My Regret

That day, Kaito strolled through town, searching for food before heading back to the mansion. He came across a young girl selling flowers and, out of sympathy, decided to buy some.

"How much for one of these flowers?" he asked gently.

"It's just one silver, uncle,"

"Alright, I'll take them all, And keep the change. Where's your family? Why are you here alone?"

"My mother is at home , she's unwell," the girl explained. "I don't know how to open the shop, so I sell flowers on the road."

"Let me help you carry all these flowers to your home," Kaito offered kindly. "I've bought them all and want to gift them back to you. Go take care of your mom."

Upon reaching the young girl's home, Kaito saw her mother lying down, appearing as if she had just had a fever. However, the real concern was the grandmother, who seemed gravely ill, as if she were just waiting for her final moments.

"Daughter, where have you been? You should stay home and not leave us like that anymore," the mother gently scolded.

"I went to sell flowers," the daughter replied, holding up the coins proudly. "Look, I got 2 gold. It's enough for a month's food and medicine for you, Mother. That kind uncle bought them all."

Through the curtain, the mother looked at Kaito. "Thank you for helping. Come in, I'll make you a drink."

"No, it's okay. I just wanted to help her. You should rest," Kaito responded politely.

As she struggled to get up, she suddenly almost fell from the bed. Kaito quickly moved to help her, and he was startled, exclaiming, "Hwaryn? Why are you here?"

The daughter, interjected, "That's my grandmother's name. How do you know it uncle ?

"Oh, sorry. Maybe your mother face reminds me of someone I know," Kaito said, looking at their grandmother and checking on her.

The grandmother still slept soundly. It appeared Kaito truly recognized her.

" can I stay here tonight? I need to talk to your grandmother. She's someone I know," Kaito requested.

Just then, their uncle returned from work. It appeared he was the mother's sibling.

"Hello, Angela, I brought you some food. Come here, niece," he called.

He suddenly noticed Kaito. "Ah—young lord, what are you doing here? I'm sorry for not recognizing you earlier!"

"No, it's alright. I'm just here to bring your niece back home," Kaito reassured him.

Angela's mother said, "Sorry, I didn't recognize you earlier, my lord. But do you know our mother? How do you know her name?"

"It's a long story," Kaito replied, "but if she wakes up, can you tell her that the lord wants to meet her?"

"I will be waiting near the shop over there."

With a sad expression, Kaito left the house.

Several hours later, as night descended, Angela approached Kaito.

"Uncle, my mom is calling you. My grandmother is awake."

Kaito followed Angela to their house, and they led him to the bedroom where the grandmother remained.

"Hello, my lord. I'm sorry I'm sick and can't come out from behind this curtain. Why do you want to meet an old woman like me?"

"You aren't from this world, are you?" Kaito asked gently.

The grandmother was shocked. "What are you talking about?"

Kaito then made a peculiar sound. "Bluup, bluup, bluup. You still remember our signature as friends, right, Hwaryn?"

Hearing that, Hwaryn immediately pushed the curtain aside and embraced Kaito.

"I've missed you, Myrul. How can you be in this world? I'm sorry for leaving you. Why haven't you forgotten about me?"

Myrul's voice quivered as he spoke, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Hwaryn. I really... miss you too."

Their connection ran deep, bound by memories of youth and love. They had been best friends and lovers for 15 years before Hwaryn's illness forced her to hide the truth and leave Myrul alone.

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick back then? Why did you leave me like that?" Myrul's voice broke, filled with pain. "It really hurt me, and even now I'm scared of falling in love again."

Hwaryn's eyes welled up. "I couldn't bear to see you sad. Please forgive me. It's my fault."

Myrul sat beside her, his heart aching. "Even here, I see you're unwell. Please, don't try to lie to me. Your body is deteriorating, and it's only a matter of time before..." he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Hwaryn sighed softly. "It's my curse, perhaps, for leaving you back alone . I was sick but unable to die. But I'm happy I got to see you before I pass on."

Myrul looked at her, his eyes full of wonder and confusion. "How can you exist in this world again?"

"I don't know," Hwaryn replied. "When I woke up, I was a baby, but my memories stayed with me. So, I lived as a normal person and opened the flower shop."

Myrul asked gently, "What about your husband? Is he gone?"

Hwaryn chuckled. "Why do you ask that? Because of my daughter and son?" She smiled and shook her head. "I'm not married. I took care of them when they were babies. She really looks like me."

"You're the one I love. With my past mistakes, I will never marry anyone else."

Myrul gazed at Hwaryn with a soft, almost apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for asking. I guess I'm a bit jealous. It seems my heart still can't move on from you. It feels a bit childish."

Hwaryn reached out and placed a comforting hand on his arm. "It's not childish," she said gently. "Feelings have a way of lingering, like the scent of flowers in a room long after they've been removed. What we had was special, and it's okay to hold onto that."

Hwaryn wiped the tears that traced her cheeks, her voice trembling as she spoke. "I never imagined you, the young lord of this estate, maybe will get a girlfriend later . If I were younger, maybe another girl would cry because you'd choose me."

She paused, her heart heavy with the weight of what could have been. "If... if I were born a bit later, maybe we could be together," she continued, her tears flowing freely. "It seems destiny didn't plan for us to be together."

Myrul listened, his heart aching to see her pain. "Thank you for being part of my life, Myrul," Hwaryn said softly. "It's a memory I will cherish the most. It seems my time has come—should I sleep now?"

Myrul nodded, unable to find the words that could capture all he felt in that moment.

As she prepared to rest, Hwaryn whispered with a faint smile, "Remember, don't be a playboy. I love you, Myrul."

Without communication, strangely, she couldn't move on from admiring him. It seemed he was still the one she involved in everything. Why was it so? As if he was the only one she could love among so many people in the world.

And with that, she closed her eyes,

The night was very quiet as Myrul cried, his tears filling the quiet air. His heart hurt a lot as he kissed her softly, hoping not to disturb her sleep, though she would never wake again. He gently covered her with a blanket, whispering, "Rest peacefully, my love. This world was too harsh for you."

Kaito made a sad call to her child, speaking softly to share the news that she had passed away. He struggled with the idea to see her daughter face, which reminded him too much of his hwaryn face;

"I will arrange the burial tomorrow," Kaito said quietly before stopping, feeling the weight of the silence.

Later that night, kaito left the house, walking back to the mansion slowly. His legs gave up, and he fell onto the road, as if all energy had left him.

Kneeling there, he hit his chest, feeling the pain spread—a deep heartache that overtook him. Tears poured down, full of his sorrow.

Maira and Sam found him there, watching from a distance. They glanced at each other, worried, but stayed quiet, knowing that Lord kaito needed to be alone. They felt his sadness too, standing by him in silence.

It was the first time they saw him so broken, reminding them how deeply he was hurt. They could only watch, sharing their silent support and understanding.

The next morning, they held the burial for Hwaryn. Kaito looked very sad, unable to speak. All he could manage was, "Thanks for everything."

It was the worst day of the young lord's life, but as he looked at the people who supported him, he knew that life had to go on. He promised himself that he would finish the story about this world.

Everyone from the mansion reached out to offer support. They didn't have to say anything; their actions spoke for them, showing Kaito that they were there for him.

With their support, he managed a small smile and resolved to move forward.

End of volume 1.