Resetting Lady - Chapter 23

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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 sighed and picked up the syringe again. At least she could still inject it. She took out a new bottle and inserted the rusty syringe. Tom moved again, trying to knock the bottle over.

Crack.

Karen grabbed Tom’s struggling body. When Karen felt Tom’s thin shoulders in her hands, she felt even more tormented. The nine-year-old body was too small above all else. The feeling of thoroughly crushing the weak. It was indeed different from dealing with Nancy. Too young. When she felt a faint sense of revulsion, goosebumps rose all over her.

“…It’s so agonizing.”

Why on earth had everyone killed her like that? Karen suppressed the feeling that made her want to cry.

Self-pity while committing murder – how disgusting. She was already a murderer. But one-sided violence, one-sided murder was this agonizing. However, the more she hesitated, the more agonizing it would become. She hurriedly picked up the syringe.

Swoosh.

The trembling body settled down. Karen stroked Tom’s body. Since he had already witnessed it, she couldn’t let him live.

And Karen knew that after killing this boy, it wouldn’t matter much who else she killed. Nine years old. A street boy weaker than anyone, weaker than herself, whom no one would look for. A child with far too much room for sympathy.

“It’ll be a little better if you’re warm. The medicine will circulate faster.”

The boy’s trembling weakened. Wrapping him in a blanket, Karen approached the fireplace to light a fire. Though summer was approaching, the stone-walled basement was still quite cool. Though it was a rarely used basement, there was still firewood piled in the corner. Karen selected two large chunks and approached the fireplace.

She lit the fire. But it wouldn’t catch well. She needed to build up the fire first with paper or small branches. Karen threw the wood chunk with its barely flickering flame to the very back and looked to see if there were any remaining small branches or such inside. But she saw something strange.

“Huh?”

Inside the fireplace was a blackened corpse. Karen frowned. Who was this now? When she poked at the ash-covered, pitch-black skeleton, ash flew up.

“Achoo!”

There wasn’t much time. Karen wiped her face and needed to get back into the room before Donna came. But things kept happening. Someone had used this fireplace. This was definitely a place no one used… Who did this? Whose corpse was this? When did they die?

Questions dangled in her mind. Karen moved closer to the ash-covered skeleton.

“Ugh!”

Belatedly, flames shot up from the fireplace. Karen stepped back. She would have to check again later.

“…I was wrong…”

“Oh my, the gag came loose. Do you have more to say?”

She feigned calm but was momentarily flustered. Fortunately, whether due to the medicine’s effects, his voice wasn’t very loud. This basement wasn’t the kind of place where sound echoed much, but if he screamed, that would be different. Karen approached with relief to put the gag back on.

“Please, please spare me… I was wrong. I was wrong.”

Tom gasped as he looked at Karen. Tears streamed down his face.

“Hm? What did you do wrong?”

“Ah…”

“What did you do wrong?”

“Speaking rudely to the young lady.”

Karen laughed out loud at Tom’s guess.

“Is that a sin?”

“Yes, yes… I, I was wrong.”

“No. That’s not a sin. That can’t be wrong.”

“What?”

Karen’s eyes were blazing. But even while looking at Tom, she wasn’t focusing on him.

“There’s no such thing as a mortal sin in this world. A mortal sin only exists when you’ve killed someone. Just because a child had something stolen, because the man you wanted looked elsewhere, because your business didn’t work out – does that become a reason to kill someone? Not being able to sleep well, falling down, happening to be in that place – do those become mortal sins?”

Karen muttered. It was close to a monologue. Angry muttering continued.

“If only… it could be blamed… so easily… If it was because I did one thing wrong, said something wrong, if that was why.”

Karen chewed her lips and made eye contact with Tom.

“No. Not that. Actually, whatever you say, that’s not a reason for you to die. It’s okay, Tom. I’m not angry. Ah… your dad really is terrible though. And I do think you shouldn’t be on the streets, but well, that’s still not a reason for you to die. You’re just unlucky. I’m a terrible bitch. Yes, this time I’m the bad bitch, the killing bitch. I’ll keep being that way now.”

“Then please spare me… I won’t tell anyone.”

Crackle crackle, the flames blazed up.

