I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

"The trial is made against the defendant Lisa Sios. In order to cover up the crime of cheating the imperial bloodline, she attempted to kill countless people and poison the Emperor's descendant, the Crown Prince. Do you admit it?"

"Edmund is the legitimate successor and comes from the family of the true Emperor. Having a bastard as Emperor, you are not even able to distinguish the truth."

Glancing at the judge, Marquis Paren, Lisa began to spit bile.

Marquis Paren frowned.

"The First Prince is definitely the son of a sinner. How dare he call his Majesty a bastard? You've gone crazy."

"It wasn’t me who went crazy, but you, all of you! Have you thrown me to court? Me, the mother of the First Prince? None of you will live to be old!" Lisa screamed and swept all the objects off the table with her shackled hands.

During her rebellion, the knights grabbed Lisa on both sides.

"Let me go, dogs! Let go! Do you know whose body you are touching?"

Lisa screamed and kicked.

Then she suddenly aimed at me.

"It's all because of you! I should have just killed you! My only fault is that I didn't kill you seven years ago!" She stared at me with her crazy eyes.

I was told that she screamed and cried like crazy while languishing in a prison. Now it was clear that in that prison she had lost her last mind.

Like a wild beast, she was hunted by knights from all sides.

She was once a woman who reached the highest power in the Empire. Now, seeing her miserable appearance, the assembled nobles turned up their noses and spat in her direction.

But I didn’t take my eyes off her contrition.

I really wanted to hear her funny tales about killing me and Carlisle.

‘This must have been what you really were.'

‘A stupid thing.'

I was still watching Lisa, whose head was now pressed against the table.

I won't think about the other choices she might have made or why she became like this. Not everyone would have made the same choice as her, even if they were in dire need.

I didn't want to know anymore why she got such rot on her heart.

It was simple. Today Lisa is paying for her wrongdoing.

"Lisa Sios.”

At this time, Marquis Paren’s voice rang out again.

"The criminal is given the last word. The crimes committed by the defendant are so terrible and cruel that it is obvious that no goodwill is possible here."

Marquis Paren held his breath and made the final decision.

"From that moment on, Lisa Sios is deprived of her title and status, and is sentenced to death by beheading."

"Shut up! If Edmund becomes Emperor, then he will kill you all!"

As soon as Marquis Paren finished speaking, Lisa broke out into another hysteria.

Marquis Paren winced and gave the order:

"Take the sinner away."

"Edmund, bring Edmund here! Edmund! Save me! Edmund!"

Lisa shouted Edmund's name until she was dragged out of the courtroom.

Presumably, Edmund was lucky that he didn’t see it.

"I can't believe she's going to be beheaded."

"This is what happens in the end."

"How can you leave her to live after all?"

“More than that, to that person… What will happen to him now?”

"…He's the son of the dead Crown Prince, so won't he have a hard time surviving?"

Lisa left, and the nobles started to buzz.

Listening to their chatter, I opened my mouth to firmly indicate Edmund's position.

"Edmund will get a new castle. Because he has nothing to do with the sins of his mother."

My words surprised the nobles.

Getting a new castle meant that Edmund would live.

In front of me now stood faces giving a wonder that something like that came from my lips.

"Let's go now."

They were waiting for the continuation of my story, but I decided to leave them to savor new gossip.

After looking at the place where I had last seen Lisa, I paused for a moment and left the courtroom.

* * *

"Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived."

"Let her in."

The office door opened and I stepped inside.

I raised my eyes and looked at the table, at which, as usual, Raymond was working. To my surprise, it was empty.

Then I heard Raymond's voice.

"Here."

Turning around, I saw the presence of the imperial doctor.

I went over and asked.

"Your Majesty, are you sick?"

An empty silver bowl was in the doctor's hands.

A familiar scent was smelled.

"I got a little tired, so I took medicine to replenish my strength."

Raymond told me as if it mattered little.

"Leave us."

The doctor withdrew politely.

"Ellie, sit down."

His face was unusually pale.

He always had such white skin, but I didn't even think that it could achieve a shade lighter.

Looking at his pale face, I suddenly realized that I hadn’t seen Raymond in two days.

I couldn’t think about it, because I was busy around Carlisle. But for two days now, Raymond hasn’t come to us.

Although Carlisle and I stayed in his bedroom.

What's going on with him?

