If I was Going to Regret It Anyway

In the midst of men who appeared to be attendants, the figure of Duke Griffith Daryl was present. The fact that Daryl had come to see her felt so surreal that she momentarily thought she had seen wrong, but it was indeed him. She vividly remembered thinking, “There are such handsome men in the world,” when she first saw him three years ago. Although he seemed somewhat thinner and sharper than before, it was unmistakably Daryl himself.

 

“May I come in for a moment?”

 

At Daryl’s words, Annabel involuntarily stepped back. Daryl entered the room with two attendants.

 

“…Duke Griffith? How did you come here, and for what reason…?”

 

Instead of answering, Daryl turned to look at the man standing behind him. The man took out a sheet of paper from his bag and handed it to Annabel. Hesitantly, Annabel took the paper and examined it.

 

It was the pledge that Daryl had written himself three years ago, which he had made Annabel and Robert sign. It contained the agreement that they would never approach Eleanor again.

 

“Could you please read the second to last line written there?”

 

At his words, Annabel’s complexion turned pale.

 

“…Your Grace.”

 

“Please read it.”

 

Daryl spoke with an expressionless, dry face.

 

“…If the above conditions are violated, the received amount must be paid back double as a penalty.”

 

Annabel stuttered as she read the pledge. Once she finished reading, the attendant snatched the pledge back from her.

 

“You will receive the payment order documents at your home soon. Then.”

 

Without a moment’s delay, Daryl turned to leave the room.

 

“Wa, wait, Your Grace! Just a moment!”

 

Annabel cried out, looking ashen.

 

“I don’t know what Eleanor told you, but it’s a misunderstanding! I just visited briefly out of courtesy while I was in the capital! I had no other intentions. Really!”

 

“It doesn’t matter what purpose you had for meeting Eleanor, madam. As the pledge states, the fact that you approached her is what’s important.”

 

“…No, that…I mean…”

 

Cold sweat formed on Annabel’s forehead. She looked around desperately, then suddenly prostrated herself on the floor, pressing her forehead to the ground.

 

“I was wrong, Your Grace! Please forgive me just this once!”

 

“…”

 

“Please overlook it just this time, and I promise never to go near Eleanor again! I won’t even come to the capital! We… we don’t have the means to pay back such an enormous sum. We’ll be out on the streets right away. So please…I beg of you! Show mercy just this once…!”

 

Daryl gave no response. Annabel slowly raised her head. Daryl was looking down at her with emotionless eyes.

 

“Is that really true?”

 

“What? Oh, yes. Of course. I swear it!”

 

“I will turn a blind eye this time only. There won’t be a second time. If such an incident occurs again, not only will your house be seized, but every single small item within it will be collected without exception. Do you understand?”

 

A chill ran down her spine at his cold, almost eerie voice.

 

“Yes, yes! I understand. I will keep my promise. Definitely!”

 

“Make sure to check for a train leaving today. If you remain in the capital until the sun rises tomorrow, I will consider it as a lack of intent to keep your promise.”

 

“Yes, Your Grace. I understand.”

 

Annabel repeatedly bowed her head. Daryl left the room, leaving her still prostrate on the floor.

 

“Report immediately once it’s confirmed she’s on the train.”

 

“Yes, Your Grace.”

 

Leaving a watchman behind, Daryl boarded the carriage with Philip.

 

The reason Daryl gave Annabel a chance was not out of pity for her. There were two reasons.

 

One was the possibility that she, driven into a corner, might seek out Eleanor again. The pledge was meant to shake off parasites, but it would be absurd if it caused them to cling instead.

 

The other reason was simpler. Annabel was Eleanor’s relative. Eleanor might wish to show mercy even to such trash. She might not want someone who had done such terrible things to her to suffer because of her.

 

That was all there was to it.

 

****

 

Eleanor gathered the servants and announced her plans to move to the south. Many were naturally surprised by the news that she would be leaving the capital for a distant place.

