Resetting Lady - Chapter 167
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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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Karen smiled brightly.
No matter how much she wanted to go, this kind of thing required her father’s help. She couldn’t possibly walk all the way to Isela’s estate by herself. She needed a carriage, a maid, and money. Karen lightly embraced the Lord. The Lord’s body trembled slightly.
“Thank you, Father.”
“…Yes.”
“Don’t send a telegram. At least wait until after I’ve left.”
“It’s proper etiquette to give advance notice.”
Karen shook her head.
“I’m going to push forward so they can’t refuse.”
Nancy picked up Karen’s bag for her with a bewildered expression.
“You’re not taking any male servants?”
“There’s the coachman. One is enough.”
“Won’t it be dangerous?”
“We won’t take dangerous roads, so it’ll be fine.”
Karen didn’t want to see Bowen’s face. He was Dulan’s subordinate. Even if Bowen would help Karen commit murder, having him nearby meant all her actions would be reported to Dulan. Karen found this utterly unpleasant.
“Did the Lord give permission?”
“We can run the carriage at full speed. And taking too many people would be more conspicuous, right? On the way back, I’ll be coming with Verdick Evans.”
“…Hmm.”
Nancy continued to look displeased, but Karen cleanly ignored her. She was leaving Bowen behind and only taking relatively unimportant people. Bowen was a much more dangerous person than any carriage robbers they might encounter.
Clatter.
“Well, see you later!”
“…Travel safely.”
The Lord took Karen’s hand once outside and waved.
And the carriage soon departed. Karen blinked her eyes. It was hard to control her pounding heart inside the rattling carriage.
When she opened the window, the still chilly early spring breeze brushed her nose. Just a few days ago, no vegetation had sprouted, but now the branch tips were gradually showing hints of green. As Karen was looking at this, Nancy approached and spoke to her from beside.
“Miss, can you really stop the business when you get there?”
“No, it seems difficult. What money and power do I have right now?”
Karen answered Nancy honestly. There was no need to put on airs for Nancy. For Karen to have any power at all, at least a few months would have to pass. At that answer, Nancy asked back with a somewhat incredulous tone.
“Then really, why are you going? What benefit is there in going to meet those people and coming back?”
“Do people only move when there’s some benefit?”
“Did you hate being at the manor so much? It would be better to just travel to relatives’ houses instead. The Lord would have agreed more readily to that.”
“That won’t do. I’m going to meet Verdick Evans and Isela Evans.”
It wasn’t a simple trip. Going to the Evans Estate wasn’t just for curiosity. If it were for curiosity, new places would be more attractive. But Karen was heading to the Evans Estate to meet those people.
“As I said again, think of it as believing that I’m living again.”
“Hmm… I understand less and less. Aren’t you going because there’s some benefit to going…? Ah, is your lover that you mentioned there? That Lord Raymond?”
“Yes. Probably.”
Karen nodded. Raymond was probably around that area now. Last time, Raymond said he had dealt with Isela. But not immediately after returning. Raymond was on the battlefield at this time. That’s why Karen had to go meet Isela before Raymond.
“I’m going partly to meet him, but that’s not the main reason. I’m going to meet Isela.”
“Miss Isela, not Mr. Verdick? Aren’t you going to meet Mr. Verdick to stop the business? At least to beg him to halt the business…”
“That’s the surface reason, and honestly, the business… isn’t my main concern.”
“…That’s quite shocking. Miss, aren’t you going to help the Lord?”
“It would be nice if the business could be stopped while I’m at it. But that’s not the biggest reason. I needed a plausible excuse to tell Father. If I don’t go, Isela Evans will be killed by Lord Raymond, so I’m trying to prevent that.”
Karen smiled while looking at Nancy.
Nancy looked at Karen like that and couldn’t open her mouth for a long time. Her face showed complete incomprehension.
“Honestly, I don’t understand. According to what you said, this Raymond person is trying to kill Isela, so why are you stopping it? To stop the Evans Family’s business, wouldn’t it be better if that young lady died? If his daughter suddenly dies, Mr. Verdick would have trouble focusing on business too.”
“Sometimes I think your thoughts turn cruel too often, girl.”
“…Are you one to talk, Miss?”
That’s not wrong.
But Karen herself didn’t know how to explain it. She too was disgusted by talk of forgiving or loving Verdick. But when she thought about Isela in a roundabout way, she felt somewhat less resistance.
