Resetting Lady - Chapter 200

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Sion had of course told Isella he would help, but he hadn’t expected such reckless behavior. Had Lord Raymond always been this reckless?

Ever since he introduced Karen Hyer to him, Raymond had suddenly started acting as if he’d lost his mind. He was so different from the Raymond that Sion used to know that it was difficult to follow his actions.

“Let’s think this through carefully, Lord Raymond. Bombing the palace? First of all, how do you plan to get in? And what about all the guards and people in the royal palace?”

“I can get in.”

“Sure, you could enter when there’s a party at the palace, or when you go to see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. But this is different from those situations. And please don’t get angry, just listen. We can’t even be certain that Miss Karen Hyer is still alive, can we?”

“She’ll be alive. I’m certain of that. More than that… I’m worried Karen might cause an even bigger incident.”

“Pardon?”

Raymond shook his head and changed the subject.

“Anyway, in the end, there’s no other way besides installing explosives inside the palace. The location of the basement is definitely connected to Prince Guiz’s room. We can’t say we want to investigate such an unofficial place, and my relationship with Karen isn’t official either. Even if it’s extreme, this is the only method. I’ll try to keep you from getting too involved, Count Sion.”

“What about you, Lord Raymond?”

“If it doesn’t work, I’ll have to die. Count Sion, don’t you think dying for love is quite romantic?”

“Are you planning to blow yourself up?”

“It’s a bit different from that, I’m just not afraid of risking my life. And right now, this method is the best option. Will you help me? No, please help me.”

Sion looked at Raymond’s one eye and let out a deep sigh.

If Raymond hadn’t been injured because of him, he wouldn’t have felt obligated to help to this extent out of guilt.

“The party that Prince Guiz will attend is the very next day. I’ve asked Earl Landon for a favor, so he’ll prepare Miss Isella Evans. You enter with her and watch the situation, then let me know what state His Highness is in. When he arrives, how long he stays, and when he prepares to leave. Please use the second gap on the seventh terrace like before.”

“What if he doesn’t attend?”

“Considering the past, he definitely will. He’s always attended on that day until now.”

Raymond said this while writing the date on paper.

“Human behavior has inertia.”

* * *

“Isella, we’ll arrive at the palace soon.”

“Yes, yes.”

Inside the rattling carriage, Sion adjusted his neck scarf with a tense expression. Though he was someone who liked to attend every single party without fail, he had never been this nervous before.

What Sion had to do was simple. Confirm that Prince Guiz attended the party and inform Raymond how long he would stay.

Sion mentally pictured where the second gap on the seventh terrace might be. The seventh terrace was a rarely used place that men and women secretly used as a private space. The guards deliberately avoided going around that area.

So they often used it when Raymond and he needed to secretly exchange notes.

Sion checked the time and took a deep breath. What he had to do certainly wasn’t anything major, but he couldn’t help being nervous because of what Raymond was about to do.

“I’ll install small bombs sporadically. The plan is to extract Karen when people’s attention and manpower are dispersed by that.”

“I hope you can succeed and rescue her in one attempt.”

That’s what should happen.

No one wants the incident to escalate beyond a small explosion accident. What Sion hoped for was to safely extract Karen, have Raymond and Karen disappear and live well on Raymond’s estate, and for himself and Isella to also live well on their original estates.

“Don’t, don’t shake.”

“I’m not shaking, Isella.”

Isella’s face was pale white. The dark green dress was certainly quite expensive, but it looked somewhat uncomfortable. It was borrowed from the Countess Landon for Isella, who had fled from home with nothing. The fit and sleeve length were slightly off.

More than anything, Isella’s expression was too stiff, creating a strong sense of discord.

“Am, am I… not, not shaking… shaking?”

“Yes.”

Isella, who had attended social gatherings frequently but was attending a royal ball for the first time, was clearly nervous in many ways. Since one is only considered to have properly debuted in society after debuting at the royal palace, the world would think she was finally engaging in proper social activities.

