I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

Rosaleen's eyes were wide open. She just didn't understand what Ellie said.

"What? Good luck?"

Ellie responded, nodding slightly.

“Yes, when I started a business in the Lund kingdom, it usually takes a long time to get established, but it wasn't like that for us. It was like a ship that found a good wind and moved along smoothly."

Ellie continued as she looked at Rosaleen, whose eyes were sparkling with interest.

“Jed was running a bar in the Lund Kingdom at that0 time. There were many regular mercenaries there, and I got a lot of information from them.”

Ellie remembered Jed's old bar for the first time in a long time and said it was a turning point in Phoenix Organination.

“Then, the diamond mine in the Lund Kingdom. With that information, we jumped to the top of the Lund Kingdom immediately.”

“Diamond mine?”

"Yes. When we were growing the Summit for a long time, the largest Summit in the Lund Kingdom was a bit noisy. The Summit collapsed and a succession battle ensued. In fact, the heir, it was the first son who would inherit three diamond mines from his father, and the second son, who would inherit a power that had been greater than expected. The second, who controls the power, tried to kill the first…”

“Ohh, that kind of thing…”

“The first heir who thought he would die at this rate tried to secretly sell the mine and run away. We got that information and bought the mine at a low price. So I must say It was good luck."

Rosaleen was amazed.

“My, I'm sorry to say this, but you were very lucky, Your Majesty. I can't believe you bought a diamond mine at a bargain price. Isn't that really hard to get?"

"That's true. Said information is so confidential, unless someone is determined to sell it…” Ellie paused, speaking casually.

It was because she felt like she missed something for a moment.

"So that's when you really expanded your business?"

Rosaleen asked as if she wanted to hear more. But Ellie's sudden sense of incompatibility was take her mind.

As soon as such feelings were about to reveal themselves on Ellie's face, Helen moved closer.

“Your Majesty, the Empress. In an hour, it's time for your class to end."

Ellie turned his head at Helen's words that broke his concentration.

"It's been so long already."

"Yes, I think you should go back to the palace."

"I see."

Ellie looked at Rosaleen again.

"Miss, I think we should stop talking today."

“Oh yes, Your Majesty.”

“I want you to stop by the palace the day after tomorrow. Let's talk more then."

"I'll do that. Take care, Your Majesty.”

Ellie left the greenhouse behind Rosaleen, who showed her courtesy. But as the carriage door closed, Ellie continued to wonder as she made her way to the imperial palace.

‘Was I lucky? Was what I told Rosaleen real? …I wonder if all the information I got came by accident.'

‘And if it wasn't coincidence…'

Ellie frowned and looked up at the sky.

Contrary to her disturbed mind, there was a beautiful sunset in the sky of the Agrita Empire.

As the bright sun went down, it resembled someone.

* * *

At the hour when the sun set and the dark night came. The head of Phoenix, Jed, found an old country house on the outskirts of the capital.

In an old bar with no signage and no customers

Jed entered the bar with familiarity, without fear. And surprisingly, the inside of the building was completely different from the creepy atmosphere outside.

A wood burning fireplace and a fluffy rug on the floor. On the carpet was a table and two sofas facing each other.

Before long, a man raised his head from under a bar full of bottles.

"Are you here?"

Gold and amber eyes, even in low light.

It was Jeremy who greeted Jed familiarly.

This was a bar that Jeremy bought a long time ago.

"Here we go."

Jed replied, taking off the commoner coat resembling Jeremy's, where the duke's dignity had gone and thrown away.

"Vodka sounds good, right?"

"Why do you ask when you're already bringing it?"

Jed's eyes turned to the vodka bottle in Jeremy's hand.

Jeremy put vodka and two glasses on the table with a slight smirk.

When he first sit onto the warm sofa, Jed sat on the opposite side.

Jed poured the vodka into the glass and asked Jeremy.

“Do you feel more relaxed now that you are busy?”

Blood storms ripped through the Empire with the birth scandal turning the palace upside down. And Jeremy was at the center of the bloodbath.

To be exact, on the Emperor's side, he found and killed the remnants of the rebellion with the evidence left behind by Duke Drua.

Of course, he couldn't afford to have a drink with Jed. But it's probably going to be difficult in the future.

Jeremy drew a wry smile, lowering his gaze. And when Jed put down his glass of vodka, he nodded slightly.

