Resetting Lady - Chapter 48

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

“Karen!”

Thud.

The rope holding the lord’s corpse snapped and it fell. The fire spread larger throughout the room, covering the area of the lord’s body.

“Father!”

Really, you’re not helping at all! As if ignoring Karen’s resentful cry, the corpse quickly caught fire and served as kindling. Parents never do what their children want.

“It’s dangerous! It’s already too late!”

Raymond pulled back, holding Karen tightly in his arms. Father, please leave some bones behind. I was hoping to bury you next to Mother if possible. It’ll be cremation instead of burial. Still, I hope you burn quietly. If I can collect your bones later, I’ll do that for you.

‘No, more than that, the fire spreading this much… is that bastard trying to kill me?’

Her pride was slightly hurt. She didn’t like the situation where the arson she had failed at was now threatening her own life like this.

‘For now, I need to survive.’

Karen made that judgment and decided to put aside suicide for the time being, as Raymond had said.

“Isella is… how.”

She continued carefully. Since she didn’t know what had happened or what would happen, she was cautious about bringing it up. Raymond asked Karen in return.

“Haven’t you seen Miss Evans? Mr. Verdick specifically asked that she would surely be with you.”

Which would be more advantageous – saying she saw Isella here or saying she didn’t? Karen found quick judgments requiring split-second decisions agonizing. She was too old to make such big decisions quickly. If only she had something to bash into Raymond’s head like she did when dealing with Isella.

“That is…”

When Karen couldn’t answer properly, Raymond frowned.

“You haven’t seen her? …Anyway, let’s think about getting out first.”

That thing.

His fiancée had become “that thing.”

Isella was already ranked lower than Karen in the situation. Karen felt relief while simultaneously feeling her mood drop. Was it because Karen was more important, or because she was someone who could be saved immediately? What would Raymond himself think about that? But getting lost in thought was a luxury at this moment.

Karen shook her head.

“Karen.”

“Yes.”

Raymond looked down out the window as he spoke to Karen. People’s shouting and screaming began to be heard. And crack, the sound of something breaking somewhere could also be heard. Thick smoke was visible from the window. Karen saw Raymond’s face brightly illuminated by the flames. It might be her imagination, but even his expression seemed bright. Raymond said to Karen.

“We’re in big trouble.”

“It seems so.”

“The fire has spread more than expected. Are there any pipes we could climb down?”

“Pipes…?”

She didn’t know that much.

When Karen looked puzzled, Raymond set her down.

“Karen Hyer, let’s make just one promise. Don’t commit suicide today. At least for my sake, having come this far. Can you keep that?”

“…Yes.”

“Preferably tomorrow too.”

That’s a bit much.

But Karen didn’t voice that thought aloud. She had that much sense.

“Can we move from here to the roof?”

“It’s impossible from inside this room. We’d need to get to the corridor at minimum.”

The corridor looked completely impossible to escape through. Raymond clicked his tongue and looked down out the window. It was high enough for Karen to attempt suicide.

“At this height…”

Raymond gauged the height.

“You’d be able to do it.”

Karen knew.

If Raymond were alone, he could safely jump down from even this height. She had already seen him do so in the past.

“…You’re overestimating my abilities.”

“You could do it if you were alone.”

Those familiar movements she could never imitate. But if he jumped down carrying her? That would be impossible. There would just be two corpses.

“We agreed not to say such things. Show some will.”

“But even Lord Raymond.”

Karen clenched her fist, embarrassed by her own words. Fortunately, it would probably look like a virtuous woman making a heroic resolution.

Regardless of Karen’s state, Raymond walked around the room, lost in thought.

“I can’t tell from inside the room… The fire is spreading too fast. If we could at least get up to the roof to check. Where’s the highest window from here?”

“The study has two floors… that small window on the study side!”

Raymond carried Karen and ran to the ladder.

The flames spread even more fiercely.

“I’ll go up first.”

Raymond quickly climbed up and tried to open the window, but it was a small window for lighting and wouldn’t open. While he broke the window, she turned her head toward the books and felt regret.

‘I haven’t found a single clue about Mother yet…’

But there was nothing she could do in this life. Damn arsonist. When setting a fire, shouldn’t you take out everything you need first? Karen wished she could put a hole in their head the moment she confirmed their identity.

‘What’s that?’

In a corner of the study beyond her reach, there was a notebook without a cover stuck among the books. Karen reached out her hand.

“Karen!”

Crack. The ladder broke.

