To My First Love, With Regret (Libenia) Chapter 20

Finally, Becky had a day off. Unfortunately, Eve couldn’t carve out any time — she was hosting relatives who’d come to White Cliff Hall.

Left at home, Becky busied herself making blackberry jam, her grandfather’s favorite, while Ethan fixed the leaky kitchen faucet. They’d thought the day would be spent catching up on all the chores their double dates had made them neglect.

Until an unexpected guest showed up.

“Sorry to intrude.”

“Tom? What are you doing here…”

Becky’s boyfriend — the one she’d agreed to meet in town that evening — had driven all the way to this secluded lighthouse. Dressed in his Naval Academy dress uniform, arms full of gifts.

“I’d like to see the Captain. Is he awake yet?”

Her grandfather had been up for hours after his night shift, but Tom had missed him. He’d gone to visit a sick friend and hadn’t returned.

“He’ll be back by dinner.”

The Fairchild siblings set aside their work and sat with Tom at the backyard table.

“I should have called ahead to arrange a meeting, but this is urgent…”

“What’s wrong?”

Tom didn’t answer. He just looked at Becky and took a deep breath. Like he was steeling himself to say something difficult.

What was he about to say?

Her thoughts swung like a pendulum between worst-case and best-case scenarios when Tom abruptly stood and dropped to one knee in front of Becky.

“Becky — come with me to the Edes Islands.”

Tom was leaving for home tomorrow. They’d agreed to keep things going through phone calls and letters, but Becky wasn’t naive enough to believe that promise would last forever.

‘Best case scenario — until the end of summer vacation?’

The moment classes started, he’d wake up from this summer dream. Living in a resort town, you saw seasonal romances all the time.

I thought mine would go the same way. I’d already started slowly letting go…

“Go to your home?”

“Yes. I want you to meet my parents.”

“Oh…”

She hadn’t seen this coming at all. Her mind went blank. Or maybe she was just too happy to speak.

Wow. He actually takes me this seriously.

“Becky — marry me.”

…This seriously?

Tom had even prepared a ring. A diamond ring — the kind she’d thought someone of her station would never touch in her lifetime.

“A-are you serious? We’ve only known each other a month…”

“My parents got married a week after they met. They still love each other so much they act like lovebirds in front of their grown son and daughter.”

Ah… so marriage at first sight ran in the family. Well, that was believable.

“Rebecca Fairchild — the moment I first saw you, I knew. I walked this long road for nineteen years just to find you. The answer I was searching for… was you.”

Becky was already convinced, but Tom kept proving his sincerity.

“A path without you — wherever it leads — is a mistake. Tomorrow without you is death to me. You’re my breath.”

He took her hand — the one nervously clutching her apron — kissed it, and looked up at her pleadingly.

“Becky, come with me. I know I can make you happy. I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”

It was a touching scene — a moment most people could only dream of — but Ethan couldn’t just feel happy for them. And Becky looked just as torn.

“If this is too fast, we can keep dating while you think about it. You don’t have to answer right now.”

Poor Tom. He’d misunderstood why Becky hesitated.

Ethan had heard from Eve what his sister was thinking about her boyfriend.

‘I feel like I’m dreaming. If I wake up from this dream, it’ll take me a long time to recover.’

Becky loved Tom too. But she’d been preparing to let him go because of her reality. Because their father was a notorious criminal.

I thought I’d tell him if we kept seeing each other past the summer. But looks like I’ll have to do it now.

But Ethan couldn’t let his sister go through that humiliation.

“Tom — there’s something I need to tell you.”

He pulled Tom inside. Thinking Ethan — as the older brother — was about to refuse on Becky’s behalf, the steadfast cadet looked ready to cry. Ethan clapped Tom on the shoulder and started the difficult conversation.

“Even if you change your mind about proposing after you hear this — we won’t blame you. The problem isn’t you. The problem isn’t Becky. It’s our father.”

“Jack Fairchild?”

“You knew?…”

Turns out, he’d known for over two weeks.

