Your Regrets Are Late

“You read a lot of books, but you can’t write letters?”

“…”

“Shishi will write better than this.”

After finishing teasing, Charteron looked at the letter’s contents again and laughed.

Luensir belatedly took the stack of papers from Charteron and put them in a drawer. “I was going to give him something else.”

“No!”

“Why?”

“I think it would be fun. I’m curious about His Majesty’s reaction when he received your letter.”

“What should I do with this? I have no intention of satisfying your curiosity. Thank you so much for convincing me that I should give him something other than a letter.”

Luensir’s soul, which was embarrassed to be caught by Charteron, had already gone halfway. He half-heartedly expressed his feelings of regret and prepared to sleep again.

“Lur, let me help you write a letter. I heard that His Majesty wanted to receive a letter. If you start something, you should have finished it!”

“No, why are you so—”

“

Lur, don’t you know who I am?”

“Who are you?”

“Don’t you remember the last time Countess Arnon cried because she thought the fairy tale I wrote was sad? Don’t you want to see His Majesty crying because he’s so touched?”

“…Your taste is really strange.”

“I mean why not! Just hang in for a moment, okay? I’m going to capture the moment His Majesty’s father is crying in a video bead.”

That’s what she said, but it was definitely tempting. He was gradually falling for Charteron’s persuasion. Luensir was definitely curious to see His Majesty crying.

“…I got it.”

“Okay. Then, you help me. Let’s help each other. Weren’t we born as twins for times like this?”

“…What did you prepare?”

“His Majesty’s birth flower embroidery.”

“Show me.”

At Luensir’s request, Charteron took out a handkerchief and put it out. There was a moment of silence. Of course, the impatient Charteron couldn’t stand it and broke the silence.

“Why? Why aren’t you saying anything? Say something.”

“Are you asking because you don’t know?”

“Yes.”

“…You really don’t know. I don’t even know where to start pointing this out, so I’ll just say it. I’ll open the line again to start from the beginning.”

Luensir thought it would be quicker to make her give up rather than to make her understand.

“Not to that extent!”

“Don’t you think His Majesty will cry even if I don’t send him a letter?”

“Why?”

“Why? Of course, because he was shocked.”

“…”

“Did you earlier say that it was an insult against trees? This is an insult to statice. It must feel ashamed to have survived and finished like this.”

“How can you say such a harsh word with a straight face? I’m really hurt.”

“No. Let me correct it. It looks like it might feel remorse and wilt immediately.”

“So that’s how you will come out, Lur.”

Charteron, dumbfounded by Luensir’s harsh commentary, thought for a moment and then recited the contents of the letter she had just read. “To… Your Majesty Father…”

“…”

“Hello…. Did you… have lunch?”

“…”

“Of course… you did… The birthday banquet… starts in the evening… and I plan… to send you a letter then…”

It was so bad that if someone who didn’t know what was going on heard it, they would click their tongue and think that someone had suffered a serious heartbreak.

In addition, Charteron added a line from the fairy tale she wrote. “By the time… you read this… I’m… already… no longer in this world…”

“…”

“Be happy…”

With clasped hands, Charteron reached the climax and shed tears.

“I can see why Countess Arnon cried after reading what you wrote.”

“Right. It is a love story between a princess with a short lifespan and a commoner knight. It was a masterpiece that will leave a mark on the world. I think so.”

“So, the princess dies?”

“Yes.”

“It’s a fairy tale. Shouldn’t it end a little hopeful?”

“What are you talking about? Of course, the main character has to die. It’s touching and sad because she died. That way, it will remain in the reader’s mind. And how can a commoner knight with three younger brothers save a fragile princess who has never dirtied her hands in her life?”

“…There must be some things she owned. What about it?”

“No. The princess didn’t have anything.”

“Why…?”

“I wrote the part where the princess declares her independence with the utmost care. Didn’t you read it? I’m disappointed, Lur.”

The memories that he had forgotten came to mind. Under Charteron’s pressure, he read it half-heartedly. And after reading the line ‘I will throw away everything that His Majesty has given me,’ he gave it to Countess Arnon without Charteron’s knowledge.

“…So what’s the lesson?”

“If you leave home, you’re in trouble?”

Sincerely and earnestly, Luensir missed the days when his younger sister was innocent.

“Why are you looking like that? Countess Arnon also asked me to write the story after the princess died.”

“Countess Arnon, she said she graduated from Eralpier Academy, right? At this point, I’m suspicious. Even Baron Rustel is like that. There seem to be some very strange people there.” 

