Acidity of Regret Ch 110
- Mar 1
- 7 min read
Vanessa had no concept of how much time had passed. Upon opening her eyes, the world spun in a dizzying blur. The ceiling, familiar after three years, confirmed she was in her bedchamber at the Evarn estate.
[Vanessa] "Ugh......"
As she attempted to rise, agony radiated through every inch of her body, from her torso to her legs. It felt as though a massive boulder were crushing her.
[Dina] "Good heavens, My Lady!"
A startled voice rang out from the distance. Gentle hands guided her back down as she struggled, unable to sit up or lie back comfortably.
Through her hazy vision, a familiar face came into focus.
[Dina] "Are you awake? You mustn't get up yet."
[Vanessa] "Dina...... is that you?"
[Dina] "Yes, it's me."
[Vanessa] "Are... are you alright?"
Recognizing the maid brought back the memories of frantically searching for her. She asked with urgent desperation.
[Dina] "Yes. Of course. I am perfectly fine. You were in much worse shape than I was, My Lady. Do you have any idea how terrified I was when I saw you injured?"
As her vision cleared, she saw Dina clearly; the maid’s eyes were brimming with tears.
Whether it was relief at seeing that affectionate face again or simply exhaustion, a faint, dry laugh escaped Vanessa's lips.
[Dina] "This is no time to laugh. It has been absolute chaos for days."
Days. Hearing the complaint, she tried to sit up once more.
[Vanessa] "Ugh......"
However, this attempt also ended in failure. Dina, turning pale at her stubbornness, rushed to stop her.
[Dina] "The physician said the injuries to your shoulder and ankle are not trivial. You must rest without moving for quite some time."
Listening to the explanation, the crisis she faced before being trapped in the cave flashed through her mind. She had injured her shoulder falling from the horse and sprained her ankle while fleeing from Tommy.
In the cave, the murderous cold must have frozen her senses, masking the pain. Now, back in the warmth, the agony throbbed with vivid intensity.
[Dina] "More importantly, My Lady, do you realize you opened your eyes three days after returning to the mansion?"
[Vanessa] "...Me? You mean I slept for three days?"
[Dina] "Yes. Your fever was so high you couldn't even wake up."
Only now did she understand Dina's mention of "days."
Dina asked for permission before gently touching Vanessa's forehead. Soon, she sighed in relief, sweeping her hand over her chest. The fever had noticeably subsided.
[Dina] "You must be hungry. I will have a meal prepared immediately."
Vanessa rolled her eyes slowly while Dina headed for the door.
Once she regained her wits, the jumbled memories began to align in order. By the time Dina returned to the bed with a tray, her lips were already parting.
[Vanessa] "How did I return to the mansion?"
Dina, who had been chatting without pause, flinched. She hesitated, gauging Vanessa's mood, before speaking after a long pause.
[Dina] "The Grand Duke brought you."
Ah, as expected.
Her last memory was of enduring the cold in the cave with him, so she had vaguely guessed as much.
[Vanessa] "Is he...... gone?"
[Dina] "Actually, he is here right now."
It seemed her hesitation stemmed from this fact, rather than the mere mention of Declan.
Her answer brought a shallow wave of confusion, but eating took priority. The smell of food made her stomach, empty for days, twist in knots. With Dina's help, Vanessa leaned against the headboard.
Only after she had taken a few spoonfuls of soup did the halted conversation resume.
[Vanessa] "What do you mean he is here?"
[Dina] "As soon as His Grace brought you here, he collapsed......"
Her hand, moving the spoon, stopped mid-air.
[Vanessa] "......I see."
She had mentioned him out of a subtle concern. Even if his stamina and physique were incomparable to hers, he had pushed himself beyond his limits.
He had fallen from a cliff with an injured left hand and endured hours in a freezing cave; there was no way he could be fine. Furthermore, he was the one who had carried her all the way here after she finally lost consciousness.
[Dina] "My Lady, I apologize."
[Vanessa] "Hmm?"
While she was thinking of Declan, Dina’s sudden apology cut through her thoughts.
Vanessa looked at her, dumbfounded. Dina lowered her eyes with a gloomy expression.
[Dina] "About Tommy."
[Vanessa] "Ah."
[Dina] "I never imagined Tommy would be the culprit behind those letters......"
[Vanessa] "Why are you apologizing for that, Dina?"
[Dina] "If I hadn't said I wanted to meet him, you wouldn't have been hurt like this. I... I am unworthy to serve you."
Tommy’s words in the dark forest, treating Dina as a mere obstacle, surfaced in her mind. Vanessa shook her head.
[Vanessa] "This is not your fault. The one who shamelessly deceived both you and me is the villain. It is a relief beyond words that you are safe."
Tommy’s death had been incredibly futile. It happened in an instant, in the blink of an eye. It might have been a coincidence, but perhaps it was divine punishment for a man who harbored dark intentions and toyed with people.
[Vanessa] "...Dina."
