No Need For Regrets

Chapter 43

“Seriniel asked me once. If I harbored feelings for her. If I had any rational emotions.”

Lexion spoke slowly.

“What did you answer?”

“I couldn’t.”

“…”

“My heart wasn’t one that could be tailored with such trivial emotions.”

Was it just twisted emotions?

Trying to get drunk on them somehow.

Using it as an excuse for help.

…That’s what he thought. But the moment Vain saw Lexion’s gaze fixed on Seriniel through the window, he realized.

It was all too, purely self-centered.

“I don’t know how you’ll take my words, but nothing has changed.”

Above Lexion’s eyes as he continued speaking, Seriniel’s figure appeared.

“Did the former Marquis tell you to wait?”

“…Yes.”

“Maybe it’s for the best. I just mustered up the courage to knock on the door. Just because I had an excuse to knock on it.”

Lexion shifted his gaze to Vain as he spoke.

“It’s up to Seriniel whether I can enter or not. If she doesn’t give permission, I won’t break in recklessly.”

“…Lexion.”

“I’ll just wait. Just like I have been.”

“Do you… love her?”

At Vain’s question, Lexion remained silent for a moment.

Love? Love?

Lexion had never cleanly defined his own feelings. The reason was simple. There were too many different emotions to define with just one word, “love.”

Also…

“I don’t know what the emotion called love, which people talk about, is.”

“…”

“But if waiting without resentment, knowing that the door might not open, is considered love, then maybe it is.”

Yeah.

Maybe it really is.

Lexion thought to himself alone.

“But it’s probably best not to tell Seriniel that I came to see her.”

“Why’s that…”

“It wouldn’t look too good, would it?”

Lexion said with a smirk.

“Just wait until the day comes. Until then, keep your mouth shut. After all, I’m the one who saved your life, so shouldn’t you be able to do that much for me?”

“…”

“And I even got you a new job at the mansion.”

At Lexion’s words, Vain finally smiled faintly. Of course, Vain usually had an expressionless face, so to someone else, it might have been a face questioning what kind of smile it was… Well, anyway.

Vain still didn’t completely trust Lexion. Human hearts could change at any moment, and it had only been a day since Seriniel arrived at the Rosenvester estate.

But, he seemed to know a few things.

That Lexion Rosevester, at the very least, wouldn’t harm Seriniel.

Also, he wouldn’t hurt her to forcibly possess her.

“I understand. I’ll do that.”

So Vain nodded as if to say he understood, and Lexion chuckled briefly.

It was time to leave the mansion now. Lexion looked at Seriniel outside the window once again and then slowly began to walk.

But he stopped in front of the door, turned abruptly to Vain, and said,

“Take care of the garden.”

“…Yes?”

“Seems like Seriniel likes it. I need to somehow attach sentiment to the mansion, right? You can’t do it professionally, but after spending a long time at the Marquis’s estate as a butler, you should know how to do it to some extent.”

“…But I’m still not fully recovered.”

“You didn’t seem to mind rushing in like a madman when I had breakfast with Seriniel. Were you not recovered then?”

Vain didn’t respond, and Lexion looked at him intently before sighing.

“…To have a maid with so many suspicions and a butler with such impudence. I have no luck with servants.”

With that said, he left the study.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

The atmosphere in the Marquis’s mansion was truly terrible.

“…!”

Calian, sitting on the sofa, looked pale. His face seemed like it would shatter at a touch like withered autumn leaves.

…The news of Seriniel and Calian’s divorce spread throughout the entire Carteia Empire within half a day. Of course, along with the fact of Calian’s infidelity.

Everything fell apart overnight.

Calian, who already had nothing, had spent a very long time cultivating relationships with nobles. To be honest, it was more like one-sided groveling.

Anyway, even though it was a relationship built up so laboriously, all the nobles turned their backs on Calian.

There was no one to listen to Calian’s words that what happened at the party was purely from Seriniel’s perspective. They simply looked down on Calian.

A man who married the daughter of a Marquis, having nothing himself, and then having an affair with his wife’s closest friend and having a child… He was treated as human trash.

Even though it was all true.

Moreover…

[A few days ago, I already sent documents to the Imperial Court. All evidence proving your infidelity was attached.]

Seriniel’s words were not lies. Seriniel seemed to have been preparing very meticulously. Thanks to that, there was no hole for Calian to escape through.

“Damn it…!”

Calian spat out curses and downed his drink. Then he tightly clenched his lips.

When did she know?

That foolish woman…

Calian was optimistic. Once again, he thought he could somehow manipulate Seriniel for his benefit.

Seriniel Verdellet was a very naive person. Especially after losing her parents in an accident. So far, he had been using her to his liking.

But this outcome…

It was truly absurd.

“Bold and disgusting woman…”

Amidst Calian’s lips, distorted by intoxication, lowly curses flowed out.

“Like this… Taking everything from me…?”

Upon careful consideration, Calian’s words had a huge flaw. If it weren’t for Seriniel, he wouldn’t have been able to start a business in the first place.

Anyway, Calian had no more options. The divorce proceedings would be finalized in a few days, and as the sole owner, Seriniel would do whatever it took to push him out of the mining business.

Although Seriniel had put his name as a co-owner, taking it back wouldn’t be that difficult. Especially if Lexion Rosenvester was behind her.

“Damn it…!”

It was a moment when Calian was about to mutter unwanted words and drink more.

“How long do you plan on just drinking like this?”

With a loud voice, a white hand grabbed Calian’s wrist fiercely. Then, snatching the drink away, it was thrown carelessly.

Clang!

The sharp broken glass shards rolled on the floor, and Leraie stared down at Calian with a furious face.

“Stop acting like this and do something!”

Leraie scolded.

“Are you just going to let everything be taken away?!”

Beneath Leraie’s angry voice, Benny’s crying overlapped. It seemed like he woke up from the loud noise.

But Leraie didn’t even spare a glance towards Benny’s room. Instead, she glared at Calian as if she wanted to kill him.

“Take Calian!”

“Wha…what…”

Calian muttered with parched lips.

“What can I do, Leraie…”

“…What?”

“As long as Lexion Rosenvester helps Seriniel… I can’t do anything…”

“That’s not- what you’re- supposed to-”

It was a moment when Leraie was about to grab Calian’s shirt collar with fury.

“I…”

A pale maid approached them, stumbling. She seemed hesitant on how to address them, especially Leraie.

“Master, and…”

The maid’s gaze turned towards Leraie. But she seemed unable to decide what title to call her.

“That… Miss Leraie.”

“Leraie, Miss?”

Leraie chuckled as if she couldn’t believe it. Then she approached the pitiful maid, looked down at her, and said in a cold voice.

“Try calling me that again.”

“…”

“Who am I?”

“Leraie… Miss…”

Thud!

With a sharp sound, the maid’s head turned. The young maid looked at Leraie with tear-filled eyes, and Leraie continued speaking with a cold voice.

“How dare you call the mistress of the mansion like that?”

“Sorry, sorry.”

The maid hastily apologized in a moist voice.

But whether it was because Leraie hadn’t let go of her anger or because she found a suitable outlet for her frustration, she continued to slap the maid’s cheek.

“…Not a very pleasant sight, is it.”

And a familiar voice echoed chillingly in everyone’s ears.