Chapter 86…………………………………………
: What I Regret
An old shabby inn in the capital.
A man in a black robe rushed breathlessly into the room.
Crackle, crackle—the fireplace burned softly as Gabriel, reclining sideways on the sofa, turned toward the man and asked:
“Brother, did you take care of what I told you to do?”
At Gabriel’s words, Vincent wiped the sweat from his brow and replied:
“Of course.”
He threw off his robe and collapsed onto the bed.
“But… do you really think Celia will come back if we do things your way?”
“When a person’s reputation is ruined, they have nowhere left to go. Branded as a witch, rejected by everyone—where else could she turn but home?”
Vincent brushed his messy hair back and smirked.
“You… it’s like you’ve been waiting for this day. By the way, how did you even find me here?”
“No matter how big the capital is, it’s obvious where you’d be. You scrimp on lodging fees but never when it comes to women.”
“…Not bad.”
Idiot brother.
Gabriel curled her lips.
“But what about Brother Cain?”
Only then did Vincent remember their younger brother Cain, who was so lacking in presence that Vincent hadn’t even noticed he’d been gone for days.
“No idea. Probably off somewhere doing something creepy again.”
“Hm.”
“You, on the other hand—what did you do? What exactly did you pull that has the knights so desperate to catch us?”
Gabriel shrugged.
“Looks like Celia went crying to her oh-so-noble lover, Duke Calypso, and begged him to throw us in prison.”
“…What?”
“Otherwise why would the knights try to arrest us, when we haven’t even committed a crime? Don’t you agree, brother?”
Vincent’s face twisted with irritation.
“Ha, damn it!”
He shot up from the bed, glaring at Gabriel.
“If you and Mother hadn’t sent Celia to the Imperial Palace in the first place, things wouldn’t have turned out like this!”
“…”
“You shipped us off to a resort and sold Celia off to that decrepit old emperor? And you dare call yourself her family?”
Family. That word made Gabriel’s eyes turn cold.
“You’ve never seen Celia as family, have you?”
“…”
“I saw you. Sneaking into Celia’s room at dawn, half-dressed.”
Vincent’s expression hardened.
“You saw? When?”
“When Celia was still at the mansion. I think it was a rainy day.”
Vincent swallowed hard. He hadn’t expected that Gabriel, like their father, also knew what he’d done.
“Relax. I’m not blaming you. You were young, your blood was hot.”
Gabriel smiled faintly. Vincent’s jaw trembled, twitching with suppressed anger.
“…You.”
“But I saw something strange. Afterward, you were dragged out of her room with a dazed look, ankle gripped in Celia’s hand.”
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
He had almost no memory of that dawn.
He remembered breaking into Celia’s room, driven by lust—and then nothing.
When he woke, he was back in his own room.
It was strange, but he couldn’t tell anyone. Even if they were family, if it came out that he had tried to violate Celia, he couldn’t imagine what they would say.
“…What you saw—are you telling the truth?”
“Why would I lie to you? What would I gain from it?”
“Tell me properly. What else did you see?”
“After dragging you to your room, Celia stumbled into the corridor, leaning against the wall to catch her breath, then went back to her room.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened.
“Brother, don’t you think it’s strange?”
“…What do you mean?”
“All of it. Celia. Maybe she really is a witch.”
Popo, who had briefly lost control of his body to Arthur, soon returned to normal.
No longer screeching “female, female,” Popo trembled in fear instead, and Celia hugged him tightly.
“Are you alright, Popo?”
“Princess… Princess…” Popo whimpered in a pitiful voice.
“I’ll never leave you alone again. I’m sorry, Popo.”
Finding warmth in her arms, Popo dozed off, nestled against Celia.
“Sleep well, Popo.”
Celia stroked his feathers and closed her eyes.
Dietrich gazed quietly at Celia, who had fallen asleep clutching Popo to her chest.
His hand brushed back her silver hair from her soft forehead.
Celia was always in danger, never given a moment to breathe.
If she suffered even when he was by her side, how had she endured when he wasn’t there?
