I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

"What could be more important than a prince?"

Marquis Sios turned irritably to Lisa.

After all, it was her actions that led to such a result.

The successor's palace has now drifted into the wrong hands.

Every time he saw his daughter's face, an incredible anger rose from within the Marquis.

"The name Sios is more important than the Regulus Palace," Lisa said calmly, enduring the Marquis' aggression.

"That book from the Drua House has surfaced, and articles about the Marquis are pouring in from all sides. There was even an article that the Marquis conceived an attempt on the second prince in order to strengthen the right of his grandson to the throne."

"Well, in reality it wasn’t quite like that. After all, you foolishly tried to encroach on the second prince, but Duke Drua is ​​now dead, and the heir's palace has been taken from under our noses. It is thanks to you that every dog ​​barks my name."

Marquis Sios grumbled, not harboring anger.

Accusing her of all sins in the world would have become absurd, but Lisa restrained herself.

As for the murder, her oversight was obvious here.

"Do you feel sorry for your son, who is now left without a palace?"

When he didn’t fail to draw Edmund into the story, a spark flashed in Lisa's green eyes. However, in the current situation, no benefit would come from squabbling with the Marquis.

"Think better of the Emperor's suspicions."

"His Majesty? If he had the will, he would have already given the order to investigate my cases. But Drua took all the secrets to the other world. So let the Emperor suspect as much as his heart desires. He can’t punish the Marquis for no reason."

Marquis Sios seemed to think that the Emperor was powerless, but Lisa wasn’t.

The number of newspapers broadcasting about the conspiracy grew, and rumor spread among the nobility.

It is quite possible that the story with the ledger was his work.

It was he who carried Ellie out of the burning mansion.

If he got there, it means that he followed Duke Drua even before the assassination attempt.

“The annual meeting will begin, and the nobles will collect votes in favor of the investigation. Then the Emperor can climb into our life without any evidence."

"More than a month before the noble convention. By that time, all this noise will have died down."

"The assembly of the nobility can be brought closer."

Marquis Sios clicked his tongue and spoke as if he wasn’t going to delve into this nonsense.

"Then it would have already been announced. There is nothing to fool me with these nonsense, and better look after your image in the light. In order to prevent the Empress from expanding her power."

He turned away from Lisa's words.

And then there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The butler greeted and put the envelope on the Marquis' desk.

"Sir, here is a letter from the imperial family regarding the noble convention."

* * *

I met with Lumont at the time that the postponement of the conference of the nobility was announced.

"I heard your injuries aren’t easy. It worries me that you are not yet in good health, lad… No, Your Majesty."

Lumont adjusted my title with an awkward smile.

"Everything is okay. I had a good rest in the last two days and received treatment, so I felt much better."

I no longer had a fever, and I felt better from Harpen's healing and sleep.

"I'm glad you feel better. Oh, here's a good ointment for burns. Of course, the doctors of the Imperial Palace use the best medicines… But this will also have to be handy. This is the ointment used by the royal family in the southern kingdom, where burns are frequent."

Lumont put the can on the table.

"Thanks."

I glanced at Helen, who was standing next to him.

Helen was reinstated yesterday as the head servant of the Empress's palace.

After Helen took the ointment, I put down the cup and asked Lumont.

"How is Jed?"

"It is much easier for him. The burns were terrible, but he heals like a bear."

After learning of Jed's steel resilience, I turned to Lumont with another urgent matter.

"The reason I called you today is to learn about the situation in high society. What are the rumors about me and the second prince?"

"At this moment, there is not so much bad gossip. In fact… His Majesty's decision was so sudden that it seems that not everyone was still overcome by the shock."

"What about the Regulus Palace?"

"There is… little talk about that."

Lumont cautiously slowed down.

"They only worry that His Majesty might make a hasty decision."

It's only been a few days since Carlisle became a prince, and the nobles have never even seen him with their own eyes.

They know nothing about whether he is fit to become a prince.

Since the abilities of the first prince were to some extent proven over the course of six years, it was natural that nobles appeared who didn’t like the Emperor's choice: to give the heir's palace to the second prince, who hadn’t even bothered to prove themselves yet.

"Let such conversations go, they are an absolute minority. So it seems to me premature to rush to the protection of the prince."

"That's right. As soon as my son appears before the nobles, that chatter will die out… Let's not make any harsh gestures. You just follow the mood. If slander grows, report it to me immediately."

" I will."

"What are they talking about Sios?"

"Public opinion fell very low. The involvement of the Marquis in the assassination attempt scared many nobles away from him."

"Before a meeting of the nobility can be held, Marquis Sios must be driven further into a corner. Let the juicy details about the Marquis and Drua come into play."

"Don't worry, there will be no nobles left in the Empire who rush to help the Sios house."

Looking at the smug Lumont, I grinned and took a sip of tea.

Soon Helen came up and said.

"It is reported that His Highness the First Prince has arrived at the palace."

"What?"

I couldn’t hide the surprise on my face.

But, however, it lent itself to explanation.

The first prince already knew that I had entered the palace.

So it was natural to come and say hello to the Empress.

But our situation was delicate, and it was just unpleasant to face the first prince here and now.

"I'll leave you."

Lumont walked quickly out of the living room, and I, too, got up.

"Helen, wake up Carlisle and get everything ready for the tea."

* * *

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress, Moon of the Empire."

The First Prince Edmund has been adequately raised in the last six years.

He was the walking embodiment of the ideal prince.

That is understandable, he was raised as the next Emperor. And my heart was uncomfortable to see it.

After all, before me was the one who would block the path with Carlisle.

"Prince, come in."

Edmund raised his head and said to me:

"Don't take my sudden visit rude. I had to come to you to greet. But by the way… where did the second prince go?" Edmund asked, looking around for Carlisle.

"Oh, Carlisle is still small, so he sleeps a lot. I ordered to wake him up. If you don't mind walking with me, time will fly by. I have already ordered to prepare a tea table in the flower garden."

"As you say, Your Majesty."

I went to the flower garden with Edmund.

It was my second day since I entered the Empress' palace in a new way, but the garden of the palace was full of greenery in full bloom, as in the old days.

It would have been right to remove all the flowers for the sake of a new inhabitant of the palace, but Raymond wouldn’t allow that.

He ordered them to keep the palace as it was, even after I leaved.

That is dictated by the desire to return me to this place again.

And what happened in the end.

Our marriage was a matter of convenience, but Raymond still succeeded in bringing me back to my dungeon.

But this didn’t mean that my heart also returned to the past.

This palace is nothing more and nothing less than just a place to stay for a while.

As I stared insensibly at the flowers, I looked at Edmund and the tea.

"I heard the prince likes lemon tea, and I made it."

Edmund, sipping his black tea, smiled softly.

"Thanks for your kindness."

"Glad you like it."

I put down my cup and met Edmund's gaze.

Edmund's black eyes trembled as I met him face to face.

"Your Majesty, are you feeling well after all?"

"Much better. I would say that soon there will be no trace of the fire."

"This is really good. Your condition was bad… I was very worried."

"It was really hard for me."

Now it has become very embarrassing.

This is your mother's work.

I opened my mouth, suppressing strange feelings:

"I can imagine your surprise when you found out about the new Empress, as well as about your younger brother."