Resetting Lady - Chapter 40
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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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Isella demonstrated that a person’s complexion could change in such various ways.
“See you later, Isella. I need to prepare for dressing up too.”
The dressing was completed magnificently.
“I heard you weren’t feeling well.”
“…Yes. I’m still a bit tired.”
Would it be okay to lose to Isella once in a while? You never know. Something like friendship being true love or whatever.
Karen thought such things while glancing sideways at Isella. Of course, not now. Karen put great effort into looking more pitiful. She tightened her corset to make her face look paler, applied powder one tone brighter than usual, killed the color of her lips, and added a slightly dark shade under her eyes to create the perfect appearance of a sick person.
“…This morning you looked perfectly fine…though…”
Isella’s expression was amusing, so Karen slightly leaned her body toward Raymond. Naturally, he caught Karen.
“Cough cough.”
“Are you alright?”
Of course she was a fake patient. Over there, Dulan gritted his teeth with a look that said ‘damn it.’ Karen slightly raised her fist. Get lost.
Bowen entered the hall with the Lord and shouted.
“The Countess has arrived!”
Karen approached her father and whispered quietly.
“Have you thought about my letter?”
The Lord’s face turned ashen. Finding this strange, Karen moved even closer to her father’s side.
“Didn’t you see it?”
“I saw it. I prepared too… But I don’t understand you.”
The Lord took off his hat and whispered softly while waiting for the Countess to enter.
His fingertips were trembling slightly.
“Why do you wish for my death?”
“Do you really not know the reason?”
Karen asked with wide eyes.
When the Lord answered as if he had no idea at all, she was puzzled. The Lord looked at his daughter’s face that seemed to ask why he shouldn’t naturally die. He couldn’t imagine what expression he was making. His voice became hoarse.
“Yes. I have no idea at all.”
Karen stared blankly at her father’s face and gave a stammering answer.
“Um, ah, yes. I’m sorry. I was too rude. Since it’s such a familiar matter to me, I didn’t think about how it would sound to others… um, yes… that’s right.”
Karen looked truly sorry. She apologized for being unkind in her letter after asking him to die. The Lord had to struggle to erase the thought that came to mind.
“I’ve done all those things for you until now. If I’m gone, what on earth are you going to do from now on?”
“There are several reasons… but first, Father, I don’t need protection. As I said before, what I want is not a safe environment.”
Karen was slightly disappointed that the Lord couldn’t even guess. While he covered for Karen killing other people, didn’t he think that blade would turn on him too? Was that just how people were?
What Karen wanted was more diverse environmental changes. If killing Nancy could change things this much? The Lord would waste away and die.
Since he was going to die anyway, dying earlier wouldn’t be unreasonable. However, since the timing of death would be moved up, there would certainly be some changes. He was a safe observation subject in many ways.
And that wasn’t the only reason.
“What I want to see most of all is confirmation of love.”
Karen’s face looked innocent. She looked her age. It was the face of a child asking parents out of curiosity and listening attentively. So the Lord stared blankly at that face and asked back.
“Love?”
“Yes.”
“That is now.”
Still couldn’t deduce it? But instead of giving an immediate answer, Karen raised her finger to cover her mouth.
Shh.
“Father, Lady Elba is here.”
Karen cut off her words. The Lord’s expression looked anxious and impatient, but what could be done? Right now, work was more important than the reason for demanding her father’s death.
Karen herself found the situation amusing and bit her lips to maintain composure. Mockery, laughter, guffaws. All kinds of laughter. She mustn’t laugh. Let’s focus on work.
Lady Elba Fitzgerald. With a face that looked carved from stone, she lived dominating her husband with a voice like a cannon, and had strong impulsive tendencies. She showed the ambition of a noble lady enough to push her weak-hearted husband into politics, but she loved gambling excessively.
“It’s been a while, Verdick Evans.”
“Thank you for responding to my invitation, Lady Elba Fitzgerald.”
She opened her fan with a snap and lowered her eyes. Even though it was nearby, making her come from the resort to this place was due to Verdick’s pressure. Having lost at gambling recently, she had borrowed a large sum from Verdick and was in a position where she had to arrange a meeting with Count Fitzgerald against her will.
“Squeeze Verdick’s nose tight later.”
The Lord whispered quietly.
Verdick was standing in a lower row than the Lord, Karen, and Raymond, but the first person the Countess recognized and exchanged eye greetings with was Verdick. The Lord seemed displeased with this.
