To Those Who Regretted After I Died - Chapter 37

While the Lemoir family was in an uproar, Alec’s relatives from the Palris family were whispering among themselves.

“…It’s the Lemoir family next door, isn’t it? They seem to be making quite a commotion…”

“They have reason to be upset… Alec’s wife passed away. And there are rumors that Alec was having an affair even after she died…”

“…I-I can’t believe it! There must be some mistake! Alec has never had any issues with women before. You know how my brother always bragged about him being a hardworking and respectable son who helped with the family business!”

Alec’s aunt, sounding flustered, defended Alec, refusing to believe the affair rumors.

“I want to believe that too, but… I recently heard complaints from some of our suppliers. They said that Alec had been showing up late to meetings and forgetting the names of the products they’d ordered.”

“What? Alec!? That’s never happened before…”

“And apparently, he always had a woman with him when he met with the suppliers.”

“Wasn’t it his wife?”

“No, they said the woman claimed she didn’t understand the business discussions. She was always with him during the meetings with suppliers.”

“No way… if it wasn’t Sophia…”

“It’s probably Sophia’s sister that Alec was having an affair with.”

Alec’s relatives began to stir, murmuring in shock.

“What the hell is he doing? I’ve seen him working late so many times, even after my brother passed away… I always thought he was such a serious guy. When I heard he had started working with Sophia after they got married, I was relieved, thinking he had found a good wife… But now, everything has crumbled in an instant…”

Alec’s uncle slumped his shoulders in disappointment.

“After hearing all of this, I think I understand why Alec never invited us to the estate…”

“You’ve never been to Alec’s estate since he got married?”

“That’s right. My wife and I used to visit the estate every year, but ever since Alec got married, we haven’t been there once. When we contacted him, he always said things like ‘I’m too busy with work’ or ‘My wife isn’t feeling well,’ so we eventually gave up on visiting. I thought it was just because they were newlyweds… Now I regret not going when I had the chance…”

In the room where the relatives had gathered, some were mourning Sophia’s death, while others were causing a stir over Alec and Emily’s affair.

“Excuse me, members of the Palris family, may I have a moment?”

Sophia’s uncle addressed Alec’s relatives.

“I imagine you’re all shocked to hear about this for the first time… I am Sophia’s uncle. She was a bright, kind girl, loved by everyone. I’ve heard that even the servants of the Palris family adored her… She was a niece I was so proud of…”

Hearing the uncle’s words, some of Sophia’s relatives wiped away tears.

“Unfortunately, after marrying the marquess Alec, Sophia never spent a night with him until the day she died…”

!?

Alec’s relatives were shocked, and some even muttered, “That can’t be true…”

“…What do you mean by that…?”

“Sophia died without ever conceiving a child… she passed away still pure…”

The relatives of the Palris family were abuzz with the news, and one of them finally spoke up.

“C-Could it be that Alec had… relations with Sophia’s sister…?”

“…Yes… she is carrying the marquess’s child…”

!!

With a loud thud, Alec’s aunt fainted and collapsed, throwing the whole room into an uproar.

“…What happened?”

Alec, Emily, and Emily’s father entered the room, staring in bewilderment at the noisy gathering of relatives.

“Alec, I’m scared…”

“……”

Emily clutched Alec’s hand tightly, her face filled with anxiety as she observed the commotion among the relatives.

“Husband!”

Sophia’s mother noticed the three standing by the door and called out to them.

“What happened?”

“One of Alec’s relatives collapsed.”

“What!?”

Alec, startled, looked toward the relatives and saw his aunt lying on the sofa, surrounded by a group of concerned women.

“Aunt!?”

“I’ll go get the doctor. You two stay here.”

“Yes…”

Sophia’s father left the room to fetch a doctor.

“Aunt…”

Just as Alec was about to walk over, Emily tugged on his hand, making him turn toward her.

“Where are you going?”

“Huh? My aunt collapsed, let go of my hand.”

Alec shook off Emily’s hand and headed toward his relatives.

“Aunt!”

“Alec!? You’re here… What’s wrong with your face?”

“…N-Nothing… More importantly, my aunt…”

The relatives noticed Alec’s arrival, and he anxiously looked at his unconscious aunt lying on the sofa.

“I think she just fainted…”

“…What happened…?”

“…She found out that you never fully accepted Sophia as your wife and that you had an affair with her sister, Emily…”

“Ah…”

Alec realized that his aunt had collapsed upon learning the truth of his actions, and that the rest of the family was now aware of his deeds.

“…Aunt… I’m so sorry…”

“How could you do such a thing!? You’ve disgraced the marquess family!”

One of the relatives raised their voice, accusing Alec.

“Soon enough, the nobles will hear of this, and we’ll be under public scrutiny. What are you going to do if this affects our business?”

“…I-I’m terribly sorry…”

Alec stood beside his aunt, bowing his head repeatedly in apology to the gathered relatives.

“Let’s discuss this later… Today is the funeral for the late Sophia…”

Alec remained bowed, unmoving, as tears dripped onto the floor.

“Tch, I’m feeling sick. I’ll take my leave.”

The male relative who had been shouting walked away from the group, heading toward the door. As he passed Emily and her mother, he turned to glare at Emily.

“You adulteress! Don’t think for a second that I’ll approve of your marriage to Alec. You can raise your child in the Lemoir family.”

“…Ah…ahh…”

“H-How could you say such a thing…?”

Emily’s mother hugged her, trying to comfort her as she cried, and raised her voice at the man from the Palris family.

“Hmph, I just said what everyone’s thinking.”

With that, the man from the Palris family walked away from Sophia’s mother and Emily, and left the room as the door opened.
Meanwhile, the doctor and Sophia’s father returned to find Emily in tears and the cold stares of the relatives directed toward Alec and Emily, unaware of the tension in the room.