I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

I smiled softly at the concerned look.

"Oh, that's nothing. As I said, everything is fine."

“We are very fortunate that Her Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince are still at peace. I want to talk more, but I… I have work to do, so I have to go back."

" I see. It was a pleasure to see you, Duke."

"Me too. I will soon pay a visit to the Empress's palace."

"I'll be waiting."

Jeremy disappeared and I turned to Jed.

"If you have any questions, you should have called me."

“Today I wanted to visit you quietly. Are you very busy?"

"No. Let's go ahead and eat," Jed smiled and let me into the office.

When I sat down on the sofa, they brought us a tray of tea. Jed spoke up, taking a sip of the aromatic fruit tea.

"Why did you come here yourself? Is the Imperial Palace still in chaos?"

"It's okay, because the prince is still alive. And I came here today because I want to know what is in the hearts of the nobility."

“If so, please, next time just call me to the palace. Don't you still have to be by His Highness’s side?"

This is what I originally intended to do.

However, things turned out differently because of Raymond.

"…I would have been more uncomfortable at the palace. The prince is okay now."

"Yes?"

Jed seemed puzzled.

“It wasn't a big deal. How is the situation of the aristocrats?"

"The poisoning of the crown prince raised a fuss, but the main topic was the fate of the First… No, Edmund."

"I thought so."

"I have to say, people are delighted with Your Majesty's decision to spare Edmund."

"Glad to hear it."

"With the fall of the Sios family and the change of power in the Drua house, there was no stone unturned from the power of the former prince."

"Then now is the perfect time to build the Academy."

“Few people seem to want to oppose that right now.”

"Is the construction site ready?"

"Yes. It remains only to secure imperial permission, then construction begins immediately."

It would be easier to promote the academy right now.

Nodding, I began an in-depth conversation with Zed about the academy. From teachers to admission requirements and tuition fees.

As we spoke, time flew by.

When a red shadow fell on the window, I looked up to check the time.

"It’s already dinner time. I have to go."

"I'll send goodbye."

Then I stopped and asked.

"Jed, is there any news of His Majesty?"

After all, the Phoenix Organization started with collecting useful information.

Naturally, there was a spy even at the palace.

"If it is about the family of the monarch… As I said, they only repeat about Carlisle and Edmund…"

"No, no. Any other news about the Emperor?"

“I haven’t heard anything like it… Is there something wrong?”

Jed asked me as if he had heard this for the first time.

I even thought about asking Jed to find out what was going on. But no matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem that he will burn out spying on the whole Emperor’s life.

‘If something is going on… I'll find out.'

“…No. I think I've become a bit sensitive these days. You don't have to see me off. I will go."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As soon as I left the order and returned to the palace, I stopped one of the maids and asked a question.

"Where is His Majesty?

"Two hours ago he said he was very busy and returned to the Sun Palace."

"Did he say we have dinner together?"

Carlisle's condition improved so that he could now eat light meals. Seeing this, Raymond would have jumped at another chance to have dinner with the three.

However, the maid's response was very different than expected.

"No, he didn't say anything else."

While I was unbuttoning my cloak, my hand stopped.

‘What is it?'

A strange feeling kept bothering me.

"Alright. You can go."

After the maid came downstairs, I turned to the window. Not far away, I could see Raymond's Sun Palace.

"Helen.”

"Yes."

“…Get me the latest gossip from the Emperor’s maids.  I am concerned about what is happening with His Majesty.”

"…Yes, Your Majesty."

* * *

A deep night

A painful moan came from the bedroom of the Sun Palace.

"Ughh."

He woke up with a burning pain in his intestines and hastily rang the bell.

"Your Majesty!"

"Bring me that medicine…"

The servant hastily left the bedroom.

Shortly thereafter, the butler entered again with the imperial physician.

The imperial physician urgently administered medicine to Raymond, who was suffering from pain. Taking the medicine, the Emperor exhaled sharply and fell onto the bed. His clothes were drenched in cold sweat.

