Resetting Lady - Chapter 108

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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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Click.

Karen straightened her back and pulled in her chin. This was her final courtesy. Courtesy toward Raymond. Not causing a scene for someone who had lived earnestly.

Karen walks forward. To where she must sit, to the criminal’s place, to the defendant’s seat. There, white cloth was draped. It was a place to shield her from people’s gazes. It reminded her of the white cloth covering a coffin lid. The reality wouldn’t be much different. Karen sat down. She was grateful that it was a chair with a backrest and armrests. Through the gaps in the cloth, she could hear people’s murmuring.

“That woman is Karen Evans. Have you seen her before?”

“She’s Lord Raymond Sayertes’ fiancée… But as you know, he was originally…”

“She’s so young… But with Prince Guiz… Louis…”

“Catherine’s daughter… Good heavens, how… really…”

Now she didn’t care about herself. She just moved out of habit. She moved because someone told her to. If only the trial would end soon… Karen found the soft murmuring sounds and the gazes looking at her bothersome. What did all of them matter? What meaning did they hold for her now? For herself, isolated from the world.

Now all that remained was courtesy and sincerity toward Raymond.

“…Hah.”

After entering the cloth enclosure, Karen closed her eyes. It didn’t matter anymore. She only wished for it to end quickly. Karen was tired beyond measure.

Bang bang.

“Order.”

The people’s murmuring subsided. Someone cleared their throat with a cough.

“Before we begin the trial, we need time to mourn the loss of our future king.”

It was quite an emotional statement, but it seemed to work on the jurors. Everyone fell silent and made the sign of the cross. In any case, most nobles were connected by blood relations in one way or another.

Were they mourning Guiz or Louis? Karen blankly observed their silence. It wasn’t very long. Now was not the time for mourning but for judgment.

After the brief moment of silence ended, a man spoke in a monotone voice.

“On XX day of XX month, a terrible incident occurred. The location was the basement of Tryal Palace.”

An explanation of what Karen had done followed. Karen listened to the dry voice reciting what she had said. It was a new experience to hear what she had done organized and spoken from another’s mouth.

“Karen Evans, sitting there, strangled Prince Guiz in that place.”

“She caused his death by strangulation.”

She had heard that Prince Guiz was quite handsome in his youth, but his appearance when he died was utterly hideous. Had Catherine chosen him based on his looks? In fact, if she had died dozens or hundreds of times, in the end it might not have mattered who it was.

When had Prince Guiz first revealed such hobbies? Next time, should she just become Prince Guiz’s mistress and ask about Catherine? She disliked secondhand goods, but even such taboos meant nothing in the face of eternal time.

“She dismembered her own maid.”

Donna was…

Karen thought of the round-faced maid. Karen didn’t know much about Donna. Donna didn’t know much about Karen either. Even though they existed in the same time, they knew nothing about each other. Donna was merely a temporary replacement after Nancy disappeared.

But Karen liked the courage she showed at the end. She liked seeing human tenacity that didn’t give up even at the very last moment. Because she no longer had even that. Next time… next time.

“It is an undeniable fact that Karen Evans’ necklace strangled His Highness Prince Guiz. Countess Elba, have you seen her wearing this necklace?”

“…Yes, it is definitely her necklace.”

It seemed Countess Elba was also present as a witness. Was Lady Lian here too? But she didn’t seem to have come. Karen looked through the cloth gaps but couldn’t see her.

“What more needs to be said?”

“What you just said is excessive speculation. First, we need to know about Prince Guiz. Please look at this.”

The lawyer stood up and spoke in a clear voice.

The prosecutor was flustered. Then the lawyer rebutted, and again the story continued endlessly, one thing after another. It was strangely unreal. Was it because her view was blocked by the white cloth? Karen just leaned back in her chair and thought, “I see.”

“Prince Guiz is a serial killer.”

It seemed they were having an interesting discussion outside. The lawyer made elegant rebuttals, the prosecutor rebutted again, people murmured, and the judge banged his gavel shouting “Order! Order!”

“…”

Duke Fankair seemed to have prepared with Raymond to some extent. Even though she had killed Prince Guiz, curses against him could be heard clearly, though quietly, from outside. She could feel people watching each other’s reactions even through the cloth.

The prince was dead anyway, and the crown prince was dead too.

Since Duke Fankair had decided to fully support Raymond Sayertes, openly showing hostility toward Karen would be insane.

“The reason the defendant acted that way in the basement was to protect Crown Prince Louis.”

What had Raymond promised to give Duke Fankair? Karen leaned back in her chair. Things were going more smoothly than expected.

She wouldn’t have minded being sentenced to death. No, she had already been sentenced to death in another sense. But Raymond was making efforts in his own way, and those efforts were showing results.

