No Need For Regrets

Chapter 9

 

“The ingredients of the flower tea you inquired about, madam, are various kinds mixed to create a potent poison.”

 

Poison…

 

Seriniel let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

 

“They are all colorless and odorless toxins, which, when ingested, permeate the body without leaving a trace. Even if by chance a trace is left behind, it’s impossible to concoct an antidote due to the mixture of herbs.”

 

“…”

 

“The best way to avoid detection is to slowly consume a small amount of poison over a long period. So, the tea sent by the madam is most suitable. Consuming it as a tea will allow for faster absorption into the body, and the steeped flower petals can easily be disposed of, erasing any evidence.”

 

“[Make sure to drink it carefully, without missing a day.]”

 

Yes. There must have been a reason for saying such words. Seriniel’s hand holding the letter trembled slightly.

 

“If one continues to consume this flower tea, the lungs are the first to be affected. Difficulty breathing is the initial symptom, and over time, all internal organs are impacted.”

 

Countless days of struggling to breathe, unable to catch a proper breath, flashed through Seriniel’s mind. What did they think while watching me gasping like that?

 

How much time is left?

 

So, everything is going well.

 

“In the end, the organs rot, cease to function, and congestion fills every part of the body…”

 

There was no need to read further. She already knew. She experienced it firsthand.

 

“I…cannot guess what happened to madam, but if she is in danger related to poisoning, I can offer some advice.”

 

The merchant’s words were correct. I was in danger. This time, I might have survived, but I didn’t know how the poison would enter my mouth next time.

 

[If I knew it would take this long, I would have put poison in every meal, not just in the tea!]

 

…I still vividly remember the words Leraie shouted while watching me dying in front of her.

 

Yeah.

 

She can’t just sit still.

 

She couldn’t leave the mansion right away. It would only be good for them. But she had no intention of gambling with her life, so she had to come up with a solution somehow.

 

Seriniel quickly began to read the letter sent by the merchant.

 

And then, the next thing happened outside the study, was a subtle sound.

 

“…”

 

As Seriniel finished reading the letter, her gaze naturally turned towards the closed door.

 

Did I hear wrong?

 

Or perhaps it’s Kina.

 

However, the footsteps didn’t draw closer. Only the faint sound of continued small talk echoed distantly.

 

Seriniel slowly rose from her seat. Then, holding her breath as much as possible, she cautiously opened the door just a crack.

 

In the corridor…

 

“You shouldn’t be doing this here.”

 

Calian and Leraie were there.

 

In an embrace, with no gap between them.

 

“What if Seri comes out? What then? Really…”

 

Leraie chuckled. Despite her words, there was no hint of dislike on her face.

 

“That woman always falls asleep early. By now, she’s probably sprawled out, snoring.”

 

It seemed Kina had just mentioned that Seriniel had gone back to her room. Yes, otherwise, she wouldn’t dare stick to such a close embrace like that.

 

“It’s truly unbelievable. That ignorant woman, who doesn’t even know what business is, dares to file a report?”

 

“As you say, it’s precisely because she’s ignorant that such a thing is possible. What can that girl do?”

 

Leraie said with a sneer.

 

“Maybe she wants to pretend she’s some big shot with her own mine now. Just leave her alone.”

 

It was absurd. Seriniel didn’t own that mine in the first place, so they couldn’t conduct business like this. However, they seemed to not consider such things at all.

 

“Anyway, it’s better to use Seri than to report to Belles. So don’t think too badly of it, Calian.”

 

“…But flower tea? What’s that all about?”

 

“Oh, that.”

 

Leraie shrugged.

 

“Just thought it might be good to prepare in advance.”

 

“Prepare?”

 

“It was hard to acquire. It doesn’t have an immediate effect if you drink it for a day or two, but the longer it accumulates in the body, the stronger its effects become… something like that.”

 

“…Are you talking about poison?”

 

Calian paused softly. But his question wasn’t about concern for Seriniel.

 

“Leraie, you were supposed to tell me about that first. It’s not like that yet…”

 

“I did tell you. It’s not like you’ll drop dead from drinking it right away.”

 

“But what about Belles…”

 

Erasing her smile, Leraie looked at Calian with a stern gaze.

 

“Just panicking like this won’t change anything, Calian.”

 

“…”

 

“Anyway, Belles’ influence is strong, so we’ll have to play along for now, but eventually, we have to cut ties!”

 

[That’s what you said at first. Wait until we completely control the mine, you said. It was supposed to take at most 3 years, but it’s already been 5 years!]

 

It had been about six months since Calian and Seriniel got married. Originally, there were still two and a half years left until the three-year mark Calian mentioned.

 

“It’s not like it’ll kill her right away. It’s just that, according to your mentioned three years, we’ll gradually get rid of her. The result is the same.”

 

“But still…”

 

Calian’s words trailed off.

