To Those Who Regretted After I Died - Chapter 47

“W-what? We’re also attending the Parlis family meeting?!”

“…Why…?”

Emily’s parents were bewildered after the doctor told them they were expected to attend the Parlis family meeting.

“…I believe it concerns Miss Emily… You’ll receive further notice regarding the date and time.”

“Sigh…”

Her father sighed and slumped his shoulders.

“…Do you know what will be discussed?”

Her mother asked the doctor anxiously.

“I don’t know the specifics, but… it seems they object to the marriage between you and Master Alec…”

“…Indeed, some of them were quite verbally abusive towards Emily… Even if she married into the marquis’s household, I doubt she could live a normal life… I did speak with the marquis about holding him responsible should his engagement with Emily end…”

The parents and doctor turned toward Emily, and the doctor began to speak.

“…As for her fiancé… He’s a fine young man who clearly cares deeply for Miss Emily… If only things hadn’t transpired this way between Miss Emily and Master Alec, perhaps Lady Sophia wouldn’t have…”

The doctor clenched his hand tightly as he watched Paul and Emily conversing with smiles.

“…They seem close.”

“Huh?!”

Alec gave a wry smile as he observed Emily and Paul.

“I’m glad to hear you say that. But, since we haven’t been able to see each other much after our engagement, I’ve been worried these past few months.”

“Worried?”

“We did meet occasionally, but I heard her sister wasn’t letting you two spend much time together… However, knowing she was by her sister’s side, I felt reassured and allowed her to stay at your estate… I never imagined her sister would pass away…”

“…My wife died because of me… It’s too late for regrets now… but I wish I’d taken the time to truly face her… I wish I hadn’t pushed her away when she tried to be close…”

“What?… Alec… Brother?”

Emily was bewildered by Alec, who was now looking at her.

“Hmph… You only call me ‘Brother’ when it suits you, Emily. Just a moment ago, you were addressing me casually as ‘Alec’… And to think you were lying to your fiancé as well.”

“…Ah…”

“Lying? What do you mean? And what is this about addressing you casually and being close…?”

Paul tilted his head, unsure of what Alec was talking about.

“P-Paul, we should return to the church. The ceremony will be ending soon.”

“Huh?! Oh… you’re right. I’d forgotten… But, what about your sister’s burial…?”

“Our family will handle the burial. I’ll speak to Father about it…”

“If you say so…”

“The child Emily carries is also mine.”

“What?!”

Paul, who had been about to return to the wedding ceremony with Emily, was stunned by Alec’s sudden confession and stopped in his tracks.

“Ah… A-ah…”

“W-what… did you just say…?”

Paul stared blankly at Alec, while Emily’s face turned pale with bewilderment.

“My wife wouldn’t let Emily leave? How could you tell such a lie…? She clung to me every day, relishing in my wife’s solitude.”

“Ah… B-brother… I would never do that to my sister…”

“Do you intend to deny that you would come to my room every single day while staying at the estate, keeping my wife away from me?”

“Ah…”

“Do you intend to deny that you confessed your love for me, became pregnant with my child, and made me promise to marry you, which led to my wife’s divorce?”

“Stop it!”

As Emily covered her ears and cried out, Paul, who had been listening to Alec’s words, turned to Emily and asked,

“…Emily?”

Emily flinched and avoided his gaze. Paul, seeing this, felt a growing sense of unease. (Could it be…?) he wondered in a panic.

“You probably want to believe it’s a lie… but it’s the truth… Emily and I have been having an affair, betraying my wife… My wife’s failing health was because she learned about Emily and me…”

BAM!

“!?… P…”

Paul struck Alec across the face. As Alec stumbled, Paul grabbed him by the collar, glaring at him with trembling rage.

“…You thought you could get away with saying such things…?”

“…It’s not a lie… Emily and I have been having an affair for the past six months… My wife knew, but I continued to avoid her, pushing her away, which led to our divorce… Emily and I had promised to marry…”

“…Six months… marriage…?”

Paul’s grip tightened on Alec’s clothes as he trembled, his face pale. (It can’t be true, it can’t be true,) he repeated to himself.

“…I… I didn’t know about your engagement with Emily… I only learned about it yesterday, when Sophia’s parents came… I don’t know… whether the child Emily carries is mine… or yours…”

“No! That’s a lie!!”

Paul released Alec, covered his face with both hands, and trembled. The doctor and Emily’s parents, alerted by the commotion, rushed over.

“What’s all this commotion?”

“Paul?!”

“Master Alec?! What happened to your face? Did he hit you?”

Sophia’s parents and the doctor, seeing Alec and Paul, wondered what had transpired. Emily, her eyes welling with tears, ran to her mother’s side.

“Mother! Paul…”

“What’s wrong? Emily, what happened with Paul?”

Emily gripped her mother’s arm tightly, her face pale.

“…I told him… that the child Emily carries might be mine…”

“!”

“M-Marquis!”

“I merely told him the truth…”

“…C-could it be true…? Emily… was with him too…?”

Paul, without lifting his head, questioned his parents.

“…I-I’m sorry, Paul… What the marquis said is true…”

Her father walked over to Paul and bowed his head apologetically.

“…Why… didn’t you tell me…?”

“W-we only learned about it yesterday… we had no idea… that Emily and the marquis…”

“…”

Paul lifted his head, looked at Emily trembling beside her mother, and walked towards her.

“…Emily…”

Emily flinched.

“P-Paul… I’m sorry… I’ve hurt you…”

“…Emily, your mother is apologizing, but you haven’t even apologized to me.”

“P…”

Emily looked up, surprised to see Paul’s tears, and apologized.

“I’m sorry… Paul… I couldn’t bring myself to tell you…”

“…You intended to go through with the wedding… without telling me…?”

“Uh…”

Paul wiped his tears and continued.

“…I never thought you would lie to me, using your sister as an excuse… That your sister wouldn’t let you leave, that you were staying at his estate because you were worried about her… It was all a lie… so you could be with him…”

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, Paul… I love both of you… I love both of you who cherish me… That’s why I couldn’t tell you… I was happy that both of you were happy about the baby… I thought… I could live with both of you…”

Emily, though bewildered, smiled as she expressed her desire to live with both of them.

“Emily! How could you say such a thing?!”

“But… If I don’t know who the father is, Alec or Paul, then we could all just get married…”

“H-hahaha…hahahaha…”

“What… Alec…?”

Alec burst into laughter, leaving Emily bewildered.