I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

"Maybe I want her back. This doesn’t mean that I can achieve that. To be an Empress or not to be, it's her choice."

Raymond didn’t deny his wishes.

His eyes, indifferent even at the moment of their wedding, now changed beyond recognition.

Looking at these agitated black pupils, Marquis Paren found such metamorphoses strange.

And he suddenly remembered Ellie, whom he had seen at the trial. The Emperor, of course, had changed a lot, but she was now completely different.

"After all these years, I met Lady Croft, and I found before me a completely different person, different from the meek Empress I knew."

"Different… then," Raymond thought of Ellie, who was now looking at him with indifference.

That Ellie, who always laughed with him, was no longer here. Only the cold has survived in her eyes.

Presumably, all feelings for him have already disappeared over the past years?

Who am I to blame now if I became the creator of that?

"She burned with confidence and energy."

Marquis Paren smiled as he remembered Ellie's speech in the courtroom.

All those present noted the changes for the better.

Looks like Raymond is alone who is unhappy.

Did you feel better without me?

Raymond's face darkened.

Was he really the shadow that oppressed her light?

"His Majesty seems unhappy."

"Nothing like this. Lady Croft has always been a rare talent. She just didn't have a chance to show it while she was still an Empress. I think it's even better, as her star has now risen."

Whatever he had in mind, the words just said were sincere.

He also wanted Ellie to be happy.

It just annoyed him that she was happy without him.

"You have to understand that you have spent many years hand in hand with lady Croft."

"We have known each other since childhood. For a while we were just walking, rather than being a couple…"

[Ray, you've never been my friend. I have always loved you]

Her tear-stained appearance was now in his mind, and her trembling voice rang in his ears.

Friend…

He knew from the beginning that she loved him.

He didn’t want to let her go, but he didn’t reciprocate her.

Because she was the dearest friend to him.

After babbling that remark to him, Ellie immediately choked on her confession, but could no longer give up her love.

A deep regret settled in Raymond's eyes.

The Marquis's words opened the door to a far-hidden past.

Raymond tightened his lips together.

"Sire. I'm almost fifty now. By my age, I realized that the worst thing in the world is to take things for granted."

"What does it mean?"

Raymond raised his eyebrows at the Marquis's pompous words.

"The trouble here is how people are deceived by a false sense of security. Awareness of one's own vulnerability comes only after the loss."

Raymond moved his lips slowly.

"And what to do to those… who understood it too late?"

"As for those who are late, those can only grieve. But, fortunately, those who still have a chance… Sometimes this is the path to a new future."

"Do you think I have a chance?"

At Raymond's question, the Marquis smiled enigmatically.

"How can I know this? Neither Your Majesty nor I know the answer, but only Ellie Croft knows."

"I just hope Your Majesty has a different end."

"Yeah."

After the Marquis said goodbye and left the office, Raymond plopped down on the sofa and lost in his thought.

Do I have any chance?

Her determined violet eyes came to mind, delineating a clear line between them.

I missed you… out of stupidity.

As he indulged in self-pity, Raymond heard the sound of the door opening.

"Sire. It is reported that His Highness the First Prince got hurt while practicing fencing."

Raymond's face hardened at the insistence of the butler.

"Call all the doctors of the palace."

He jumped out of his seat and immediately flew out of the office.

* * *

The time of day when the sky was blazing red.

The inconspicuous carriage quickly left the capital.

As soon as the sun went to horizon, I drove to Carlisle with Lumont.

There was a lot of work, so I was going to visit palace tomorrow, but the news of Edmund's injury that I received today at the tea party gave me a strange anxiety.

Maybe something happened to Carlisle too?

I looked out the window in order to somehow calm my upset heart, and then the carriage began to rattle violently.

"Ack!"

At that moment, the carriage jumped, and Lumont jumped up and fell from his seat.

“Don't be surprised at anything,” Lumont said with an awkward smile. “Haha… ahem. Roads here don't go to hell."

"Are you okay?"

Lumont answered indistinctly:

"Not bad… Although, next time we'll take a different road."

"It’s okay. If we go along the main road, it will be even worse."

Despite this discomfort, I could bear it for Carlisle's sake.

I knew I was going to see Carlisle, so I didn't feel any pain, even though I beat my ass off in the bouncing carriage.

"As you wish. Then I'll at least send the servants to clear the way. Ugh. Oh shit!"

Lumont hit his head again and screamed.

I didn’t cease to amuse with his torment while he stroked his bruise, but I couldn’t hold my laughter back.

"We have arrived."

As soon as the carriage stopped, he opened the door and rushed forward, as if fleeing the ill-fated carriage.

Going outside, I saw that Carlisle was already waiting for me in front of the mansion.

"Carlisle!"

"Mom!"

Carlisle hurriedly jumped into my arms. The warmth that was now spreading from my hands gave me a sense of relief.

At that moment, my mind wasn’t visited by the Duke's concerns, or Lisa's intrigues, or Raymond's weirdness.

My head, which was so busy with what was happening, suddenly filled with happiness like that.

I kissed him on the cheek and quickly asked if he was okay.

"Carlisle, are you okay? Did you eat well? Show me how you missed your mom."

Carlisle lifted his head and answered.

"I am okay… I ate well. Nothing hurts… I really missed you," answered Carlisle, folding his fingers one by one.

I hugged my son tightly.

"And I am very sorry that I can’t stay with my mother. Promise that you will come here more often."

"Hehe."

I returned to the ground from the fact that Carlisle rubbed his face against my chest, and saw another man standing in front of the mansion.

"Jed?"

I blinked my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing ghosts.

Jed was indeed standing next to Helen.

He approached me, laughing out loud.

"What a surprise. Didn't you say that you would come with Lumont?"

"That's exactly what I did."

Only then did Lumont's words come to mind.

I had so much work to do that I completely forgot about it.

"You have a lot to do. I know. You haven't even remembered about me."

"I want to see Uncle Jed."

Carlisle, who was in my arms, reached for Jed.

"What? Isn't it interesting with mom anymore?"

Carlisle shook his head as if he wanted to pull away from me as soon as possible. It seemed like Jed had already stolen Carlisle's heart while I was spinning the squirrel in the wheel.

Jed burst out laughing, looking at Carlisle, who in a moment forgot about his mother, even though it hadn't been ten minutes since the reunion.

"What can I do if Carlisle loves me more?"

Jed laughed, looking at Carlisle for his reaction.

Jed grabbed Carlisle and threw him into the air.

Carlisle's excited laughter echoed through the night air.