I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

None other than Lisa Sios emerged from the crew. And even if she came without an invitation, no one blocked Lisa being her biological mother to first prince, in addition to her status as a young Marchioness.

This showed how much influence she had at the palace.

However, upon entering the lobby, she felt a slightly strange atmosphere around, different from the usual, and Lisa suspected something bad.

The courtiers avoided her gaze as she watched.

Both outside and inside the Imperial Palace there was a lot of noise from talk about the Marquis, but all the courtiers in the palace of the first prince were selected by Lisa herself.

They were no different from the vassals of Marquis Sios, so they didn’t back down just because they were in danger.

But why now suddenly…

A certain girl appeared before her.

"Lady Sios."

The lady-in-waiting was polite.

"Rebecca. Is something wrong with His Highness?"

"The second prince has come to visit us at the moment."

"…What?!"

What did I just hear?

Lisa's heart froze for a moment.

"The second prince came to visit us."

"How is this even possible?"

Rebecca stood there with a face covered in embarrassment.

After all, it was Ellie's child, and he came to play in the midst of all the strife.

When Lisa thought about Ellie and Carlisle, it seemed that she was about to turn out.

Raymond, and the seat of the Empress, position of the crown prince. Ellie took everything she wanted.

And now she sent her son to Edmund?

‘How can I not be upset?'

"Where is he now?"

"His Highness… They drink tea with the First Prince."

Lisa rushed to Edmund's room.

Bam.

Lisa opened the door roughly. The scenery before her was ridiculous.

Carlisle was now sitting facing Edmund and innocently eating a cookie.

Lisa's eyes widened as if she was surprised by the sudden appearance.

This was Lisa's first meeting with Carlisle.

Black hair, black eyes.

The same color as Edmund, but oddly enough, Carlisle's face was a copy of Raymond.

As if confirming once again that he is Raymond's child and the true heir…

Unlike Edmund, Lisa's green eyes flashed violently.

‘I should have killed you cleanly.'

Carlisle shuddered and avoided her gaze first, perhaps because he felt his life threatened.

"Mom!"

Edmund jumped up and ran to Lisa.

"My prince, how are you?"

"I… I'm fine."

Edmund showed a smile, but Lisa didn’t miss the oddity in Edmund's tone.

Have you already found out that interrogators have been sent to your grandfather's house?

Despite the overwhelming noise around, she visited the prince's palace out of concern that Edmund would hear the news and be out of his mind.

Lisa said, stroking Edmund's cheek:

"Don’t worry about anything. Neither I nor the Marquis are innocent."

"…Oh yes."

Edmund smiled, hiding his embarrassment.

"But who is your guest?"

Edmund's shoulders trembled as Lisa's gaze turned to Carlisle.

An assassination attempt on the ruler's family.

So Marquis Sios was suspected of trying to kill Carlisle.

"This is the second prince, mother."

"Of course it's him."

With a smile on her lips, Lisa passed Edmund and walked over to Carlisle.

"Hail the second prince, the second star of the Empire."

Carlisle blinked slowly at Lisa. After all, he had never seen such a beautiful woman like his mother before.

"Raise your head."

"I’m very pleased to see His Highness the Prince. I’m Lisa Sios from the house of Marquis Sios."

"Nice to meet you."

Carlisle showed what he had learned in etiquette lessons. Rising, Lisa looked at Carlisle.

Unlike the smile on his lips, his eyes were cold.

"I invited him to have tea. We met by chance in the garden."

Did he notice something between the two of them? Edmund went up to Lisa with an explanation.

"I see. He grew up in distant lands, and the Imperial Palace has become an unfamiliar place for him, but I believe you will take care of your younger brother, first prince."

Edmund glanced at Carlisle, answering Lisa:

"Mom, maybe Carlisle should go back to the Empress' palace and ask that…"

Even before Edmund's words were finished, someone opened the door behind them.

