Thus Began Your Regret - Chapter 1

Let’s break up.

This was the words Louisa uttered while staring blankly out the window.

* * *

A foggy dawn. Edward opened the familiar front door.

The gas lamp’s wick seemed to be spent, as the light was dim. Edward sighed as he looked at the dark hallway and closed the front door.

He walked down the corridor, loosening his constricting tie. He intended to find the rooms of the mansion’s staff.

‘Hey. Is the salary I’m paying perhaps insufficient? I couldn’t see a thing ahead and couldn’t find this place!’

Even though it was late, he was determined to say something today. After all, he had hired them to avoid such inconveniences.

With that thought, he strode forward, and before Edward’s eyes, light seeped through the crack of the reception room door.

It seemed someone was still working. He opened the reception room door to confirm his guess.

The light emitted by the open door was brighter than expected. Edward, squinting slightly, peered with narrowed eyes to identify the source of the light.

There was his wife, Louisa Allen, who should have been in bed by now.

“Louisa?”

As if sensing his presence, Louisa, who had been staring blankly out the dark window while seated, slowly turned her head.

Unable to wait for her greeting, Edward spoke first.

“What are you doing here at this hour?”

“I was waiting for you.”

Edward turned his head to check the clock on the wall.

It was just past 1 AM. He sighed heavily with his brows deeply furrowed.

“How long have you been like this?”

“Well, not too long.”

Louisa’s voice was deeply sunken as she spoke.

Considering her usual demeanor, it was clear she had been there for at least a few hours. Edward flung open the door he had been holding and entered.

He said, ruffling his hair roughly with an irritated gesture:

“Please, I beg you. Don’t waste time like this.”

Edward irritably turned off the lamp hanging on the reception room wall. Now the only light illuminating the place was a small lamp in the center of the table.

Louisa remained silent. After staring at Edward blankly for a moment, as if contemplating, she finally brought up the topic that had been repeating like a broken record for the past few years.

“Then on days when you’re late like today, at least send a simple message. How can I sleep comfortably when I’m worried about you?”

“I’ve told you many times. If there had been an accident worth worrying about, of course, some message would have come. Being late means I’m that busy, and no message means nothing has happened.”

“But—”

“Besides, you being here like this doesn’t make my work disappear or suddenly make the car faster.”

Louisa parted her lips to say something, not backing down from his words.

Sensing that the fruitless argument would repeat as always, Edward quickly raised his hand to stop her words.

“Please, let’s stop here for today.”

“……”

“I already have a mountain of headaches. There was an accident during night work.”

Louisa, who had been looking at him with frustration at his interruption, asked in surprise.

“An accident?”

“Yes. There was a bit of an explosion at the laboratory. So I have to visit the hospital tomorrow.”

“Goodness. What about the damage? Is everyone alright?”

“Fortunately, they say so.”

As Edward nodded, Louisa placed her hand on her chest and exhaled deeply.

“That’s a relief. I should prepare flowers to send to the hospital room tomorrow morning. Oh, and the newspaper for the article. Surely by tomorrow morning, all the local newspapers will be reporting this sensationally—”

“Wait, Louisa.”

Edward cut off her words. Louisa stopped speaking and looked at him.

He sighed lightly and said:

“That’s not something you need to worry about.”

“Ed.”

“It’s my problem. There’s no reason for you to get involved.”

“I am also an Allen. This is a big accident, and there’s so much that needs to be done right away—”

“You’re right. But I’m the president.”

“Edward!”

Louisa shouted. However, Edward covered his eyes with his right hand as if truly exhausted and interrupted her words.

“Please, Louisa. I’m really busy tomorrow. It’s troublesome to add things for me to think about, including you.”

“Including me……”

Louisa repeated his words. As she fell silent, Edward spoke first as he started to move:

“I’m going in now, so you should go in too. Please, don’t waste time alone like this.”

Edward turned his back on her without hesitation and left. Louisa silently watched his retreating figure, as if his only concern was the work to be done tomorrow.

Click.

The sound of the door latch returning to its place was heard.

Louisa stood staring blankly at the reception room door he had closed and left through.

* * *

The next morning.

The morning newspaper that had been delivered featured a huge article about the explosion at Allen Company.

“Oh my, Madam. Isn’t this the Master’s laboratory?”