[Dina] "Yes."
Dina, sniffling at Vanessa's warm consolation, lifted her head.
[Vanessa] "Is it true that the Grand Duke saved you?"
[Dina] "Ah, yes. It is true. That day, Tommy tied me to a tree and vanished. Eventually, bandits found me, and just as I was being dragged away...... I unexpectedly met the Grand Duke."
[Vanessa] "......"
[Dina] "He seemed to recognize that I was your maid. He asked if you had come with me, and when I said no......"
[Vanessa] "So it was right."
[Dina] "Pardon?"
[Vanessa] "It was true, then......"
Her voice lacked strength. It was a reaction bordering on disbelief.
She had heard it from him, but a sliver of doubt had remained. However, Dina’s unhesitating testimony rendered that doubt void.
Dina tilted her head, then let out a weak gasp as if remembering something belatedly.
[Dina] "And just in case you were wondering, Sir Siden is also safe."
[Vanessa] "What?"
[Dina] "He was the knight escorting you that day...... wasn't he?"
[Vanessa] "R-right. Is Sir Siden safe? Really? Is he alright?"
Swept away by the tidal wave of events, she hadn't even thought of him. Dina nodded with a smile to reassure her mistress, who was suddenly anxious.
She felt a belated relief wash over her at the news that everyone, from Dina to the knight, was safe.
[Vanessa] "But how......?"
When the horse collapsed that day, evening had already fallen. The trail to the mountain entrance had been deserted due to the ominous rumors of bandits.
While fleeing from Tommy, she had offered countless internal apologies to the knight. It was tantamount to abandoning him, even though she had guessed the danger he faced.
[Dina] "The Grand Duke helped Sir Siden as well."
[Vanessa] "......"
[Dina] "To be precise, it was the Grand Duke's knights...... They say he was found and rescued while they were descending the mountain to search for His Grace and My Lady. His injuries were minor, so he has already regained consciousness. In fact, he came to see you yesterday."
[Vanessa] "......"
[Dina] "My Lady?"
Again......
Declan again.
The man's recurring presence made Vanessa clench her hand tight. Her appetite vanished completely.
Unfamiliar emotions gathered in a knot, twisting her insides. It was the same feeling she had when she heard he had gone to Mount Siltria to exterminate the bandits.
The Declan she knew came across as a completely different person from the one she had encountered recently. It was as if the man bearing that name had split into two separate entities around her.
[Dina] "Are you alright? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?"
[Vanessa] "No. I think I want to sleep a little more."
[Dina] "Yes. Please, lie down."
Dina helped her lie back down, encouraging her to rest, then tidied the area and left the bedroom.
Left alone, Vanessa stared blankly at the ceiling.
Before closing her eyes, she had been in a cave; upon opening them, she was in her bedroom. Perhaps that was why the series of events from the previous night felt like a dream. She couldn't tell which part was the dream and which was reality.
It was likely because she had experienced things an ordinary person would rarely undergo. And above all, because the Declan she faced in those situations was utterly unfamiliar.
[Declan] "I knew I couldn't appear before you. I knew I had no right to interfere. So...... I have been handling things quietly, without your knowledge."
He did that for three years, unbeknownst to her.
The weight of three years was by no means light. For a man who had spent his entire life standing above others, receiving attention his whole life, to live as an unseen shadow for such a long time......
Given how heavy and sincere their parting had been three years ago, it wouldn't have been strange if no response ever returned. And she had intended for it to be that way.
However, Declan had guessed as much and remained silently hidden. If the accident with the horse hadn't happened, he likely never would have revealed himself to her. Furthermore, if she hadn't become entangled with Tommy or the bandits, she might never have noticed his secret assistance.
Hiding his presence, hovering around the perimeter, watching over the target.
The act itself was surprising, but she was astonished that the agent of that act was Declan.
Wasn't he the man who couldn't stand being ignored by her even if it killed him?
For such a man, living as a shadow for three years must have been a time endured by carving away the corners of his own heart, piece by piece.
[Declan] "Resent me, condemn me—I will take it all gladly. Just do it where I can see you. Please."
[Vanessal] "......"
[Declan] "I am too terrified to leave your side. If you go far away... I feel like I will die."
She never knew he was a man capable of begging so desperately.
[Declan] "I am terrified you might harbor dark thoughts. I fear that even if you smile today, tomorrow might be different. I worry that the will to live you found today might vanish tomorrow without a trace. Just thinking about it makes it impossible to breathe."
She never imagined he carried such... anxiety, that he regarded her death with such acute sensitivity.
Hearing those words, she suddenly recalled the scene the Goddess had shown her. The image of him clutching her lifeless body, pouring out tears.
Was it sincere?
That scene, which she had dismissed as lacking any authenticity after seeing him act as he pleased immediately following the regression, touched her with startling clarity in the cave.
[Vanessa] "......"
She feigned ignorance of her unsettled heart and closed her eyes.
She still needed rest, in more ways than one.
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