To Those Who Regretted After I Died - Chapter 57
“Ah…”
Emily couldn’t believe Paul had closed the curtains after seeing her.
“Paul…”
Stab!
“Huh?!”
Emily froze, clutching her stomach as a sharp pain shot through her.
(My stomach…)
“…Sigh… What should we do…?”
Her father’s face was pale with worry as he slumped his shoulders.
“…Dear… are Paul’s parents… really not going to pay…?”
“They even wrote down the amount… We have no choice but to pay…”
“…But… it’s so much money…”
“…”
Her father’s hand trembled as he clutched the invoice.
“…I’ll contribute to the expenses as well…”
!!
“Marquis?!”
“…I don’t have much to spare either… Emily, would you mind if I sold the clothes and jewelry I gave you to help cover the costs?”
“What?! You’re selling my things?!”
Emily was shocked. She never imagined Alec would suggest selling the gifts he had given her.
“No! Why should I have to give back what you gave me?!”
“…These expenses are for you and him, aren’t they? You have plenty of clothes you haven’t even worn, and numerous pairs of shoes you never wear… The same goes for the jewelry… There are still a few outstanding balances for some of the pieces. I’d like to sell those as well…”
“You bought Emily jewelry too…? And there are outstanding balances…?”
Her father stared at Alec in disbelief, realizing the extent of Alec’s spending on Emily.
“…I bought her everything she asked for… including the rugs and curtains…”
“What?! Rugs and curtains?! She asked for those as well?”
“…You’ve seen the mansion…”
“The mansion… You don’t mean… the pink rugs and curtains…?”
“Emily wanted to redecorate the mansion… and I agreed…”
(…The rugs and curtains were purchased on credit… I blamed my wife for it… I never even apologized…)
“Sigh… This is unbelievable… Emily… what have you done…? The Parlis estate isn’t yours.”
Her father stopped walking and stared at Emily, who was standing beside her mother with an uncomfortable expression. He was exasperated.
“B-but… Alec is young, and he’s the master… I thought brighter rugs and curtains would change the atmosphere of the mansion… and Alec liked them… Don’t blame this all on me!”
“…”
Emily glared at Alec sullenly.
“You’re being selfish again… Do you realize how much you inconvenienced Sophia by living at the marquis’s estate…? You changed the entire mansion without her consent. Didn’t she say anything?”
“…She did… but I ignored her… However, the rugs and curtains have been changed back.”
“What?! They’ve been changed back? I didn’t know that.”
“…It was my wife’s… final wish… She said it would reflect poorly on me if the relatives saw the changes to the mansion…”
Alec recalled Sophia’s words.
“…You’ve changed, Marquis, since Sophia’s passing…”
“…I haven’t changed…”
He had rejected Sophia, refused to face her… He had blindly trusted Emily, believing she was telling him everything…
“…And now you talk about my sister constantly… You’re the one who pushed her away… You always told me you wished you hadn’t married her…”
“…”
“…We’ve been arguing constantly since she died! You told me you loved me… You promised you’d never leave me, no matter what… didn’t you?”
“…When I said I’d never leave you, no matter what, I meant even if I knew you had a fiancé…”
“…But you always forgave me… So, I thought you’d accept me even if you knew about Paul…”
“…Haha…”
“I don’t want to part with the gifts you gave me… They’re reminders of our shopping trips together.”
Emily walked over to Alec and smiled.
Emily, having received expensive clothes, dresses, and jewelry from Alec, didn’t want to part with them.
“…Lady Emily, I believe it would be best to return all the gifts Master Alec gave you…”
The doctor, feeling conflicted, suggested Emily return Alec’s gifts.
“…”
Emily puffed out her cheeks, displeased with the doctor’s suggestion.
“…E-excuse me, Lady Emily…”
A maid employed by the Colbert family approached Emily, carrying a long box in her hands.
“You… Paul?! Are you here to take me back?”
“Oh… no, Master Paul asked me to return this to you…”
“What?!”
“Allow me.”
“Thank you… Farewell, Lady Emily.”
“W-wait…”
The maid bowed to Emily and returned to the mansion. Emily’s father, having received the box, asked her what was inside.
