I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

What did I just say?

Raymond was now embarrassed by what had left his lips a moment ago.

It was spoken on impulse.

He doesn't even know how to play with children, so how will he play with Carlisle?

How the hell?

He asked himself indignantly, but Carlisle had already heard that.

Carlisle stared dumbfounded at Raymond for a moment.

It looks like he was confused by the situation.

Raymond's gaze became hesitant.

Bogged down in awkwardness, he cleared his throat and tried to speak to Carlisle.

If Carlisle hadn't opened his mouth first.

" What do you do to play?" Carlisle asked cautiously. In fact, it was very uncomfortable to stand in front of Raymond in the absence of his mother, but he had already learned something from his tutor.

Before His Majesty the Emperor, one must be especially careful in gestures.

Even if he is your father.

Carlisle would like to refuse фтв hide behind the maid's back, but if he does it, it will be contrary to all manners.

So he plucked up courage and asked his question.

Raymond kept trying to determine if it was a joke.

"I…"

He knew a lot of things, but didn’t know how to play with children.

After all, even when he was young, he never played with his father.

For him, a father… he just smelled of violence.

But now Carlisle is looking at him with anticipation of the game.

How could he disappoint his son,

What to do and what to play?

Someone's words passed through his mind.

"The last days, when there is time, I play fencing with a wooden sword."

He couldn't even remember from whom he heard such a phrase.

The only important thing now is that he found his answer.

Looking at Carlisle Raymond said:

"How about playing knights together?"

"Knights? Um… okay," Carlisle slowly took hold of Raymond's outstretched hand.

Raymond stopped, feeling the warmth in his palm.

Carlisle took his hand to go and play like a family.

Raymond once again lost touch with reality.

And for some reason my heart felt heavy, and my throat felt ticklish.

Raymond took a deep breath and told the servant.

"Prepare wooden swords that fit for the child."

"Yes, sire."

Raymond gingerly took Carlisle's hand and walked with him onto the field.

It wasn’t so far from the Empress' palace to the imperial one.

Carlisle's eyes widened to see a training field approaching he had never seen before.

In the wide open area there was a training field outlined in a circular line, and to the side were steel swords neatly arranged, sheathed in their scabbards.

"Wow!"

"Which one did you like?"

He used to look at Jeremy's steel sword, but such a variety was seen for the first time.

Carlisle flashed his eyes and pointed to a certain sword.

"I like this one!"

The sword that Carlisle chose was the most expensive of all. It was a sword from among the imperial relics.

And this is a sword that only the Emperor can have.

Raymond patted him on the head, because Carlisle at first glance recognized the most precious sword.

"You have a good eye. This is a very good sword."

"Can I get one when I grow up?

"He'll be yours anyway."

"Really?"

Carlisle stared as if he couldn't believe it. Raymond laughed.

"Yes. But not now. Firstly, you have to learn. So let's be satisfied with wood today."

Raymond took the wooden sword next to the real one. Then he handed another to Carlisle.

"Have you ever held a wooden sword in your hands?"

"No…"

In the Lund Kingdom, he often played swordsmanship with friends, but a moderately thick branch would do.

This was the first time he had seen such a wooden sword.

And apparently that's why he couldn’t take his eyes off.

Raymond grabbed his wooden sword properly and bent his knees.

"You had to hold the handle of the wooden sword with both hands."

Carlisle grabbed a wooden sword.

Do you have an innate talent for swordsmanship?

Everything went much better than expected.

"Now swing it once."

Carlisle smiled brightly, swinging the small wooden sword back and forth.

"Wow! I'm just like a knight!"

Carlisle's face shone as if he liked the wooden sword.

"Then you should come to me."

Raymond jokingly hit Carlisle on the sword.

"Come on, try it. If you hit me with a sword even once, I will grant you any of your wishes."

"Really?"

Carlisle hesitated. But the word ‘wish’ had its effect.

"I promise."

Carlisle, who had only recently hesitated, now rushed to him.

Collisions of wooden swords rang out in the area.

The first few exchanges Raymond parried easily with one hand.

Knock, knock, knock, knock!

Suddenly, Carlisle set out to disarm the enemy, and focused on his sword.

"Hmm."

Carlisle, who was now zealously looking for holes in the defense, was so sweet and peculiar.

‘I have to hit you on at least once.'

As Raymond thought about it and laughed, Carlisle hit Raymond's sword with another shout.

At that moment, when Raymond was considering deliberately setting himself up, Carlisle made a reckless thrust.

It was natural that Carlisle's sword bounced off the sword of Raymond, who had not calculated the forces in the chaotic exchange.

The force of the blow sent Carlisle to the ground, and Raymond's face flushed with astonishment.

"Carlisle!"

In the blink of an eye, Raymond dropped his sword and hurriedly approached Carlisle.

"Yuck…"

"You got hurt? Tell me where it hurts.”

Carlisle groaned.

“My ankle… it hurts…”

Carlisle frowned in intense pain. Raymond's heart sank at the sight of the creature.

"Hurry, call the doctor!"

He screamed sharply, feeling his head cold, and rushed into the Empress' palace.

Raymond didn’t notice how he arrived at the place, and immediately put Carlisle to bed.

"Your Majesty!"

"The prince is hurt, so do your work."

The Imperial Physician began to study the frightened Carlisle.

with a scared look.

"His Majesty, His Highness the Prince has sprained his left ankle and there is nothing further wrong with him," after Carlisle's examination, the imperial doctor told Raymond.

"And it's all? Is everything all right in other places? Check it again."

"I've examined it three times already, Your Majesty."

The Imperial Physician shook his head, embarrassed.

There was nowhere else to look.

Indeed, Carlisle just twisted his ankle.

It wasn't that bad.

This injury will heal after a day of rest.

"It doesn't hurt anymore."

Raymond walked past the doctor, bowing his head, and approached Carlisle.

"Now everything is okay?"

"Yes. Really… I’m okay."

Carlisle responded slowly, as if Raymond's worried expression was foreign to him.

Raymond's dark eyes were now somewhat reminiscent of his mother.

Just like my mother, who didn’t know her place when he got even a little sick.

"Thank God. What a relief."

Raymond muttered softly and stroked his bandaged slender ankle.

The touch was so kind that Carlisle looked away, feeling weird and awkward.

But then a servant appeared and reported:

"Your Majesty, Her Majesty is coming."

* * *

Returning to the palace, I saw a knight from the Emperor's escort.

"It looks like the Emperor is here."

I would have to go to him anyway, so it's even easier this way.

"Where is His Majesty?"

"His Majesty now…"

Without hearing the answer, I goggled at the sight of the imperial physician.

"You… what are you doing here?"