To Those Who Regretted After I Died - Chapter 54
Alec and the doctor were on their way to the Colbert residence in a carriage.
The doctor, having heard from the head maid that Alec hadn’t eaten, looked at him with concern.
“…Master Alec, I heard you haven’t eaten since yesterday… Please try to eat something…”
“…I simply wasn’t hungry yesterday… It’s nothing to worry about…”
“…Please let me know if you feel unwell.”
“I understand…”
Their brief conversation ended as the carriage arrived at the Colbert estate.
“Lady Emily’s family seems to have arrived as well.”
“…I see.”
“…”
The doctor noticed Alec’s quiet sigh but didn’t say anything.
(His face clearly says, “Why me?”… If only he hadn’t had the affair, he wouldn’t be suffering this humiliation…)
“Master Alec… The bruises on your face seem to be healing.”
“…Yes…”
Alec and the doctor stepped out of the carriage. They saw Emily’s parents standing beside their own carriage, but Emily was nowhere in sight.
“I don’t see Lady Emily…”
“…”
Emily’s parents noticed Alec and walked towards him.
“Marquis…”
“…I don’t see Emily…”
“Ah… she’s still in the carriage… We’re here to see Paul’s parents… but the butler informed us that Paul refuses to meet with us… When Emily heard that, she refused to get out of the carriage.”
Alec, seeing Emily’s father sigh, noticed the carriage door was open. He looked inside and saw Emily, teary-eyed, refusing to move.
“…Emily… What are you doing?”
“Alec! Paul… He doesn’t want to see me… Why?”
“…I see. It might be easier to talk without him present… Let’s go. They’re waiting…”
“…I can’t… Not without Paul…”
“We can still talk even if he’s not here. We’re just apologizing to his parents…”
“Why should I apologize? I’m carrying Paul’s child… and yet… he’s breaking up with me…”
Alec couldn’t help but laugh at Emily’s words.
“Hahaha”
“What?! Alec?”
“Hmph… I found it amusing that you would say such a thing in front of me…”
“Oh…”
Emily covered her mouth with her hand, bewildered by Alec’s wry smile.
“S-sorry… I’m just confused… This child is yours…”
“…I need to talk to you later… If you don’t want to meet his parents, you don’t have to. Your parents and I will go.”
“Really?”
Emily smiled, relieved that she didn’t have to meet Paul’s parents.
“But you’ll have to go alone eventually.”
“What?!”
“You don’t want to see his parents today, do you? Go tomorrow… He might be there then…”
“…Alone…? That’s cruel…”
Alec glared at the teary-eyed Emily and raised his voice.
“Are you going or not?!”
The doctor, hearing Alec raise his voice, interjected.
“Master Alec…”
“…”
Alec clenched his fists, suppressing his anger, and moved away from the carriage. The doctor spoke to Emily.
“…Lady Emily, let’s go… Your parents and Master Alec are waiting…”
“…”
Emily, wiping her tears, stepped out of the carriage. Alec, Emily, and her parents entered Paul’s residence.
“How long are they going to make us wait?”
Emily’s father was growing irritated as he, his family, and Alec waited for Paul’s parents. They had come to apologize for Emily’s actions.
“…F-father… let’s go home… Perhaps Paul’s parents are busy today…”
Emily anxiously suggested they leave.
Click The door opened, and Paul’s parents entered the room.
“We apologize for the wait.”
Paul’s father entered the room, followed by his wife. Paul’s mother glared at Emily and Alec, who was sitting next to her. Emily, unable to meet their gaze, lowered her head and trembled.
“…We apologize for this unexpected visit.”
Emily’s father stood up from the sofa and bowed his head. Her mother, Alec, and Emily followed suit.
“Please, sit down. We have much to discuss.”
“…Thank you…”
Emily’s parents, Alec, and Emily sat back down on the sofa. Maids entered, placed teacups on the table, and left. The conversation began.
“We were surprised to hear of Lady Sophia’s passing. We frequently visited her shop… She had such a lovely smile and always explained the products from various countries so clearly… We always felt at ease shopping there.”
“…”
Alec, hearing Paul’s father speak of Sophia in a way he’d never known, clenched his hand, which was resting on his knee.
“Thank you… I’m sure our daughter would be pleased…”
“It truly is a shame… We had hoped she would become our daughter-in-law.”
!?
Sophia’s parents, Alec, and Emily stared in surprise, while Paul’s father smiled.
“…What do you mean? My daughter… was married… She was the Marquis Alec’s wife…”
“We heard that she and the marquis were divorced before her passing.”
“!…Where did you hear that…?”
Emily’s father had only informed his relatives about Alec and Sophia’s divorce. He hadn’t told Paul’s parents.
“Our son, Paul, told us yesterday… He met your family at the funeral church across from the wedding venue he attended yesterday… He told us that the marquis and Lady Sophia were divorced… We were surprised to hear of Lady Sophia’s passing… We hadn’t received any notification from the Lemoir family, our soon-to-be relatives…”
“!!…W-we sincerely apologize…”
“You must have been deeply troubled… to be unable to contact us… especially with your daughter, Emily, being in such a close relationship with the marquis, her sister’s husband…”
“…Ah…”
The smile vanished from Paul’s father’s face as he glared at Emily. Emily’s face turned pale, and she trembled uncontrollably.