“I have a classmate at Kingsbridge. I wrote him a letter bragging that I’d met a nymph by the sea — mentioned that her brother, Ethan Fairchild, goes to the same university…”

“Ah…”

He didn’t need to hear the rest.

“You knew — and you still proposed?”

That was sincerity you couldn’t doubt.

“Ethan — I would have proposed even if Becky herself were the criminal.”

“…”

“And my family isn’t exactly spotless either.”

“What?…”

“My great-grandfather was a notorious pirate.”

“That was over a hundred years ago?”

My father’s an active criminal.

After that ridiculous conversation, Ethan laughed.

“Take care of my sister.”

Lucky Rebecca Fairchild. His sister was going to marry for love — with a blessing.

“Go make my sister the happiest woman in the world.”

Already imagining how thrilled Becky would be to learn she could accept the proposal, he put his arm around Tom’s shoulders to head back to the backyard.

“Let go of me! Ethan!”

Becky’s scream came from the backyard. He threw open the back door and lunged outside — instantly locking eyes with Harry, who had her by the wrist and was dragging her past the fence.

That bastard.

It wasn’t enough to constantly humiliate him — now he was going to rape his sister.

The three flies buzzing around the dumpster fire named Harry Sherwood stopped smirking the moment they saw two solid men emerge from the house. They scrambled back over the fence, yelling at Harry to leave.

But Harry just curled his lip — like he was glad Ethan was watching. His gaze said: I’m going to grope your sister right in front of you, and what can you — a nobody — do about it?

What can I do? I’ll smash you into a pulp and throw you off the cliff. You’re dead.

The safety catches in his mind had blown. He wasn’t thinking about consequences. Ethan charged at Harry in a blind rage.

CRACK!

A sound like splitting stone. Harry’s jaw snapped upward.

Tom — who had no idea who this was — beat Ethan to it.

“No! I’m fine — stop!”

Becky’s scream held more horror than when Harry had been dragging her. The Kentrells would definitely seek revenge. And finding Tom in his Naval Academy dress uniform would be easier than finding a seashell on the beach.

Thinking the same thing, Ethan barely managed to pull Tom off — Tom had already started turning Harry into a bloody pulp.

“Take Becky and get her to your hotel — now,” he whispered, shoving them both into the house.

“Ughhh…”

Ethan was left alone with Harry, who was groaning face-down in the dirt. The flies had long since fled, so no one had seen the future Duke of Kentrell take those punches like a silent punching bag. The one who got beaten had seen it — but he was already known to be crazy.

So — he was beaten up by a naval cadet? That was just Harry’s head injury causing hallucinations.

Ethan grabbed the collar of this guy — who was slurring things like “father” and “I won’t let this go” like a drunk — and yanked him to his feet.

If I’m going to be accused of assault anyway, might as well give them a reason.

He let go. Harry wobbled grotesquely. Just as his knees buckled and he started to fall — Ethan’s fist smashed mercilessly into his face.

CRACK!

A year’s worth of pent-up fury exploded out with the sound of breaking bone. He grabbed Harry by the collar again as he crumpled to the ground.

He endured every kind of humiliation for a whole year, gritting his teeth so he wouldn’t break — and this guy collapses after just a few hits. It made Ethan obscenely angry — like even that was a privilege Harry had. He slapped the cheek of the bastard whose eyes were starting to glaze over.

“Hit me back. You’ve got nothing to lose even if you do! So why can’t you? Why? Are you scared of me — now?“

Harry clenched his teeth and looked at him — but his jaw was trembling. Slowly, he raised his hand. Not to punch Ethan. Just to push him away.

Coward. The real face of Henry Sherwood Jr.

Ethan laughed bitterly. Why did I put up with him for a whole year — when he can’t even throw a single punch?

“You can’t even swing a fist — what exactly were you hoping for?”

CRACK! Harry didn’t even try to dodge the fist flying toward his face. He went down again.

Ethan stood over him like a conqueror, pressing his foot down on Harry’s head.