Would this life end like this?

Another ending with Raymond? And though the ending would be the same anyway, why would she die? Karen was curious about that. Had her mother been the same? Had her grandmother been the same? Had they all just passed it on because dying was too bothersome and they didn’t want to live again?

Wouldn’t anyone have been fine?

Karen saw Raymond’s golden hair through the cloth gaps. The man Karen had chosen.

“Out of… courtesy toward me.”

Raymond didn’t speak of love.

“I think I really do love you.”

Even though he had confessed like that, he knew too. He knew that Karen could never love him with equal feelings. Karen closed and opened her eyes. Through the white cloth gaps, she caught glimpses of him. Sunlight streamed in and he was beautiful as always. Raymond never changed.

“…”

She would die now. She would continue to die in the future. And the shackles would not change. She didn’t know how to live from now on. The silence of eternity. Thinking about the future was frightening.

But.

“Honorable judge, thoughtful members of the jury. Please consider this.”

Karen couldn’t identify what to call her emotions.

Sympathy? Being moved? But even if Raymond didn’t provide answers, even if Raymond wasn’t helpful, even if that effort was futile, she didn’t like that it was meaningless.

‘Should I die beside him this time?’

She could never love Raymond Sayertes, but Karen wanted to maintain that much courtesy. It had that much weight.

The trial was reaching its climax. Karen was too tired even to fidget with her fingers and sat with her eyes closed. Before she knew it, the sun had moved deep into the courtroom through the western window, and her body felt languid. When people were starting to get tired, the judge banged his gavel.

“Now we will have the final examination.”

Was it finally ending? Karen stretched her body. Even from her perspective, the atmosphere in the courtroom wasn’t too bad. Under this country’s legal system where jurors’ judgment played a major role, most nobles would move according to their own interests.

And those who had followed Prince Guiz seemed to have been greatly shocked by his evil deeds, appearing somewhat softened toward Karen.

But then.

“Wait, Your Honor. The final witness has arrived.”

The prosecutor said urgently. The judge adjusted and cleaned his monocle. He looked over the witness and evidence list submitted by the prosecutor and frowned.

“…It was added late. Very well, have them come in.”

“Yes.”

The door opened. Who could it be at this point? Karen directed her gaze through the cloth gaps.

The door opened.

Someone entered.

Ah, Karen almost cried out in delight.

It’s you again this time. The sound of shoes could be heard. The sound echoing through the quiet courtroom. Karen Hyer heard someone speaking to her. Someone’s laughter could be heard. The sound of someone mocking Karen. The sound of mocking fate.

Where will you die this time?

It’ll be difficult.

“Verdick Evans and his daughter, Isella Evans.”

Click click.

Isella Evans walked into the quiet courtroom. Her pale blonde hair shone in the afternoon sunlight. Karen slightly lifted the cloth blocking her view to look at her.

Isella Evans also looked at Karen. Their eyes met briefly. She seemed to be trembling slightly. But it wasn’t enough to stop her steps.

Click click.

Isella Evans approached the Bible and placed her hand on it.

“I swear to tell the truth, only the truth.”

Perhaps nervous, even her speech was different from usual. Karen pressed her upper body close to the cloth gaps.

“…Isella.”

How long had it been since she’d seen Isella’s face? Her face seemed slightly swollen. Her hair also seemed a bit damaged. Her complexion wasn’t very good either. Karen saw her own coarse hair, which remained rough no matter how much she cared for it, neatly arranged and pinned up. This life was truly painful and entirely new.

“Witness, Isella Evans is Karen Hyer’s legal sister. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Isella’s speech came out trembling and awkwardly. Karen had never seen Isella so nervous, speaking like this and wearing such clothes. What a thing to see after living so long. Her clothes had no decorations whatsoever. They were neat and dark blue.

Karen’s heart was pounding. Her appearance was surely not a good omen, yet she couldn’t stop this pounding.

“Witness, Miss Isella Evans lost consciousness due to a fire at Hyer Estate seven months ago when Karen Evans was there, and woke up three days ago.”

“Hmm, she still seems unwell… Can she give proper testimony?”

To the judge’s suspicious question, the prosecutor answered confidently.

“Of course.”

Isella Evans deliberately looked toward where Karen was. Her pale eyes seemed to tremble slightly.

“Karen Hyer… my legal sister Karen Evans is not someone who commits murder because she’s mentally ill or overcome by fear.”

“Are you saying she intentionally killed people?”

Isella Evans nodded.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Isella Evans raised her index finger and pointed at Karen. She continued in a trembling voice.

“Seven months ago, I personally saw her kill people and commit arson.”

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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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