“Please… spare me.”

“I can’t.”

Karen said while stroking Tom. Her hand was gentle.

“You won’t live long anyway, Tom. Dying now would be better for you. This medicine is quite expensive too. You can’t get your hands on it. So dying now would be better.”

Tom had to make more effort to open his parched mouth. His tongue was getting heavier and heavier. But he had to speak. The moment he stopped talking, he would die.

“I want to live even a little longer.”

The fire blazed up. Karen shook her head and picked up Thomas’s severed head, pushing it into the furnace. Whether the corpse’s fat was dripping, the flames turned dirty. She clicked her tongue and turned over the embers. Fortunately, this fireplace went through the kitchen so it wouldn’t be too obvious, but fire was indeed difficult to handle.

“Oh, Tom. How about burning instead? I’ve died before, and while it’s intensely painful for a moment, it ends much faster than a knife or such.”

“I… I won’t tell! Really! Please!”

“Still saying such things?”

Karen sighed and pulled at Tom’s clothes. Tom tried to resist but his limp body wouldn’t obey.

“Do you have anything more to say?”

“I really won’t tell… okay?”

Karen closed her eyes. She had been like this too. But the end was the same. And if she spared this child now, it was obvious things would be more difficult. Next time I’ll spare you. But not now.

“What if I can’t speak?”

A horrible sizzling sound was heard. Karen let go of her hand.

“I didn’t think of this…”

“Spa, spare me, I won’t speak.”

It was an expression that he wouldn’t speak. Thud. Karen struck Tom hard on the back of his head. Black pieces flew out. But the smell of cooked meat was already strong. Karen frowned. It was a futile effort.

You’re going to die anyway. You’ll die in a month. Like a maggot, worse than your father. I have to kill you now. Killing this child now is actually helping him. And I can kill him now.

Karen picked up the syringe. Tom could no longer speak. Only hissing moans continued.

“If I spare you now, troublesome things will surely follow.”

She knew. It was an undeniable truth. Karen trusted no one. This boy could kill Karen anytime he found an opportunity. Even a dog from the marketplace could kill Karen.

“…”

But Karen realized she was trying to find justification for why she had to kill the boy. She shouldn’t make judgments. But she was trying to kill him out of duty, with reasons that it would be better to kill him now as a mercy, and that it would be more inconvenient if she didn’t kill him now. And she realized this fact. It was uncomfortable. She couldn’t understand herself, so it was uncomfortable. Karen postponed her judgment.

“Right. You’re going to anyway.”

Die. Or I’ll earn your resentment from this incident. Karen was as certain of Tom’s death as she was of her own. You’re going to die anyway. Just like me.

Karen closed her eyes. She felt like crying a little.

This time too, she would die.

* * *

“Hmm, Miss Karen Hyer. I simply cannot understand this.”

It was Raymond who broke the silence with the first words. Even he had to stop his breakfast at Karen’s words. Isella stared at Karen in disbelief. Everyone had expressions of incredulity. Karen closed her eyes and continued speaking.

“Father has obligations to the orphans as a lord.”

“That child… no.”

The Lord continued as if chewing his words. At his daughter’s bombshell declaration at the breakfast table, the Lord looked like he wanted to throw his spoon at her. From how hard he set down his spoon, if there hadn’t been eyes around, he would have carried it out.

“Fulfill your duty. Father, you are a lord.”

“Don’t be insolent, Karen.”

“…She’s lost her mind.”

Even Dulan chimed in. Verdick also shook his head. Karen had just declared that she would take in a rapist’s child.

“His face is cute, so having him start carriages would be fine too. I thought about dishwashing as well…”

“Karen, as a fellow woman, let me say this. Are you insane?”

Even Isella continued. Isella’s emotion was close to anger. There’s a limit to acting good. It was so absurd she wanted to grab her by the collar and shout for her to come to her senses. Not just any criminal, but a rapist who even stabbed her with a knife – and now his son.

“The child is innocent.”

“Really now, the child is guilty too, Karen. Everyone is influenced by their parents. They receive inheritance and names, so why do you think they don’t inherit crime? And if he grew up under such a person, it’s obvious. That child will become a criminal too.”

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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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