No Need For Regrets

Chapter 30

The place Lexion took Seriniel was a small tea house near Paul’s shop.

“…,” Seriniel, sitting across from Lexion, fiddled with her teacup for no reason.

She felt a little embarrassed belatedly. Although she knew everything that had happened so far, it felt like she had suddenly been caught red-handed.

“…Showing an unpleasant sight.”

“An unpleasant sight?”

Lexion slightly tilted his head.

“Anyway, it’s not a pleasing sight. And I have no intention of showing a better one.”

“I don’t quite understand.”

“The wrongs were entirely theirs, so why is the embarrassment only yours?”

“…”

“Shouldn’t the people who should be ashamed be them?”

There was no hint of falsehood in his expression. Rather, Lexion looked incredibly sincere, which made Seriniel realize the sincerity of his words.

“It was quite a spectacle.”

Lexion chuckled lightly.

“I already knew he wasn’t exactly sane, but I didn’t expect him to be so cowardly.”

It was absurd. Bringing Seriniel and even Leraie, and even the child together like that was ridiculous enough, but he pretended not to know them until the end.

Of course, that might have been the best option. But even that wasn’t enough, and remembering how he had forcibly dragged Seriniel along made him want to slap him.

Yes. So, unable to bear it, he intervened.

“It seems you’ve been watching from the beginning.”

Seriniel said with a bitter smile.

“…I didn’t follow you. I was on my way to the bank.”

“The bank?”

At the sudden mention of the bank, Seriniel’s eyes widened slightly.

“Because of the vault where physical items can be stored. They told me to manage it carefully again because they will be closely monitoring it at the palace from now on.”

“…Our paths seem to have crossed. Anyway, I was also at the bank.”

“Because of Belles’ opal?”

As if it were already expected, Lexion asked, and Seriniel nodded.

“I wouldn’t entrust such things to the bank unless it’s something serious. Probably hid it somewhere hard to find.”

“…That makes sense.”

“I’m continuing the investigation, so you don’t need to stress over it because of that right now.”

Lexion paused for a moment, then looked at Seriniel as if scrutinizing him.

“…Are you okay?”

Instead of answering, Seriniel laughed weakly. Then, she dropped his head slightly and spoke.

“It’s too late to care about that now.”

“…”

“But I didn’t expect something like this to happen in broad daylight. I knew she had found a place nearby, but… I was too naive.”

“That woman was Leraie, right? The one with the child.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Lexion furrowed his brow slightly in silence.

That was also the first time he had seen Leraie in person.

Who could she be?

Why did Callian abandon Seriniel because of her?

He had thought about it a few times.

But…

“She’s just an ordinary woman.”

Leraie was literally just an ordinary woman. Nothing particularly outstanding or lacking about her.

But there was something bothering him.

…The look in Leraie’s eyes as she eyed Seriniel.

To Lexion, who had been on countless battlefields, Leraie’s gaze was incredibly familiar. He had seen it day in and day out.

So, vividly filled with life…

“Leraie felt inferiority due to the class difference between us. It’s been like that since we were young,” Seriniel spoke slowly.

“Every time, I would say this to her. That it didn’t matter. That we were just friends. But…”

“But?”

“I felt it earlier. That what I said might have been really deceptive.”

Although packaged in gentle words, Seriniel also knew. The words I said to Leraie were carefully chosen to inflict the biggest wound on her.

“That’s a bit bitter.”

“But the one who deceived first was that woman, Leraie.”

Lexion said firmly.

“If you’re going to deceive someone else, you should be prepared to be deceived yourself. You simply defended yourself rightfully. Even if someone attacks me and I retaliate in the same way… can that be called wrong?”

“…”

“Being silent and doing nothing is foolish and frustrating.”

…Is that so?

Could it really be?

Strangely, after hearing Lexion’s words, Seriniel felt slightly lighter.

Perhaps his story was true. If Leraie hadn’t deceived her first in that way, she wouldn’t have inflicted such pain on her either.

Seriniel fiddled with her teacup again, but after a considerable amount of time passed… when she raised her head again, her face was slightly brighter than before.

“But it was a very foolish thing to do.”

“Yes?”

“And bringing a child along, too. It was like someone going insane just to spread rumors.”

Even if it was a sparsely populated area, it was truly a foolish thing to do.

Of course, even if rumors spread, they would likely be brushed off or demanded for evidence.

Anyway, Callian’s foolishness was not a bad opportunity for Lexion.

“Rumors will spread soon.”

“…Rumors?”

“Yes. It’s so dirty and interesting that it will attract people’s attention.”

Since he had given him the opportunity, he had to use it properly. Lexion smiled.

“What are you planning to do next week?”

“…Well. Since mining has been suspended, I’ll be spending more time at the mansion with Callian. So…”

“I was talking about your birthday.”

…Ah.

Seriniel realized only then. The fact that her own birthday was approaching.

She had completely forgotten. There was no reason to attach any significance to her birthday in the current situation.

“Previously… we would gather together with Callian and Leraie for dinner.”

What to do on her birthday was already decided. Seriniel had dinner with them, ate cake, and had a modest party.

Compared to other nobles’ birthdays, it was quite trivial, but Seriniel always appreciated it.

“But I don’t want to be assassinated on my birthday either.”

At Seriniel’s words, Lexion chuckled.

“I’ll invite everyone again. Callian, that woman, too. You’re going to have a grand party.”

“…Yes?”

“Send invitations to other nobles too. Those who have some influence.”

“But I don’t have any friendly relations with nobles…”

“Even if you don’t have a personal relationship, when your birthday approaches… they’ll want to attend somehow.”

Seriniel couldn’t easily understand Lexion’s words. So, with a puzzled expression, she looked at Lexion and asked.

“But how did you know?”

“What are you talking about?”

“My birthday.”

“…”

“I don’t remember telling you about it…”

Even after racking her brain, she couldn’t recall sharing such personal information.

Lexion looked at Seriniel, who was tilting her head in confusion, for a moment without saying anything, then slowly parted his lips.

“I know a lot more about you than you think.”

“…”

“Your birthday is just one of them.”

…Perhaps Bain mentioned it? Maybe it really happened. And that was all she could think of now.

“Anyway, that’s all you need to know.”

Then let’s go back now.

With a brief remark, Lexion stood up from his seat. Then he extended his hand to Seriniel.

“It’s better to hold on. You might trip over unnecessarily like last time.”

But they weren’t getting off a carriage, and they were on flat ground here.

Although she felt that way, Seriniel eventually nodded and cautiously grabbed his hand.

Lexion smiled briefly and began to leave the tea house with Seriniel.

…And, two days later.

As Lexion had said, it was very interesting. The rumor that shook the empire to its core.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Belles wasn’t in a good mood.

“…”

Sitting in a dark room, Belles’ face was shrouded in deep shadows.

“Ha….”

With a sigh that seemed to freeze, Belles’ hand gripping the wine glass tightened.

“Callian Helcar, this utterly foolish…”

The bastard.

Cursing under his breath, Belles’ gaze suddenly turned to the paper lying on the table.

It was a letter sent by Seriniel a while ago.