Regret It

Yurie, abandoned by her family, lived in the temple. One day, the curse passed down through her family’s bloodline spoke to her.

“Sweetie. I don’t dislike you. I want to give you a chance.”

“C-chance...?”

“Yes. You’ll soon marry the frontier marquis. If you can get a promise from him, I’ll make this your victory. I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“....”

“But if you can’t do that, you will have to give me whatever I want too.”

How much time had passed since she accepted the wager? Soon, Yurie fell in love with the frontier marquis in the north.

“If, i-if I looked a little more like h-him... would you have l-loved me...?”

“No. I swear it. Even if I die, I will never love someone like you.”

“Eddie... I, I...”

“You are not my mother.”

On the day she was abandoned once more by the people she loved, she finally spoke to the darkness.

Yurie lost everything to the curse and closed her eyes. And when she opened them,

“I have waited for you, for so many years. I missed you.”

“Mother. I have never once not regretted saying those words.”

“Yurie. If only you agree... I want you to come back to the ducal family.”

Why are you saying that only now? If it had been me back then, I would have forgiven you. And I would have been happy, thanking you.

Tears fell. It was too late to receive an apology. I was no longer the me of that time.