I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

"At the meeting today, it was decided to review the case. The nobles were already glaring suspiciously in the direction of Sios, so that the Marquis had nowhere to run. His Majesty has done his part well."

"What a relief."

"Today the bailiffs chosen by Paren will visit Sios."

My father spoke confidently.

But I wasn’t firmly convinced that the investigators would find a clue.

Freud Drua is ​​dead, that mansion is already in the coals.

We must be prepared if Sios sneaks away this time too.

If nothing turns out, I'll have to step into the game myself and get to Lisa.

And this time I won’t play fair.

Of course, this was just my idea, and I wasn’t going to ask an innocent father to do the dirty work.

Hiding what was in my heart, I raised my cup.

"It would be great if that worked."

"I see you've already given the go-ahead for the prince's training."

"It looks like Baroness Bastein is better than I previously thought. She'll do a good job with Carlisle."

"Oh, I look forward to seeing him do the first prince at the banquet."

"Me too."

My father and I laughed at the thought of Carlisle.

"There is something that I want from you. It's about Carlisle."

"And what does it consist of?"

"Does my father know about the decision not to marry His Majesty this time?"

"Yes, I heard. He said that instead of a magnificent wedding, he would spend money on the poor. The banquet will thunder for nine days in a row."

"I came to this: it would be better to invest in Carlisle, and not just throw money at the banquet."

"Invest, but how?"

"I'm thinking of organizing an academy for the commoners. And do it on behalf of the second prince."

Thinking about what else can be done to benefit Carlisle, I came up with this idea.

The Imperial people have had their first prince, Edmund, for six years.

It took a bold decision to push out the first prince, whom everyone had long loved.

Philanthropy and volunteering is something the first prince has already been seen for a fair number of times.

The people needed to slip something more, something truly solid.

For example, as an institution for the poor, which has never been heard of in the entire history of the country.

In utter surprise, my father’s eyes widened.

"Commoners… to academy… are you serious now?"

"Oh yeah. The Empire had never before had an institution where commoners could receive even a primary education. If the institute is built under the name of the second prince, Carlisle's popularity among the rabble will rise."

Although the Empire has an academy, it was a place where tuition fees were too high for the common people.

Commoners who were eager to learn could only turn around and leave. Therefore, the creation of an academy would guarantee us strong support from the lower class.

My father frowned.

"Hmm… In the past, there was one Emperor who tried to build an academy for commoners, and he faced fierce resistance from the nobility, so he didn’t succeed. It won't be easy."

"I didn't think it would be easy for me. But then and now, the situation is completely different."

I already knew that there was an Emperor who in the past tried to create an institution for commoners.

Eighth Emperor of the Agrita Empire.

He cared about the well-being of commoners, but he simply lacked power in his hands.

Now everything was different.

Raymond had the strength to defeat the nobles.

"If His Majesty and my father help me in my endeavor, we can build the Academy without any problems. Be that as it may, Sios is now experiencing a storm, and the nobility of the capital is bewildered. It will be difficult for those to line up in a single row against the monarch."

Every now and then they turn their heads: whether to stick to Sios' side or to rush to the Croft house.

"Good. Then let's talk to Marquis Paren first."

"And we must notify His Majesty."

"An academy for the commoners… The path ahead is difficult, but the result will benefit both the prince and the commoners."

This is not just good, it will be very good.

This will give the people the opportunity to receive education, and will advance the position of the second prince.

And in the future, when Carlisle becomes Emperor, talented people from the academy can help his power.

"Then I'll ask you a favor, father."

"So be it, Your Majesty. Well, I have to go."

"Don't you want to see Carlisle?"

"I still have meal with the boy. I'll drop by the day after tomorrow."

I was a little disappointed because I was going to have dinner with my father myself.

After following the waning carriage of Duke Croft, I made my way to Carlisle, who should have finished his lessons by now.

* * *

After the meeting, Raymond called Jeremy into his office.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't found any other papers."

Jeremy bowed his head and answered the question.

To find out where the deceased's records were hidden, he interrogated the butler and even threatened that, but the butler only repeatedly stated that he didn’t know this.

And there was no lie in the butler's eyes.

However, it was clear that the cache was somewhere in the mansion, so it would only be a matter of time.

