Resetting Lady - Chapter 26

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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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05. Hunting Season

Three days of ash for atonement.

Four days of water for prosperity.

The first day is the sin offering.

The second day is the guilt offering.

The third day is the absolution offering.

For sins committed unconsciously, through weakness, or through ignorance, atonement sacrifices shall be offered with grain offerings, with the scale of sacrifice varying according to income and status.

Those who covet others’ possessions, defile sacred objects, or make false oaths must confess their sins, repay damages tenfold, and offer blood sacrifices on the day of ash.

This is according to sacred law, separate from the laws of each government.

Those who steal shall offer one young lamb.

Those who commit adultery shall offer three young heifers.

Those who commit assault shall offer one young mare.

Those who commit murder

– Part of the text is torn and cannot be seen.

Request new regulation guidelines.

* * *

Summer had begun. The Hyer family’s domain had severe temperature differences but was generally cool, so Karen liked summer. The fresh summer vegetation and breeze. The shining sun sang of passion, and even the occasional downpours were enjoyable.

Through repeated lives, human relationships had become torture that caused Karen irritation, but such scenery still provided comfort despite the passing years. So Karen was grateful that her location wasn’t an endless snowfield dominated only by snow, or the scorching southern regions with only blazing sun.

Though it would have been better if the setting were a stimulating big city with many people rather than this countryside. Karen was tired of the daily routine of having to see Isella today as well.

“You can’t even ride a horse?”

“I always went to the hunting grounds by carriage. I’m actually not very skilled at horseback riding.”

“So there are things Karen can’t do. They say it’s not even that far. Horseback riding is a basic skill for ladies these days.”

“Thank you for the advice. I’ll learn next time. But not today, Isella. I trust the skill of an experienced coachman more than a beginner’s riding ability.”

I don’t want to work. But I have to.

Lent was approaching.

Since Verdick had encouraged the lord, this Lent would be an unprecedentedly large festival. Even so, Karen was indifferent since she’d heard the phrase “unprecedented scale” every year for 100 years, but she gasped when she heard the specific numbers and budget.

Verdick wanted a larger sacrifice, citing various overlapping matters including business and the accident that befell Karen. They had to prepare 37 sheep and 70 turkeys, and even 70 doves weren’t enough. He even suggested that it would be good to match the types of burnt offerings to the sacred number seven, and the lord accepted.

Dulan, who had to catch at least one of each type of those offerings to present burnt sacrifices, would fall into an identity crisis wondering if he was a priest or a butcher. That’s what he gets for doing unnecessary things.

After Dulan revealed a talent that was truly useless for a future lord, even close to shameful, Verdick would look at Dulan with eyes that seemed to want to devour him. Unable to bear that gaze, Dulan would always irritably get up and leave first.

But such minor rebellion couldn’t stop Verdick’s passion.

He demanded they catch more wild birds and deer, saying ordinary offerings wouldn’t do, so Karen had to prepare for a full-scale hunt instead of a picnic.

The actual hunting would be done by the gamekeepers, not Karen. Still, the responsibility was bothersome. Just like how she had to check the maids’ work even if she didn’t clean directly, Karen had to work as the lady of the house.

This wasn’t the time – she wanted to visit Father. Karen was irritated by the situation. Damn status. Damn authority. Damn responsibility.

The ruling class had too much to do and too little time alone. Even Karen had to wake up at dawn to Donna’s attendance, get dressed, deal with Isella in the morning, give lunch instructions, work with the head maid and butler in the afternoon to manage and entertain the Evans family guests, and review daily tasks.

If Karen, who had relatively few duties, was like this, the lord’s situation was certainly worse, not better. Since her doubts arose, Karen had been so angry about how difficult it was to meet her father alone that she would wake up at dawn and hit the bed with pillows or tear up papers.

Why didn’t Father remarry, leaving her, only seventeen, to handle all those tasks? There was nowhere to vent her surging emotions. She just wanted to quickly find out the reason and discover a way to live or die. Daily life was too tedious.

As Karen approached the carriage, Tom got down from the driver’s seat. The coachman’s uniform, tailored to fit his body, suited him quite well and was fitting for his doll-like role. Not bad. Tom was about the right age to drive a carriage. However, Tom’s cute face rather caused displeasure to Isella Evans.

“Karen, are you planning to bring that thing?”

“Yes. It’s that child’s job.”

“Then I’ll ride a horse instead of taking the carriage.”

“Isella.”

“Carriages are stuffy.”

Sigh, Karen looked at Tom bowing his head and sighed.

Still, it wouldn’t be right to take Tom’s side here. Karen guided Isella to the stable. Tom couldn’t lift his head.

