109. Belated Regret

Larael nodded. The Founding Festival, along with the Emperor’s birthday, was the empire’s biggest event. In the Kazel Empire, the beginning of winter meant it was time to start preparations for the Founding Festival.

The conversation naturally shifted to the Founding Festival celebrations. Beatrice told Larael, who had only stayed in Hedway County, about the events of the Founding Festival that she would experience for the first time in the capital. Larael listened attentively, nodding her head without revealing that she already knew about these things.

Two hours passed quickly as they conversed. Larael bid farewell to Beatrice, boarded her carriage, and returned to the palace. After returning to the palace, remembering her promise to the Empress Dowager, Larael headed straight to the Empress Dowager’s palace.

As if the Empress Dowager had instructed them beforehand, Larael was guided directly to her bedroom. When Larael entered the bedroom, all the Empress Dowager’s maids inside left at once.

“I greet Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”

“…”

Larael silently observed the Empress Dowager, who was anxiously sitting on the sofa nibbling her lips, and sat down across from her. Despite waiting for Larael, the Empress Dowager found herself at a loss for words when facing her. She didn’t know how Larael knew such things, but not knowing how much Larael knew, she feared that speaking carelessly might end up revealing more to Larael.

“Your Majesty, your face has deteriorated much in half a day. What troubles you?”

“…Empress Consort, no, Larael.”

The Empress Dowager called her name in the gentlest voice possible, as if trying to appease her. Larael gave the Empress Dowager a suspicious look.

“Perhaps… does Herwen know? Did you hear it from Herwen?”

Larael couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the Empress Dowager’s wildly inaccurate guess.

“Your Majesty, if Grand Duke Vellaus knew about this, what would happen? As he is your son, you would know best.”

“Tell me… what exactly do you know?”

“I refuse.”

“Perhaps… did that child tell you?”

“No. Sir Berser knows nothing.”

“What exactly are you? I’ve only been suspicious until now, but today it’s become clear. Everyone is being played by you. It’s obvious.”

“I’m not sure myself. What’s what…”

The Empress Dowager’s eyebrow twitched at Larael’s innocent expression and answer, as if she knew nothing. The anger she had been suppressing rose up.

“That child has nothing to do with me. It would be better not to think about using Ben as a hostage to manipulate me.”

Despite her words, her voice was trembling.

“Ben?? Ah… was that Berser’s original name?”

The Empress Dowager’s eye twitched at Larael’s words. She became confused about how much Larael actually knew. Larael seemed to have no intention of telling her anything.

‘Yes. Perhaps it’s safer for him to be by the Empress Consort’s side…’

Perhaps a bit of maternal love still remained in a corner of the Empress Dowager’s heart. But she quickly erased that thought.

“I have no intention of manipulating you.”

Larael continued calmly. The Empress Dowager looked at Larael for a moment, then got up and retrieved a small container from the drawer next to her bed.

“This is an ointment presented from the Kingdom of Seatren. They say it’s especially effective for bruises. Give this to that child.”

The Empress Dowager placed the ointment container on the table. Larael nodded and took it in her hand. Watching this, the Empress Dowager spoke again.

“My suspicion that you were not just an innocent country lady was correct after all. Herwen, that child still seems unable to give up his expectations of you… If you become an obstacle in Herwen’s path, I will do whatever it takes to destroy everything you have. This is a warning to you. Do you understand?”

She couldn’t cower just because Larael had one of her weaknesses.

“You may go now.”

“Yes.”

Larael left the Empress Dowager’s bedroom with a brief reply.

After Larael left, the Empress Dowager’s maids entered the bedroom.

“Everyone out!!!”

The Empress Dowager screamed, her entire body trembling. The anger she had carefully hidden in front of Larael exploded. The Empress Dowager began throwing objects in her bedroom while screaming madly. Seeing the broken items that resembled her heart, the Empress Dowager collapsed and began to sob uncontrollably.

‘Herwen is my only child.’

The Empress Dowager repeated those words like a mantra hundreds of times.