Luensir shook his head when he heard Countess Arnon wanted her to write about the story after the princess’s death.

“Baron Rustel is indeed strange, but Countess Arnon is not. Please don’t belittle my precious reader.”

“Have you decided on the content of the story later?”

“Yes. The knight finds a new lover after the princess dies. It started with a fateful encounter.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“The lady looks like the princess. Since they’re both commoners, the knight is in a relationship with her this time. That lady is healthy and has a lot of money because she can do many things?”

“Keep talking.”

“It’s interesting, right? The most important thing here is that the lady looks like the princess.”

“Is there a secret of her birth?”

When Luensir showed interest, the excited Charteron explained what she had planned. “Umm, not really. Actually, I thought about that too, but I don’t think it’s a fairy tale anymore if that happens.”

“I don’t think it’s a fairy tale since the princess is already dead. Most fairy tales end with, ‘They lived happily ever after,’ but what you wrote…”

Luensir’s eyes met with Charteron, who stared fiercely at him, and he couldn’t finish his sentence.

“An ending like that is so boring. Right. How about the knight calling the princess’s name in his sleep, getting slapped by the lady, and then getting divorced? It ends with him crying in front of the princess’s grave.”

“It would be better to change my present right now…”

Rather than a letter he wrote with the help of Charteron, Luensir was going to say that he should give something else.

“Babies, what are you doing?”

“…Your Majesty Father?”

“F-Father?”

Arensis, who had just entered, smiled at his children, who weren’t yet asleep.

“Greetings to Your Majesty, the noble moon of the Elioter Empire.” Martin, who came to care for them, saw Arensis and greeted him.

“Raise your head, Viscountess Rael.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I’ll put my children to sleep, so you can leave now.”

“No!”

“Huh?”

“Today is the day Martin promised to read to me. Martin, I’m really curious to hear what you’ll read.”

“Th-that’s right. Your Majesty Mother said that we should keep our promises.”

After Charteron and Luensir refused, Arensis’ heart sank.

“I see, then, sleep well.” He had no choice but to hide his disappointment, promising next time.

“Your Royal Highnesses, why did you lie to His Majesty? This is the day I read a book for you? What kind of sun is rising in the east?”

“Martin, the sun usually rises in the east.” Luensir pointed out the error.

“Ah, that’s right. Please forgive me. This is all because I was surprised when Her Royal Highness asked me to read a book. There’s no way our Royal Princess would ask for that.”

“Martin! If anyone hears it, they will… think… I never… read a book…”

“Doesn’t it prick your conscience to say that you read? It’s natural. Because that’s human nature.”

Martin, who laid Charteron, who was sulking and puffing cheeks, smiled softly. “You should sleep now, Her Royal Highness.”

“Yes! I love you! Martin”

“Yes, me too.”

And she kissed Charteron’s forehead briefly.

“I hope His Royal Highness has happy dreams too.”

“Thank you for your hard work today, Martin.”

“Yes, good night.” Martin, who said good night, turned off the light and went out.

Charteron sighed loudly as if she had waited for it. “I almost got caught by father.”

“You’re lucky I hid the handkerchief right away. Now, throw this away as soon as possible.”

“…Do you want to die? But, did father hear everything we said?”

“It’s okay. We didn’t say we’d give it to His Majesty…?”

“…Why you’re saying it as if not sure?”

“…”

“Ah, I don’t know. If father finds out, you will die and I will survive.”

“Who can say anything? Don’t even tell Martin. If we get caught because of you, I will tell Her Majesty that you ate four pieces of cherry pie yesterday.”

A rather bloody conversation took place, threatening each other with weakness.

“You scoundrel! You’re like the second son of a noble who interfered with the love between the princess and the knight. No, it would be even weirder if you weren’t the same. I wrote his character while thinking of you.”

“Ah, no wonder. I liked the part where he told the princess about the reality and asked if her father would approve of it.”

“He’s a villain, but he’s a pitiful one. The princess was raised by that second son. It’s not wrong to say he practically carried her around. Her name was even chosen by the second son. Only the second son called the princess by her nickname.”

“What?”

The more he learned about the fairy tale written by Charteron, the more Luensir was amazed. It was hard to see how such a development came out of the head of the royal princess who grew up eating only good food and wearing precious clothes. He didn’t know how difficult it would be to find even one happy person among the characters she made.

“Be honest. How old are you? You…”

“Lur, we were born on the same day… Is your head hurt now? How could you forget my age…?”

Charteron was truly worried as she stroked Luensir’s hair.