Your Regrets Are Late

When Charteron asked why he was crying, Luensir only lowered his head. She clearly saw tears forming in his eyes. Normally, she would have kept asking questions and teasing him until he fell asleep. Still, today, something was strange, so she changed the topic with the intention of looking into it.

“Anyway, Lur. What are you embroidering now? I don’t think it was a task given by Lien.”

Luensir, pretending not to have cried, pulled out another handkerchief from the drawer and brought blue, silver, and yellow threads. “The coat of arms of Duke Marsetta. I want to put a small flower of Her Majesty Mother’s birth next to it.”

“If it’s mom’s birth flower… Adonis.”

“Yes.”

“What is the meaning of adonis flower?” Charteron, who put her hand on her chin, thought hard.

“Eternal.”

“Ah, right, right. Eternal happiness. What about dad? Soon…it’s his birthday.” Charteron, who remembered thanks to Luensir, who gave her a clue, clasped her hands and stood up.

“I…haven’t thought about it yet. And if this comes out strangely, I won’t give it to Her Majesty Mother, so don’t tell her.”

“Birth flower…”

“Why?”

“I’ve been thinking about what to do for a while, and that’s great.”

“What?”

Charteron, who said something incomprehensible, giggled.

“What on earth…”

“Lur?”

“It’s nothing.”

It seemed like she was about to commit something, so Luensir, who didn’t want to get caught up in trouble, swallowed his question. The result was always tiring if he got involved in what Charteron was doing. In times like this, it was best to stay still.

“Your Royal Highnesses, Countess Arnon has arrived.”

“I see.”

Just at the same time, the servant came and reported that the literature teacher, Countess Arnon, had arrived.

“Charon, let’s go.”

“T-tell her I’m sick.”

“What?”

Luensir urgently put his hand on Charteron’s forehead and checked her temperature.

“Ummm…”

“You…don’t have any fever though?”

He was puzzled because her body temperature was normal, but glad she wasn’t sick.

“No. That’s not it… Ah, right, I’m sleepy… I don’t want to go to class.”

“…”

“Go. Hurry. I’m going to sleep.”

Charteron pushed Luensir’s back. Luensir, going out the hall, noticed Charteron was up to something. With an ominous feeling, he turned around and saw her waving her hand with a nonchalant face.

Before doing something, Charteron would normally call him ‘brother’ and watch over him. She would either tell him to draw attention so that people around don’t notice or ask him to keep it a secret.

But now, she even urged him to go quickly. It seemed like she was planning something, but it was different from usual, which made him even more suspicious.

“Your Royal Highness, are you feeling unwell?”

“It’s…not like that.”

“Your Royal Highness?”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

He took a deep breath to calm his anxiety. Luensir headed to the class, muttering that he hoped the day would go peacefully.

Watching Luensir leave, Charteron quickly called Martin. “Martin.”

“Did you call me, Your Royal Highness?”

“Let’s go to the library.”

“…Pardon?” Martin once again asked if she had misheard now.

“Let’s go to the library. Why are you zoning out like that? Are you sick?”

“Y-Y-Your Royal Highness, fi-finally meet a book! You go to the library voluntarily!”

“What? Martin, if anyone hears it, they’ll think I play and eat all day.”

“…”

“…Why aren’t you answering, Martin?”

Martin, who could not bear to say it was true, chose to quietly go to the library.

“Greetings to Royal Princess Charteron. May you be protected.”

“Greetings to Your Royal Highness, the shining star of the Elioter Empire.”

Knights guarding the front of the library immediately recognized Charteron and knelt on one knee.

“You know, Martin. I’ll be out soon, so wait outside! You can never come inside.”

“I understand, Your Royal Highness.”

Charteron, who was greeted, gently waved her hand and ordered Martin.

Arensis had already cast a protection spell on Charteron to prepare for any unexpected situation so there would be no danger. Martin, who had been troubled by Charteron’s words not to follow her, quickly finished her calculations and slightly lowered her head.

“Flower… birth flower… where is it….”

As she went inside, Charteron looked around. The title of the book she found after a long time was ‘The Brith Flower of Autumn.’ The joy of what she had worked so hard to find was, for a moment, too high for her to reach, even if she stretched out her hand.

“Uuuuh. This is unavoidable. If I fall off a ladder while using it, it’s a big problem, right? So, in times like this, I can use some magic.” After a brief thought, Charteron said to herself and nodded a couple of times.

“Lebradio Bartero.”

