Resetting Lady - Chapter 107

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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06. Judgment – II

Even tears won’t come.

“….”

Karen lay there with dried-up eyes. No matter how time passed, it didn’t matter anymore. She needed time to shut herself away. The prison had seemed like a decent escape until just moments ago, but not for Karen. Only one day was given until the trial.

No, there was plenty of time. Really plenty now. Time was eternal. It had been from the beginning.

She didn’t know what to do. So Karen lay there. If she could become a stone statue like this, if she could stop thinking anymore… Someone kill me. Someone put me in a coffin, tie stones to it and throw me into the sea. So I can never come back to life.

But even if they did that, she would be reborn again. When she opened her eyes again, she would be standing alone in that cold, rainy garden.

No matter how desperate she felt, time flowed on.

Even if she wanted to go mad, she couldn’t. No, was she already mad? Who could define what madness was? She didn’t want to think about anything. If only she could live like a tree or stone.

But Karen knew. Even if she cracked her head open, even if she wanted to go mad, when time passed, all wounds would heal. Her body would forcibly return, and so would her mind. In the end, the mind was influenced by the body. She couldn’t even go mad. Forever.

Morning comes.

Even for her, who wanted to die but couldn’t, morning comes. Even when cruel truths are revealed, morning comes. Nothing changes.

“Karen Evans, it’s your trial day. Come out.”

“….”

Karen had lain there all night, tears streaming down. She lay still like a corpse, tears flowing. But even so, morning came. The judgment was over. Now it was a human trial. A trivial trial that didn’t matter anyway. Karen turned her head but couldn’t get up. She had no strength because she had lain crying all night.

“Get up… Damn it, you, break down the door and go in.”

The guards roughly lifted Karen, who was lying there only shedding tears. Karen was dragged up by them. She tried to get up, but had no strength in her body. But it didn’t matter anyway. There were people whose job it was to put her on trial. Somehow they would deliver Karen to the courtroom and sentence her to death. This time too.

“Karen, pull yourself together.”

Suddenly Raymond was beside her.

Karen looked ahead. Somehow she had been dragged outside, not in prison. Even if she didn’t move and spaced out, she couldn’t avoid the incident. Time flowed again. Ah, she really seemed to be going mad now. She had no idea when she had arrived here. Raymond gripped Karen’s shoulder firmly.

“…It’s time to enter the courtroom now. Just in case… please stay still.”

Karen looked down at the rope tied to her wrists. She was here for the crime of killing Prince Guiz. Karen raised her head. Raymond’s face was there. He always had the same face. But it was rare to see him look this tired. Though he was dressed neatly for court, the fatigue emanating from his face and entire body was palpable. How strange.

“Karen.”

“Yes, Lord Raymond.”

Karen opened her mouth. An unpleasantly rough voice flowed out. But no one cared about that. Raymond spoke while pressing her shoulder.

“The Duke agreed to reveal Prince Guiz’s evil deeds. And he’s already handed over all the evidence. He also contacted the jurors separately.”

“You’re becoming quite the villain.”

“I merely showed sincerity.”

Raymond was resolute. Raymond didn’t believe in Karen. Karen had wanted that distant hope, something more ethereally shining and perfect, but he always stood in reality and spoke. This time too.

He probably never believed even once until now. Because he never changed. But this time too, he had tried. This time too.

“…You’ve worked hard.”

Though it was meaningless.

“There is hope. So pull yourself together. You will… that is, you’ll only receive the punishment you deserve.”

Even in this situation, his virtue was never guaranteeing she could come out innocent. Karen chuckled. When love was meaningless and death was meaningless, why did he try?

“Pull yourself together.”

“…Yes, I under…stand.”

She had to pull herself together, what else could she do. Beside Karen were guards, Raymond, and a lawyer. What she was throwing was ultimately a tantrum. Even if Karen’s world collapsed, it wouldn’t matter to them at all. Even if she cried wanting to get off the stage alone, she couldn’t get off. Getting off was for after it ended.

“I too will… do my best in this life.”

Whether she was executed or died in some other way. Anyway, there wasn’t much life left in this lifetime. Karen was too tired, wanted to lie down, wanted to rest. Now even thinking was bothersome.

In the next life, she shouldn’t come out of her room. Just lie down… lie down…

“…will do.”

And Karen and Raymond walked without speaking anymore. Now they were really going to court. Karen wanted to finish this quickly. She just wanted to shut herself in a room and do nothing.

The prison door opened.

Karen frowned at the dazzling midday sunlight. Where was the carriage? As Karen turned her head, someone in the distance pointed at Karen with their finger.

“…That’s the woman!”

Someone shouted. There were people. The sound of footsteps rushed over. Raymond urgently pushed the dazed Karen inside with the guards and himself.

