Resetting Lady - Chapter 171

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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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This time too, Raymond was planning to deal with Isella. After a moment, Raymond opened his mouth and asked Karen.

“Why specifically Miss Isella Evans? There are many ladies of good character in the world who would make suitable friends. Becoming friends with Miss Evans doesn’t seem like a very good idea.”

“Isn’t there a saying about loving your enemies?”

“It’s not very wise for a butcher to grow attached to livestock.”

He deliberately chose his words maliciously. Karen looked at Raymond with slight surprise at his words. But Raymond’s expression didn’t change.

“Isella Evans is the best bait to divert Verdick’s attention. I don’t want to look for another method at this point.”

“You found out last time that my dying and coming back to life has nothing to do with Mr. Verdick, didn’t you?”

“That doesn’t change the fact that he remains your greatest danger. Karen, don’t think about him anymore. This time I’m considering sending you abroad. And in the meantime, I’ll exclude Verdick from incidents related to you and look for another method.”

Raymond bit his lower lip.

“If you need friends, I’ll select some well-regarded ladies from high society for you.”

“Did you make friends that way?”

“…I was presumptuous. I apologize. But choosing Miss Evans is not wise. For the sake of your safety.”

“Fine, I understand. But this time I want to take a different approach, and I don’t want to give up on my goal of becoming friends with Isella. Isella is different from other women. What’s wrong with wanting to become close to the woman who has spent the most time with me so far? If I want to continue, will you interfere until the end?”

“…Hah.”

Raymond sighed deeply enough to make the ground cave in. But he couldn’t insist further and raised his hands in surrender.

Though his face showed he really disliked it, Raymond couldn’t break Karen’s stubbornness for now. Above all, the fact that he had failed despite pushing his own agenda last time had cost him his justification.

“…I understand.”

Raymond simply couldn’t imagine Karen becoming friends with Isella. Karen hadn’t thought about it either until she had died about 100 times. But this time, she wanted to live that way. Because she had made a promise.

“But how exactly do you plan to become close to her?”

“Good question.”

Karen answered with a bright face.

“That’s the problem. How do people usually become friends?”

“…Do I need to think about this?”

“I don’t have any female friends.”

Karen had to admit that she had never had any same-sex friends until now. It was because there was simply too little time. The few women she met after debuting in high society could hardly be called friends. Karen was a kind of competitor who hadn’t even been debuted for a full year.

And most noble ladies, like Lady Lian, had known each other since childhood. Even those who came up from the countryside like Karen had their own groups.

Karen had almost no interaction with other nobles because of Catherine and Nancy, and everyone avoided approaching her even more because they were wary of Verdick’s attention.

“I had no friends at all.”

In fact, in the true sense, she had no lovers either.

Karen didn’t like the way Raymond was looking at her, so she quickly changed the subject.

“First, I’m going to prepare a bribe—I mean, a gift.”

Raymond’s face became complicated again.

* * *

“Isella, Miss Karen Hyer has come to see you again.”

“Why does she keep coming to see me?”

“She says she wants to become friends with you.”

Verdick looked amused.

There were many people who clung to him, begging to reduce their losses even a little. He had seen several beggars clinging to Isella a few times. But it was the first time a young lady of noble blood, even if poor, had come to see Isella.

Above all, friends. Verdick couldn’t help but laugh when he heard that word.

Who was going to be friends with whom? No matter what they called it friendship, it was obvious that Karen would have to serve Isella. It was quite an appealing prospect. Verdick very much wanted to see Isella ordering Karen around. Just like he wanted to order nobles around.

“As I mentioned last time, Karen Hyer also has ducal blood flowing through her veins. It will be helpful when you debut.”

“I don’t want to.”

Isella turned her head away sharply.

“But she brought a gift? Quite a luxurious item.”

“I don’t need to see it. If she prepared something luxurious at that level, it means she wants something else in return, doesn’t it? I hate that kind of woman even more.”

Verdick put back the necklace he had been holding.

* * *

“…How did it go?”

“She wouldn’t see me.”

“I see.”

Karen gulped down cold water repeatedly. Isella’s rejection showed no trace of courtesy, but there was nothing else to do but drink cold water. Karen had to calm her burning insides. Raymond watched her anxiously.