It was rather rude to show up to the prince without even knocking.

Lisa turned to scold the one who had appeared for being rude, but she was dumbfounded when she saw other side.

* * *

"Mom!"

Carlisle threw himself into my arms.

"Carlisle."

Back at the palace, I didn't find Carlisle.

The unpleasant news reached me that Carlisle had gone to the first prince's palace.

I didn't think the second prince would harm Carlisle, but I didn't really like having him there with Edmund.

As soon as I heard this news, I arrived right here.

And the moment I saw the carriage of Marquis Sios, standing in front of the palace, my heart pounded with a hammer.

I ran into the room, forgetting all manner.

The carriage meant that Lisa was hanging out somewhere next to Carlisle.

I only regained consciousness when I gently stroked Carlisle's face.

And I looked at Lisa standing nearby.

Of course, Lisa was staring at me all this time. And our gazes met.

"Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress, the Moon of the Empire."

Lisa bowed.

The moment I saw her, I remembered how hot the flames were in that house.

I want to hurt you the same way.

No, much more pain. In addition to my own suffering, I was afraid that my child would die. And I ought to repay you in the same coin.

Edmund spoke carefully as the silence stretched out.

"Your Majesty…"

In the oppressive silence, he felt my coldness.

It seems to me that now I will grab the hairpin and kill Lisa right now, but the anger still wouldn’t go away.

But now wasn’t the time.

Moreover, I didn’t want to take so ugly revenge right in front of Carlisle.

"Rise, Lady Sios."

"I met Carlisle by chance and brought him here. My mother only arrived later," Edmund said with an awkward smile, noticing the strange atmosphere reigning between me and Lisa.

But now, face to face with Lisa, I could hardly smile towards Edmund.

"Marquis Sios is under investigation. Is Lady Sios allowed to visit the prince?"

I spoke bluntly, without formal politeness.

Lisa, raising her eyebrows, deftly retorted:

"This investigation is a formality to prove the innocence of Marquis Sios, Your Majesty the Empress. I have no sins, and there is no reason to restrict my freedom. And as his mother, I was worried that the crown prince would be overwhelmed by all the mess. So I had to…"

"His Highness the First Prince."

"What?"

Lisa trembled from my pressure.

"Not the crown prince, but His Highness the First Prince. And it has already been several days since I was named Empress. Don't you know that to speak in front of me with the word, ‘mother' is a violation of etiquette?"

Now that I was Empress, Lisa had no more rights than a concubine.

“…”

I said coldly, looking at Lisa's frozen face.

"I said something wrong?"

"…No way. I have been rude, Your Majesty,” Lisa made a slow curtsy as she loosened the ferocious look on her face.

"There shouldn't be the second such mistake. Edmund, I will leave and you can spend time with Lady Sios."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Since I didn't tell Lisa to get up until the end, I took Carlisle's hand and coldly turned around.

* * *

A few days later, at the time when the sun was dimly setting. An Imperial carriage was leaving the Imperial Palace crossing the streets of the capital.

A fast horse-drawn carriage pulled up in front of a branch of the Phoenix Organization.

"Your Majesty the Empress, please come here."

Helen reached out to me. Then I saw two men waiting for me in front of the entrance.

"Jed!"

I first saw him after our disaster.

It was so good to see that he was safe. And while I ran to him, he knelt down.

"Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress, the Moon of the Empire."

"Get up quickly."

He took my hand and stood up.

“I'm so glad you're okay, Your Majesty."

He was embarrassed to speak as the protocol dictated, but his look at me was no different from the old days.

He still had a deep affection for me and my family.

"I'm glad Jed is safe too."

"He looks like a bear that will scare death itself. Is not it so?"

Lumont came up to me with a gentle joke.

"Your Majesty, let's eat inside and talk."

The reason I arrived today was due to Lumont's letter.

A letter stating that evidence was found against Marquis Sios.

"Lead the way."