I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

The moment Ellie headed to the Phoenix branch, Raymond was receiving Cartel's report.

"The reason why Lady Sios was able to give birth secretly was that the then king of the Western Kingdom collapsed due to a chronic illness and the concubines were sent to pray at the temple. At that time, Lisa Sios also went to a temple far from the capital, and stayed there for about four months. It seems that there she gave birth to a child, avoiding others eyes."

Carter took a deep breath after a long speech.

"But that temple was later burned down. The daughter of the Marquis hid her son in a remote field and raised him; all the people who cared for the child are dead."

“All the people involved died…”

“Yes. In fact, it is not strange to shut up those involved because it was a secret birth… It is suspicious that they even touched the nanny."

It is strange that they cut out everyone who courted Edmund, and moreover one gray-haired old woman.

There is no reason to kill so many people if you have nothing to hide.

Raymond's face turned cold as he tapped the table with his fingertips.

‘There is a hidden truth if looking at so much blood.'

And above all, it was now difficult to find anything in the Western Kingdom.

And if so, it is necessary to extract the truth from those who are still alive and remain in the Empire.

Of course, the disgraced Marquis and Lisa won’t give out a word.

Carter spoke suddenly, interrupting the Emperor's train of thought.

" Your Majesty, I have one more thing to tell you."

"What?"

"You ordered to find out about that piece of wood with the name. The tablet comes from the Western Kingdom. To be precise, this is a tablet that has been used by royal servants in the Western Kingdom since ancient times."

"The Royal Family of the Western Kingdom…"

The tablet Jeremy gave him came from the Western Kingdom. Only one person had contact with the royal family there.

Lisa.

And where did she get this sign? She wasn’t a servant, but a concubine.

‘What's the connection between you and this piece of wood?’

It was an indistinguishable question.

But at this time, Carter gave a hint.

"And when I investigated the adventures of Lisa Sios, I discovered that Lady Sios returned to the Empire with a handmaiden to the royal family."

"Does that servant's last name match the name on the plate?"

"No. Not at all… I need to find out more about that woman. Most likely, there is a connection."

A maid allegedly stolen from the royal family. Nameplate from the house of Duke Drua and Lisa.

It was clear that they were all intertwined in some way.

If this tablet belongs to the maid brought by Lisa, then it was she who killed Freud Drua.

In any case, the tablet is unambiguously associated with Lisa.

‘How much evil did you commit?'

She even attempted to kill Ellie and Carlisle.

Besides, it is not yet known… about the birth of the first prince.

"Your Majesty. If it turns out that the tablet is related to a servant, would you attribute it to the case of the late Duke Drua?"

He was going to do that. He had intended to execute Lisa cleanly, accusing her of the crime, but now murder was not a problem.

He had to find out if Edmund was really his stepbrother's child.

Lisa is already on the edge of the abyss, but this time he had to dig up solid evidence, and not just throw Lisa on the block.

That way, he won't hesitate to kill Lisa and her son Edmund.

If Edmund becomes the son of the late prince, then he will definitely not live. And the culprit will be Lisa, who made a cruel joke on him.

"It's more important to check the facts about the first prince. That gray-haired maid might know more about the first prince, so you know what to do. And in my Empire…"

Raymond swallowed the end of his words.

In his Empire, no one should find out the truth about the birth of the first prince.

‘Should I search for the former Marquis Sios and then torture him?'

‘But will that make him open his mouth?'

If everything turns out to be true, then neither Lisa nor the disgraced Marquis Sios will meet an easy end.

He doesn't think they would have left someone who could convey or know the situation…

‘Didn't she have a younger brother?'

"A brother."

"I'm sorry, what?"

Raymond suddenly remembered a man everyone had long forgotten.

Lisa's younger brother. Leon Sios.

His intuition screamed that this member of the Sios family could close some of the gaps.

"Carter."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

“Find the son of the Sios family, Leon Sios.”

"I am receiving your orders."

As soon as the Cartel saluted and was about to leave the office, there was a knock at the door.

"Who is there?"

The conversation with Carter took place without witnesses. Now the butler carefully opened the door and entered.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."

