The Regressor and the Blind Saint-Chapter 273: After Story: Pandemonium (2)

It was the first crisis that had come into Lennon’s life.

Why did he perceive this situation as a crisis?

The reason was simple.

“Sob...”

It was because tears welled up in Erineth’s eyes.

Someone was shedding tears due to his actions.

Again and again, Lennon was a boy who loved seeing people smile.

For someone like Lennon, it was only natural that he would be deeply shocked that he made someone cry.

“Huu...”

Erineth’s body trembled.

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Her once-noble, hawk-like demeanor, for this moment, was that of a wounded girl.

He faltered.

Lennon took a step back.

At a loss for words, he could only open and close his mouth before turning and running away.

Tap tap—!

As he faced the first crisis of his life, the boy threw away his usual composure and ran away like a child.

*The night in the cabin was silent.

Only the pale starlight embroidered across the night sky and the moon peeking through in between illuminated the world.

Under that night sky, a boy stared blankly at the sky.

“Lennon.”

Vera called out to his son.

Lennon flinched and turned towards him.

His eyes were red, and streaks of dried tears stained his face.

Vera let out a bitter smile.

They say he made the princess cry.

Vera knew what kind of child his son was.

He knew his son well enough to understand why he looked so down.

“Father...”

Lennon’s head drooped down.

His teary eyes shimmered, signaling that he might burst into tears at any moment.

Vera approached Lennon and hugged him.

Tap.

Tap.

As he patted his back, he asked.

“Can you tell me why you’re so sad?”

The words were spoken in a gentle tone.

At that, hesitation spread across Lennon’s face.

In his heart, he wanted to be honest.

He wanted to pour out all the reasons for his sadness and seek help.

But the fear of disappointing his father held him back, keeping his lips sealed.

“Hngh...”

His voice trembled.

His dejection deepened, sinking into something closer to despair.

Vera chuckled, half amused and half sympathetic.

“Is it something you can’t share with your father?”

He intentionally added a hint of disappointment to his words.

Lennon flinched and quickly lifted his head.

When he finally spoke, his voice was firm.

“No, it’s not!”

He immediately regretted it after blurting it out.

Vera grinned.

“Is that so? Then, will you tell me?”

Lennon pressed his lips tightly together.

Seeing this, Vera gently offered him reassurance.

“Lennon.”

“...Yes, Father.”

“Are you afraid that I will be disappointed?”

“...”

“Do I look like the type to be easily let down?”

Lennon’s head almost nodded, but then stopped.

When he thought about it, Vera had indeed been quite petty whenever he was with Reneee.

Hesitation surfaced on Lennon’s face.

Vera seemed to read his thoughts just from his expression and gave an awkward laugh.

“...Leave your mother out of this.”

“Hmm... In that case... Father, you are a great person.”

It would have been nice if he could say the same thing in front of his mother, even if it was just lip service. What an incredibly honest child he was.

Vera suppressed his bitter feelings and forced another smile.

“Good, then there’s nothing to worry about. Your father is the kind of person who can laugh off most things.”

Lennon’s cheeks turned slightly red, and the hand gripping Vera’s collar tightened.

What Vera said was nothing special, but children were creatures who gained great courage from even the smallest kindness from their parents.

“I...”

“You...?”

“...I made the princess cry.”

Lennon bit his lips.

Vera patted Lennon’s back gently and asked.

“Oh dear, how did that happen?”

How did it come to this?

Lennon paused, trying to figure out how to explain it.

He wasn’t perceptive enough to fully grasp why the situation played out the way it did.

So, Lennon began to tell the story as he knew it.

From the rumors that he and Erineth were dating, to the emotions he felt upon hearing them.

The thoughts that followed and the moment he met Ellen while he was with Erineth.

Vera listened to the boy’s story in silence.

He chuckled when Lennon mentioned being flustered by the rumors about Erineth, his eyes widening when he brought up Ellen.

Still, he kept his reactions subtle, letting Lennon speak openly.

And so, the story came to an end.

“...So, I slapped the princess’s hand away. And then, I ran away.”

Lennon frowned at his own words.

His dejection was so clear that it made Vera’s heart ache.

Vera patted Lennon gently and carefully chose his words.

“Hmm...”

Even after seven years of being a father, the role was still difficult.

Moments like these where he needed to listen, understand, and give wise advice were never easy.

The contemplation lasted for a while.

After a short pause, Vera smiled.

“You have such righteous concerns.”

“...Huh?”

Lennon tilted his head in confusion.

Vera let out a short laugh and continued.

“You’re worried about her, aren’t you? And you’re trying to understand your own mistakes. That’s not easy. Even adults struggle with it.”

Vera sat down and had Lennon sit beside him, then gently stroked his head.

“But you have already done it. You already know how to care for others, and that makes me so proud of you.”

Lennon’s eyes widened.

His face turned red in a way different from before, and he lowered his head as if embarrassed.

“...But I still did something wrong.”

“Knowing that is enough.”

It wasn’t just a comforting remark.

Vera genuinely meant it.

“You know you did something wrong, and you want to make it right. That’s the hardest part of an apology.”

“How should I do it...?”

“Be sincere.”

“Sincerity?”

“Yes, sincerity. It is the most important part of an apology.”

Vera had a sudden realization.

Unlike him, Lennon was a child who already knew how to be considerate of others.

A boy who could think of others at such a young age would surely grow into a great person.

With that conviction in mind, Vera continued speaking.

“The only wall left for you to overcome is letting go of your pride.”