Raymond got up and said to the now terrified butler:

"I need to change my clothes."

"Yes…"

As if he didn't want to see anything, the butler dropped his gaze and left.

After changing into his new pajamas, Raymond sat down on the bed.

The pain subsided with the medicine, but the body still didn’t gain strength.

“The medicine seemed to be of less use.”

"…I think so."

Now he couldn’t stand even half a day.

This meant that the poison spread faster throughout the body.

If so… He may not live even a month.

"Did you get an answer from the place where you said the detoxification herb grew?"

The imperial doctor deciphered the poison at night, and as a result, its ingredients were found out. However, having discovered the composition of the poison, the doctors were faced with a hopeless fact.

The main ingredient, Agiodita, was a sacred flower that only opens once every 10 years. Agiodita, growing in a small country located to the south of the continent, was unattainable even for the power of the Emperor.

Flowers bloom once every ten years, their number is small, and the temperature drop is destructive.

In addition, they bloomed for no more than three days.

"This is… They say that recently blossoming flowers died, and nothing remained in their capital temple. I still want to know if the flowers have survived in other temples."

Raymond waved his hand at this.

Agiodita was a flower like the treasure of the Holy Land.

Such a flower couldn’t be grown in some provincial temple.

If it’s not in the capital's temple, then it’s not anywhere.

But the doctor simply couldn’t tell that there was no hope left.

"Okay, you can go."

The doctor got up and left the bedchamber with drooping face.

Raymond sighed wearily.

His body was getting heavier, and so was his heart.

Seeing the inner conflict of the Emperor, the butler opened his mouth carefully.

"We should tell Her Majesty…"

“The Empress shouldn't know. And first of all, what can I gain from this only because the Empress knows?"

"…"

Raymond's strong remarks kept the butler's mouth shut.

"If it suddenly happens that the Empress has found out, immediately report to me."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"I want to rest."

The butler got up and left the bedroom.

Raymond glanced at the bored ceiling of his bedroom and turned to the window.

Outside the window stood the palace of his Empress.

"From what…"

The words died away.

Why do I miss her so much.

I miss her even more knowing that my time is running out.

I want to be with Ellie a little longer.

Here she is in front of me, reach out to her and that's it. But no.

She's back, but I have to leave.

“…Am I being punished?”

Maybe that was the punishment for the pain she had suffered.

Now is he finished with Lisa's poison?

Raymond laughed at himself.

The imperial doctor probably won't be able to make an antidote. It was time to prepare for the final.

Carlisle is still a Crown Prince, but he was still too young. Of course, Ellie will raise Carlisle well, but after his death, the imperial power will inevitably be shaken.

It will be a stretch, even if after his death, Ellie agrees to become regent.

I have to do something.

With the fall of the Sios family and the death of Lisa, it won't be difficult to keep the nobles on a short leash. And Duke Croft will do everything according to his mind.

For a long time he couldn’t take his eyes off the palace outside the window and thought over his near future.

* * *

Two days later.

"I asked the maids from the Sun Palace… But there didn't seem to be anything special.

"…Hmm."

“As always, the servant said that he was taking care of His Majesty, and that His Majesty was also in good health.”

At Helen's report, I narrowed my forehead.

"…Was His Majesty looking for someone specific or was there something like that?"

"His Excellency Duke Croft comes to report to him every now and then, but this is not strange."

Outwardly, nothing was different from other times.

But I couldn't get rid of my doubts.

It can be seen that something is happening.

At this time, there was a knock at the door.

"What is it?"

"Your Majesty, the Emperor has arrived."

"The Emperor?"

He was avoiding dinner for two days, saying he was busy. But I can't believe he came suddenly.

I thought he would keep avoiding me for a while, but is everything resolved?

Somehow, as I excitedly got up from my seat, Raymond walked into the room.