"I see."

When Raymond sighed in disappointment, Jeremy pulled out a piece of bark with a name on it.

"But instead I found something that belonged to the assassin."

"What is this?"

"This… There is a name here."

The name ‘Leah Pailin’ was carved into an old piece of wood.

"Is this proof?"

"This is a find in the Duke's bedroom. It wasn’t there until he died. The name has nothing to do with the Duke. This tree is called the Minoa tree, which is not found at all in the Agrita Empire."

"If it's a Minoa tree…" Raymond narrowed his eyes.

Mostly this tree grew in the cold climates of Western countries.

There were two kingdoms in the west of the continent.

Western Kingdom and Sonia.

"In the days when such a thing was in use, the Minoa tree wasn’t used in the kingdom of Sonia. But in the Western Kingdom, yes. In addition, experts told me that the name on the bark is also from the Western Kingdom."

"Western Kingdom…"

That place frayed his nerves.

Western Kingdom and Lisa…

As soon as he remembered the Western Kingdom, he naturally remembered her too.

Lisa spent six years there.

And there once lived a man suspected of the murder of Freud Drua.

"This is the work of Lisa Sios."

Ellie's words flashed through his head.

That Lisa tried to kill Ellie and Carlisle was horrible, and he felt there were oddities in Lisa's story.

Raymond ordered to find out everything about her past, and it was reported that the process of birth and education of Edmund in the Western Kingdom was a little suspicious.

However, due to Ellie's divorce and all the drama, further investigation was curtailed.

What happened to Lisa in the Western Kingdom?

Was she really trying to kill Ellie and Carlisle and put the blame on Freud Drua?

If so, maybe he is missing something more.

Now everything is much more suspicious.

"Lisa."

Raymond's cold voice flew through the air.

How long has this world become so evil?

Or was it from the very beginning?

For a moment, he remembered their past, but soon threw these nonsense out of his head.

Now these are all vain memories.

Lisa crossed the line that couldn’t be crossed, and she will now go to the end.

"I think the same as Your Majesty. This tablet is related to the Western Kingdom, and there we will find out about Lisa Sios," said Jeremy to Raymond, who was now confused.

Raymond squeezed a piece of bark. His hazy gaze drifted into the distance.

"I'll find out everything myself."

Things would be faster by sending Carter there than Jeremy, who has not yet found stability in the position of the Duke.

"Yes. Okay."

"And if you find any other evidence, report it to the palace immediately."

"Will be done."

Raymond put a nameplate on the edge of the table and was about to ask Jeremy to come out.

If Jeremy hadn't spoken first.

"Sire. May I ask to see Her Majesty? "

"…What?"

Raymond couldn’t hide his anger from his face.

Ellie and Jeremy.

This couple's problem was always on his nerves.

Jeremy said, not avoiding Raymond's cold eyes:

“I still haven't seen Her Majesty after the tragedy. I know she is safe, but… I would like to see her in person and ask her. However, if I go to the Empress without saying anything to you, I will incur your displeasure, so I ask permission."

He had no reason to visit Her Majesty, except perhaps one.

But Ellie was now the Empress.

Jeremy hadn't had much hope before, but now he really won't be able to achieve what he wants.

At least he hoped that he wouldn’t make enmity with the monarch.

So he asked permission.

Raymond frantically searched for reasons to refuse.

But he had no right to do so.

Because to her, he was just a shameful bastard.

The end of him and Ellie had already been determined.

Raymond slowly opened his lips to conceal defeatism.

"You can go there."

"Thank you for your permission. Then I leave, Your Majesty."

Jeremy eventually left the office.

After he left, Raymond sighed bitterly.

He closed his eyes carefully, then slowly opened them again.

He focused on the affairs of the king, shaking Jeremy and Ellie off his head.

Working with urgent papers, he noticed the shadows hanging by the window.

Time flew by so fast and the sun was already setting.

"Are you together after all?"

When he remembered Ellie, Jeremy and Carlisle, who were smiling so brightly, his heart was twisted with unbearable pain.

Even if he was now blinded by jealousy, he must see Ellie by all means.

He could no longer look at these documents.

Finally, Raymond jumped up from his seat and said to the butler:

"I urgently need to see the Empress."