No Need For Regrets

Chapter 20

“Someone, someone is coming.”

Vain’s trembling voice. A hand tightly grasping the shoulder. And when she caught sight of his tense expression, her mind finally began to clear.

“……”

Sereniel’s gaze naturally turned towards the closed door.

As if to prove that Vain’s words were not lies, she could indeed hear footsteps approaching.

And at this hour, the only ‘someone’ who could come here was one person.

Belles.

Already, there was no trace of color left on Sereniel’s face, which was already pale.

“……Vain.”

Sereniel’s voice, containing Vain’s name, trembled faintly.

If we’re found out like this, Belles will kill us. Here, right now.

Sereniel wasn’t the only one who knew this fact. Vain had witnessed everything that had just unfolded.

…Meanwhile, Belles’ footsteps were steadily getting closer.

“……”

For a moment, Vain’s ashen eyes met Sereniel’s.

Vain bit his lip for a moment, then firmly grabbed Sereniel’s hand with his large hand.

Without any hesitation, he pulled Sereniel towards the wall. And then, with all his strength, he pushed aside the shelves filled with knives.

Although she couldn’t understand what was happening, Sereniel also grabbed onto the shelves.

And soon enough, a small door revealed itself.

“It’s the side door. You’ll see multiple paths as you walk. But just keep going straight.”

Vain urgently spoke.

“It’s a secret passage that no one knows about. Not even Belles. So please, hurry.”

“Just a moment, Vain.”

Sereniel grabbed the hem of Vain’s sleeve.

“What about Vain? You should come with me!”

“I… can’t go. And I don’t want to.”

“What?”

Before Sereniel could ask anything else, Vain quickly pushed her into the doorway. Then, with all his might, he dragged the shelves back and covered the door.

“You’re brave, but incredibly directionless, Miss. Don’t forget, you must remember to go straight. Got it?”

He wants to stay alone. Sereniel’s eyes shook with helplessness.

Vain will die.

He’ll die…

“Don’t look back, just keep moving forward. And don’t trust anyone. Not even those from Calian or Belles.”

“……”

“And if possible, leave the empire as soon as you can.”

That was all Sereniel could say.

Vain remained silent for a moment, then quietly looked at Sereniel through the crack in the shelves.

Frail and delicate, she had been confined to the mansion every day, like a pitiful young viscountess.

Seemingly very clever, with a tender heart, she always managed to achieve what she wanted, despite appearing dull.

And she was loved like my own child, the young viscountess…

The last true master I served.

May beloved Sereniel find peace outside this place.

Vain sincerely prayed.

“No. Come with me. Please…”

“What would happen to this mansion if I, as the steward, were to leave?”

Vain smiled faintly.

“Even if I die like this, this mansion is where I’ll be buried.”

“Vain…!”

“So please, go. The last thing you can do for me, Miss. Never come back. Don’t even stand still.”

With those words, Vain reached out through the crack in the shelves with great effort. Then he barely managed to close the door…

Not even a few seconds later, the basement door opened.

“What are you doing here right now?”

“……”

“Vain.”

And as Belles revealed himself, his face stiff with determination, he glared at Vain and asked.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

The passage stretched endlessly.

With no hint of light, Sereniel had to rely solely on her senses to take each step.

But even if there had been light, nothing would have been visible ahead.

For tears kept welling up and blurring Sereniel’s vision incessantly.

“……”

Swaying as she walked, Sereniel finally came to a stop after some time.

She saw a door.

Sereniel reached out slowly. She carefully grasped the round doorknob and turned it with a delicate touch.

The small door opened without any resistance, and soon the cold night air and dim moonlight greeted Sereniel.

It was the eastern side of the grand viscount’s estate. A remote place where no one ever passed by.

And before long, a familiar voice greeted Sereniel.

“……Madam?”

Realizing that it was Kina who called her, Sereniel hesitated and then sank to the dirty ground.

“Why do you keep doing this, Madam…!”