“What… I would say yes. I got rid of all of them. The remnants of the rebellion, the Duchy of Drua.”

Listening to Jeremy, Jed's hand, which was pouring the liquor into an empty glass, stopped.

‘I think I just heard something weird.'

Jed put down his vodka bottle and looked at Jeremy squarely.

"Did I hear you wrong? I think I just heard something weird."

Well, Jeremy leaned back on the couch, exhaling a low sigh.

“You heard right. Today I formally applied to His Majesty. ‘Remove from the Duchy of Drua from the Empire. Without a trace, forever'.”

"Oh God."

As soon as Jeremy's words were finished, Jed yelled. Jed was really angry, he was breathing hard and scrunched up his face.

“Please remove the Duchy of Drua from the Empire forever! Are you crazy? Now that you've dealt with all the traitors, and now that you've been proudly rewarded with the Duchy of Drua and are supposed to be the new head of the Duchy, why? Why did you ask for that? …Hear me! Are you crazy?"

Jed was about to take Jeremy to the Emperor at any moment and pretend that what Jeremy said hadn't happened.

However, Jeremy has long been determined. In particular, when Ellie returned to her position as Empress, he became even more determined.

Jeremy responded calmly.

"I'm in my right mind."

"You are crazy! You are about to enjoy a life of wealth and fame…”

“Jed. I have never been recognized as a Drua,” Jeremy's low voice stopped Jed's rising voice.

Jeremy's past, briefly forgotten by events. The relationship between Jeremy and the previous Duke Drua… It was something that came to mind.

Jed hesitated to mention it, but Jeremy was quicker.

“It was until the moment my father died. In fact, until my father died, I thought, well, one day I would inherit this damn Duchy. It is an inevitable destiny.”

“…”

“Then, once I was given the Duke's commission, as you said, I would completely change what the previous Dukes did. I would make a new Duchy. I put that determination in the back of my mind. I'm going to make my world. But when my father died and I became a Duke, I was able to change a lot of things. Strangely, I didn't feel refreshed.”

“…Jeremy.”

“Strange, huh? I was in full power, and I wasn't free when there was no longer any of the Druas to stop me. The weight of the shackles seemed heavier. And then I asked myself. ‘Are you sure you will?' …live as Duke Drua for the rest of my life? I think it took less than a minute to answer that."

Jeremy ended up looking at the discreet Jed.

"I'm not sure, Jed. Enjoy the greatest wealth and glory. Still, I don't think I can get out of the past for the rest of my life as long as my last name is Drua. I can't believe that I can live my whole life with that heavy shackle… It's so terrible.”

Jed blew out a long breath. Jed's voice was as low as ever.

“…His Majesty has given you permission? It would be nice to have you, given the state of the Empire now."

"When I first helped him, I asked hkm to listen to my request when it was finished."

Jeremy's face, which was calm as if, ‘Her Majesty, the Empress, do you know?' He would have toughened it up slightly.

Jed knew it. Ellie, she shouldn't know that Jeremy fell in love with her. But Jed said it even though he knew it was cheap.

Jeremy leaves the Empire, abandoning the Duchy of Drua.

Because those words sounded different from the past.

In fact, Jeremy used to be a mercenary and roamed all over the continent. So he's watched him go countless times, but this time something was different.

‘If he leaves this time… It will be hard to see him again.'

That's why she fell in love with Ellie even though he knew he was cheap.

Because she's not ready to let Jeremy go yet. Jeremy, however, said as if he was cheerful, only hesitating for a moment.

"If I think about it, I'll leave even more."

“…Jeremy, I…”

“Jed, now I really want to live for myself. I'm not tied to the Druas, I'm not tied to Ellie, but only for me."

Jeremy looked into Jed's trembling eyes and whispered.

"That way, I think I can meet someone who loves me and can love."

‘I don't want to live alone anymore.'

Therefore, Jed couldn't help but let him go. He went to say goodbye to an old friend.

Jed, who looked at Jeremy wordlessly, gave a bitter smile.

"…Yes you're right. You should meet someone who loves you."

“What do you think, do you agree?”

Jeremy picked up the glass and Jed soon picked it up.

To soothe feelings complicated by sudden breakup and sincerely celebrate your friend's new future.

"For health!"

The glasses collided and a long and unforgettable night began for both of them.