No Need For Regrets

Chapter 47

What Lexion handed over was an old pocket watch.

It was something Seriniel knew very well.

A long time ago, it was a gift from her father when Seriniel was still young.

“Where… where did you find this?”

Sitting on the cold ground, Seriniel asked Lexion, tears streaming down her face.

“How did you… find it…?”

“I found it not long after I started investigating…”

Lexion had only recently begun investigating the deaths of the former Viscount Earl and Viscountess.

Of course, he had suspicions before, but there was no clear evidence.

The first thing he did was to question everyone who had worked under Belles at the time.

Among them were those who still served Belles, but there were also those who didn’t.

Lexion pursued them all. Of course, they didn’t easily spill the beans, and it was a challenge to get any information out of them, claiming they didn’t know anything.

But among them…

There was an elderly man who claimed to be on his deathbed, saying he didn’t have much time left to live.

[I knew this day would come eventually. There are no perfect secrets in this world.]

With a guilty expression, the man said those words.

“But living comfortably because of me wasn’t the case at all. I lived thinking when all the truth would come out. When would I be caught… I thought about that for years.”

Perhaps that’s why I got sick. As if the heavens were angry with me. While saying this, the man’s hands trembled.

Lexion recorded everything the man said on video. Stories like how Belles ordered them to kill the Viscount Earl and Viscountess or to load heavy bags onto the carriage carrying their bodies.

Of course, it was only one person’s testimony, so it was uncertain how much impact it would have, but at the time, it seemed like the best course of action.

“Will I… also face punishment someday, Your Grace?”

The man asked hesitantly, and Lexion didn’t respond. He already knew. That the punishment was a mechanism to make oneself feel at ease.

As Lexion tried to leave without saying a word, the man stopped him.

“It fell out of Your Grace’s pocket.”

And he handed him the old pocket watch.

“I held onto it until the very end and then dropped it…”

Although I don’t remember what I was thinking, the man said he had kept it safe. He didn’t tell anyone and kept it hidden.

A few days later, the man died.

Lexion didn’t tell Seriniel about this. He wanted to wait until the situation was certain. So he could tell her when he could definitely apprehend Belles. Otherwise, he was worried he would unnecessarily plant negative emotions in her.

“This was the first gift I ever received…”

Seriniel said tearfully.

“It’s all worn out, the paint is peeling off, but I always carried it with me everywhere. So he wanted to buy you a new watch for my next birthday…”

Seriniel’s white hand trembled as she clutched the broken pocket watch. Lexion looked at it with a sad expression.

Lexion slowly bent his legs. Then, after a short hesitation, he cautiously reached out with his large hand.

After a while, Lexion’s hand reached Seriniel’s trembling shoulder.

“Paul knows someone who makes very fine watches. He’s more skilled than you might think.”

Lexion awkwardly patted Seriniel’s back.

“I’m not good at using watches myself, but he’s said to be the most skilled in the Empire. He even gets commissions from other places.”

“… ”

“It would be nice to give you a new watch for your next birthday. You’d surely be happy. I’ll prepare it because I also have something to thank your father for.”

Seriniel couldn’t respond anymore. She was crying uncontrollably. She looked like someone who might cry until she died.

Lexion hesitated again, but this time, he gently hugged her. To prevent the cold sea breeze from penetrating her body. So that her heart wouldn’t get cold either.

“Keep crying until you’re tired today.”

Lexion, with his head slightly lowered, whispered in Seriniel’s ear as he gently patted her shoulder.

“Sometimes, it’s necessary to let out all those emotions.”

There was no response, but Seriniel’s crying grew louder. But it didn’t matter. It was okay. So Lexion didn’t say anything more, just strengthened his grip on her in his arms.

—

It was a long time before Seriniel’s tears finally stopped.

“… ”

Still in Lexion’s embrace, Seriniel sniffled softly.

It seemed like her mind had only just returned to her, belatedly.

Crying so hard like that, she felt a sudden wave of embarrassment, as if a tidal wave of embarrassment was sweeping over her.

“I cried so much…”

And with a slight bow of his head, Lexion looked down at her.

“It’s quite embarrassing to see you feeling embarrassed like this, belatedly.”

“… ”

“Isn’t it?”

“No…”

It was unpredictable how perceptive she was. There was no need for her to be like that until now.

“Your ears are red.”

Lexion chuckled and remarked.

“Is it because of the biting sea breeze, or is it because you’re embarrassed? I’m not sure.”

“…It’s the former.”

Seriniel muttered softly, telling a white lie.

“It’s because I’m cold.”

“But I’ve been holding you. It can’t be that.”

“… ”

“The cold must be from me. I’ve taken all your warmth.”

“…I don’t want to answer anything. Think what you want.”

Seeing her evading like that, it felt like she had cried enough now. Lexion smiled.

“I’m curious about something.”

“…About me?”

Seriniel widened her swollen eyes.

“When you were living at the Verdellet estate with your parents… when you were still young.”

“… ”

“What kind of child were you?”

It was a question she hadn’t expected, but it wasn’t particularly difficult, so she answered readily.

“I was just a quiet child.”

“And?”

“I always read books. Since I wasn’t very healthy from a young age, I hardly participated in social activities.”

Yes. Seriniel always read books. Every time I visited, she was like that. Even now, her face reading earnestly felt vivid in my mind.

“My father bought me lots of books I liked. I would read them over and over again… and I would tell Kina about them when I got excited.”

[Kina, so in the book I read today, there was an empress, and she was amazing…]

Such conversations existed.

Yes, she seemed really amazing.

Seriniel’s stories, chattering to Kina, were also heard by Lexion. He listened attentively.

“Also… I think I laughed a lot. I would laugh for a long time at little things. My mother would laugh with me, saying I was really unique.”

The laughter that echoed brightly outside the mansion always felt good no matter when I heard it. Even when my whole body was covered in wounds, bleeding profusely, it was the same.

That time was also the only moment Lexion laughed. Strangely, just listening to that laughter made him smile too.

“Tender, warm… kind child, right?”

“If I say that, wouldn’t it sound too much like self-praise…?”

Lexion chuckled briefly.

“Tell me again next time. Stories from your childhood. I’d also like to hear about your parents.”

But why was this person asking such things? It wouldn’t be interesting at all.

As if knowing his thoughts, Lexion continued.

“It’s interesting for me to listen to your stories.”

“… ”

“And if you keep talking about your parents, someday the happy memories will be stronger than the sad ones.”

Come to think of it, since my parents passed away, I don’t think I’ve ever properly talked about them.

Seriniel didn’t tell some stories, but nobody asked. The same went for Kina and Vain. She probably worried that bringing up their stories might make Seriniel sad.

But what Lexion said was right. To get better, you have to cry endlessly and constantly let out your emotions.

Seriniel, will you really be okay?

More vivid than the faces of my parents who looked at me with worried eyes the day before the accident…

The smile of my father as he handed me a newly bought fairy tale book, and my mother’s bright expression as she laughed together, seemed to be more vividly engraved in my mind.

…There might really come a day when I can stand here and ask them how they are with a smile.

Seriniel knew that she could think such thoughts because of Lexion’s influence.

“Kina…”

“Kina?”

“She showed me a picture of furniture. She said it was sent by Paul.”

“I see. Since I asked him to.”

But Seriniel didn’t choose anything. Lexion knew why.

Naturally, she probably didn’t want to leave any traces as much as possible because she would eventually leave.

…But what followed Seriniel’s words next was something Lexion had never thought of.