To be honest, it was something even Vera still struggled with.

“In an apology, you put others in front of you. If you cling to your pride, you lose sincerity in your apology. For a truly heartfelt apology, you must let it go.”

Lennon’s eyes sparkled.

They were the same color as Vera’s, yet held a completely different light within them.

Vera met those eyes directly and asked.

“So, can you do it?”

Lennon stared intently at Vera, deep in thought.

Could he truly apologize? Was he ready to let go of his pride?

He thought for a while.

At the end of it, Lennon finally spoke.

“I don’t fully understand what you mean, Father. But...”

“But?”

Lennon chewed on his lips, carefully choosing his words before speaking.

“...I want everyone to smile. If possible, I want to be the one to make them smile.”

A determined light shone on Lennon’s face.

“That’s why I don’t want anyone to cry because of me. If someone does, I want to apologize properly and make them smile again.”

Lennon clenched both of his fists tightly.

Vera simply let out a smile as he watched his son finally make up his mind.

“Yes, well done. Your father will always support you.”

“Yes! Thank you!”

Lennon sprang to his feet.

His face had returned to its usual bright expression, as if he had never been sulking in the first place.

“Then, right now...!”

“It’s too late right now. Go after you’ve had some sleep.”

“Okay!”

Lennon, who had been about to step outside, turned back and re-entered the house.

Only then did Vera relax, smiling as he looked at the closed cabin door.

‘Hmm...’

As his father, he probably overthought how well Lennon would do.

...Truly.

*Warm sunlight poured down in the Grand Temple’s garden, illuminating the white-haired boy and the golden-haired girl standing together. Hidden among the trees, several pairs of eyes watched them in anticipation.

“Vera... He’ll do well, right? Right? Lennon won’t won’t mess this up, will he?”

“He... He should do well.”

“Why are you stammering? Now you’re making me nervous, too....”

“Both of you, calm down.”

Theresa stepped in to meditate in the conversation between Renee and Vera.

However, even she looked tense at that moment.

Vargo narrowed his eyes and spoke to the restless Theresa.

“You don’t seem very calm yourself.”

“Hah, then why are you here? Got nothing better to do?”

“I got all the time in the world.. And where else would I be if not the garden?”

Vargo’s expression was indifferent.

Naturally, he had been pushed out of the garden under the excuse of giving the two space to apologize.

Yet he didn’t feel too bad about it, because the one who had taken his place was Lennon, whom he cherished like a grandson.

“Ehh, why does that little rascal have to apologize anyway?”

He grumbled, clearly displeased that Lennon was the one apologizing.

None of the others responded because they all had the same thought.

That if Vargo kept spoiling the children like this, they might grow up undisciplined.

“It looks like it’s starting.”

Vera murmured.

At that, all four of them turned their gaze toward the boy and the girl.

Their faces were stiff with tension.

“Princess!”

Lennon called out to Erineth with a serious expression.

Erineth responded with her head lowered.

“...What.”

Her response was curt.

It was because the heart of a wounded girl would not allow her to smile.

How had she felt after Lennon ran away like that?

What was it like to be comforted by Ellen, the very girl she saw as a rival?

For some reason, she felt like she was the only fool, and that made her feel utterly miserable.

Erineth simply stared at the ground.

Lennon’s nervousness deepened, and he recalled the advice Vera had given him the previous day.

Sincerity...!

He had to face her with sincerity.

He had to set aside his pride.

He had to speak purely for her sake.

In the tense atmosphere, Lennon swallowed dryly before opening his mouth.

“I’m sorry!”

Lennon bowed his head at a full 90-degree angle.

His voice was so loud that it could be called a shout.

Erineth flinched violently and lifted her head.

Then, with a shudder, she quickly averted her gaze.

“W-What are you saying...?!”

“I’m sorry for making you cry, princess! I think you must have felt awful because I ran away!”

The words Lennon spoke, holding Vera’s advice close to his heart, were clumsy and foolish, the kind one might expect from an idiot.

But because of that, they were undeniably genuine.

Lennon lifted his head.

Seeing his face, Erineth’s expression wavered.

Those eyes were looking solely at her. Before she knew it, her heart softened.

She wanted to hold onto her pride just a little longer.

A thought crossed her mind—she thought that she shouldn’t accept his apology so easily.

But in the end, those thoughts remained just that—thoughts.

Erineth was simply a girl who wasn’t very good at hiding her feelings.

Her face gradually turned red, and her expression softened.

Erineth silently chewed on her lip before finally reaching out her hand and speaking.

“...Here.”

It was an invitation to take her hand.

Even the usually clueless Lennon could recognize such an obvious signal.

Lennon, his face lighting up with joy, clasped her hand tightly and spoke.

“Thank you for accepting my apology!”

“Don’t let go this time.”

Flinch—.

Lennon flinched, then gave an awkward smile before nodding firmly.

“Yes!”

“Alright, then let’s go.”

“Huh?”

Lennon tilted his head in confusion.

Erineth shot Lennon a sharp look before continuing.

“The walk we missed yesterday. We’re finishing it.”

Saying that, she turned her head forward again and took a step forward.

Since Erineth had turned her back to him, Lennon could only see the tips of her ears, which had turned red.

A little further away.

The four pairs of eyes watching the two began to soften with warmth.

“It turned out well.”

“Yes, it’s truly a relief.”

The incident had come to a peaceful resolution.

The not-so-dignified adults, hidden in their vantage point, grinned broadly as they caught a glimpse of the bright smile on the girl’s face—a smile only visible from their angle.