Resetting Lady - Chapter 185

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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 told her all sorts of stories. She said she was under some kind of curse passed down from her mother, and that she was of legendary saint bloodline from old tales. Isella had to clench her fists at what seemed like the grandiose delusions of an adolescent girl.

But that much was still somewhat cute. The more detailed the story became, the stranger it got.

“I’ve lived for over 100 years.”

“….”

Karen said she had died and come back to life several times, but Isella was a person with common sense. That was an absurd story.

‘Ah, this girl has lost her mind.’

Isella was convinced that Karen was suffering from some kind of mental illness.

But her words were consistent. It was severe.

She found it disgusting that Karen Hyer was particularly obsessed with pregnancy. They were still barely adults. She said she needed to get pregnant to break free from the curse, but she was infertile. Because she was infertile, she couldn’t escape the curse.

From that point on, Isella felt more than strange—she felt chilled.

Karen was seventeen years old. But how could she confirm she was infertile? What had she been doing until now? With that pretty face? Karen was not in her right mind. Moreover, Karen was too beautiful to live in the countryside.

A crazy, beautiful woman living in the countryside.

The facts that came to mind from that were obvious. She might have gone mad from some terrible experience.

Isella could overhear about all sorts of people through her father. Through words Verdick carelessly let slip when drunk, sometimes through the gossip of servants and maids, sometimes through people who came to Verdick bearing grudges.

Thinking this way gave her chills. She had to take her to a hospital for examination somehow. Karen was someone who shared most meals and lodging with Isella. Having such a deranged person right next to her was extremely uncomfortable for Isella.

‘I need to take her to the hospital for examination first.’

So Isella tried contacting people connected to her father, whom she had been avoiding all this time. She went directly to the largest hospital. It wasn’t too difficult since they were in the capital. Isella went to see an old doctor she had met when she was young.

“Miss Isella Evans? What brings you here? Is there somewhere you’re feeling unwell? Ah, and it would be better if you returned home soon….”

“I’m not the one who’s sick. There’s a girl my age who uses the adjacent room… she seems a bit strange.”

“If it’s adjacent to Miss Isella’s room, you mean inside the Great Cathedral?”

“Yes…. So please, as quietly as possible, without anyone knowing.”

“I understand.”

The doctor, perhaps having received word from Verdick, readily agreed to her request. Isella’s body was extremely healthy. Isella herself knew this well.

The problem was Karen. Isella felt chills. She had been sharing meals and lodging with a mental patient all this time. She might need to have Karen committed to a hospital immediately. You never know what a crazy person might do.

After the examination, Isella asked the doctor with a tense face.

“Please tell me properly what condition Miss Karen Hyer is in. And please keep it confidential.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Is she really insane…? Should she be isolated immediately?”

But the doctor shook his head.

“Isolation is not necessary. Her cognitive and thinking abilities are perfectly normal.”

“But she told me… strange… stories?”

“Ah, she laughed and said those were lies to tease you, Miss Isella. My goodness… she was a pretty young lady.”

“Look here.”

“That’s exactly the problem. That young lady is not in a situation for such things right now.”

Karen had perfectly mimicked a normal person in front of the doctor. She laughed off all the stories she had told Isella as mere legends, saying she sometimes had nightmares because of such stories, but that was all.

She didn’t know how much was true, but Karen would be able to act normally on the surface like before.

The real problem was Karen’s body.

Karen Hyer was pregnant.

…By whom?

Karen firmly believed she was infertile. She didn’t think for a moment that she was pregnant.

Isella thought Karen might have gone mad from experiencing something terrible in the countryside.

If she had such an obsession with pregnancy, that might certainly be the case.

Should she tell her the truth?

It might be better to tell her before it was too late. Isella couldn’t help but know about the social violence inflicted on unwed mothers. Even for herself, Verdick’s daughter, unmarried pregnancy was frightening. It was unavoidable in a country where religion dominated society.

Should she tell Karen right away that she was pregnant?

“This is burdensome….”

Suddenly, an overwhelmingly heavy reality pressed down on Isella.

Come to think of it, Karen had been continuously attending to Isella as if she were a servant, even though quite a long time had passed since Isella had been staying at the Great Cathedral.

It was incomprehensible by Isella’s common sense. Even if Isella made requests to Verdick regarding the Hyer estate, for Karen to cater to her to this extent. Isella found such behavior from Karen uncomfortable. She definitely thought there was some ulterior motive.

Isella felt her thoughts were falling into place. The reason she felt uncomfortable was because Karen was hiding many secrets.

Perhaps Karen was in a difficult position to return to her own family. Having been violated by some libertine, she couldn’t bear to go home, so she readily stayed at the Great Cathedral with Isella.

Unlike Isella, who used the temple as a kind of lodging, Karen faithfully attended worship services and volunteer work. She also showed deep interest in theology. Was it because her reality was miserable?

Thinking further, while there were many places in high society that invited Karen, she only attended the very few gatherings where she accompanied Isella.

