I Won't Accept Your Regrets

“But if you get stuck on anything, tell me right away.”

“By all means.”

“Would you like a cup of tea?”

I followed my father from the table and to the sofa. Shortly thereafter, the butler placed the cups in front of us.

My father spoke again as the delicate scent of herbs tickled the tip of my nose.

“What did His Majesty want from you?”

“Oh, he summoned me to discuss the further affairs of my father after the outcome of the trial.”

“What did he say?”

“First of all, he noted that by tomorrow he would free all the frozen property. He will also make an official statement on behalf of the royal family.”

“Are you saying he will personally declare my innocence?”

The father grimaced.

“To know, and so tired of the Emperor, but such a statement will be…” anxiously muttered the father.

I think he’s anxious to get up now and pay Raymond a visit.

“His Majesty has already made a decision. You know it. He will never change his mind if he once decided something.”

My father knew Raymond’s tenacity as well as I did.

“Ha, if you have already decided… Then I rest my case. Besides this, is there anything else?”

“In his statement, he also wanted to mention how I donated money to the Empire. If this happens, your prestige will quickly rise to its rightful place.”

“I see…”

It was good news that the Duke would return to his well-deserved fame, but my father wasn’t too worried, because there was nothing in it that would benefit the Emperor.

I felt uncomfortable.

“In fact, I don’t understand his steps. Our family is important to him, but this is not a reason to stick your own neck.”

“It is true.”

“Is there a sudden change in mood?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps it’s not a matter of mood, but the preservation of my power will be beneficial to him.”

My father wasn’t wrong about that.

Since Croft is a family that is called the right hand of the Emperor, the imperial power didn’t hesitate only when his father was on horseback.

And when they told me that the Emperor was postponing the trial of my father, at first I thought that he had found a way not to cut off his own right hand. And this was clearly not done out of a sense of affection.

But the scene I saw today…

“Of course, that would be more useful if the faithful Duke Croft was waiting at hand, but… This is all so far from the manner of His Majesty.”

My father didn’t answer, and I continued to reason.

“I thought that in return for helping us, he would want a lucrative deal with Phoenix. But he only asked me about my relationship with Lumont, and there wasn’t a word about work. ”

“He helped, expecting nothing in return. But Raymond isn’t a sentimental type.”

The same Raymond, who climbed to the throne through parricide, and didn’t hesitate to purge among the nobles.

Even if they are loyal, if they sin once, their end will come quickly.

And if he remained the person I knew for a long time, he would return his father to work as soon as possible, and unfreeze his property in accordance with the entire procedure.

Nor would he have bothered to save the Duke’s honor.

He would just back down and give it to the nobles to eat.

So he ruled the Empire until now.

He was emotionless and ruthless. Only in this way could the highest power be retained.

He was a good Emperor for his people, but he was ruthless and cruel towards the courtiers and the nobility in general. That’s why I ended up dumping him.

To protect Carlisle from him.

Why would such a character suddenly do me a favor and not impose conditions?

If he asked to set him up with Lumont for the sake of a deal, I would just do as he tells me and left immediately.

He was looking for me for 6 years. And this look of his today…

He’s like… He was like my own when I clung to him in the past.

What an absurdity.

I laughed at my own thoughts. He doesn’t love you.

He cannot love you.

He said this with his own lips.

No, you never loved me at all.

But have you changed your mind now?

My thoughts drifted uncontrollably into the distance.

“Ellie, what’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing. I just think all sorts of nonsense.”

My father said nothing. Now he might think that I still love Raymond.

In the past, he had seen enough of how blindly I loved His Majesty.

While I was drinking tea, pretending to be calm, my father’s voice rang out:

“So be it. But Ellie. Can Carlisle be left alone? He’s still so small.”

“Helen is with him. I plan to visit him tomorrow. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Anyway, I hope you leave the Empire again.”

My father was worried that Carlisle’s existence would become known.

“I’ll keep our family safe. Even if I can no longer hide Carlisle, I won’t abandon my father so easily.”

If I leave now, the Duke will end up falling into the clutches of Sios.

At that time, my father’s sharp cough was heard in the office.

“Go and rest. You can’t work yet.”

After my father left the office, I lay down on the couch.

Now I was pretending that everything was okay, otherwise my father would worry, in fact, I couldn’t dismiss my worries.

The Duke’s position, Marquis Sios, Raymond’s oddities, and Carlisle’s safety.

My brain was boiling.

In the midst of this, what worries me most of all…

“Raymond.”

The new attitude and that look of his pierced the corner of my heart like a tiny thorn.

While I continued to spoil my already shattered nerves, there was a knock on the office door.

“Who’s there?”

“Milady, this is the butler.”

“Come in.”

Getting up from the couch, I went to the table. The butler entered and laid a pink envelope on the table.

“What is it?”

“This… This is an invitation to tea from the house of Sios.”

“What?”

I opened the envelope.

It read in beautiful handwriting:

[Marquis Sios holds a festive tea party. We hope that Lady Croft will beautify this place with her presence, if she has the time.

—Lisa Sios]

It was a short invitation, nothing special.

“Milady, are you going?” the butler asked.

“Ha… Okay…”

Why was I suddenly invited?

It was hard to guess her intentions. I was obviously not invited because they were happy about my return to the Empire.

It would be strange to hear the words ‘welcome’ from her mouth.

From the outside, it looked like she took my place and forced me to divorce Raymond.

So we were more enemies than good friends.

In addition, Marquis Sios aimed at the Duke…

You’d think she doesn’t know that.

There is no doubt that Marquis Sios is behind Count Barten, but Lisa’s contribution to the conspiracy was unknown.

Marquis Sios and Lisa. The relationship between the two wasn’t rosy.

And what I saw at the trial…

Lisa sat next to the Marquis and looked at the court without any concern.

If she really didn’t know anything, she would be at least a little surprised by Count Barten’s confession.

However, even at that moment there was no movement from her side.

If you know everything…

Why did you call me?