Raymond's eyes went up to his forehead at such words.

"The Prince is here?"

"Yes, he’s here alone."

‘Cain came to see me in person.'

This was the first time Carlisle had come to him of his own free will, and besides, Carlisle had arrived alone.

Raymond jumped up from his seat.

The harsh creak from the chair was so loud that Carter and the butler shrank in fright.

“Why did he suddenly…”

Carter was amazed to see the unfamiliar side of Raymond he had seen for the first time.

"Your Majesty, wouldn't it be better to let His Highness the Crown Prince in?"

Carter's voice brought Raymond back to reality.

He was right.

The unnecessary expectation of his son drags on with every second.

"Hurry and let him in."

"Then I'll leave you."

Carter left the office and Carlisle immediately slipped inside.

“You don't have to bow,” Raymond said even before Carlisle greeted him.

He walked over to Carlisle. And when he knelt down and looked at the child, Carlisle nevertheless lowered his head and greeted.

"Your Majesty."

"Okay, so raise your head."

Carlisle looked uncomfortable and avoided his gaze, but he was no longer as scared as before.

‘Was this your idea?'

For some reason, Carlisle's gaze was strangely different from yesterday.

‘It's embarrassing, but I didn't think it made him uncomfortable?

Carlisle injured his ankle while playing with a wooden sword together. Ever since then, he worried that Carlisle might have hated him more.

His own father beat him, and gradually he became disgusted with the very existence of his father.

In the case of Raymond, the situation was different, but he continued to think that he had hurt Carlisle.

"Your Majesty, are you busy?"

"…Not much."

Raymond, lost in thought, muttered slowly.

"But Crown Prince, didn't your mother come with you?"

"No. My mother went out for a while. So she was spending time alone. Um…”

Carlisle spoke boldly. Suddenly, the ending became a blur.

He looked Raymond in the eye.

This time he felt no fear.

Although he looked shy.

It looks like he has something to say, but it wasn’t easy to say.

‘Did you come because you were bored? Did you look for me because of this?'

It was ridiculous to go to the Emperor, simply because it became boring. It was, of course, a pointless assumption, but… who knows?

Raymond asked with a soft smile on his lips.

"Prince. Today my chef baked your favorite cookies. Would you like to taste it right here?"

"Yes I'd like to!"

Carlisle responded as if this was all he was expecting.

That smiling face in front of him confirmed that his ridiculous assumption was correct.

Carlisle is bored, so the first thing he did was find him.

Raymond and Ellie's only son.

The Emperor felt a tickle in his heart that Carlisle found him first, whatever the reason.

"Fine, ahem."

Raymond cleared his throat so as not to show the strange emotion that gripped his being.

"Bring the biscuits and juice to the living room."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

And Raymond, taking Carlisle by the hand, left the office.

* * *

"Find out where the Leon Nacios is now, and find out about Lizzena's maid as well."

"If it's the maiden… Are you talking about the white-haired maiden?"

Lisa's only maid that will catch everyone's eye.

As I made my way to the Phoenix branch, I rethought my priorities. The first thing to do is to go to that servant, not Leon Sios.

That woman gave off a strange sensation.

After all, I have crossed paths with Lisa many times. She always draws an invisible line, shielding herself from people, but this servant was always with her.

Her right hand might know something.

"That's right. Find out everything about where the maid was from and since when she was by Lisa's side."

Therefore, I ordered Lumont to find out more about the maid and returned to the Imperial Palace.

When I returned like this, the afternoon had already passed and the sun was setting.

"Your Majesty, would you like to go to the Administrative Palace?”

When the carriage entered the Imperial Palace, Helan asked.

I was originally going to talk to my father today about Carlisle's tutor.

But it was already too late.

"No. Let's go to the Palace. Carlisle might have been waiting."

I headed straight for the Empress Palace because the child would be disappointed if we didn't eat together until dinner.

And as soon as I got out of the carriage, I heard the unexpected news.

"Your Majesty. His Highness, the Crown Prince, went to the Sun Palace to meet his Majesty."