To Those Who Regretted After I Died - Chapter 18

Sophia was walking around the mansion with the head maid.

“Oh! Good morning, Madam!”

“Good morning!”

The maids cleaning around the mansion greeted Sophia upon seeing her.

“Good morning! Thank you for always keeping everything tidy.”

“No, it’s our job.”

“But I wish the amount of work would be reduced a bit… Huh!? H-Head maid, you were here…”

The maid who had complained was surprised and started to panic.

“What do you mean by the amount of work?”

“N-No, I apologize!”

The maid hurried away with a quick,

“Don’t run in the corridor!”

“Y-Yes!!”

Seeing the maid hurry away, Sophia chuckled, and the head maid, seeing Sophia smile for the first time, felt tears welling up and discreetly wiped them away without Sophia noticing.

As Sophia greeted the maids who were cleaning, she peeked into the kitchen.

“Madam!!”

The head chef noticed her and called out, and Sophia greeted him with a smile.

“Good morning, Chef… I’m sorry for the late breakfast…”

“No, I heard that you finished all your breakfast, so I’m relieved. Your husband and Lady Emily have returned, so let’s make pie together again.”

Seeing the smiling chef, Sophia held back her emotions.

“Thank you, Chef…”

After exchanging morning greetings with the cooks, Sophia walked outside the mansion.

Once she stepped out of the entrance, she looked at the flowers planted around her.

“It seems like there are more pink and bright red flowers… Could they be Emily’s flowers?”

“Yes, they are from your husband for Lady Emily…”

“What a waste… When I first came to the mansion, there were so many beautiful flowers of various colors blooming…”

Sophia touched the pink flowers with her finger and sighed.

“I’m sorry, Head Maid… It feels like the Purlis family has been changing since Emily came here…”

“You are not at fault, Madam… It is all your husband’s fault!”

The head maid clenched her fists tightly, trembling with anger toward Alec.

“If your husband had rejected Lady Emily, there would have been no betrayal toward you… I owe you an apology, Madam…”

“An apology?”

“I knew that Lady Emily has been visiting your husband’s room…”

“…”

“I thought I should warn your husband, but I couldn’t say anything and turned a blind eye… Even when you were in pain, I couldn’t speak to him…”

“Head Maid…”

The head maid continued to bow her head to Sophia, regretting not being able to say anything to Alec while tears streamed down her face…

Seeing the head maid in tears, Sophia took her hand and urged her to look up.

“I should have faced my husband and talked to him as his wife… I’m sorry for making you suffer, Head Maid…”

“Madam…”

Suddenly, the gardener approached Sophia and the head maid.

“Good morning. Madam, were you with the head maid?”

“Oh… Good morning! I thought I’d take a walk with the head maid…”

Sophia noticed the gardener’s tools and assumed that Emily had asked Alec to plant something again.

“Has my husband asked you to plant something again…?”

“Yes, Madam. He instructed us to plant the white flowers that you like.”

“Eh!? My flowers?”

Surprised, Sophia looked down at the seedlings beside the gardener.

“Madam, did you talk to your husband about flowers?”

The head maid also looked surprised and asked Sophia.

“Yes, yesterday I asked my husband to plant flowers…”

(I never thought he would actually do it…)

Sophia felt a rush of happiness, tears almost forming in her eyes, as this was the first time her wish had been acknowledged.

Other gardeners could be seen walking together, looking troubled as they talked.

“I didn’t think we’d be hearing about the greenhouse again… And for Lady Emily to directly ask us…”

(Huh!? A greenhouse?)

“Yeah, I was surprised too, but when Lady Emily said that since the Madam is separating from the husband, she wants a greenhouse built for the child, I was left speechless.”

(Huh… Emily…!?)

“Haha, that’s definitely a lie! Just more nonsense to worry the Madam and the husband!”

“Hey! You two!!”

“Eh?”

“Ah!?”

The two gardeners turned pale as they realized Sophia had overheard their previous conversation.

The two gardeners were unaware that Sophia was present when they inadvertently revealed that Emily had asked for a greenhouse to be built.

“Is what you just said true? Did Emily ask for a greenhouse…?”

“Y-yes… We were in the mansion just now, and Lady Emily spoke to us directly…”

“…”

The gardener spoke hesitantly to Sophia.

“Didn’t my lord decide that there wouldn’t be any discussion about the greenhouse?”

“Emily might have asked the lord for it…”

“That’s just… I was so happy to have protected the flowers of the late mistress…”

“It’s not decided yet that a greenhouse will be built… I’ll ask my husband about it…”

“Madam.”

The gardeners exchanged confused looks as Sophia, along with the head maid, began to return to the mansion. Just then, a carriage entered the estate, and they could see the butler inside.

“Were you with the head maid as well…?”

The butler showed a relieved expression as he held a paper bag filled with documents.

“Good morning… I was worried because I couldn’t see you… I see you were out…”

“Oh, good morning… I was out on my lord errand…”

“Did you go to the office?”

“Eh!?”

The butler looked bewildered and turned to the head maid.

“Madam, did you have a talk with the lord…?”

“Not yet, I was just about to go see him…”

“Eh…”

“I recognized it was an official document from the seal on the outside of the bag.”

“I see…”

Seeing the butler’s downcast face, Sophia understood.

“It’s the divorce papers, isn’t it…?”

“Ah!!”

“…”

“Since Emily is pregnant with my husband’s child, it was already decided that I would divorce, having had nothing happen between us.”

“Madam…”

“Ugh…”

“… Thank you both for everything… It’s been a short year since I married into the Parlis family… Thank you for supporting me… I can’t count how many times you both encouraged me as the distance between me and my husband grew… It’s because of your support that I’ve been able to live as my husband’s wife until today.”

Sophia smiled at the butler and the head maid.

“Madam… I deeply regret not being able to help you… If only I had been more capable and had encouraged the lord more…”

Tears welled up in the butler’s eyes as he could only bow his head to Sophia.

“Madam…”

Sophia embraced the head maid and thanked her.

“Head Maid, thank you… I want you to come to my room after you finish talking with my husband…”

“Understood…”

After releasing the head maid, Sophia turned to the butler.

“May I have the envelope?”

“Eh!?”

“I will hand it directly to my husband.”

“Madam… I’m Understood…”

“Thank you…”

Sophia received the envelope from the butler and, together with the head maid, entered the mansion.