“Was she your friend?”
“No, we were almost always enemies.”
Karen reached out and caught a branch. In her hand was a tender pink petal. It was an early flower. Karen fingered the petal while thinking of a foolish girl.
“Lord Raymond!”
She thought of that girl who harbored feelings for Raymond. Isela and Karen had never been friends even once. Even when Karen thoroughly submitted as Isela’s maid, Isela always couldn’t stand Karen.
She hated that Karen’s family had more noble lineage than her own, and she was jealous of even Karen’s gait and accent. It wasn’t just appearance and Raymond. Despite having much, Isela always craved what she didn’t have. And she didn’t hesitate to act carelessly and rudely.
“Then what do you want to do when you get there?”
Karen spoke as if sighing. It was something she didn’t feel like doing, but this time it was worth trying.
“Try to become friends.”
“…But you said you were enemies?”
Karen murmured while fingering the flower.
Let’s try what she couldn’t attempt before. And one of those things was Isela and Verdick. Even if loving or forgiving Verdick was difficult, saving Isela would be somewhat less burdensome.
“In this life, I’m trying to practice the saying ‘love your enemies.'”
“…Sigh, I can’t understand you, Miss. You said they were enemies.”
“Yes, but still, after pulling each other’s hair for about 100 years, you do develop some affection.”
Karen shrugged and continued speaking to Nancy, who was looking at her with displeasure.
“And promises exist to be kept.”
Karen thought of a past that Nancy couldn’t remember. She had killed Nancy. And she had made a promise to her.
“Next time, I’ll die for you.”
She had kept her promise with Nancy before. Karen made that promise while strangling Nancy’s neck. And in the next life, she immediately had Nancy pull the trigger and put a bullet in her head. Even if Nancy didn’t remember, the promise was kept.
That was pride built up over a long time. She had to keep even solitary promises and create purposes to be able to live.
“Isela, next time… shall we really be friends?”
And this time, it would be good to try practicing the proposal to become friends with Isela.
Until now, they had grabbed each other’s hair, put trash on each other’s heads, and sent each other to court with false testimony. Many people were involved between them. There was Verdick, and there was Raymond.
Because of Raymond, Isela was jealous of Karen, Verdick killed Karen because of Isela, and again Raymond killed Isela because of Verdick.
What if Karen and Isela became friends? Until now, becoming Isela’s friend was nearly impossible. Isela was only satisfied when Karen thoroughly ignored Raymond and bowed down as Isela’s maid. They had truly never been friends even once.
Love your enemies.
That was an incredibly new thing.
Karen decided to try that too in this life.
“Please tell them that Karen Hyer has come to see them.”
* * *
Verdick Evans held coffee in his mouth and closed his eyes.
The fragrant yet bitter taste was good. What was popular in the capital now was black tea. Verdick had also done business distributing black tea until now, but he gradually wanted to introduce new beverages. Above all, he personally preferred coffee.
A completely different weight from tea overwhelmed his tongue and throat. Verdick looked at his wife and daughter with a satisfied expression.
“How is it, dear? Isela?”
But Verdick’s wife, Selina’s expression was cold.
“I don’t like it much. It’s too bitter. How about adding sugar and milk instead?”
“What do you know to speak like that?”
“Not everyone is like you.”
“It’s a beverage that ordinary people can enjoy sufficiently. And sugar and milk? I think people in this country who put milk in tea lack refinement.”
“You’re also a person of this country now. The reason the Evans Family still gets bad talk is because of that attitude.”
Verdick turned his head from his wife and asked Isela.
“I can’t trust your opinion. What do you think, Isela?”
Isela was startled.
“Yes, yes?”
Her mother asked in a subtle voice from beside her.
“Isela, you can speak honestly. Distributing this as is makes no sense. And who would drink such black water? The color lacks refinement too. Don’t you think so?”
Verdick and Selina looked down at Isela simultaneously with faces saying ‘Say I’m right, quickly.’ Isela held the coffee cup and swallowed. After staring at the cup with a tense expression for a while, she barely opened her mouth.
“I, I don’t really… know.”
“Isela.”
“…”
Selina clicked her tongue, but from Isela’s expression while drinking coffee, it was clear she found it unpalatable. Verdick snorted and lifted his cup again.
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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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