Asked Rachel, the young maid who was bringing in the mail.

Even to her eyes, at an age full of curiosity, this situation seemed quite serious. As she failed to hide her bewilderment and glanced around, Louisa took the newspaper she was handing over and unfolded it.

There was no need to look for where the article was. A large picture of the Allen laboratory with fire rising into the night sky was plastered on the front page.

Louisa sighed. It didn’t seem like she would be able to properly read the other articles in the newspaper.

She folded the newspaper she was holding in half and handed it back to Rachel, saying:

“There seems to have been a bit of an accident at the laboratory. I heard one researcher was badly injured, I wonder how it will turn out……”

Then Mrs. Johnson, who was setting up her tableware, opened her mouth to offer a word of comfort.

“You must be very worried.”

“I am somewhat concerned about the Allen name being mentioned. But it will be alright soon, won’t it?”

“Yes. It will pass as it always has. After all, the Master is a sufficiently great person.”

Mrs. Johnson finished setting the table and stepped back a few paces.

‘……A sufficiently great person.’

Louisa began her meal with habitual movements.

There was no objection to those words. Edward Allen was certainly a great person.

After all, he was the first person to succeed in processing magic stones.

Processed magic stones were more convenient and efficient than any fuel previously used. As much as it was convenient, public interest and wealth gathered around him, and his fame grew day by day.

There was no problem with any of this.

‘It’s just sad that even our relationship has changed.’

Louisa stared blankly at the tip of the knife she was holding.

She missed when they were the young couple of Greenburgh. That time when they were very different from now, when they embraced each other and lived together even though they had nothing.

‘How should I define us now……’

They could no longer be called a couple when they couldn’t even have a comfortable conversation.

Then what should they be called?

Roommates?

Louisa thought to herself for a while and then slowly started moving her hand that had stopped.

Even that term seemed insufficient for her.

Judging by Edward’s school days stories, he was someone who got along well with his roommates, even though he found it quite bothersome.

Then what was she to him?

Louisa continued her meal while pondering for a while longer. But in fact, she already knew.

Perhaps to him, Louisa Allen was just a large burden that had weighed him down for his entire life.

* * *

“With his arm gone, working at the laboratory will be impossible from now on.”

Said Jeffrey Curtis, the head of Allen Laboratory and Edward’s subordinate.

Edward took out a cigar case from his breast pocket and handed it to him.

“Well… Even if research is difficult, there will be something he can do.”

The two men stood in front of the hospital and put cigars in their mouths.

Whew. Jeffrey exhaled smoke like a deep sigh and opened his mouth.

“The article. Did you see it?”

At the end of Jeffrey’s gaze was a group of men holding newspapers and glancing at them.

The men who had been whispering met his eyes.

Hmph. Jeffrey snorted once towards them and continued speaking.

“They seem to have made up their minds.”

“So it seems.”

“I bet Westwood Company had a hand in it.”

“Probably.”

“Knowing that, are you going to leave it alone?”

Jeffrey asked as if dumbfounded. Then Edward exhaled smoke deeply once and said:

“If I don’t leave it alone. Do we have the luxury for that when we’ve lost key personnel?”

“What about Mrs. Allen?”

“Louisa?”

Edward raised the end of his words irritably at the sudden mention of his wife’s name.

“Don’t look at me like that. She’s not someone who would leave this situation alone, is she?”

But Edward still looked displeased. He soon nervously stubbed out his cigar and said:

“……No matter how much those bastards chatter, I’m the one who can produce results.”

“Yes. I think so too. But that’s not a reason not to accept your wife’s help, is it?”

“That’s not a reason to entrust work to Louisa either.”

Edward roughly snatched the cigar Jeffrey was holding.

Ignoring his subordinate’s bewildered look, he threw the cigar he was holding on the ground and extinguished it with his foot before saying:

“We just need to go and explain well to the investors. Let’s go now.”

“No, wait a moment. Sir!”

Jeffrey called out urgently.

Having finished what he had to say, Edward moved on without stopping, taking large strides.

Jeffrey let out a hollow laugh. After staring at his boss’s retreating back with a dazed expression, he soon swung his fist into the air and cursed inwardly.

I’m the one who prepares all that explanation, you damn boss!