 

It was amusing. In Seriniel’s eyes, rather than Leraie, who seemed to be scheming to kill her, Calian, who couldn’t stop her and simply profited from it, seemed more repulsive.

 

“…Such a foolish and incompetent man. Always hiding behind women.”

 

“How long are you going to keep Benny stuck in that mansion?”

 

Whether it was because of the child’s story or not, Calian’s face darkened slightly.

 

“You should check. Whether Seriniel is drinking that flower tea properly. Even if it’s not that tea, there are plenty of ways. If it doesn’t work, we could stage an accident.”

 

“…”

 

“Anyway, I’ll find more ways… You know that, Calian.”

 

In the end, Calian nodded as if conceding defeat, and Leraie smiled brightly again.

 

Then, suddenly, she looked back.

 

“…”

 

Startled by her sudden movement, Seriniel froze and held her breath.

 

“I don’t like it.”

 

“What?”

 

“This mansion. The interior… There’s not a single decent corner.”

 

Leraie’s voice as she traversed the corridor carried a subtle annoyance.

 

“That’s…”

 

“I know. It’s Seri’s handiwork.”

 

Leraie muttered with a furrowed brow.

 

“That foolish girl, always lost in her own little world of flowers, doesn’t know anything. Doesn’t do a single thing properly.”

 

“Seriniel does have that side to her.”

 

Calian chuckled.

 

“She takes after my parents in that regard. Seri’s parents were like that too. Acting kind and gentle, but… in reality, they had nothing in their heads. Just arrogant fools, born and raised in some strange sense of privilege.”

 

Such words…

 

Do you even have the right to say them, Leraie?

 

Leraie, who had been bouncing around from place to place since childhood, eventually ended up in an orphanage. But she never found a family to adopt her.

 

As she approached adulthood, it was time for her to leave the orphanage. The ones who helped Leraie, who was kicked out with no money, were Seriniel’s parents. They had supported Leraie even before that. Without any hesitation.

 

“So that’s why she’s facing such a miserable fate.”

 

Leraie sneered.

 

“They couldn’t even find a proper corpse, right? I heard they said they couldn’t find a single one. Something about the carriage falling off a cliff.”

 

Her words were true. So, every year, when the anniversary came, Seriniel would quietly visit that cliff alone and shed tears.

 

“Lately, I’ve been having those thoughts. Maybe Seri’s parents also earned someone’s hatred. Sometimes, I feel the same way when I see Seri. I’d rather just kill her right away. Wouldn’t that be cleaner?”

 

“…”

 

“Well, anyway. When I become the mistress of this mansion… I’ll change everything. The interior, the furniture…”

 

“Yeah, do that.”

 

Calian brushed Leraie’s hair aside as he spoke.

 

“Have I ever not done what you wanted?”

 

Instead of answering, Leraie hugged Calian tightly. Then, leaning back, she looked into his eyes and bit her red lips.

 

“Do you remember our agreement?”

 

“What agreement?”

 

“About the bed. We decided not to with Seri.”

 

“…”

 

“I’ll allow it only on the first night. You have only one child, right? You remember that, don’t you?”

 

“Of course. Besides, who’d want to embrace a woman who just lies there like a statue? I have no desire for that.”

 

Leraie smiled satisfactorily as if finally content and kissed Calian slowly and deeply.

 

“…”

 

Seriniel closed the door slowly. She felt like she might vomit at any moment, but she bit her lips as hard as she could and swallowed down the bile.

 

But she couldn’t hold back the tears starting to well up on her face, as if they were the only thing she couldn’t endure until the end.

 

And the cause of those tears, whether anger, resentment… or both, she couldn’t even tell.

 

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

 

The day was sunny.

 

“It feels so good to be out together like this after a long time, doesn’t it, madam?”

 

As Seriniel walked slowly, she looked at Kina, who was chattering away beside her.

 

“Yeah. I’m not sure how long it’s been.”

 

They occasionally went for walks, but it had been a long time since they went out to the market like this.

 

The streets were bustling with people, and the atmosphere was lively. Watching it, Seriniel felt a little better somehow.

 

But Seriniel’s outing to the market wasn’t just for a change of pace.

 

“It’s over there.”

 

Kina pointed to the other side.

 

“I contacted them in the morning, so they should be waiting for you, madam.”

 

“You wait up front. I won’t be long.”

 

Though Kina couldn’t completely erase the puzzled expression, she didn’t inquire any further. Instead, she simply nodded as if understanding.

 

“…”

 

Standing in front of the shop, Seriniel took a deep breath. Then, she checked the pocket she had prepared inside her dress once again.

 

The pocket was heavy with gold coins.

 

To silence someone, this amount would be necessary. She had sold some precious gifts from the Viscount, but it didn’t matter much.

 

“I’ll be back, Kina.”

 

Yes, madam.

 

Kina replied briefly, and Seriniel slowly started to walk away.

 

And it was at that moment.

 

“I see you again.”

 

…The familiar voice came from behind her.