All my thoughts are now focused on his ashen face.

“…Your Majesty, are you sure that you’re alright?”

"I'm fine."

"Why didn't you visit Carlisle for two days? If something happens…"

“Only that I had to work with Edmund and Lisa. So much of this fuss, and more… If I show up in my bedroom, I will cause you inconvenience again."

“…”

“It's not that I didn't go in at all. I came at dawn to see Carlisle. …Sorry I had to do it in secret,” he added.

Raymond's face was now devoid of emotion.

‘Is he really okay?’

His face seemed more tired than usual.

"Ellie, I'm fine. Don’t worry about anything."

Raymond told me firmly, sensing my doubts.

What the heck?

Carlisle was gradually healed, and Lisa's trial was completed. There was nothing to worry about.

He must be sleeping badly again because of work.

Trying to brush off the strange sensation, I sat closer to him.

"Carlisle will get better soon. Are you sure everything is okay?"

"Yes. You don't need to worry about it now."

"That's a relief. Have you already been told what happened at the trial?"

"Yeah. She was nutty until the very end."

"I heard the execution will take place tomorrow morning."

"A whole string of sins has gathered behind her. There is nothing to postpone here. But one more thing… You dropped in to visit Edmund, didn't you?" Raymond said, leaning back on the sofa.

"Yes. I met with Edmund."

The knights guarding Edmund's secret room were the Emperor's entourage. Naturally, they reported everything.

“…Edmund was just a scapegoat. I don’t want to stick a knife in the back of a child."

"…But this child is of the dead prince."

I understood that Raymond's mercy towards Edmund didn’t mean that Edmund's subsequent life would be calm.

The prince, who died at the hands of Raymond, was his sworn enemy, even if he was dead.

But if you spoil Edmund's life too, will Raymond's anger be satiated?

“Your Majesty has already taken revenge. Now you want to ruin Edmund's life too? So that it becomes an endless series of revenge?"

Raymond was silent for a long time, staring dully into the air.

It will take him time to gather his thoughts together.

"Are you going to send Edmund abroad?"

"I would like to ask Your Majesty something about this."

"What is it?"

"I think it would be nice to send Leon with him."

"Leon Sios?”

"Anyway, it was he who gave us the antidote… His presence will help Edmund."

‘It would be safer to send him with Leon than him alone.’

If Leon is next to him, I think that Edmund can still grow into a worthy person.

I didn't know him well, but at least Leon wasn’t stifled by greed with a thirst for revenge.

“Leon Sios had the mercy of agreeing to commit suicide. Tonight, I will poison him,” Raymond spoke quietly. And he moved his lips again looking at me. “The poisoning… I will communicate it and then you take care of the body. I will conclude this by giving you the poison.”

‘It would be up to me to save him or kill him.’

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

I smiled at his strong-willed decision.

"And, Ellie. Carlisle recovered… How about taking him to the Empress's palace?"

"Huh?"

The corner of my mouth, which was drawing lines at the unexpected command, stopped.

‘What do you mean by going back to the Empress's palace?'

"…As you can see, I'm a little tired. I think I need to relax in my bedroom."

From one glance at that face, it was clear that he needed rest. So now he was going to go to the bedroom and I should tell him to rest comfortably.

‘I was going to tell him that it doesn't matter if I'm with him, it's fine. Of course, I thought we were together.'

I was surprised by my own thoughts, but I was also surprised by what Raymond said.

From the moment I entered the palace, it was he who always took the initiative and looked for an excuse to stay close.

All this is terribly strange and embarrassing.

It was absurd, but at the moment when I was told to return, I even felt somehow sad.

Ever since I overheard Raymond's conversation with Carlisle, it has been a burden for me to recognize my own feelings for Raymond.

When Carlisle went to bed with the poisoning, I completely relied on Raymond.

If not for him, we would have ended badly.

After going through such a series of tragedies, it seemed strange that he was now drawing a line between us.

But that's enough.

If I didn't want to start over with him, it would be good to clear my head as soon as possible.

"Then we leave today."

"…Okay. Thanks."

Raymond smiled and looked at me.

It seems that today he came up with the idea of ​​building walls between us, or was it my imagination?

"…I'll leave now."

"Yeah."

Raymond answered without even looking at me. Which in a strange way hurt my feelings.

‘…It's no big deal. Because he said he was tired.'

I stopped thinking and left the office.