I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

Ellie gently closed her eyes and remembered the moment more deeply, as if she was going back to that time. Eventually, the events of that day unfolded before her.

Ellie, eleven years old, first met Jeremy at a party at the Palace.

Gloomy and shy young Jeremy who was very different than he is now.

“Why are you here alone? What about your parents?”

“…”

Ellie sat down next to a snuggled Jeremy. For some reason, he looked so lonely that she thought he would cry if she left him alone.

Jeremy was looking for Ellie, but Ellie looked around and let out a small gasp.

"You're so pretty! Your hair is so shiny and your eyes shine too!"

"What? That's ridiculous… I'm not pretty. I'm not even bright."

"Pretty. I had never seen such beautiful eyes. They are like jewels. It's like the Healis flower, the symbol of luck!”

When Ellie smiled as if she meant it, Jeremy's eyes widened for a moment. Jeremy glowed and yanked at her hair as if to rip it out.

"No! This hair! These eyes! They all said they are bad! This can never be luck!”

Ellie was startled by the violent reaction, but he soon grabbed Jeremy's hands, which were trying to tear at his hair.

"Stop it! You are going to get hurt!"

"Why do you care?"

"I told you! You're pretty! You can't get hurt when you're so pretty and shiny."

Ellie looked into the trembling amber eyes and said happily.

“I don't know about you, but in my eyes you are like a Lucky Healis. Have you seen it?"

"…No."

“Then I will show you the Healis flower next time. You'll know when you see it. Lucky Healis looks just like you. Because you shine brighter than the Healis flowers.”

“…”

The two children made a promise on such a starry night.

"I'll see you again."

But that was the last time. She never met little Jeremy anywhere again.

And as soon as the memory ended, Ellie slowly opened her closed eyes.

Before she knew it, it was quiet under the balcony as if the children had left.

That boy was Jeremy.

‘Why didn't I recognize him at a glance?'

The atmosphere was different from the past, but the bright hair and eyes were still shining.

Ellie had thought of him several times before she became an adult. It wasn't as much as with Raymond, but it was a memorable first meeting.

‘But now I remember.'

Ellie remembered what she had said in the past, holding back a giggle to herself like a fool.

“Then I'll show you the Healis flower next time. You'll know it when you see it. Lucky Healis looks just like you. Because you shine brighter than the Healis flower."

“…Healis…”

‘Does Jeremy remember that promise?'

‘I think he does.'

Ellie soon made up her mind as she looked out at the cold landscape.

‘I can't let go as it is now since I've even remembered the past. But I'll have to check first.'

Ellie got up from the seat and ordered Helen.

"I'm going to the Phoenix branch, so prepare a carriage."

* * *

Zarveni, the center of the business district of the Agrita Empire. It was a place where numerous organizations gathered, but among them, the Phoenix Organization definitely stood out.

The Phoenix building, which has established itself as the highest organization on the continent in less than a decade.

To demonstrate its tremendous growth, Phoenix Organization expanded the building to 20 stories. An overwhelmingly large and tall building even in Zarveni. At the top of the building, it was said that the Imperial Fortress could be seen.

On the top floor of the Phoenix that so many people admire, there sat the real owner of the castle, the graceful figure of now.

The owner of Phoenix Organization, waiting for Jed.

Ellie looked out the window at the bustling street. The reason why the business district is lively is that the economic power of the Empire was stable.

The door was flung open as she briefly buried her private thoughts with public thoughts.

When she turned her head, she could see Jed with his hair disheveled as if he had run.

"Huff, uff, the Moon of the Empire, God save the Empire."

"I'm dying to greet you. Get up, Jed,” Ellie greeted Jed, who took a deep breath.

Jed stood up and drank the water that Lumont had brought him. Only then did Jed choose to breathe. Ellie was sitting on top of the couch in the meantime.

Jed handed the cup over to his secretary and sat on the right side of the top seat.

Ellie frowned at Jed's dry face and the scent of alcohol on his body.

"You weren't on urgent business, you're drunk and you've fallen asleep."

Ellie looked at Jed and Lumont…

‘He hasn't come to work yet because he went to a meeting.'

That was what Lumont told her when Ellie, seeing the empty office, asked about Jed's whereabouts.

