IGBD 48

Chapter 48

“No need for the car.”

After telling his secretary, Regan closed the office door himself.

Euan rose from his seat and walked toward him.

“What brings you here?”

“Nothing much. I was nearby and thought we could have lunch together.”

At Regan’s words, Euan pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. It was indeed lunchtime.

Euan nodded as if to say he understood.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

The two headed to a restaurant near the government office.

It specialized in southern cuisine and was one of Regan’s favorite places. Sometimes Regan came to see Euan at the office, but it always felt like the real reason was simply to have an excuse to eat here.

When the food was served, the two began eating while exchanging light conversation.

“But why did you rush the wedding? You said you were thinking about the end of the year or maybe early next year.”

Regan set his fork down as he asked.

“Sereret wanted it.”

“Ah.”

Regan nodded at Euan’s reply.

Euan drank his water while studying Regan’s expression closely, gauging if there were still lingering feelings for Sereret. His sharp gaze softened when he saw that Regan looked no different than usual. The Regan he knew wasn’t stupid enough to harbor feelings for a married woman.

It struck Euan again that it was a good thing he had hurried the marriage along. If Regan’s heart had grown deeper, it could have become troublesome.

For a while, Regan ate silently. Euan too said nothing, focusing only on the food.

As the meal was ending, Regan suddenly brought up an odd topic.

“Do you remember that white cat that lived in the palace when we were kids? It just showed up one day, out of nowhere.”

“A cat?”

Euan frowned slightly at the sudden mention of a cat, recalling the vague memory of it.

When he had visited the palace as a child, the white cat would somehow always appear and show affection.

Though Euan had never been fond of animals, he wasn’t a cold-hearted child who could ignore a cat that followed him so affectionately.

Whenever it appeared, he would pick it up or stroke it, and eventually he even began bringing snacks for it.

Then one day, the cat stopped showing up. At first, he had been a little sad, but soon assumed it must have wandered off somewhere else and thought little more of it.

But why bring that up now? Euan looked steadily at Regan with a puzzled gaze.

“That cat really liked you.”

“It did.”

“Just came to mind again, that cat.”

Regan turned his eyes to the window and muttered as if speaking to himself.

“Perfect weather for idle talk, isn’t it?”

At Euan’s remark, Regan laughed and turned back toward him.

“This time, I hope you take good care of it.”

The laughter left his face, and Regan’s eyes shone with sudden seriousness.

At those words, Euan felt a physical pain in his chest. His face twisted as his heart throbbed inexplicably.

Why did you do that? To that poor woman. Why!

A furious voice echoed in his head—it was Regan’s voice.

An image of Regan’s angry face flashed across his mind. Euan felt suffocated by a memory he could not place.

When was that? The unfamiliar memory stiffened his expression.

“What’s wrong?”

Sensing something odd, Regan asked.

“No, nothing.”

Euan brushed it off.

Suddenly, he found himself wanting to see Sereret badly.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

It lingered in his mind. In his past life, Regan had unknowingly kept glancing at the Duchess of Preqtuster.

It was at a party held at Marquis Golding’s estate. Everyone was enjoying the lively atmosphere, but the duchess had no acquaintances and had been standing alone for some time.

Regan looked around for Euan. Surrounded by people, Euan was chatting merrily, with Lydia at his side.

Leaving his wife all alone.

Knowing Euan’s personality, Regan clicked his tongue. There was no need to be so cold to her.

Finally, unable to ignore it, Regan approached the lonely duchess, picking up two glasses of champagne along the way.

“Duchess Preqtuster.”

His voice was gentle as he addressed Sereret, who flinched in surprise and looked up at him.

“Your Highness the Archduke.”

Her voice trembled faintly. Something about her timid expression made Regan silently curse Euan as a scoundrel.

“How about some champagne?”

Regan offered her a glass.

“Thank you.”

Sereret carefully accepted it, clearly flustered by the Archduke’s attention.

She’s from Mosely, wasn’t she? Seeing her innocence, Regan smiled faintly.

“I was about to complain about your husband.”

“What? The Duke?”

