Resetting Lady - Chapter 125
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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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“What is this?”
“Please understand that there isn’t much we can do. Either hang yourself, or we’ll help you.”
Isn’t this too fast?
Karen let out a hollow laugh as she looked down at the rope placed in front of her. These people are serious. Karen watches as Nancy, who had been tied up, slowly collapses. Bowen is probably already dead. She feels a slight pang of guilt for this version of Nancy.
They don’t even ask the servants for their opinion. The benefit of wearing better clothes than a servant is being able to choose your death. Perhaps it’s a kind of fortune.
Karen grabbed the cloth with her hand.
“I understand, so please leave, Duke Routella.”
She doesn’t care about his surprise.
“…What should I do.”
Karen didn’t hang herself. But that didn’t mean there seemed to be any other options either. She looks outside. It’s the place she had fallen from before. And there’s one door. They’ll come to check if she hanged herself shortly. There’s no gun either.
But she wasn’t scared or anything.
Because death is such a familiar thing. And there’s something more important. She was curious about that.
While alone, she tried counting the days. Even if she hadn’t entered a book, living a repetitive life means that eventually certain things happen repeatedly on certain days.
Karen knew that hardships always came during this time. Today is one of those days. Sometimes she faces the danger of rape, sometimes she gets hurt by beasts, sometimes she just falls down. The dangers vary in type. That’s not what’s important.
Karen knows the day she originally dies. Only after living past 117 years did she learn that she could die before then. But what about today? Who are those people? This time it’s twisted. The probability of her dying today versus surviving today. Which is higher? If she waits a little longer, she’ll know the answer.
She waits.
She waits for the answer.
Knock knock.
She hears the sound of someone knocking on the door.
Karen thought she knew who that sound belonged to. She feels an intense sense of déjà vu.
The person who comes to find her on this day is.
“…”
Between hanging herself and seeing the person outside the door. For Karen, the latter is more frightening.
Karen kept her mouth shut and stared at that door. She thought she knew who was beyond that door.
He always comes to save her.
Raymond Seyertes. Her knight.
But Karen was afraid to confirm this.
It might not be him. Maybe it’s just Duke Routella’s group coming to confirm that she’s dead. She’d rather it be that. To Karen, Duke Routella was no different from Thomas, the rapist from the marketplace.
Hardships always come during this time. Even if she dies, it’s not scary. She’ll come back to life anyway. Then next time, instead of staying here, she’ll just choose to keep going into the forest.
But if it’s him.
He always came during this time. Always. Always. Sometimes the location was different, but through coincidence, inevitability, and intention combined, he always meets Karen. Until now, even if it was a different location, it was within the town of Hyer Estate, but the premise that he meets Karen seems to overlap even if the location changes. Just like before.
What about this time.
She knows with her head. This time will be the same as always. She’ll be in danger and Raymond will save her. Isella will be jealous and Verdick will be angry. It’s just repeating like always. The beginning of a sickeningly repetitive year. Her year without any stimulation.
Knock knock.
Someone outside the door knocked again. Is the person out there him? Even if so, it wouldn’t be surprising at all. But Karen was afraid to confirm it.
After that, after age 117, Karen didn’t exchange a single word with Donna. She didn’t want to see her again. She saw Donna moving around in the distance, being mistreated by the housekeeper and other maids, but Karen no longer wanted to get close to Donna.
She just wanted to keep the memories of that life as they were. She wanted to preserve them. She wanted to leave the sadness as sadness, the frustration as frustration.
When things repeat, there’s no more novelty. Even if she’s not someone who came from outside a book, eventually people feel like printed text. Everything becomes sickening. Raymond is the same.
A person who doesn’t remember the years is not a person. To Karen, everyone except herself is printed text. Even without a world outside the book, nothing would change.
Karen knows.
The original Karen should welcome the appearance of Duke Routella, who’s older than Raymond. Raymond was an old connection, and Routella is someone she’s seeing for the first time.
But Karen found it painful to confirm Raymond’s face right now. Just like it was painful to see Donna. The bitter emotion that she failed last time rises again. She has a strong premonition that she’ll fail this time too.
Donna doesn’t remember, Nancy doesn’t remember, and Dulan, who dies after being tortured several times, doesn’t remember either. It’s a fact that doesn’t need confirmation. Raymond will be the same.
“…”
That’s why Karen didn’t want to see his face.
If they meet again this time, she’ll have to apologize to him, thank him, and fall in love again. Or this time she might tell him the situation and suggest they join hands. Maybe this time she’ll suggest digging into Prince Guiz’s background, or they could eliminate Verdick.