“Karen, keep your head down.”

Raymond quickly took off his outer coat. And covered Karen with it. But voices had already spread quickly among the people. Raymond led Karen with quick steps.

“That woman killed him!”

“That witch!”

“Murderer!”

Thud.

Something seemed to have been thrown. Karen heard a dull sound. Raymond seemed to have been hit.

Thud thud.

Several more hit in succession. Raymond hurriedly put Karen in the carriage. Karen looked out the window. There were people. Not just one or two. Raymond took off his dirtied outer coat and threw it on the floor. Then he glared at the guard.

“What are those people?”

“They’ve been gathering since morning. Even when we told them to leave, they wouldn’t listen…”

“Isn’t it your duty to keep them quiet?”

Raymond got angry at the guards, but the guards just looked around nervously. Raymond sat beside Karen and drew the window curtains. He held the dazed Karen.

“Karen, are you alright?”

“…I’m fine.”

It was Raymond who got hit after all. Raymond slightly lifted the bottom of the curtain to look outside and said.

“This is strange. Surely… your trial was classified. Where on earth did those people come from.”

“….”

Raymond lowered the curtain again.

“…Still, there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

Raymond closed his mouth. He didn’t seem to believe his own words very much either. She could see him gritting his teeth.

“…It will be fine.”

Karen looked at Raymond’s outer garment lying on the floor. Tomatoes and eggs and such were smeared and dripping down. The luxurious black uniform had become dirty trash. It looked difficult to wear again.

“….”

Karen turned her head. All of this had nothing to do with her. Nothing was important to Karen anymore. Neither good nor evil, nor love. Neither Raymond’s sacrifice nor Dulan’s secret. It should be irrelevant, it should be.

Why did she feel uncomfortable when she looked at Raymond?

Karen couldn’t understand Raymond.

“We’ve arrived.”

After riding the rattling carriage and waiting briefly, they arrived at the courthouse. Raymond supported Karen. Karen saw a building that was horizontally long and massive. A grand place of judgment with columns lined up. The building overwhelmed people with its mere existence.

“Karen, I have to go in first.”

“I know.”

The defendant sat separately. Since Raymond and she weren’t even married yet, they were legally strangers. Even though they were engaged and had attended social events together, they were legally strangers.

“…Is it because you’ve sat there before? Are you still.”

“Lord Raymond, I’ll stay still.”

Karen cut off Raymond’s words. Raymond looked down at Karen with concern, but Karen said nothing more. Raymond squeezed Karen’s hand once tightly and let go.

“Let’s meet after it’s over.”

Raymond quickly went up the stairs first. Karen watched him. Raymond’s body passed the stairs and disappeared between the pillars. After he disappeared, the guards poked Karen from behind. She steadied her body that almost fell and grabbed the railing again.

“We’ll go in shortly.”

“I understand, so could you handle me a bit more gently?”

“….”

Karen slowly took a deep breath and directed her steps toward the stairs that shone pure white in the light. Between the white pillars, sculptures of saints looked down at people. They looked down at the sinners entering. Karen saw the door between those white pillars. This was her first time here. Because she wasn’t a common criminal, but someone who assassinated royalty. Karen felt slightly unfamiliar with this space she was visiting for the first time.

“….”

Karen climbed the stairs. Strangely, her steps felt light. She saw the guards. They opened the door while looking at Raymond and Karen. Ironically, though she came as a criminal, it felt like she was being treated well. She passed through the corridor where light streamed down and stood before the courtroom door. And that door also opened.

Creeeeak.

It was the courtroom. People were gathered. All had solemn faces. People looked down at Karen. In front was an old judge, on the other side where she would sit was a prosecutor, beside her was a lawyer, on both sides were jurors, in front was Raymond waiting for her with anxious eyes, behind were guards, and spectators were watching them all.

‘This is like.’

Karen felt a slight sense of déjà vu.

‘A wedding ceremony.’

Eyes, eyes, eyes. Karen looked at people’s faces. Royalty, nobility, nobles. An audience more luxurious than a wedding ceremony. Of course, there was no applause.

“That woman is the one who…”

“My goodness…”

People murmured something.

But it wasn’t excessively noisy. Karen glanced at people sideways. There were people she knew here and there. So, mostly nobles. Since the dead person was royalty, it seemed the trial date was only known to a minimum number of people.

That was fortunate. Among them, there was no one who would throw tomatoes or eggs at Karen. She had no clothes to change into. Karen stepped into the courtroom.

Click.

Her shoes echo against the black marble floor. High white ceiling, and at the far end sits a judge as if presiding over a ceremony. Of course, he will not be giving Karen a blessing for marriage.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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