“What is this? It looks like a dress box…”
Emily went over to her father and opened the box. Inside was a deep pink dress.
“…Oh.”
“It seems to be a dress… Emily, do you recognize this…? Emily?!”
“…Hiks… Hiks…”
Emily took the dress from the box, clutched it in her hands, and wept.
“…This is… the dress Paul gave me… He said he wanted me to wear it to the reception after the ceremony…”
Stab!
“Ouch?!”
Emily dropped the dress, her face pale, and clutched her stomach. She collapsed to her knees, unable to stand. The doctor, noticing something was wrong, rushed to her side.
“Lady Emily?!”
“…I-it hurts… My stomach… the baby…”
““Emily?!””
Her parents were shocked and bewildered as Emily cried out in pain. Alec also tried to approach her.
But seeing Emily hunched over in pain, Alec froze, unable to move.
“…S…”
Alec stared at Emily, trembling, as her form began to morph before his eyes.
“…S-Sophia…?!”
“…”
Alec trembled, unable to move, as Emily’s writhing form overlapped with the deceased Sophia in his vision.
“Lady Emily, stay with me…”
“Oh… Emily, Emily…”
“D-doctor, help Emily into the carriage…”
“Understood. Master Alec, please help Lady Emily!”
The doctor urged Alec to help Emily into the carriage, but Alec remained frozen, staring at Emily’s pale face, contorted in pain.
“It hurts, it hurts… Help me… Alec…”
As Emily reached out to him, her image transformed into Sophia, blood dripping from her left wrist.
“My lord… why wouldn’t you reach out to me…?”
“…I-I… Emily was in pain… I had no choice…”
Alec trembled as he spoke to the apparition of Sophia.
“…What did Emily do for you…? I supported you, even though you gave me nothing… You’re cruel…”
“…”
Drops of blood fell from Sophia’s wrist, staining the ground and flowing towards Alec, who remained rooted to the spot.
“…After you died… I regretted it… It’s true… Please believe me… I won’t marry Emily… You’re my only wife… Sophia…”
As Alec declared to the apparition of Sophia that he wouldn’t marry Emily, the tension that had gripped him released. Sophia vanished, and he saw Emily again, her face pale.
“…A-Alec…”
Snapping back to reality, he saw Emily clutching her stomach in pain.
“…She’s gone…”
“? M-Master Alec, please take Lady Emily to the carriage.”
“Oh! Right… I understand… Emily, are you alright?”
Slap!
Emily swatted away Alec’s outstretched hand and glared at him tearfully.
“Lady Emily?!”
“I hate you, Alec! You don’t care about me!! Waaah…”
Emily burst into tears, startling her parents and bewildering the doctor.
“…”
“L-Lady Emily?! Master Alec, quickly, Lady Emily…”
“No! Don’t touch me!”
“Emily, that’s enough! You can barely walk! What’s wrong with you?!”
“Hiks… Because… you don’t want to be with me…”
“…”
Alec realized he hadn’t been speaking to Sophia’s apparition. He had been speaking to Emily.
“We’ll talk later. Lady Emily, would you mind if I carried you?”
Emily nodded weakly. The doctor gently lifted her into his arms and rushed towards the carriage.
“I’d like you to accompany us as well… Is there a residence nearby?”
“Ah, my estate is closest from here.”
“Understood… Master Alec…?”
“…I’ll follow later… Go ahead…”
“Understood…”
Emily, the doctor, and her parents headed towards the Lemoir estate. Emily, still in pain, lost consciousness in the carriage.
When Alec arrived at the Lemoir estate, the doctor informed him of what had happened.
“…I see… Thank you for your help…”
“…As for Lady Emily…”
“I’ll tell her… It’s best she doesn’t see the marquis right now…”
Her father spoke to Alec and the doctor.
“…Understood… Thank you…”
“…Hiks… Emily…”
Her father placed a hand on her weeping mother’s shoulder and remained silent for a moment.
“…She was going to be our grandchild… but… perhaps this is for the best… Sophia must be with her, so she won’t be alone… I’m sorry we have to rely on our deceased daughter even now… Sophia…”