***

Herwen had been almost out of his mind since meeting Larael. He would stare into space with soulless eyes and then suddenly mutter to himself.

When Ariella visited the Grand Duke’s residence, Herwen sent a servant to tell her that he would not see her and that she should leave, even though she was waiting in the reception room. As soon as Ariella heard this, she headed for his bedroom. The servant anxiously tried to stop her from behind, but Ariella was unstoppable.

Ariella flung open the door to his bedroom without even knocking. The servants who knew their master’s temperament frowned and sighed at the sight of her, but no one could stop her.

“Your Grace.”

Herwen was standing by the window with his arms crossed. He remained still, his gaze fixed outside the window, as if he hadn’t heard the door opening or Ariella’s voice. Ariella called him again.

“Your Grace.”

Herwen slowly turned his head.

“Ariella… go back now. I don’t want to talk.”

“Your Grace, we had agreed to attend Marchioness Watson’s banquet together. If you’re not even preparing like this now…”

“Go alone.”

Herwen recalled the banquet hosted by Marchioness Watson. Ariella’s lips quivered as if she wanted to say something, but she let out a long sigh and turned around. However, feeling too wronged to leave like this, she walked back to Herwen.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but you’ve been making things harder for me lately.”

Ariella had no idea that the recent trial of Baron Layton had anything to do with Herwen. Of course, Herwen had planned to tell Ariella, who had now become his partner, once things had progressed to a certain point, but he didn’t mention anything to her since the plan had failed before it even began. He knew she would certainly blame him for not informing her, as if her involvement would have guaranteed success, and mock him.

“Please fulfill your role as my fiancé properly. You agreed to go, and now you tell me to go alone. People will surely talk when they see me like that… I don’t like that.”

“Who would dare say anything about us? Don’t worry, no one would dare talk about us. Feeling as if everyone is interested in you—that’s a mental illness.”

“…What did you just say?”

Ariella asked in disbelief at the casually insulting words Herwen had just uttered.

“Go back, while I’m still asking nicely.”

Just as Ariella was about to get angry, Herwen spoke more coldly than ever before. At his words, Ariella, who was about to open her mouth, closed it and just blinked her eyes.

After staring at the back of Herwen’s head as he turned his gaze back to the window, Ariella spun around and left his bedroom. With each step she took, her emotions alternated between burning up and cooling down. By the time she left the Grand Duke’s residence, Ariella’s emotions had hardened like refined iron, rigid and cold.

“Let’s go back home.”

At Ariella’s words, her maid tilted her head in confusion.

“Not to Marchioness Watson’s residence?”

“Are you not listening to what I’m saying?”

As Ariella boarded the carriage, she looked up at the window of Herwen’s bedroom. She couldn’t see him from here, but he was surely watching her. The thought that Herwen was watching her leave made her feel strangely uncomfortable. Ariella hurriedly instructed to close the carriage door.

Herwen, while watching Ariella leave, was still thinking about Larael.

Since returning from meeting Larael, Herwen had completely forgotten about the responsibility for the failure he had tried to overcome, and was only trying to sort out his feelings for Larael. He had been going over her words and actions dozens, no, hundreds of times.

He couldn’t forget the look of disgust in her eyes when she looked at him.

Until then, he had thought that Larael still hadn’t let go of her feelings for him, that she was just pretending to love Edward out of necessity. But now he knew for certain. The loving gaze she once had for him was gone. Her lovely eyes no longer reflected Herwen. He had only just realized this.

“Larael…”

Herwen called Larael’s name wistfully. He remembered how she used to smile brightly, her red eyes shining like the sun, before everything happened. Yes, she was like the sun. Why had he only realized this now?

Herwen clutched his head. He had to get Larael, his sun, back. With a face full of determination, Herwen sat down at his desk. Then he opened the desk drawer and took out a map.

‘Kingdom of Hashiya.’

Herwen fixed his gaze on the Kingdom of Hashiya, a country that would harbor resentment toward Edward.