Kina, standing in front of her, approached Sereniel with a puzzled expression. She tried to support her, but Sereniel’s body just slumped weakly.

“Kina… Why are you here…?”

“……Vain said that Madam has urgent business to attend to. He said if it gets any later than you mentioned, come here…”

“……”

“Also… yes, he said not to inform Lord Belles of this fact and that you will return to the mansion immediately. So I did as instructed.”

Yes, Vain was always meticulous in every matter.

But he will die today in that basement.

Just like my parents did.

“……”

Sereniel’s emerald eyes, filled with despair, gleamed and shone. It wasn’t because of the tears constantly welling up, nor was it because of the moonlight shining on her face.

[Even if Sereniel learns the truth, nothing will change.]

You killed my parents, seized my family. Became a viscount, and you were happy.

[Once the business stabilizes to some extent, you will get rid of Sereniel, right? So you can take over the mines. I will help get rid of Sereniel too.]

[I’m not saying I’ll kill her right away. Just that I’ll slowly get rid of her according to the three years you mentioned.]

You must have thought the same.

Belles, Calian, Leraie…

They all had the same mindset. They stripped Sereniel of everything, and they were planning to strip even her life away.

Thus, they held Sereniel’s life as collateral, enjoying many things.

[She won’t be able to do anything. If her usefulness decreases, we’ll just kill her.]

[Just don’t do anything, just stay still. You can’t do anything anyway.]

[What can she do? So she’ll end up dying miserably.]

Belles, Calian, Leraie’s laughing faces passed by slowly. Even their mocking laughter seemed to be heard…

“Madam…”

Sensing that something was wrong, Kina called Sereniel’s name with a trembling voice, but Sereniel didn’t respond.

She just sat there, holding the broken piece of emerald, her eyes filled with anger and tears.

……You were right.

I can’t do it alone.

If I choose you, you can perfectly eliminate them as you said to me.

[If you need my help, feel free to come to me anytime. Of course, you must prepare very well before coming. Just like you paid a hefty sum to silence Paul.]

I will give whatever you ask for.

Even if it’s my soul.

……Like Lexion’s eyes, the serene night sky gently descended upon Sereniel’s face.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

It was a beautiful spring day.

The breeze blowing was warm, and the sunlight shining down was kind. So all living things were moistened, and green sprouts emerged on that day.

Spring came to the Rosenvester Viscountcy just as it did to everyone else, fair and impartial.

But Lexion Rosenvester had never consciously experienced the many springs that had visited him throughout his life.

To him, seasons were just passing landscapes.

Whether it was a vast flower garden in full bloom or the stench of decaying flesh vibrating in the air with scattered corpses… It didn’t matter at all.

But not today.

“……”

Lexion sat alone in the spacious reception room.

His gaze had been directed towards the large window beyond for a while now. As if waiting for someone.

And because of this strange waiting, Lexion suddenly realized that it was now mid-spring.

It felt like the spring of that long-ago day when he first met Sereniel Verdellet.

The day the carriage carrying Sereniel drove away. It felt like the petals fluttering around him were dancing just like they did inside him, in his confused heart.

It felt like that same spring day was continuing endlessly.

Now.

Just like that day, as he silently stared at the pink flower petals fluttering in the faint spring breeze, and the butterflies fluttering by, Lexion chuckled to himself, emitting an untimely laughter.

It had been so long since he had waited for someone like this.

No, had he ever?

It seemed like he hadn’t.

Especially after he became a viscount, seizing the mansion after killing his ailing father and tormenting half-brothers who always tormented him… Even more so.

Nobody, except one person, had ever made Lexion Rosenvester wait like this.

It was only her, far away. The only woman getting off the quietly stopped carriage was always the exception.

“……”

And as Lexion looked at Sereniel, who had revealed herself before him, he pursed his lips slowly.

“It’s unexpected.”

“Hello, Sereniel Verdellet.”

Sereniel didn’t respond to anything. Instead, she silently stared at Lexion with the same transparently sparkling emerald eyes she had seen on that spring day long ago.