 

“The exact location for the move has not been decided yet, so it will take about three months to actually move. Whether you accompany me or not is entirely up to you. You may stay and help manage this mansion, or look for another job. In that case, I will provide severance pay and write a letter of recommendation for you.”

 

About half of the servants expressed their desire to go with Eleanor to the south. This group included Peggy and Emily.

 

Not only Emily’s brother Jack, who worked at the Townsend Manor, but also her mother would be going with them.

 

“My mother’s health has been deteriorating lately. It’s good timing. She can recuperate in the warm southern climate.”

 

Knowing that Emily said this to avoid burdening Eleanor with worry, Eleanor felt grateful and proud of her. Emily, now sixteen, had grown considerably since Eleanor first saw her.

 

The butler, Harold, decided to stay in the capital and take care of the mansion. He promised to manage everything flawlessly so that Eleanor could return anytime.

 

“By the way, Madam, there’s something I need to tell you.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Lately, there have been unidentified soldiers lurking around the mansion. They seem to be patrolling at set times and intervals…When I asked which unit they belong to, they wouldn’t answer.”

 

At Harold’s words, Eleanor narrowed her eyes.

 

“…Since when has this been happening?”

 

“It seems to have started about a week ago.”

 

It had been exactly one week since Eleanor returned from the royal exhibition. Although she had a nagging feeling, she needed to verify it first.

 

Eleanor went outside at the time Harold had mentioned, and indeed, she saw armed soldiers passing in front of the mansion.

 

“Wait a moment.”

 

At Eleanor’s command, the soldiers hesitated and stopped. One of the men at the front looked familiar.

 

“…Adams?”

 

He seemed surprised that Eleanor remembered his face and name. He hastily removed his hat and bowed.

 

“It’s been a long time, Madam…I mean, Miss.”

 

Adams was a guard from the Duke of Griffith’s household. Eleanor had spoken with him a few times when she lived at the duke’s estate.

 

“What are you doing here? It’s illegal for the Duke’s soldiers to patrol outside their own territory.”

 

“Well, that’s…”

 

“Did the Duke order this?”

 

Adams looked away uncomfortably. It was a rhetorical question. Eleanor had suspected as much from the beginning, but now that she had confirmed it directly, she felt a sense of futility.

 

“Stop this immediately and go back.”

 

“…But, Miss.”

 

“Otherwise, I’ll report this to the authorities.”

 

“…….”

 

Adams, who was a large man, seemed unsure of what to do. However, he couldn’t withstand Eleanor’s intense gaze and finally said, “…I understand.”

 

Eleanor thought the issue had been resolved, but it wasn’t. A few days later, after receiving reports that the soldiers were still around, she went out to the front of the mansion again.

 

This time, Adams was not there, and all the faces were new.

 

“Why are you here again? I made it clear that if I saw you again, I would report you.”

 

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about. We are simply passing by on a tactical operation.”

 

“Stop with the nonsense excuses. You are here patrolling on the orders of Duke Griffith. It’s been continuous for the past ten days.”

 

“Again, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

Despite Eleanor’s accusations, the soldier maintained an unaffected demeanor.

 

Speechless with frustration, she watched them pass by.

 

The same thing happened the next day, and the day after that. Different soldiers, wearing different uniforms, patrolled around the mansion, consistently excusing their presence as part of an operation unrelated to the Townsend family.

 

Unable to bear it any longer, Eleanor wrote a letter to Daryl. She threatened to report the soldiers unless he stopped sending them.

 

But the response she received was the same as the soldiers’ excuses: [I don’t know what you’re talking about.]

 

Eventually, Eleanor went to the authorities to report the situation. Nevertheless, the patrols did not stop. The authorities only said they were processing the case for nearly two weeks before finally responding, “It’s a legal activity, and we cannot impose sanctions.” It was clear that Daryl had intervened.

 

With a stern face, Eleanor returned to the mansion and wrote another letter to Daryl.

 

[I have something to discuss with you. Please make time to meet.

 

E.L. Townsend.]