I Won’t Accept Your Regrets - Chapter 18

And I’m finally leaving the empire.

At first, I tried to go down to the countryside rather than completely leaving the Empire, but it seemed difficult to avoid the eyes of the people of this stature in the Empire.

In addition, I was not an ordinary aristocratic family’s daughter, but a divorce between the emperor and the empress. Interest won’t die down easily.

It was safest to deliver my child in a foreign country. Of course, it won’t be easy, But I would do whatever I could protect my child.

I don’t know anything about the hardships in other countries.

It would be convenient if Helan would help me in such a situation. I’ve already gotten used to her lifestyle.

Helan would be better finding someone new.

I spoke to my father when I made my decision.

“Yes, I will, but it’s dangerous, so I’d like the duke to claim Helan under their guardianship.”

“Of course I will. Don’t worry. How are you feeling? Have you been sick since then?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“But you should see a doctor later.”

“I will, because I want to check the child’s condition before my journey.”

“We’ll have to leave as soon as possible, right?”

My father’s eyes waned. As soon as I came back to the duchy, He was also unhappy to talk about me leaving.

But it was good to hurry everything up. I’ll be full of joy soon.

“……yes, I think that’s a good idea. But the Emperor might ask how I am. “

“Ah, Don’t worry it’ll be alright.”

Father sighed briefly and continued his words.

“I’ve already written down the child’s identity. I don’t know if you remember, but your mother had a sister. She had only seen you once when you were a child.”

“……it’s blurry but I think I remember her.”

A woman who had the same blonde hair as her mother. I can’t remember her face because it’s been so long, but I think I’ve seen it.

“Your aunt hated political marriages, so she fought with her family and left for the Kingdom of Lundt a long time ago. She was completely wiped out of the Count’s family. I just heard about her death. “

“Oh, she’s gone…”

“It was sad news. However, it was not even recorded that she died because she was erased from the count’s family tree. So she’s the right person to deceive the Emperor of your child’s identity.”

Father said with a bitter look.

It wouldn’t be surprising if she had a hidden child, because she was erased from her family tree.

It will be a plausible story even when a child is later revealed.

The Duke collected the child from the sister of the Late Duchess, who died a long time ago. So it would be able to make excuses.

“Please prepare it like that.”

Okay, well, I’m going to find a fast ship to the Lundt Kingdom.

“Yes.”

“It’ll take two or three days at the earliest, so don’t think about anything until then.”

My father left the room with the words “rest” and I sat on the bed.

Kingdom of Lundt.

Where I and my child will live a new life.

I patted my belly preciously.

“Now, baby, let’s live happily with your mother.”

I laid down in bed comfortingly, wishing us happiness in the future.

***

A night when the sun goes down, and the pitch-black darkness meets its way.

Raymond sighed as he looked up at the starry night sky.

“Haa..”

“Your Majesty, the night breeze is cold. Why don’t you go back to the palace?”

The chief of staff standing behind Raymond had said anxiously, but Raymond’s eyes have driven him to fall from the sky.

“……the star Ellie liked.”

‘I like stars. They are always in the same place. Sometimes when I don’t know what to do or where to go, I think they give me an answer.’

I don’t know exactly when, but she once said so, pointing to the stars in the night sky.

Maybe because she left today, Ellie kept coming to mind.

Why do I feel so empty?

I can’t erase the feeling of being empty inside.  The cold blowing night waves make his emptiness even colder.

Raymond slowly lowered his head, looking at the star that always sparkled in the same place, the star that looked exactly like Ellie.

Then, not far away, I saw the palace of the moon, the empress’s palace, with the lights out.

I just went for a walk knowing where I was going, but when I woke up, it was near the Empress Palace.

Raymond looked at the large palace, which seemed to be lonely because the owner of the palace had left.

‘What the hell am I doing?’

I couldn’t eat properly, couldn’t go to bed in a feeling of emptiness, and it was the Empress Palace that I came to without knowing.

It seems like I’m missing Ellie

“Ha. That’s ridiculous.”

Raymond shed a twisted smile at a ridiculous idea.

Missing Ellie.