The more Isella thought about it, the more she felt weighed down by a growing sense of burden.

“I’m not interested in such messy affairs….”

Isella slumped down under the rose bushes.

What should she say? How should she tell Karen that she was currently pregnant?

If Karen were her maid, she could slap her for being immoral and drive her away. But Karen was not her maid.

Then was she a friend? Isella didn’t think that was the case either. Karen was a strange woman and an uncomfortable companion. She didn’t want to get entangled with her.

Rustle.

“Count Sion, have you seen Miss Isella?”

“Ah, Miss Karen Hyer. It’s been a while.”

Eek.

Isella quickly crouched down. It was Karen. She waited for them to pass quickly while calming her pounding heart. She wasn’t mentally prepared to face Karen yet.

But they continued their conversation right above Isella.

“Miss Isella has been missing since this morning. I had something to tell her….”

“Actually, I also had an appointment with Miss Isella today, but she didn’t show up, so I came here.”

“What? You had an appointment with Count Sion?”

Oh no.

The person talking with Karen was Sion. Isella realized she had forgotten about her date with Sion because she was worrying about Karen. Today they were supposed to visit artist’s salons together. Isella resented Karen.

“When did you last see her?”

“Well, yesterday we stopped by the hospital together… Miss Isella said she would go back first… but when I came out, she was already gone…. Oh my, you haven’t seen her since?”

“Don’t tell me she didn’t even return last night?”

Sion’s voice became urgent.

Isella was confused about whether she should get up now and say ‘I’m here.’

But it would be embarrassing to get up after crouching here all this time.

What should she do?

“Yes, I’m really worried. Should we file a missing person report?”

“It might be good to contact the Evans estate.”

“Oh my, that might be necessary. Then I’ll go send a telegram to the estate and file a report first.”

No!

Isella was horrified but couldn’t get up even while hearing Karen’s footsteps moving away.

What should she do? What should she say?

“Isella, you can come out now.”

“….”

“I can see everything….”

“Yes….”

Isella stood up with a bright red face. Sion was looking at Isella with embarrassment. Ah, she should have gotten up earlier. She felt tremendous regret, but she couldn’t turn back time. Sion moved with Isella to a more secluded area.

“….”

“…Actually, Miss Karen pointed you out with her finger first. She saw you.”

“Sh-sh-she did?”

Isella’s face hardened. Even though she had been avoiding her like that. She would definitely think it was strange. Eventually Karen would ask her about it. What should she say?

“…Is something wrong?”

“Actually.”

Isella tried to speak but found herself speechless, opening and closing her mouth.

“Well….”

She wanted to confess everything right away. And she wanted to postpone making a decision. If the problem had been just a simple romantic relationship, Isella would have spilled everything immediately.

But the problem was too big. No matter how much she had feelings for Count Sion, she couldn’t tell him that the unmarried Karen was pregnant. It was that sensitive an issue.

“Isella, come here.”

Seeing that Isella couldn’t speak, Sion took off his jacket and laid it down. Then he pointed to it with his hand for Isella.

When Isella hesitated before sitting on it, Sion plopped down on the bare ground beside her.

“The ground is dirty.”

“It’s fine. These clothes are easy to wash.”

“…Yes.”

Sion plucked a rose from nearby and held it out to Isella. When she took the rose, Sion asked.

“Do you find me contemptible?”

“What? Why?”

“Because I just picked this rose. Isn’t it strange to give you something that isn’t even mine?”

“No.”

Isella shook her head.

Sion smiled. Then he skillfully tucked the rose into Isella’s hair.

“I actually have no money.”

“…I know.”

“Before coming here, I thought about what kind of gift would suit you, Isella, but nothing came to mind. Actually, I’ve been thinking about it constantly, not just today. But I only confirmed that there’s far too little I can give you.”

Compared to Isella, Sion was nothing more than a hopelessly poor commoner. Isella’s fondness for him was based purely on appearances. Unlike Raymond, who had useful bloodline, this was an unstable and fleeting attraction.

“But I want to listen earnestly to your stories. Even if that’s all I can do, I want to give it my best effort. I want to listen and think through things together with you. Will you allow me to do that?”

* * *

“Lord Raymond, haven’t you been far too careless lately? Where did you go last month? I had work for you to do.”

Count Fankair sat in the restaurant, looking at Raymond with cold eyes.

Raymond, who hadn’t even sat down at the table yet, froze. He had suspected as much when the Count contacted him, but to say such things before he could even take a seat meant the Count was quite displeased.

“I apologize, Your Grace. At that time, I had matters to resolve with my brother.”

Raymond answered in a somewhat awkward voice, thinking of his brother. In the past when he had no memories, he couldn’t give up on his brother for a long time. He had believed that someday his brother would return to his good self.

But after remembering his dead brother for over a hundred cycles, he was able to give up quickly. Thinking of Karen alone was enough, and above all, he believed it was better to abandon those who should be abandoned sooner rather than later.

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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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