Lumont, who was caught lying, awkwardly averted his gaze. Jed also smiled awkwardly as if he was embarrassed.

“Haha, it's been a while since I met a friend… I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

“Did you take your hangover medicine?”

"…No, not yet."

Ellie clucked and told Lumont.

“Lumont, you can buy a hangover pills. It's early in the morning for him to throw up while we’re talking."

"Yes!"

Lumont rushed out of the office as if it was a good idea because he was already looking around. So Lumont walked out and Ellie also winked at Helen.

Jed's smile fell from his face as Helen quietly left the office. It was because Ellie didn't seem to have summoned him for light request, as she even fired her closest assistant, Helen.

‘Something serious has happened.'

Jed had a straight face.

"Something bad happened to you?"

Ellie looked at Jed and shook her head.

“It's not a bad thing. I have a question for you."

"If you're curious…"

“When we started our business in the Lund Kingdom, I came to ask you about the source from which we got the information.”

"What?"

Jed asked back, a blank look on his face. Yes, because it was a question he never expected.

‘Suddenly, the Lund Kingdom… and the source of the information we had then.'

He made that clear to Ellie at the time. Information about the mercenaries coming to his bar… Of course it was a lie.

Jed couldn't think straight, perhaps due to a hangover. Ellie said while not immediately aware of his intentions.

"You got that information from an old friend from the Empire, not a mercenary, right?"

‘…An old Jed’s friend.'

Ellie came here and thought about the relationship between Jed and Jeremy. Although they had never shown it close to her, it was likely that the two had known each other for a long time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given Jed that valuable information.

‘How can they give out that information if they're not close or don't have faith in each other?'

Jed wouldn't have been able to easily accept such information if he didn't know Jeremy either. How would he know if it is real or fake?

So there was only one answer. The two have built bonds of trust for a long time and they kept it from her… It must have been Jeremy's request.

It is obvious that she would feel pressured if she knew that he is helping her so much.

"Jed."

Ellie called out to Jed, who was still distracted, to wake him up. Jed, hearing her low voice, hesitated as he quickly removed his stunned expression. This time, with a face full of shame.

Ellie punched Jed before telling a silly lie.

“And the friend must be Jeremy. That’s right?"

"Ahh! Cough cough!"

Jed, who felt that she hit the nail on his head, was very surprised and coughed. As if he had swallowed the wrong salt, he hastily opened a new bottle of water on the table. Slowly lowering the water bottle, Jed slowly opened his lips.

"…Yes that's right."

Jed didn't deny it. It was because there was no tremor in Ellie's eyes looking at him. Suddenly, he didn't know how, but Ellie was pretty sure about the relationship between him and Jeremy and the secret that Jeremy hid.

As if it was really so, Ellie wasn't surprised by Jed's answer. As if she knew, she just breathed out a low sigh. Jed looked at Ellie with a mysterious look on his face.

Jed wondered how she knew, but his first thought was that it was a good thing. It was because he knew that Jeremy and Ellie couldn't be together, but he still wanted Ellie to know how Jeremy felt. Jeremy was so devoted to Ellie, it was heartbreaking to the person watching from the sidelines.

‘The problem is that Ellie knew the truth when Jeremy was about to leave the Empire forever… Would Jeremy have been a little comforted, if he had known before?'

Jed had that thought for a moment, but it wasn't an answer he could know. Because he wasn't Jeremy.

Then Ellie, looking down, said.

“Jed. The friend you met with yesterday was Jeremy, right?"

“…Yes, a friend of mine in the Empire… is only one Duke Drua.”

“Then you must have heard it. That he leaves the Empire, abandoning the Duchy."

Jed nodded bitterly.

"I heard it."

"Do you know when he leaves?"

"What?" Jed paused and asked again.

‘Are you trying to meet with Jeremy?'

"He's leaving everything behind… Why do you have to?"

Ellie said with a slight smile, while Jed looked at her as if he didn't understand.

“To keep the promise I made with Jeremy a long time ago. That's all I can do."

“…”

"So, Jed, tell me… Jeremy, when is he leaving?"

Jed was about to lie to Ellie.

“I heard that he’s leaving the Empire tonight, Your Majesty, the Empress.”