"What?"

When I turned to Helen, I saw that Lumont had just left the carriage.

"I was a little late because there was a monthly meeting today."

Lumont sighed heavily in front of me.

"Lumont, what happened?"

"Ah, Ellie."

Lumont couldn’t catch his breath.

"I found."

I raised my eyebrows, not taking his hint.

"You find… what?"

Lumont said, full of self-righteousness:

"A witness who will help us in court!"

"Are you sure he will help?"

"Right. I didn't tell you yesterday that it was Count Barten who sponsored Metas's work."

"That's how."

“I made inquiries and found out that they began periodic secret meetings immediately after the first caravan from the desert entered the Empire. And I also found a witness who could prove it. I decided to meet with the witness tonight.”

"I want to go to him myself."

Lumont, exhorting me about his accomplishments with a proud expression on his face, suddenly froze and goggled his eyes.

"It's too dangerous for you to go there."

Helen voiced her concerns, but as soon as I heard about the witness, I had already made a decision.

"I have to go. I can’t miss this chance."

As the trial was nearing, I needed any witness to turn the whole game in my favor.

"Come with me, Lumont."

* * *

At the same time in the office of the Imperial Palace.

"Hail His Majesty the Emperor, Empire Sun."

After such a long time, Raymond had a meeting with a man loyal to him.

He rose from his seat and held out his hand to the Marquis.

"Get up, Paren."

"Thank you, sire."

Rising, the marquis looked at him and smiled.

"Sit down, there is a conversation."

Raymond sat down on the sofa with the Marquis. Oriental tea, prepared in advance, was on the table.

"I remember you like tea from eastern countries."

"I would not have thought that you remember the tastes of the old man who disappeared from sight long ago, sire."

"You may not know, but there is still talk at court about your deeds."

"Haha. Let them talk to themselves further. I just want to sit in my estate as it is now.”

"You have been away from the noise of the capital for so long, you must be bored with it."

"A thin world seems to me better than the most successful war."

Marquis gently but firmly rejected Raymond's words about returning to the capital.

"You're still the same."

Raymond laughed when he saw that he was no different from the past.

"Thank you for agreeing to serve as a judge. There is no other person in the capital who could handle Croft's case more justly and more honestly than you.”

"This is true".

"I was sincerely surprised to learn that you got down to business. If you had refused, I was even going to go straight to your estate."

Marquis Paren was chosen to judge Duke Croft.

Ever since the trial of Croft was inevitable, the Emperor had kept in mind the candidacy of Marquis Paren all the time.

Among the nobles, the only one who could be called the most impartial was precisely Marquis Paren.

In addition, Marquis Paren enjoyed great prestige.

Consequently, if Marquis Paren were a judge, the nobles wouldn’t oppose.

He was an ideal person in all respects, but until now there was no certainty that he would want to be a judge.

He never looked for a power struggle.

But the answer came sooner than Raymond had expected.

And while the Emperor was looking at him with amazing eyes, the marquis warmly said:

"I am indebted to Duke Croft."

"In debt?"

His gaze faded for a moment, as if the years passed before his eyes.

"After the uprising, I left all my worries to the Duke and fled to my estate… Isn't it time to return the favor to the Duke?"

"It turns out that the relationship between the Duke and the Marquis is pretty good."

"I have no intention of injecting personal sentiment into the court," Marquis said firmly.

Raymond nodded because he was sure of what he said.

"All you have to do is speak fairly in court."

"…Anyway, is the Duke all right?"

"I can’t say that he is in good condition, but he is holding on."

"Well, is Ellie Croft back?"

Raymond's hand holding the cup froze.

"Has she returned…?"

A moment later, an image of a woman floated into his head. A woman whose voice was too much like Ellie.

When Raymond's black eyes faded, the marquis slowly opened his mouth.

"It seems she will never come back."

At that moment the butler's voice came from behind the door.

"Your Majesty, the commander of the 4th Knight Corps is arriving."

"Let him wait."

As soon as Raymond spoke, the Marquis stood up.

“No, Your Majesty, I don’t want to stay here. Politics is a dirty business.”

"It would be nice if we could meet again."

"I’ll come to you again. But when the trial is over, I will leave too.

"I wanted to give you a place in the imperial palace, but I thought you would refuse, so I prepared a small mansion. Stay there while you are in the capital."

"Thanks for your kindness. Then I'll go."

Marquis Paren left and Carter entered the office. Raymond got up from the couch and walked over to his desk.

"Everyone leave."

Raymond sent all the servants out of the office. The door was tightly closed. Instead of sitting down at the table, he stood in front of him.

Leaning lightly against the table, he turned his gaze to the bowing Carter.

"Get up."

"Yes, sire."

"What happened to the witnesses who could have linked Viscount Metas and Count Barten?"

"Suddenly that servant disappeared. It took a while to find a clue. But since I am on the trail, soon he will be in your hands."

"The trial is already tomorrow. Find him by today. Weren't there any meetings between Count Barten and Marquis Sios?"

If Viscount Metas and Count Barten are contemplating this scam together, Marquis Sios will be involved.

First, Count Barten didn’t have the intelligence to do such a wonderful job alone.

"Although the wife of the Marquis and Count Barten meet frequently, it is difficult to find anything suspicious because they are meeting in public."

"Have Marquis Sios and Count Barten ever met?"

"We couldn't find a connection."

The meeting between the wife of the Marquis and Count Barten was not enough to suspect Marquis Sios.

Raymond grabbed his temples.

"Carter."

"Yes, sire."

"Dig around Marquis Sios. Find out the names of all the nobles who have built contact with the Marquis in recent years."

Raymond remembered the nobles he had seen at the meeting and Marquis Sios.

After Edmund became prince, the power of Marquis Sios increased greatly.

And now he needed to know why he was suddenly targeting Duke Croft.

If Marquis Sios really wants to take the Croft family out of the game, Ellie will be a target too.

If Marquis Sios is really targeting Ellie, Raymond, for whatever reason, won’t leave him alive.

"I will find out immediately. And yet, Your Majesty."

Carter hesitated for a moment and opened his mouth.

"I have something to report on the woman who was ordered to be found."