“What about Nancy?”

“She went to ask the jewelry store if we could get a refund.”

“Hah, do you think it’s possible?”

“I don’t really expect it, but seeing how confident she looked, maybe we can hope for once?”

Raymond, who had paid the balance for Karen, sighed.

“I’ll pay you back later.”

“You don’t need to pay me back. Everything I have belongs to you.”

“That’s touching. I’m going to lie down for a bit. I’m drained.”

Karen got up unsteadily and collapsed onto the bed. Dust sparkled in the air. It was still early afternoon to be sleeping. Since Isella wouldn’t even meet Karen, there was nothing to do. Karen lay down and muttered.

“Why won’t she even meet me…”

Raymond had paid more money to move to the most expensive place in town, but even so, the room’s condition didn’t quite satisfy Raymond’s eyes. The floor creaked slightly and the bed was clean but narrow. Raymond sat down beside Karen.

“Do you really want to become friends with Miss Isella?”

“Yes. It’s my goal for this life.”

“Karen, you don’t even particularly like Miss Isella, so is it necessary to go that far?”

Karen turned her head to glare at Raymond.

“That’s for me to decide.”

“I don’t understand, that’s why. I can understand wanting to make close friends. But it doesn’t have to be Miss Isella.”

Raymond hated Verdick. He didn’t direct that anger toward his daughter Isella, but that didn’t mean he had any inclination to whisper sweet words to her either. Raymond had to suppress his emotions every time he saw her. He had to make an effort not to show unreasonable anger.

After his memories returned, Raymond had to constantly check whether his actions toward Isella were driven by his hatred rather than necessary measures.

Karen’s situation was even worse than Raymond’s position. Isella and Karen could never become close friends. Business relationships took priority between them. There was Verdick, there was Lord Hyer, and there was Raymond.

Karen had been abused by Verdick, had her property stolen, and was sometimes even murdered by him. If Karen weren’t someone who came back to life, Karen’s life would have simply ended with being killed by Verdick. Isella was the daughter of such a Verdick. Why did she want to become close to her?

The other party was too problematic.

Her idea that it would be nice to try becoming friends with an enemy after living so long was difficult for Raymond to understand. Raymond also knew about Karen’s previous lives.

Even when Karen tried her best to accommodate Isella, Isella never treated Karen as more than a maid. What first drew Raymond to Karen was also pity and guilt.

“Because I don’t want you to kill Isella.”

Karen answered while lying face down.

Raymond stopped mid-motion as he was about to stroke Karen.

“Do you dislike that I commit murder?”

His voice seemed to tremble slightly. Raymond was a soldier. The number of people he had killed was countless. And Karen had also killed people before. Naturally, he didn’t think Karen would feel aversion to such things. Last time too, Karen had never shown such signs.

So why was Karen saying such things now?

Raymond became slightly anxious. What mistake had he made last time? Was it because she saw things like fingernails? Had she grown tired of Raymond from sympathizing with Verdick and Isella? When Karen was killing people, she thought everything was just a book.

After accepting reality, had she developed aversion to murder again? Enough to find Raymond burdensome?

Raymond bit his lips.

He had never even imagined Karen rejecting him. He believed that she loved him as much as he loved her. And that was an issue that didn’t need to be doubted. They were the only ones who could understand each other.

Karen had said he alone wasn’t enough. What did that mean?

At first, he thought it was a matter of convenience. But it wasn’t just that. Karen said she needed friends too. Raymond was satisfied with just Karen. It wasn’t fair.

“Have I disappointed you?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

Karen frowned and turned her body to the side. Raymond lay down diagonally beside Karen. He could feel Karen’s skin. Raymond tightly embraced Karen’s shoulders.

“Lord Raymond?”

He wanted to return to their world of just the two of them. There were too many things to think about in the world.

Karen dying repeatedly was terrible. But with their bodies touching like this, he could feel his anxiously beating heart calming down. Maybe next time he could escape a little faster.

Last time might have been too excessive because it was the first time, making Karen uncomfortable. Until that day, he should attach servants and maids again, and make sure she could be with young ladies of good character.

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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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