And more than other nobles or celebrities, Prince Guiz would see Isella. If Prince Guiz knew that the Isella he had missed was attending the party, he would be even more unlikely to skip it.

“It’s dangerous.”

“I know. But if you go in alone, it’ll be difficult to hold His Highness’s attention. You need to move when attention is focused on Miss Isella.”

“It’s only been a day since Miss Evans was kidnapped.”

“Of course, if she refuses, I won’t ask her anymore.”

Sion really didn’t like this. She was prey that Prince Guiz had once missed. What kind of expression would he make when he saw Isella? Sion thought Isella would say she wouldn’t attend. But contrary to his expectations, she said she would attend the banquet.

‘While trembling like that.’

Sion disliked how the people around him seemed to get too involved because of Karen Hyer. Perhaps because Sion himself lived by his appearance alone, with nothing but his decent looks, he hated people like himself.

As soon as Sion was introduced to Karen Hyer, he recognized that she was the same type as him, and such a Karen made him uncomfortable. It seemed like his senior, who had been walking a smooth path, started to stumble after meeting that woman, and he didn’t like that she was now next to Isella, whom she was courting.

Though he was participating because Isella and Raymond wanted it, Sion harbored resentment toward Karen, who, like himself, won people’s favor with her appearance. Was it necessary for so many people to take risks because of that one woman? Sion thought not.

“Isella, I’m telling you now… I hate seeing you fall into danger. Isella, you’ve already done enough just by telling us about Miss Karen’s whereabouts.”

“No, no, no… In the end, it’s something that needs to be resolved with Prince Guiz as well…”

Isella, while trembling, touched up her makeup and checked her shoe heels.

“Father and Mother just… want to send me away to avoid His Highness’s attention, but my parents know too. Running away is useless… It’s better to show my face… In the end, if Karen succeeds in escaping, won’t I, who knows her whereabouts, be the first to face his wrath?”

“That would be the case.”

Isella seemed to gradually calm down as she finished checking her rings and necklace. Seeing her, the saying that accessories are a woman’s weapon felt true. With the face of a knight going to war, she adjusted the angle of her necklace again and said:

“Then it would be better to pretend inside the palace… in front of him that I have nothing to do with this incident. I’ll still be suspected, but I can reduce the danger even a little. When the accident happens, I plan to scream and faint.”

The logic was plausible, but she was still voluntarily entering a lion’s den. Sion was about to click his tongue, but looking at Isella, he was more impressed by her courage.

“…Isella, I somewhat wish you had been born a man.”

“What? I don’t want that.”

“…Yes.”

Sion extended his hand to Isella. Isella took his hand and stood up. Walking beside Sion, Isella looked at the palace visible in the distance.

“Come to think of it, Count Sion, I wanted to become a knight.”

“It’s not that good a profession.”

“Not the profession, but the knights in stories. Protecting the weak and upholding justice… Knowing that they don’t exist in reality, that it’s impossible for me to live like that, I wanted to marry a knight.”

Isella was smiling slightly with a tense expression.

“But doing it myself is more exciting after all.”

“Then let’s go protect justice.”

“Yes.”

Going to rescue someone captured by a villain. Like a knight.

Though the person being rescued isn’t a princess but a country girl. And not even someone very close.

Raymond entered the palace. At the castle gate, the captain of the guard recognized Raymond and greeted him.

“Lord Raymond, it’s been a long time.”

“Yes. You look busy because of the banquet.”

“Yes, that’s right. Are you attending?”

“Well, I have something to discuss briefly with Lord Lewis.”

“I understand. Please go right in.”

“Right. You look busy, so you don’t need to guide me.”

“Ah, thank you. Then I’ll excuse myself first.”

Though countless servants were constantly moving inside the palace, avoiding their eyes and going deep inside wasn’t very difficult for him. Several maids recognized him as they passed through the hall, but soon turned their heads to attend to their own work.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————