Your Regrets Are Late

“Countess Larso…?”

“Did I do something wrong? Why do you call your mom like that?” Siael tilted her head with a puzzled look.

Looking around, it was Lillian’s room. Charelize approached the mirror in front of her and fiddled with her face. Silver hair that sparkles like the moon in the night sky, and blue eyes that look like water droplets. Unlike herself, who has a cold impression, the face has droopy, gentle eyes…

For a moment, Charelize thought she was dreaming. She tried to wake up by pinching her cheek, but all she felt was pain, and the image of Lillian in the mirror was still there.

She couldn’t believe this situation.

“Lilli. My Baby, are you half asleep?” said Siael as Charelize stood silently in front of the mirror.

Charelize finally came to her senses and shook her head, pretending to be Lillian.

“No, Mo…m. I was sleepy for a moment…”

It was awkward. She knew Lillian well, so it wasn’t difficult to imitate her, but… It felt like her mouth was bitter, and her heart tingled as she called the other person, not even her real mother, in a friendly way.

“Did you just sleep in without changing your dress last night? Lilli, let’s wash up first, then what should we do with your hair? Mom will brush it for you.”

“…J-just let the maid do that…”

Siael placed the bewildered Charelize on the dressing table. Then she pulled the ribbon and ordered the maid to fetch washing water. Siael personally wiped Charelize’s face and dried it carefully with a towel. Charelize, who found it so awkward, avoided it when Siael lifted the comb.

“You once said that you like it the best when Mom brushes your hair… Do you hate it now?”

“No, it’s not like that…” Charelize waved her hand at Siael, who looked dejected.

“Then stay still.”

Charelize closed her lips and let Siael brush her hair. It was her first time. Never before had someone combed her hair with such affection.

“Lilli, it’s your birthday soon. Is there anything you want?”

“Anything I want…?”

“Yes. Since it’s your coming-of-age day, should I custom-make a necklace for you?”

Charelize, who was responding, recalled a conversation she had with Lillian yesterday.

Until now, Duke Marsetta had never congratulated Charelize on her birthday or even given her a gift in person. As always, he didn’t attend her birthday banquet this year too, with the excuse that he was busy.

Siael was puzzled as she looked at Charelize, who was smiling. “Lillian, you’re strange today. Is something wrong?”

“?”

“Yesterday, after meeting the duke, you skipped dinner and went straight to sleep. Did something happen at the duchy?”

“…!”

Charelize forgot for a moment. That Lillian and she had switched bodies.

Charelize, rising up in haste, wandered to and fro at her rapidly surging anxiety.

“Lilli? What’s wrong?”

“I have to go now.”

When Charelize bit her fingernails, Siael asked. “To where…”

“I left something at Duchy Marsetta.”

Siael frowned as she watched Charelize leave the room in a hurry. “She’s really weird today. She calls me Countess. And why did she suddenly use formal language all of a sudden?”

Her daughter looked like a different person.

“

my daughter is busy again today. Where are you going?”

At a quick pace down the stairs, Count Larso, Phillip, was reading the newspaper. He looked at Charelize and stroked his mustache.

She didn’t have much time to deal with him right now.

“I’ll borrow a horse!”

“Horse…? You mean Josephine? You’re going to ride a horse?”

Phillip looked doubtfully at Charelize, who had already disappeared. He then questioned Siael, who came out later. “Honey, did you know that Lillian could ride a horse?”

* * *

Charelize, who took her steps to the stable, climbed onto the back of the horse. She was so worried about Lillian that she felt like she was going crazy.

Charelize rode as fast as she could, arrived at the Duchy Marsetta, and then quickly walked to her room.

“Little Lady?”

“Lady! You have come at the right time!”

In front of the door, the butler and Charelize’s personal maids, Hailey and Lari, were waiting with worried eyes.

“What’s going on? Why are you all here?”

“The little Duchess locked the door and didn’t want to come out…”

She was glad that nothing major happened.

“For now, everyone, please go back to your work.”

“I understand, little Lady.”

Relieved, Charelize chased away everyone. Then she took a deep breath and knocked slowly. “It’s me, Lilli.”

“…”

“Older Sister is here. Please open the door.”

It was still awkward to hear herself speaking with Lillian’s childish voice.

After a while, the door clicked open.

“O-Older Sister…”

Through the gap in the door, Charelize could see herself crying.

Charelize went inside and calmed down the surprised Lillian.

“How did this happen? When I woke up, I was already Older Sister…”

“So do I. My body suddenly changed… I wonder what on earth is going on.”

Patting Lillian, Charelize pondered. Then, something crossed her mind.

Charelize said as she wondered how to resolve the situation. “If we tell people that our bodies have switched, we will both be treated like crazy.”

“Yes. What should we do… I’m not confident I can do as well as Older Sister…”

Charelize hugged Lilian, who was crying and wailing. “Lillian, there’s nothing urgent to deal with right now. I’ll cancel the meeting I’m attending and tell people that I’m staying away because I’m not feeling well.”

“S-staying away?”

“While we’re buying time, we’ll find out what happened, so stop crying, Lillian. It hurts my eyes.”

Lilian, who was hiccupping, nodded calmly. “Yes, Older Sister. You have to come quickly…”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

Charelize soothed Lillian and left the room to inform the servants. “Older Sister seems to be unwell. She says she’s tired and doesn’t want to meet anyone for a while. Please keep attendance to a minimum. Also, please cancel the meeting she’s attending until further notice.”

“Yes, yes, little Lady.”

Charelize, who was going to the temple using Count Larso’s horse, ran into Duke Marsetta.

“Lilli?”

“…”

“Is that Phillip’s horse? Why are you…” His eyes were asking why she was on a horse when she couldn’t even ride a horse.

Charelize didn’t know what to say. Even though she had vowed for revenge, she was nervous when she faced him in this situation. For some reason, her heart was pounding.

“Ah, this guy, Uncle said that you will teach me how to ride a horse, but I already wanted to ride it, so I secretly dragged it out.” Charelize’s eyes turned cold as she tried to figure out what to say.

“How could you ride it to here? What if you get hurt?”

“…”

“The coach will send back the horse to the county, so take the carriage to return.”

This had never happened before. He looked at her with such warm eyes… Duke Marsetta’s concern about her getting hurt was extremely unfamiliar to Charelize.

“Do you want to have lunch with Uncle?”

It was natural. Because what Duke Marsetta sees now is Lillian.

The person he was worried about now wasn’t Charelize.

“Do you know what Older Sister is doing now?”

“…You mean Charelize? Maybe she’s in her office. If you want, let’s call her too and have a meal together.”

Duke Marsetta narrowed his brows for a moment but soon relaxed his expression and made a suggestion.

“I will also prepare your favorite cheesecake for dessert.” He knew how to soothe Lillian.

Duke Marsetta gently led Charelize to the dining room. Charelize stopped, looking down at the floor. She didn’t look at Duke Marsetta’s face. She thought she would be caught if she raised her head and looked at him.

“Older Sister said she wasn’t feeling well.”

Although she had told Duke Marsetta she was sick, he showed no interest.

“And Older Sister hyperventilates if she eats cheese. It’s better not inviting her today.”