We may have been friends who would have shared our hearts comfortably, but our relationship now was farther apart than when we were friends.

In that strange relationship, neither love nor friendship, he gradually kept pushing Ellie away.

Yes, he did, but it doesn’t make sense to him that he kept dreading her.

No… you shouldn’t miss her anymore.

Because she has already left him.

The feelings accumulated over the years

Because of this, He already knew that he would feel empty for a while.

Raymond turned away from his empty heart as if it was a hole.  He couldn’t take his eyes off the Empress Palace without a single light of fire.

At that time, an attendant hurriedly walked down the promenade and approached the chief of staff.

The attendant delivered a message to the chief of staff.  The chief nodded, approached Raymond.

“Your Majesty.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I just received a message from the temple saying that we have confirmed the divorce between Your Majesty and Her Majesty.”

Haa-

The cool wind blowing at the moment shook his dark hair. Raymond blinked slowly as he looked at Empress’ palace with his obsidian eyes.

“I’m officially announcing my divorce tomorrow.”

“Your Majesty, shall we prepare Edmund’s palace a little longer?”

Raymond looked at the warden, who was glaring at the empress’ palace. The head of the temple knew why he had asked for this.

After his divorce is officially announced tomorrow, her position will be vacant.

If Lizzena were to be in her position, Edmund’s entrance to the palace, which was being prepared for, had to be pushed back a little.

Lizzena and Edmund will join us in the palace.

Perhaps not only the head of the temple but also countless aristocrats are guessing that Lizzena will be the next empress.

She’s the biological mother of his child. Raymond recalled Lizzena, who came to visit the palace today.

‘I didn’t know you were going to divorce the Empress. I’m sorry I made it like this.’

‘It’s not your fault. It was just a matter for the empress and me.’

‘On the way, I met the Empress who was leaving the palace. She came to meet you——, she wanted you and me to be happy– …”’

Lizzena said as if she was sorry, but Raymond could not feel any run feelings in her rusty eyes looking at him strangely.

a queer sense of incompatibility

He’s been feeling a sense of incompatibility with Lizzena since last time.

So he had turned to Edmond without answering her.

“She wished you good luck, Ra……”

Before I knew it, the image of Lizzena disappeared from his head, and only the words of Ellie she had told him were left.

Do you think that, as other aristocrats might imagine, My next wife, the empress, to be Lizzena?

It was actually natural.

The palace cannot be left empty for long anyway, and my child had to be a prince.

He knew that the most perfect ending is for Lizzena to be the empress and Edmund to be the prince.

He understood everything, but he… …didn’t want to admit it.

No, he didn’t know what it was, but his instincts were rejecting Lizzena.

He felt like he was missing something.

Raymond told the warden.

“Prepare the Sapphire Palace as scheduled. Tomorrow we will announce my divorce from the empress, and two days later we will have Edmund go to the palace as a prince. And—Call my cartel early in the morning.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After finishing his speech, Raymond looked at the palace of the moon (Empress’ Palace) one more time and turned to the palace of the sun. (Emperor’s Palace)

***

The next morning, the imperial palace officially announced the divorce from the empress.

Upon hearing the news, however, Kroft was more energetic than depressed.

My father may have given me a word in advance, but none of them seemed agitated by the news of the divorce, so I was able to finish my breakfast comfortably.

So after breakfast, while reading a book about Erunda, the capital of the Lund kingdom, in the room, I looked up at the knocking on the door.

“Your Maj-…… No, my lady. Harpen-sama has come.”

Helan hurriedly changed her words as to whether the title of Her Majesty was still in her mouth.  I smiled at her and said to the door.

“Come in.”

When Helan opened the door, Harpen entered the room. I closed the door again and called Helan to leave.

“Helan, stay by my side.”

I was going to call her separately to talk about her pregnancy, but when I saw her being treated by Harpen, I thought I would naturally let her know, so I called her.

“Yes. Miss.”

Helan, who seemed a little surprised, approached me.

She and I looked at Harpen. Making eye contact with me Harpen opened her mouth first.

“Did you have any more pain after seeing the doctor at the palace at the time, Miss?”

“No, not since then.”

“I’ll see a doctor now.”