She drew a magic circle on the floor and shouted a spell, but the book didn’t budge. Her pride was hurt even more because she remembered her father, who could do magic without drawing a magic circle, just snapped his finger.

Charteron Laressa Astera von Elioter. She didn’t grow weak enough to give up on this.

“Hmm. Is that not it? Then… Lebradio Vardera?”

It still didn’t move, so the feeling she held on to gradually disappeared.

“It’s annoying…”

“Your Royal Highness? What’s wrong?”

She clenched her fists and groaned. After stomping her foot a few times, Martin knocked on the door, asking what was going on.

“No… No. Calm down.”

Soon, she took a deep breath and regained her reason. She also replied that she was fine to Martin.

“If it isn’t Lebradio, then it’s Lebradia. No, the front is already right… What is it? If I go to Lur, I will be caught not sleeping…”

Rolling her little head, Charteron thought of what she often heard from Luensir when using magic to move things.

“Let’s see… It obviously started with Vara…”

“…”

“…Lebradio Varadero?”

At her words, all the objects around her floated into the air. Shocked, Charteron fell back onto the floor, stroking her shocked chest.

“

… It’s a big deal… Because I’m so talented.”

She drew a magic circle again and finally took out the book she had searched. After leaning on the bookshelf, she opened the book and turned it back a few times.

“Found it! Statice, His Majesty Father’s birth flower. It’s a light purple flower, the same color as His Majesty’s eyes. It looks simple too. Very good.”

Just as she was about to take out her handkerchief, which she had secretly brought with the intention of plucking only the lines, there was someone’s presence. As she focused on her nerves, she realized it was slowly approaching her. Ten thousand thoughts came to her mind before she turned around in surprise.

It was time for her mother to attend a council meeting, and Lur had a distinctive sound of footsteps. If it had been Martin, she would have asked permission to come in first. She thought it might be her father, but if that were the case, it would have been a big problem if he found out about what she planned. She even skipped class to keep it secret from Lur. No, before that, Charteron was afraid that strangers might invade.

Cold sweat broke out naturally. She tried to scream but couldn’t open her mouth for fear of another stranger’s invasion. Naturally, the memories of the day she was kidnapped lingered in her mind.

“

.”

Her hands were trembling, and she couldn’t do this or that, but she heard the clear sound of a cat meowing from somewhere. The owner of the shadow came to her, swaying the bell she had attached to it.

“…Ah, what… It was Lili…”

“

.”

“Where have you been so far? Huh? You said it was uncomfortable, but you keep wearing it. So pretty. How did you get in here?”

Feeling relieved and happy, Charteron asked various questions without giving time to answer.

“What?”

Meanwhile, Lili showed interest in the book that Charteron was reading. She kept it a secret from Lur and Martin, but for some reason, she could easily tell Lili.

“Umm, I was looking for it to give Dad as a birthday present.”

“

?”

“Yes, it’s a secret.”

Charteron was uneasy about Lili, who had a suspicious look on its face.

“If you don’t keep your promise, I’ll give you a ribbon instead of a bell. Got it?”

Lili was embarrassed to even wear a bell. But to wear a ribbon? Noticing that Charteron wasn’t joking, it moved its head vigorously.

“Good boy, Lili.”

Charteron felt today that the color of Lili’s eyes reflected in the sun was so beautiful. “Even though your eyes are different, I always think about it… Isn’t blue the symbol of Duke Marsetta? But how do you have that color?”

Of course, the light purple color wasn’t common, but she was more curious about the one she mentioned earlier.

As soon as it heard the question, it was Lili who suddenly turned into a human. Charteron, who was watching that scene, still had eyes full of curiosity. It was amazing that it transformed.

“Hmm, seeing as you’re asking this, I guess the owner hasn’t told you yet. I don’t think I should be the first to say it. However… I didn’t have a blue eye from the beginning.”

“What? Then what was it? Both of them are light purple?”

“Yes.”

“Did your eye color suddenly change? Is that possible?”

“Well.”

“How do you change your eye color? No, then can you change it to another color?”

Lili, who had been giving only vague answers, said firmly this time. “No. That will never happen.”

“Why?”

“Who’s your father? Thinking back then… No. What am I saying in front of a child?”

“Hey, what are you saying now?”

Charteron’s interest was lost due to Lili, who didn’t speak properly.

After Charelize’s death, Arensis, who wasn’t like a living person even though he was alive, is a past that Lili didn’t want to recall again. Charteron, who didn’t know that, continued to play with its furs, and before it knew it, she fell asleep.