No Need For Regrets

Chapter 46

Seriniel said nothing. She simply stood there, her face showing a multitude of emotions, as she continued to gaze at the incessant waves crashing against the cliffs.

After a while, Seriniel slowly took a step back. Then, she approached the edge of the cliff and stood there.

“… ”

Lexion silently watched her from behind.

What is she thinking right now?

What emotions is she feeling?

Perhaps she wants to be alone. She has been like that until now, so maybe even more so now.

But he didn’t want that. Lexion knew too well. Sometimes just being with someone could be comforting.

So he quietly moved closer. And without saying a word, he stood by Seriniel’s side, who remained silent.

“It seems like you’re making the same expression as last time.”

Lexion pursed his lips slowly.

“Last time, when we came here at night.”

…Is that so? Yeah, maybe. Seriniel thought to herself with a weak smile.

It was inevitable. Even if she lived for tens of thousands of more years, even if today came tens of thousands of times more, nothing would change. It would always be this sad.

“You always spoiled me. My parents.”

And Seriniel, with a trembling voice, opened her mouth.

“Some people said it shouldn’t be like that. They said even though I was a difficult child to have, if I kept being indulged, it could become a problem.”

“… ”

“But my parents didn’t listen to such words.”

Seriniel said with a bitter smile.

“So I grew up… as a very… spoiled child. Especially when I was young.”

How would it have felt for someone who grew up like that to suddenly lose their parents overnight?

Lexion thought to himself.

“But as I grew older, I became less spoiled. I thought I should become more mature in my own way.”

She should behave a little more like an adult from now on. That way, her parents can feel more at ease. That’s what she thought at the time.

“The night before the accident, my parents said that. They said they had some business and needed to leave the mansion for a day. They asked if I would be okay.”

“… ”

“Originally, they were going to take me with them, but I had caught a cold and was seriously ill. So they felt really bad about leaving me alone.”

Lexion didn’t say anything. He simply listened silently to Seriniel’s continuing words.

“I said I would be okay. I told them I had Vain and Kina, so I would be fine. So I told them not to worry and go.”

Seriniel, will you really be okay?

Her parents asked her several times.

But Seriniel replied with a smile, trying to make sure her parents wouldn’t worry too much and neglect their duties.

“But I shouldn’t have said that.”

Seriniel murmured with a bitter face.

“I should have thrown a tantrum. I should have begged them not to go. I should have asked them to stay with me. Then maybe they wouldn’t have had to leave. If only I had held them back even once…”

Tears that had been welling up in her emerald eyes silently rolled down her cheeks.

“If I had told them not to go… my parents wouldn’t have left. If I had done that, they wouldn’t have had to leave so unjustly.”

“I wish I had known that was the last time…”

“… ”

“How stupid.”

Even though she knew it wasn’t her fault, everything felt like it was her fault. So every time today came around, Seriniel couldn’t help but feel tormented.

“In the last moments…”

Lexion spoke in a subdued voice.

“Your parents… instead of blaming you, they must have had other thoughts.”

“What thoughts…?”

“Just now. The day before they left, you were suffering from a bad cold.”

“They would have thought, ‘I should have checked your temperature one more time. I should have given you another dose of medicine before leaving…’ That’s what they must have thought. Not resentment. That’s what they would have thought.”

Seriniel hesitated.

“We need to move on quickly.”

“… ”

“They must be worried about you not being there.”

Seriniel’s shoulders trembled. She cried silently, unable to make a sound.

“But you recovered so bravely, didn’t you? And you even grew up to be a respectable adult all on your own.”

Lexion silently watched her for a moment before speaking again.

“Your parents… would think that’s enough.”

“… ”

“How admirable.”

“…But I didn’t do anything.”

Seriniel muttered with a broken voice.

“I found out too late that my parents’ deaths were Belles’ fault…”

“Why do you think you didn’t do anything?”

Lexion asked.

“You did well. And weren’t you planning to continue doing so in the future?”

Yeah, that’s right. Seriniel looked at Lexion with tear-filled eyes.

“Your parents, they might feel sad seeing you cry like this, but they wouldn’t blame you for any other reason.”

“… ”

“They’ll be waiting again. Waiting for the day when you can come here again with a bright smile, just like before.”

Lexion didn’t know much about her parents.

But one thing was certain.

The person who left me alone, who even dared to wait until I had the courage to knock on the his door, even more than that, the person who left me alone despite my spine-chilling presence and came to see her countless times, would never resent Seriniel.

“…Will such a day really come?”

Seriniel asked in a frail voice.

It was unimaginable. Would such a day, when she could smile brightly here again like before, ever come? No matter how much she thought about it, it seemed like such a day would never come. It felt like she would be stuck living like this forever, drowning in sadness.

So whenever today came, forever…

It felt like she would be trapped in the day her parents passed away.

“Wow.”

But Lexion replied with a firm expression.

“I felt the same way.”

“… ”

“I can bet everything on it.”

With those words, Lexion looked out at the sea, filled with the crimson glow of the sunset.

And quietly, in his heart…

He sincerely thanked the Earl, who had been kind to him, Seriniel’s father, he sincerely expressed his gratitude.

Thank you so much.

Now that I have the courage to knock on the door and wait for Seriniel to accept me, I will stay by her side until she does.

“… ”

In Seriniel’s eyes, which were filled with Lexion, tears had stopped flowing.

Anyway, Lexion Rosenvester was a strange man. So strange that every time I needed someone, he appeared and stayed by my side.

Every time, I was very embarrassed and puzzled, but…

The conclusion was always the same.

I’m so grateful to have him by my side.

“…Thank you.”

So Seriniel expressed her gratitude. Just like Lexion did to the Earl.

“The Duke may not be very good at comforting… but still, I’m always grateful. I really mean it.”

“If I was awkward, I’ll practice for next time. But I was really sincere.”

“No, it’s not that… That’s why it’s good.”

“Why?”

“Because it feels even more sincere.”

Lexion chuckled.

“But it’s a bit early to receive thanks already.”

“…Huh?”

“You can give that thanks after receiving this.”

With that, Lexion slowly reached into his pocket. Then he took out something and handed it to Seriniel.

And not long after, Seriniel’s face, which was full of puzzled expressions, was filled with sadness. Holding what Lexion had given her tightly in her hand, she sat down hesitantly.