Raymond barely managed to pull up Karen, who had almost fallen, and got her out through the window.

“I’m sorry. Mother’s keepsake…”

Honestly speaking, it was just one notebook that might or might not be a keepsake. But you never know. Raymond didn’t openly scold her, but he looked somewhat exasperated.

“It’s fine, so shut up and let’s get out.”

Whoooosh.

Fire and wind mixed together, gnawing and crunching at the Hyer Estate.

Raymond, carrying Karen, stamped his feet several times on the roof before jumping down to a lower roof.

Thud.

“Eek.”

Karen wrapped her arms around Raymond’s neck.

Damn it, do it properly! She cursed inwardly but gritted her teeth.

“Just asking, but could you balance and cross over that roof by yourself?”

The roof Raymond indicated with a nod was slightly tilted from the fire, but the walls were stone so that part was intact. Even so, the places to step were only about the width of one step.

Not everyone is a monster like you, you know? Karen shook her head.

“I couldn’t do it even if my feet were fine. I couldn’t do it even if I died and came back to life a hundred times.”

It wasn’t a matter of effort. Raymond just nodded without any change in expression, as if he had only asked for the sake of asking.

“Then don’t even breathe and just hang on.”

And Karen did just that.

Raymond bent his waist while holding Karen.

The familiar smell of gunpowder came from the man’s body. Raymond was jumping down, but it looked like he was flying through the sky. She felt a whooshing sound. That sensation gave her chills. It was the sensation of falling she had experienced many times, but now there was human warmth beside her. And that person was Raymond. That’s why Karen wasn’t afraid. With him beside her, nothing would kill her. At least not until that day came.

The body that had lightly risen settled onto the roof and ran fast enough to hear the wind.

“…!”

Karen wanted to cover her ears but couldn’t because she was holding onto Raymond. While running, Karen heard the sound of windows breaking. Whoever was inside would have difficulty surviving.

Thud.

Finally, after arriving by rolling on the ground, Raymond set Karen down.

“Ugh.”

Karen tried to stand up but sat back down due to the pain shooting up from her feet.

“Miss!”

Donna came running. Her face was covered in tears.

“Oh my, what do we do, what on earth is this… What about the lord? He couldn’t get out… *sob*, *sob*… Are you alright, miss?”

“…”

Karen found it hard to answer. She didn’t even have the energy to joke right now. This was her limit. Too many things had happened in one night. Drained of strength, she leaned against Donna and collapsed.

“What do we do…”

Donna hugged Karen and cried loudly. Karen patted Donna, but soon even that became bothersome.

“Isella is…”

And he approached.

“What happened to my daughter…”

Verdick approached Karen with a terrible expression. Karen lowered her head. I’m curious about that too. Where could Isella be? What happened? This situation.

“Why….”

But even so, looking at Verdick’s face was uncomfortable. What Karen could know now was that no one had seen Isella since then.

“How could this be.”

Karen herself couldn’t tell if she felt joy, sadness, or relief.

Verdick saw Raymond’s smile.

Verdick looked at Raymond.

He seemed to be smiling.

* * *

Please, I hope I don’t open my eyes like this. I used to pray every time I fell asleep. I wish it would end like this forever, without even thinking.

That is a futile hope. When I open my eyes, another day will begin again. I know. I know. The same people every day, the same laughter, the same tears. I despair at the very fact of regaining consciousness in the darkness, regaining consciousness again and again.

“Miss, are you alright?”

At least it was comforting that I was in warm blankets instead of the garden where I usually started.

The garden was always cold. Not that bone-chilling cold. This time it’s not cold.

Who killed me this time? No. This time I killed myself. I killed myself. No one will be able to kill me. Ink on paper, faint piano sounds. No. It wasn’t this time. Not yet.

“Miss.”

Whose voice is that? Not the low voice that mumbles pronunciation, but a younger woman.

Ah, right. I killed Nancy. That woman isn’t her. That voice is Donna. A slightly younger, lively girl’s voice. Different from before. A voice that didn’t have enough influence to kill Karen.

“Are you alright?”

“…Ugh.”

Karen tried to open her eyes but they wouldn’t open.

Am I blind now? Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be the case. When I raised my hand, something had settled on my eyes. How long was I asleep?

“…Ugh.”

She tried to open her mouth, but her dry throat and lips were parched and couldn’t produce a voice. When Karen moved her lips several times, Donna moistened her lips and around her eyes with a water-soaked towel.

I had come back to life once again.

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