To Those Who Regretted After I Died - Chapter 33

Night fell, and while the mansion would usually be bustling with maids cleaning, now it was filled only with the sound of soft sobbing.

“Madam… Madam…”

The head maid wandered through the mansion, observing the grieving maids, cooks, gardeners, stable hands, and other servants as she walked down the hallways.

“Head Maid…”

“Mr. Richard… Thank you for your hard work…”

“How is Master Alec?”

“He hasn’t eaten and remains in his room…”

“I see… Let’s leave him alone for now.”

Since leaving Sophia’s room, Alec hadn’t shown himself to anyone.

The butler walked toward Sophia’s room and noticed a maid coming out.

“Who is inside Madam’s room?”

“The doctor… But he hasn’t eaten anything.”

“The doctor?”

Entering Sophia’s room, the butler saw the doctor sitting beside the bed, not moving an inch as he stared at her sleeping face.

“Doctor…”

“Ah! Thank you for your hard work…”

“I heard you haven’t eaten anything…”

“Haha… Telling patients to eat, while I’m the one not eating… Just for now… please allow me to remain here not as a doctor, but as an ordinary man…”

“I understand, Doctor… Please let me know when you wish to have your meal.”

“Thank you very much…”

“Tomorrow, the coffin will be brought from the church… This may be the only time you can spend alone with Madam… From tomorrow, Master Alec will have to endure a few very painful days…”

“Yes… Master Alec must reap what he has sown… Madam likely feels the same…”

The butler ended the conversation and left Sophia’s room.

“Tomorrow, you will have to enter your resting place… It may be lonely, but… please wait for me until I join you.”

The doctor spoke softly to Sophia, then pressed his lips to hers…

As the night deepened, the mansion fell silent, and the doctor eventually drifted off to sleep.

He woke to the bright light of the full moon shining through the window, pressing his hand to his brow to shield his eyes.

“It’s a full moon tonight… Huh!?”

When he raised his head and looked toward the window, he saw Sophia standing by the window, and he was struck dumb.

Confirming that Sophia’s body still lay on the bed, the doctor couldn’t believe what he was seeing.. another Sophia was standing by the window, gazing silently outside.

(…Is this a dream? …Madam…)

“M-Madam…?”

“I can see the path that leads to the garden from my room… I used to watch Lord Alec and Emily walking together along it from this window… Even though I didn’t want to see it, I couldn’t help but watch…”

“!!”

Recognizing the voice as Sophia’s, the doctor’s tears began to well up and fall uncontrollably.

“Hngh… Ugh…”

Sophia’s hand gently touched his, and she smiled softly at him.

“Ah… You’re… warm…”

“Doctor… I wanted to thank you, so the Goddess has granted me some time… Thank you for speaking with Master Alec for me… It made me happy to know you cared about me…”

“M-Madam…”

“Please… call me by my name… Alan…”

“S-Sophia…!! I… I couldn’t save you… If I hadn’t let go of your hand back then…”

“Alan, you didn’t do anything wrong, so please don’t blame yourself…”

The doctor embraced Sophia, tears streaming down his face.

“I loved you… Not as a doctor… but as a man, I loved you…”

“Doctor… Alan… Please find me in the next life… and make me your wife…”

“I will… I’ll definitely find you… I’ll be by your side… Please wait for me…”

With tears flowing, the doctor and Sophia vowed to meet again in the next life, sealing their promise with a kiss…

When the doctor awoke, he found himself still crying… Even if it had only been a dream, he was overjoyed to have seen Sophia again.

“Madam…”

Looking at Sophia’s face, the doctor saw tears streaming down her cheeks… With trembling hands, he felt the warmth of those tears and realized she had come to see him one last time.

“I’ll find you… I promise I will… Please wait for me… Sophia…”

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A year had passed since Sophia married into the Parlis family, and now she was leaving this world without ever bearing her husband Alec’s child.

“Madam~~! Madam~~!!”

“Waaaah!!”

“Ugh… hic… Ugh…”

Maids and servants had gathered in Sophia’s room to bid their final farewells, tears and cries of grief filling the air.

Meanwhile, Alec sat alone in the dining room.

“……”

It was his first meal alone since before Sophia had come to the mansion.

“… The last time I had a meal with my wife… Ah, it was before Emily came back, and she would wait for me here at this table… scolding me as we ate together… Was she already planning it back then? Or perhaps even before…”

Alec stared intently at the seat where Sophia always used to sit.

“Are you sitting there now? The store is closed today… I don’t intend to open it for a while… I’ll be seeing our family after a long time… The last time must’ve been… since our wedding…”

“……”

A maid peeked into the dining room…

“What is it?”

“Eep!”

Startled, the maid quickly covered her mouth with both hands, letting out a relieved sigh when she realized it was the doctor who had spoken to her.

“Doctor…”

“Apologies for surprising you. I’d like to have a meal… Is Master Alec inside?”

“Ah, yes… But it’s strange…”

“Strange?”

“Yes… The head maid asked me to check on Master Alec in the dining room, but… It seemed like Master Alec was talking to himself… all alone.”

“… I see. Please let the head maid know there’s no need to worry. And could I ask you to bring me something to eat?”

“Yes, understood.”

Hearing the doctor’s words, the maid visibly relaxed and then hurried off.

“Hah…”

The doctor sighed softly before entering the dining room.

“Master, may I join you?”

“……”

As soon as the doctor stepped inside, Alec fell silent.

Keeping some distance from Alec’s seat, the doctor was served food by the maids, and the meal continued quietly.

“How is your pain today?”

“It’s not as bad as it was yesterday…”

“I see. I’ll examine you before we head to the church.”

“Yes…”

“Master Alec, I apologize for last night… You should have been the one by Madam’s side…”

“……”

“Also, I can’t hide the bruises and wounds on your face…”

“It doesn’t matter… Compared to the injuries my wife suffered…”

Alec stopped eating and turned his gaze to where Sophia used to sit.

“I’ll stay by your side as much as I can… Please let me know immediately if you feel unwell.”

“I will…”

Without further conversation, the doctor and Alec sat in silence as the time to head to the church drew near. Soon, the coffin was carried out of the mansion.

Outside, the line of servants bid their final farewell to Sophia, their sorrow clear as the carriage made its way to the church.