Her eyes went wide, panic flashing across her face. She looked as though she feared Euan had committed some terrible offense.

“Leaving such a beautiful wife alone looks disgraceful. If it were me, I’d never leave you by yourself.”

Regan grinned and sipped his champagne.

At last, Sereret’s expression eased. She toyed shyly with her glass, even smiling faintly.

“The Duke is busy, after all.”

She spoke as if she understood completely.

But to Regan, that only made Euan look worse.

So he stayed by the kind duchess’s side until Euan finally arrived to take her away.

As Sereret left with him, her retreating figure looked so forlorn that Regan’s heart ached.

“You bastard, treat her better.”

Regan muttered under his breath as he watched Euan’s back fade into the crowd.

From that day on, Regan found himself thinking about Sereret more and more. The sight of her standing alone had stirred something in him.

Not long after, he bought a Lua-style dessert, the latest craze among the ladies, and went to the ducal residence. With Euan at his office, it was Sereret who received him.

Blushing as she accepted the gift, she smiled brightly, saying it was her first time tasting such a treat.

Another day, he brought flowers, simply to see her smile again. She was delighted, and Regan was overjoyed.

Before he knew it, Sereret was no longer the “pitiful woman” in his eyes, but a woman who smiled radiantly.

Yet as time passed, shadows began to creep over her face. Even the sweets only drew faint smiles.

She was withering before his eyes. And Regan knew very well what was causing it.

“Can’t you show your wife a little kindness?”

One night while drinking together, Regan finally voiced what he had always wanted to say to Euan.

He wanted to shout that his wife was withering beside him.

“This is between my wife and me.”

“Euan.”

“You overstep yourself, Your Highness.”

Euan’s expression turned cold.

“Since I’m overstepping, let me say one more thing. For her sake, deal with the rumors about her floating around society.”

“And why are you doing this? For whom?”

Euan’s gray eyes glittered coldly. Regan felt he had touched a nerve, though he couldn’t tell which one.

“For you and the duchess. I can’t stand to see her like that.”

“There’s no need. She’s my wife. I’ll handle her myself.”

Euan stood and left.

The next day, Regan visited the ducal estate out of concern. In the parlor, Sereret looked exhausted, repeatedly trying to hide her neck with her hair.

And then Regan saw it—the red marks on her neck. He could guess who had left them. A bitter smile tugged at his lips.

For some time after, he stopped visiting. In his absence, his studio filled with paintings of Sereret, one after another.

So did his longing.

Why did you do that? To that poor woman. Why!

Regan seized Euan by the collar, dragging him up from the floor.

Sereret Preqtuster was dead. The sudden news drove Regan to rush by night train to the ducal residence.

He couldn’t believe it. He remembered the face of a woman who had long awaited the day her child would be born, her smile bright for once.

I think I can live just for the child.

Sereret had said that softly, with a gentle smile.

Even in her suffocating life, she had found a small ray of happiness. When Regan had brought her a gift for the baby, she had seemed genuinely glad.

But only months later came the devastating news of her death.

Regan could never forgive Euan.

“Why did you kill her! Why did you let her die!”

He shouted, staring into Euan’s empty gray eyes.

Tears welled up in Regan’s own. With hot tears streaming down his face, he made a vow.

If there were another life, he would recognize Sereret before Euan did. He would never let even a fragment of misfortune touch her.

That sorrowful vow fell as tears onto the ground.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

After lunch with Euan, Regan was on his way home when he noticed a crowd outside a shop and stopped his carriage.

People coming out of the store carried long, cream-topped pastries that looked irresistibly sweet.

For some reason, they made him think of Sereret. He ordered the coachman to buy some.

Moments later, the coachman handed him a paper bag.

“They call this a Lua-style dessert, sir. The name is ‘Écong.’ It’s extremely popular these days.”

“Cute name.”

“I’ll take you straight back to the Archduke’s residence.”

Regan shook his head.

“No. Let’s go to the Duke of Preqtuster’s estate.”

For some reason, he wanted to give this dessert with the cute name to Sereret. A happy smile spread across his face.