I Won't Accept Your Regrets

I tapped on the table with my fingertips while tossing about in thought: should I go or not?

Politeness dictates that you send the letter at least three days before the event, so if you think you don’t have time to respond to a sudden invitation, you can easily refuse.

But then it will seem that I am running away from them.

And although Lisa was a thorn, she wasn’t something scary.

While these thoughts marinated in my head, I shifted my gaze, and suddenly my gaze rested on the newspapers that had accumulated in the office.

They were newspapers with articles about Duke Croft’s innocence.

They only reported Duke Croft, and there was no mention of me or my donation.

Marquis Sios’s tea party will surely bring together many ladies and young girls.

This is a good reason to go there.

I quickly wrote the answer on a white letterhead.

[Thanks for the invitation. See you at the Marquisate.]

I put the answer in an envelope and melted the red seal from the candle. Securing the envelope with wax, I handed it to the butler.

“Send to Marquis Sios right now. Also, send someone to the Phoenix Branch. Tell them to bring me the best wine.”

“Yes Milady.”

On receiving the letter, the butler quickly left.

* * *

The time when the sun went down.

The ship, which had arrived from the Lund Kingdom, now anchored in a port near the capital of the Empire, Agrita.

Jed mingled with the crowd rushing out.

“It would be nice to have a mug now.”

Indulging in dreams, Jed stepped off the ship and froze when he saw a man meeting him.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Jed asked Jeremy, who had approached him.

The latter brushed his platinum hair to the back of his head and turned his gaze to the sea.

“What the hell am I here for? Your words were that you were going to sail to the Empire.”

“No, I know this. I ask, how did you know the exact time and place?”

“Don’t you remember our last conversation?”

They talked and drank that day. He was far from remembering the whole dialogue, he didn’t even remember how he got home after that.

“I don’t remember anything. What you said? What did I say? Have we agreed in advance?”

“Ha. This is your first visit to the Agrita Empire. Someone has to give you a tour.”

Jeremy smiled enigmatically.

“I know a very good place to have a drink.”

“Yeah? Then what are we waiting for?”

At night, the pub in the capital was a mess.

There were also mercenaries who had not already shared something.

After passing such a noisy environment, Jed and Jeremy took a quiet place in the corner.

Jeremy turned to the small window, draining his bottle.

A large full moon and stars shone in the deep night sky.

When he saw a beautifully shining silver moon, he naturally thought of a certain person.

Jed noticed Jeremy’s melancholy gaze.

Those clouded amber eyes dreamed of seeing someone.

Only one person can make him behave like this.

“Thinking about Ellie?”

Jeremy was awakened by Jed’s harsh voice.

“I didn’t want all this drama. But my case is difficult.”

“Didn’t you come here for Ellie? Are you just going to miss her and snot?”

“Haha.”

Jed was left in disbelief when he saw that Jeremy limited himself to just a chuckle.

“We’ve arrived. You never run from hard cases. Rather, you’re like a shit magnet. You attract them.”

If you hit, you might lose. But if you don’t hit, you won’t be able to win at all.

This is how Jed judged under the influence of his libations.

Sighing lightly, the latter opened his mouth:

“So when do we get down to business?”

Jed had already noticed that Jeremy met him for particular reason.

Jeremy wasn’t a bad guy, but he didn’t treat Jed with delicacy.

It was a man who just came and went like the wind.

When Jed chuckled as if about to say something, Jeremy hid his amber eyes.

“You catch on the fly. I came to you because I had something to ask for.”

“If this is a request from you, it will obviously be for the good of Ellie. What do you need?”

“Dig a little around Duke Drua.”

“Duke Drua?”

Jed’s eyebrows rose slightly.

“I think I heard such a name… Oh, isn’t this the oldest house in the Empire? An important family that has been living since the time of the first Emperor, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. At least people say that.”

Jeremy suddenly laughed.

Jed narrowed his eyes at the oddity in the atmosphere around them. This guy, on the other hand, has as many secrets as Ellie.

“Hm. Why all of a sudden this family? They say they lost their power when the current Emperor took the throne. After all, the only thing left of this family is what is the name?”

“Right. But their movements seem strange to me. Find out more about Marquis Sios and Duke Drua. As for Ellie… Don’t tell her anything yet.”

Jed didn’t say a word.

While it was only about Duke Drua, Jed didn’t take it seriously, but as soon as Marquis Sios appeared in this game, everything immediately changed.

Jed received reports from Lumont, and knew that Marquis Sios was involved in Duke Croft’s problems.

So what was this case that Ellie couldn’t be involved in?

“Jeremy.”

“Yes?”

“Why am I covering you with Ellie? Because she helped me a lot.”

“What do you want to tell me by that?”

“Although you and I have known each other for a long time, Ellie saved my life. If I have to choose between the two of you, I will choose Ellie.”

Jed’s brown eyes showed no hesitation.

He didn’t say this because he was drunk. On the contrary, his mind was now clearer than ever.

Jeremy smiled, not embarrassed to see Jed that way.

“I’ve seen different people, Jed. You are the one I can trust.”

“What suddenly for some kind of garbage…”

“My name is Drua.”

“What?”

Jed grimaced as if he hadn’t grasped the last moment.

“Freud Drua… This man is my father. And I am his son.”

It was noticeable that Jeremy was a nobleman, but Jed couldn’t even imagine the house of Drua.

Jed hasn’t yet fully recovered from the shock that Ellie was a former Empress.

“Why am I surrounded by such people?”

Jed asked cautiously, looking at Jeremy in a new way.

“So you used the magic of polymorphism?”

He knew little about Duke Drua, but he had heard of his distinguishing feature.

Duke Drua was blessed by the first Emperor and his descendants inherited black eyes, a symbol of the royal family.

However, the guy in front of him had amber eyes.

Jeremy looked himself up and down and retorted:

“No. This is how I really look. I’m just a mutant from the ducal family.”

“What are you… is that funny to you?”

“I’m sick of crying. Let’s go back to the main thing, not to this.”

Jed suddenly spoke seriously:

“If there really is a connection between Marquis Sios and Duke Drua… such a connection must be unusual. I hate Drua threatening Ellie. I will find out everything and tell you.”

“What you want in return…?”

Jed gave Jeremy a hard look.

“If your ass gets stuck somewhere, I’ll call Ellie for help.”

“Be like that.”

The night continued its course slowly.