Dietrich caressed her cheek.
‘If only I had met you sooner…’
He hadn’t even tried to look for her. When his homeland had turned to ashes, he assumed that everyone but him was dead.
In truth, it was Celia who had found him.
Even with her failing body, she entered the emperor’s chambers, killed him, and revealed herself by using her hidden ability.
When they first met, Dietrich had no idea Celia was his betrothed.
He had only thought her powers useful.
If she was destined to die, why not spend her last strength for his sake?
That’s what he believed.
He had whispered promises of protection, binding her to his side—without ever considering her feelings.
Because she smiled at every moment, he found it jarring to see her sobbing silently after a nightmare.
—If I don’t take revenge, who will…? Mom, Dad… how could I face our dead people… I’ll do it, with my own strength…
A festering wound.
Years of rage she had borne alone.
Dietrich wanted to truly protect her.
To cradle her pain.
—When it’s all over, let’s travel together. Let’s go where no one knows us, do everything we want, see everything we wish to see.
What she longed for was nothing more than an ordinary life.
Once, Dietrich had lived only for Avalon’s destruction.
But now, he dreamed of a future with Celia.
If she would allow it, he would use his healing powers to mend her body completely, even now.
“Anastasia.”
He softly called her true name.
Celia breathed evenly in deep sleep.
Through the thin negligee, faint red marks—left by his unrestrained passion—were visible.
‘Good thing the rain covered the noise… otherwise…’
He couldn’t forget her trembling eyelids, her emerald eyes shining only for him.
There was nothing about her he didn’t find precious.
Dietrich withdrew his hand from her cheek.
Instead, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and pulled the blanket up over her shoulders.
The motion stirred Popo, who trembled his wings.
He blinked a few times, saw that Celia was still asleep, then stilled again.
Dietrich frowned and motioned for him to stay quiet.
The clever bird bobbed his beak in understanding.
Once Popo had settled, Dietrich rose carefully from the bed.
When he opened the door, he found Anderson standing there.
Dietrich had already sensed his presence—Anderson had been pacing, unable to knock, clearly troubled.
Click.
Closing Celia’s door, Dietrich lowered his voice.
“Do you have something to say to me?”
“Duke Calypso…”
Anderson’s throat bobbed as he spoke.
Dietrich tilted his chin, urging him to continue. Anderson lowered his gaze.
Moonlight cast heavy shadows across his face.
“…I have something important to tell you.”
“Something you can’t say here in the hall?”
“Yes. It may take some time…”
Dietrich slowly opened and shut his eyes.
“…Very well.”
He led Anderson into the room next to Celia’s.
A broad room, with a wooden table in the center. They sat facing each other across it.
The lamp’s glow lit their faces.
Anderson, lost in memory, began to speak.
“Sitting like this reminds me of when we first met. I was a royal knight, trusted by the late emperor. You were just a stable boy, tending the crown’s old and sick horses.”
Dietrich corrected him.
“Anderson, I am no longer a duke. Illeon stripped me of my title.”
Anderson smiled softly at that.
As a young man, he had unwittingly stolen many hearts—but time had left its mark on him as well.
Though his hair was streaked with white and wrinkles lined his eyes, his handsome features still remained.
“…Then I will call you what I did in the old days—my lord.”
“If that is your wish.”
At Dietrich’s calm reply, Anderson smiled faintly and gazed at the lamp’s light.
“Not once in my life have I ever regretted it—teaching you swordsmanship, serving you, carrying out every order without question.”
He turned his eyes to Dietrich.
Within Anderson’s black pupils swirled countless emotions, indescribable in words.
“But now, there is one thing I regret.”
“….”
Dietrich said nothing, simply listening.
Tears welled in Anderson’s eyes.
“Why did I never try to understand your heart sooner? I never realized you wished not for Avalon’s restoration, but its destruction… and I acted like a fool.”
At last, tears rolled down Anderson’s cheeks.
“I am ashamed that I had to hear it from someone else’s lips.”