“Oh my… the horses are magnificent.”

Seeing the white horses lined up in a row, Isella’s eyes sparkled. No matter how well maintained, there was nothing to be done about the smell of animals. The distinctive odor wafted up.

‘The smell will get on my clothes.’

Unpleasant. But Isella seemed not to notice smells like that and showed no concern. Seeing her act like that, he must be here. Following her gaze, Raymond was indeed there.

“…How can he be so handsome?”

“Yes, indeed.”

Karen turned her head from staring blankly and directed her gaze toward Raymond. The sunlight coming through the stable window made his blonde hair stand out. His voice, talking with the coachman about horses, could be heard clearly even among the sounds of horses’ breathing, hoofbeats, and eating.

He would probably preach better than Dulan. His face, height, body lines, and even voice were perfect like a well-trained actor, sometimes creating the illusion that he might be a male god from mythology. Karen felt a little sorry for Isella because of this. That uncontrollable fervent admiration and longing looked more like faith than love. Because she remembered that in the 100 years she had repeated, his affection had never once turned toward her.

“Really…”

Karen saw that Isella couldn’t take her eyes off him. Raymond was indeed handsome. But watching the maiden’s face looking at him was more interesting than looking at a face she’d seen for decades.

‘And I’m curious how that face will change too.’

“Ah.”

“Lord Raymond is looking at me.”

He turned his face to meet the ladies’ gaze. Though there was distance, his green eyes were vivid. The gaze was burdensome. Isella admired those eyes, but Karen felt uncomfortable. Because she remembered his past. And the attitude he showed last time was… His lips curved upward. With an expression that seemed like smiling, like sneering, with a strange feeling, he gave a slight nod and then focused on the horses again.

“Is he… shy?”

“Yes.”

She held back from saying “I don’t think so” and answered.

Isella hadn’t shown outright hostility toward Karen yet. But the occasional melancholy and despair deeper than jealousy made Karen, who was with her, uncomfortable. However, as Karen felt even that discomfort as new stimulation, she didn’t particularly try to comfort Isella. Maintaining friendship so that jealousy wouldn’t lead to torture-like harassment later, but not so intimate as to have a joint wedding. Just that kind of relationship.

Everyone in this manor felt that tension to some degree. Problems between men and women were this enjoyable. Giggling, Karen looked around at the horses. The adult horses were white and glossy, pleasant to look at.

“How much do you sell them for?”

“We don’t sell the horses. We occasionally give one as a gift.”

“Well… for that quality of breed, just the breeding costs alone would be considerable. Never let them out. They’re quite tempting.”

Most of Hyer Estate’s horses were a breed that turned white when they became adults, so Isella also liked the horses. White and intelligent – weren’t they horses that could appear in fairy tales?

“They’re pretty and have good builds too. This quality should definitely not be put up at regular auctions… Very temp… tempting…”

Isella’s eyes kept turning toward Raymond. As if the subject of breeding wasn’t the horses but that man. Karen quickly spoke up, feeling like drool might fall from Isella’s mouth.

“Isella’s knowledge is truly remarkable.”

The problem wasn’t Raymond, but could Isella actually have a proper romance? Karen was curious about that. Isella’s biggest flaw, her lack of awareness, sometimes irritated even Karen like this.

“Miss Evans seems quite interested in horses. Is it the same with horseback riding?”

When Isella approached Raymond’s vicinity while pretending to be interested only in horses, he spoke to Isella. As Isella’s attention focused on him, Karen quietly slipped away.

“Yes? Yes. I’m confident. I’ve been told since childhood that I have talent for horseback riding…”

Such self-praise wouldn’t be very good. Isella wasn’t skilled at relationships like that. Karen clicked her tongue. Anyway, as had been repeated for 100 years, while Isella blushed and rattled off self-praise to Raymond, Karen waited to board the carriage.

Karen was set up as someone who couldn’t ride horses yet. Moreover, as Karen preferred riding comfortably in a carriage over horses, she couldn’t understand Isella boasting about her riding skills. How little must she have to brag about… The road to the hunting grounds was beautiful enough to see from inside the carriage.

Leaving Raymond to be caught by Isella, Karen checked the luggage the servants had brought to do her work. Hunting would take all day, or rather several days to meet their goals. While they could come and go from the manor, the hunters had to work there continuously, so she needed to check the count of bullets and traps.

Xenon, who practically had to do the most hard labor, wasn’t on a horse but was sitting comfortably next to the coachman, smoking and chatting. I hope they catch foxes rather than sacrificial animals. Karen wished while looking at the traps.

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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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