To Those Who Regretted After I Died - Chapter 51
After Sophia’s funeral at the Parlis estate, her remains were buried at the Lemoir family estate. Alan, the Parlis family physician and Sophia’s primary doctor, had secretly harbored feelings for her but never confessed. He offered a solitary prayer beside her grave.
“…My lady… no, Lady Sophia… I still can’t believe you’re gone… The day I first met you, Master Alec summoned me because you had caught a severe cold… I loved your smile… After you passed, I noticed a change in Master Alec and Lady Emily… Especially Master Alec, after he learned Lady Emily had a fiancé, he began avoiding her and seemed to regret Sophia’s absence… In my anger and frustration at his inability to make you happy, I raised my hand against him for the first time… I resented him… I never thought the day would come when I’d hate him, the man I had trusted… There will be a family meeting at the Parlis estate soon… concerning Master Alec and Lady Emily. Lady Adelaide, his aunt, is furious with both of them… Please watch over them… I know it must be painful, but please watch them atone for their actions… And if it becomes too much to bear alone, please stay by my side…”
The doctor spoke to Sophia, telling her about Alec and Emily, and the relatives of both families, since her death.
“…”
After sharing the recent events with Sophia, the doctor took a small, white cloth-wrapped bundle from his bag—a lock of Sophia’s hair—and spoke.
“…I’ve been debating whether I should give this to Master Alec… If possible, I wish I could keep it… until my own death, so you could stay by my side… but that would be selfish, wouldn’t it… I should give this to Master Alec… Huh? …This scent… Could it be…?”
A sweet floral scent wafted past the doctor. He looked up, his eyes widening in surprise.
“…L-Lady… Sophia?!”
Rustle
“…Lady Sophia?!”
The doctor stared in disbelief at the apparition of the deceased Sophia before him.
Sophia’s translucent form gazed down at her own grave.
“…Lady Sophia…”
The doctor could only whisper her name, tears welling up as Sophia appeared before him.
“…Lady Sophia… May I keep your hair…?”
The doctor showed the lock of hair to Sophia, who smiled gently before vanishing.
“…Thank you…”
The doctor wept, touched that Sophia had appeared before him, her physician, instead of her husband, Alec. He continued to pray beside her grave.
Alec and the doctor, having finished at the gravesite, returned to the estate.
Alec remained silent throughout the carriage ride.
Upon arriving at the mansion, they were greeted by the butler, the head maid, and the other servants, some of whom were still mourning Sophia’s death.“lcome home, Master.”
“…I’ll be in my room…”
Alec acknowledged the butler, the head maid, and the other servants before heading towards his room.
“…Doctor, Master seems…”
“…You’re aware of the upcoming family meeting…”
“Yes, it’s an annual event.”
“I don’t know the details yet… but I’ll also be attending.”
“What?! You, Doctor?”
The butler cried out in surprise.
“…Butler, Head Maid, could you come here for a moment?”
Alec called out to the butler and head maid as he ascended the stairs.
“You called for us, Master?”
“Could you please have the rugs and curtains in the mansion changed back to the way they were before?”
“What?!”
“The rugs and curtains… Master?”
The butler and head maid exchanged surprised glances before looking at Alec.
“You should have kept the old rugs and curtains in storage, haven’t you?”
“Y-yes… but… are you sure? Shouldn’t we ask Lady Emily before changing them…?”
“It doesn’t matter… I want you to find a shop that will buy these rugs and curtains… I want to sell them…”
“…Understood. We’ll have them replaced tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
The butler and head maid, though unsure what had happened, were relieved that the mansion would be returning to its former state.
“Head Maid.”
“Yes, Master.”
“…Have the maids pack… Sophia’s belongings…”
“What?!… Pack My Lady’s belongings?”
The head maid asked Alec in surprise, as if to confirm what she had heard.
“…Her father asked for her belongings to be returned… I believe she’ll find peace if they’re returned to her family…”
“Master…”
Alec instructed the head maid to organize Sophia’s belongings and went to his room.
“Where is Master Alec?”
The doctor approached the butler and head maid.
“He’s retired to his room… Doctor, what happened at My Lady’s funeral?”
“…Please wait until Master Alec speaks of it himself… All I can ask of you now is to please leave him be…”
The doctor asked the butler and head maid to give Alec some space. He told them to contact him if anything happened, and then left the mansion.