“Does such a thing have meaning for Father?”
If you’re going to die, the meaning would disappear. Karen swallowed her following words.
Raymond was too close.
“…Resolute.”
The Lord smiled bitterly.
“Let’s talk more later. I’m curious. Why I would…do that.”
“Let’s do work first now, Father.”
Lady Elba moved her steps toward the Lord.
Karen laughed seeing Lady Elba’s expression harden as soon as she passed Verdick. The debtor’s position isn’t easy, is it, madam? This is also the first time you’re meeting this early.
Lady Elba’s young daughter Lian followed her mother with quick steps and her eyes widened when she saw Karen’s face.
“…Wow.”
Children were comfortable. They liked pretty things, showed favor toward them, and their feelings were easily revealed. Tom had already become too taciturn, making him less fun. Karen thought such things and smiled brightly. Lady Lian also smiled widely.
The Lord kissed Lady Elba’s hand and offered simple greetings.
“I am extremely pleased that Lady Elba has come all this way.”
“The festival was quite worth seeing. Lian enjoyed it, so I had fun too.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Until now, the owner of this land was still Hyer, not Verdick. But the Countess slowly turned her head and looked toward Karen, who was next in order.
“…You resemble your mother.”
Though she’d heard this many times, it had never sounded as fresh as this time. Karen smiled somewhat gloomily and offered her greetings.
“I am extremely pleased to meet you, Lady Elba.”
She must have seen Catherine when she was alive too. How much did she know? Karen realized the next day that killing Deere had been somewhat emotional and felt slight regret. Now she hoped Lady Elba would become her ally instead of Mrs. Deere.
“She was quite beautiful too. When you debut in the capital later, come to my salon.”
“Thank you.”
Until now, Karen had no interest in her dead mother despite repeating her life. Was that also something Nancy had erased from her memory? It was unknowable in this life. She’d have to ask in the next life.
Karen sat fanning herself, watching Isella burst with indignation at Mrs. Elba’s attitude of half-listening to Isella’s greetings. Mrs. Elba’s young daughter was enchanted by Karen’s radiant beauty and was chattering while holding her mother’s arm.
She could see Isella and Verdick clearly feeling bad. A face more precious than gold. She was truly grateful to her mother. Since she gave life, face, and death together, it could be said she gave almost everything. While watching them, Karen noticed her father sitting beside her and turned around.
“So now it’s time for me to hear the reason?”
The Lord sat next to the table where Karen was sitting, keeping his gaze on the conversation between the Countess and Raymond.
“The reason.”
“Yes, is it because you’re curious how much life will change?”
“I told you earlier.”
“…Please tell me more kindly.”
Karen was surprised that she had answered like a child throwing a tantrum.
Certainly, when someone actually believed stories about life repeating or living in a book, she came out this childishly. Really like a daughter throwing a tantrum to her father.
Of course, the content wasn’t that cute.
“Rather than living under Father’s protection, living a new life would be good too.”
“I want your happiness.”
“Um… Father, I don’t have a hobby for ‘such things.’ I want more diverse variables, truth, and endings. Whether death or life.”
The Lord’s face changed to one of bewilderment.
“It might sound like chasing clouds, but… yes, Father.”
Karen caught a passing servant and received two champagne glasses.
“I’m thirsty. Father too?”
“Yes.”
Golden liquid filled the glasses. When the servant moved away, Karen lowered her voice below the music and spoke.
“Father, you said you believed in Mother.”
“Yes.”
“Mother was freed from magic thanks to Father’s love.”
She herself was disgusted by the lightness of the words. But the Lord nodded with an utterly serious face.
“That’s right.”
“But Father, I have to say… honestly speaking, I’m extremely… doubtful. Really, such temporary emotions worth a life… doing that for 100 years…”
Karen couldn’t hold back and downed her drink. In this life, she kept becoming emotional.
“It’s too abstract and vague.”
“How can you say love is vague? Perfect faith and love will save you.”
Shut up.
“You’re not me, Father. If you had holes in your head for 100 years, you’d find it hard to say such things. I’ve died from all sorts of things.”
“…”
“It’s difficult. 100 years, Father. There’s a limit to how many people one person can meet. How many people could there be who you meet during such a short period of less than a year, build connections with, and could even lead to marriage? I’ve been connected with Lord Raymond dozens of times, but if he’s not my destined partner, what am I supposed to do now?”
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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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