She could look into Mother’s history again, or participate in the power struggles and wars between great nobles and royalty like Duke Routella, Prince Guiz, and Prince Louis.
But she hated all of that.
She didn’t want to greet him again. She hated repeating being saved again like someone she doesn’t know, like being saved by him for the first time, this time too. She hated living. She hated loving. Even breathing was sickening.
So Karen didn’t open the door. She didn’t want to answer. She wanted to run away. If it’s not Raymond, she’ll die anyway, and if it is Raymond. That would be something hateful enough to die for. Maybe it’s because it was the first time Karen had tried her best and been so courteous to Raymond.
There are too many reasons. Karen wanted to lock the door. Or she wanted to hang herself.
Creak.
But the door opened. The person outside the door no longer waited for Karen’s answer. The door wasn’t locked. Unlike that time, it opened far too easily. Because there’s no one to lock the door.
“…”
For a moment, Karen felt the illusion that time was slowing down tremendously.
First she sees a hand. Just from that, she can tell who it is. An arm, and then clothes are revealed. He appeared in the morning sunlight. This time too, it’s as Karen thought. Her knight comes to save her. Even the clothes are the same. This time too, it’s a dark military uniform.
It’s too dark to tell if there’s blood on it or not.
A gun dropped from one of Raymond’s hands with a thud. It’s the one he usually used.
There’s no twist.
This time too, he came to save Karen. Or maybe he got caught up in some other matter and encountered Karen. But whatever it was, Karen didn’t doubt it. He’s on her side even when she commits murder. This time too, he’ll stand on Karen’s side and will never change.
Karen thinks.
What should she say this time. Thank you. No, who are you. Or maybe please save me. She doesn’t know what words would be natural.
Behind Karen, the morning sunlight is shining. Before she knows it, the sun has risen and morning has come. Another terrible and sickening day begins. She’s met Raymond again.
Raymond’s hair and face are revealed. Karen lowered her gaze. Because she didn’t know what expression to make. She’d rather close her eyes. Karen gritted her teeth. Don’t expect anything, you can’t.
It was an indescribably miserable feeling. Even though there was no need for it to be so.
She hears footsteps.
He approaches.
What should she say. Karen thinks. She doesn’t know. She doesn’t know. But she can’t run away anymore. She has to speak. She has to ask who he is. Like it’s the first time. She has to give a natural response. She lifted her face. Raymond’s chin, lips, nose and eyes are visible. His face is beautiful as always.
But.
But Karen couldn’t say anything.
And Raymond didn’t say anything either.
Karen had once, very early on, told him while trembling with the fear of death. I’m afraid of dying. And I’m afraid that you won’t remember me again either. He had smiled then and stroked Karen’s head.
I’ll come find you again. Should we make a password then. Whether I remember, or what. I’m sure… I’ll never forget. But he had never remembered even once. He had suggested making a password, but that was like a joking consolation.
He’s a rational person. He never truly believed it. Not even last time. He didn’t believe Karen until the very end. But he gave everything.
That’s why he’s Karen’s male protagonist. Karen had said to Dulan without hesitation. Even without belief, how could she deny loving a man who tries his best like that. Even if she doesn’t love him, when there’s a man who tries his best like that, who else would she choose besides him.
“Should we make a password?”
No, such a thing isn’t necessary.
Raymond approached Karen. He placed his hand on Karen’s shoulder. Karen looked at Raymond.
Karen had never seen such an expression on his face before.
Raymond was crying.
Karen realized she was holding him with her hands. Raymond moved his lips several times, but in the end couldn’t say anything and embraced Karen. Karen felt her shoulder getting wet. Raymond’s hands were trembling.
Karen had always been curious about his crying face. During all those years, he had shown every expression – laughing, angry, surprised – but had never cried. Karen had vaguely thought that if he cried, he would quietly shed tears.
But it wasn’t like that. Raymond wasn’t just elegantly shedding quiet tears. Beast-like sobs flowed from his lips. And Karen realized that similar sounds were flowing from her own throat too. She couldn’t breathe.
“…”
How did you know? How much do you remember now? Who are you now? Why are you here now, why only now. Karen forgot the swirling questions several times. And she put her arms around Raymond who was embracing her. They embraced each other as if their bodies would break.
No more words were needed beyond that. Dizzying sadness and emotion pierced through her entire body like blades.
No password is needed. No test is needed. No confirmation is needed. Love is not something to be tested. Time cannot be hidden by anything. Even language isn’t necessary. No words are needed in this moment. She could just tell by looking. Only tears existed.
Two people stood in a world made of printed text.
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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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