Zachary’s Death

It was too late for regrets…

Jeanne’s eyes were red and filled with tears.

There were too many regrets in this world. Sometimes, it was not that she did not have any emotions, but she just had to hold it all back.

If she had gotten together with Edward back then, they would… really be together now.

“I’m sorry,” Zachary apologized in a heavy tone.

Jeanne shook her head. After all, it no longer mattered.

“In the future.” Zachary suddenly grabbed Jeanne’s hand.

Jeanne looked at him and at his old, dry hand gently patting the back of her hand, as if to say, “I’ll leave Edward to you.”

Leave Edward to her? She could only be with him for another two months.

However, she still agreed, “Okay.”

The only way to forgive him for his actions back then was to agree to his request.

Zachary smiled in relief. Then, he suppressed his urge to cough and said in a suppressed voice, “Call Edward in for me.”

“Alright.”

Jeanne stood up, and that was when Zachary noticed her pregnant belly.

Upon noticing his gaze, Jeanne said, “I’m more than seven months into the pregnancy, and it’s a girl.”

Zachary nodded. Edward would be a good father, but he was not.

With that, Jeanne left her room, and Edward walked in.

The moment he walked in, he could hear Zachary’s heart-wrenching and violent coughs. Edward walked over silently and patted his father’s back, trying to ease his pain.

After coughing up blood, Edward wiped Zachary clean and helped him to lean against the headboard.

“I never thought there’d be a day where I would fall in front of you.” Zachary sighed.

“Actually, you haven’t been able to beat me since I was 15 years old,” Edward said bluntly.

Zachary nodded “I know.”

He just did not want to admit that every time they exchanged blows, Edward would deliberately let him beat him to the ground.

Edward had never been an emotionless person, even when he was young. However, he had to abandon what was human about him and become a tool of the Duncans.

“My life is coming to an end,” Zachary said.

After having said that, he felt relieved.

“Do you have any other regrets?” Edward asked.

In the end, the only thing he could do for his father was to do his best to fulfill his father’s last wish.

Zachary paused.

His greatest regret was probably his guilt toward Jeanne. Due to his selfishness back then, Jeanne and Edward were forced to walk that path.

Now, because Jeanne had forgiven him, although he still had many regrets about his family, he had truly let go of everything.

He said, “No. My greatest ambition is to help the Duncans regain their power in the country. I won’t let down the kindness the head of the Duncans once showed me or disappoint them for once trusting in me. I swear to be loyal to the Duncans! Now that I’ve completed my mission, I have no regrets.”

Edward nodded silently.

Slowly, he said, “Can you only be loyal?”

Zachary looked at Edward, who asked him again, “Can you only be loyal?”

Zachary nodded.

Edward chose to remain silent.

Amidst the silence, Zachary said, “I can only be loyal.”

He could only be loyal, and as for Edward, what he wanted to be was his choice.

Edward smiled gratefully, and Zachary smiled with relief. That was probably the first time in their entire lives, as father and son, that they had smiled at each other.

Zachary smiled as he passed away.

He had been pretending in front of Edward for his entire life, and this time, she had fallen.

Due to his illness, his body had become extremely thin.

As he lay on the bed, he had lost all his brilliance like most old people. All the glory in his life… had become history.

Edward reached out and closed his eyes.

Just like that, Zachary’s life ended.